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GamingPlaystationPS4Playstation Games


WHAT ARE THE BEST EXPLORATION GAMES FOR PS4?

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Apr 23, 2023
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21 GAMES CONSIDERED

Best exploration games for PS4PriceGenrePlatforms
--
Subnautica
$22.99Survival, Open world, ExplorationWindows, Mac, Xbox One
--
Abzû
$19.99--
--
Journey
$14.99--
--
Firewatch
$19.99Narrative, Adventure, Walking Sim-
--
The Long Dark
$29.99First-Person Survival, SandboxPlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, macOS,
Linux

See Full List

--


SUBNAUTICA

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR SUBNAUTICA

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR SUBNAUTICA

Add Video or Image
All
6
Pros
4
Cons
1
Specs

Top Con
•••


LACKS CO-OP

This game was meant to be a survival game (and a bit of horror), most survival
games are difficult, may get boring to play alone after time and this game has
both. Having a second survivor in the story would mean to rewrite it again, but
having a friend in an alien world would be better. See More
Top Pro
•••


HAS A MODE FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO EXPLORE

Subnautica has four game modes: survival, freedom, hardcore, and creative. The
first one pits the player against the elements and forces them to think about
food and water through its thirst and hunger mechanics. The second game mode
basically removes every mechanic that is related to surviving, such as the
aforementioned hunger and thirst mechanics. It also leaves all the items in your
inventory after you die. In other words, it's a game mode for people who want to
explore without having to bother with surviving. Which is nice, since Subnautica
has a lot of stuff to explore. The third one, as the name tells us, is more
difficult. Not only do you have to worry about health, oxygen, water and hunger,
you will have to worry about your life. Since this game mode gives you one
chance to live, no respawning. If you die, you'll lose your progress and will
have to start over again. The fourth one will let you build a base of your
dreams without worrying about food, oxygen, or thirst. It is the best mode for
people who want to build and don't want to gather resources. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive
Genre:Survival, Open world, Exploration
Co-Op:No
Controller Support:Full
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


INTERESTING CREATURE DESIGN

The creature design in Subnautica deserves some major praise. Spotting a new,
never seen before creature is extremely rewarding and there's a large variety of
alien creatures to look for. See More
Top Pro
•••


THE SOUND EFFECTS REALLY SET UP THE OVERALL ATMOSPHERE

The sound design in Subnautica is amazing. Even though the soundtrack can be
bland at times, the sound effects for the ocean noises are incredibly
atmospheric and really help to get the player in the mood for exploring a vast,
alien ocean. See More
Top Pro
•••


INCREDIBLY SATISFYING TOOL-BUILDING MECHANICS

The whole process of creating new tools is mostly done using a sophisticated
3D-printer available from the start of the game. You gather various resources
and transform them to create tools that you will need for your survival. For
example, organic matter gets printed into raw carbon, combine carbon with some
zinc and you get a battery; combine that battery with some glass and you get a
flashlight that helps you see in the dark. It's very straightforward but
incredibly satisfying when you build your tools, especially since you are doing
all of this while swimming in an ocean filled with predators. See More
HideSee All

$22.99
Recommend123

--


ABZÛ

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ABZÛ

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ABZÛ

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4
Pros
3
Cons
1

Top Pro
•••


EDUCATIONAL

Every time you encounter a new fish, you can learn what it's called. There is
also the 'meditate' mode which cycles between all the different kinds of fish,
naming them on screen. See More
Top Con
•••


EXTREMELY SHORT

The first playthrough will take you only about 3 hours, which is way too short
for a game of its price. You won't get much replay value out of it either,
unless you want to get all the trophies. See More
Top Pro
•••


SOFT AND CALMING

Diving through the ocean with an array of colorful fish is very soothing. Your
character can even meditate, allowing you to gaze at the surrounding aquatic
life. The orchestral music further adds to the soothing feeling, while also
giving most locations a sense of wonder. Nothing quite like seeing a school of
fish swimming around to the soft tune of pipe instruments. See More
Top Pro
•••


ABSOLUTELY STRIKING ART STYLE

Abzû was made by Thatgamecompany, the makers of Journey and Flower. In each of
their games, they emphasize taking a distinctive art style and Abzû is no
exception. It uses a very bright and vivid color palette to bring out the allure
and mystique of the ocean. Lots of colorful fish and underwater plants with the
sun shining down on you. Each location looks so peaceful it makes you rethink if
the ocean truly is scary. Some of those are followed by a dark area, dim lights
and ominous creatures to remind you of the fear. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend141
--


JOURNEY

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR JOURNEY

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR JOURNEY

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All
5
Pros
4
Cons
1

Top Pro
•••


BEAUTIFUL VISUALS

Wherever you look you'll find something beautiful to look at. This can be the
obstructed sun shining down on an endless desert, creating a very calming scene.
It can be the very detailed and massive ruins that sometimes look mysterious and
sometimes imposing. It can be the sand beautifully shifting between your
character's legs as it walks. It can even be your character's red robe and scarf
fluttering in the wind as you glide across the desert. Everything in Journey
looks so nice you just want to keep seeing more. See More
Top Con
•••


INCREDIBLY SHORT

Journey is one of the shortest games ever made, clocking in just over two hours
of gameplay. The ending credits will roll right as you're getting into it,
leaving you unsatisfied. This may cause you to immediately replay it but it will
never feel the same as your first playthrough. See More
Top Pro
•••


EMOTIONAL SOUNDTRACK

You can really feel the effort and care that went into creating the soundtrack.
From the relaxing flute as you trot along the desert. The heartfelt cello solo
as you slide through the ruins of an ancient civilization. To the dramatic piece
performed by an entire orchestra as you fall into an abyss. The soundtrack helps
you feel the right emotions at the right moments, making Journey an
unforgettable experience. See More
Top Pro
•••


SIMPLE BUT REALLY ENJOYABLE GAMEPLAY

Journey doesn't have any difficult mechanics, any explicit story, or even an
interface. You simply run, jump, and glide through the desert, trying to reach a
snowy mountain in the distance. Along the way you'll find items, enemies, and
even companions, but there never are any interruptions. It all flows so nicely,
it feels like you're going gently down the stream. See More
Top Pro
•••


UNIQUE WAY OF INTERACTING WITH OTHER PLAYERS

Throughout the game you can meet other players. They are randomly selected and
travel with you. Beside using one 'call' option, there's no way of communicating
with the other person, but that only enhances the experience and is the reason I
kept coming back to play "Journey" See More
HideSee All

$14.99
Recommend83

--


FIREWATCH

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR FIREWATCH

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR FIREWATCH

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All
10
Pros
6
Cons
3
Specs

Top Pro
•••


BASED ON EXPLORATION AND STORYTELLING

Firewatch is basically a exploration game with a very strong focus on the main
story. No need to kill enemies or compete with other games online. See More
Top Con
•••


SHORT GAME

It maxes out at 5 hours of play, which is a bit short, though it is priced
fairly for the time one gets. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Walking Sim
Top Pro
•••


EXCELLENT STORY

Firewatch is an exploration game with a strong focus on its main story which
makes you ask "what comes next?" like a good book or enthralling movie. See More
Top Con
•••


IN SOME PARTS THE GAME LOCKS YOU FROM ENTERING AREAS

It might sound obvious but sometimes the invisible walls don't feel right, they
are put in places you should be able to walk. See More
Top Pro
•••


FANTASTIC VOICE ACTING

There are two leads with each being voice acted in a believable way in how they
interact. The relationship presented in the story is given credence due to how
well it is acted. See More
Top Con
•••


TREMENDOUS BUILD UP IN STORY, ONLY TO HAVE A LACKLUSTER FINALE

Once the player progresses far enough into the game there are plot thread
wrap-ups that seem a bit too convenient and overly rushed. See More
Top Pro
•••


GREAT ATMOSPHERE

You get lost in the world playing as Henry, it even ends up getting a little
spooky. It never shows how it's spooky but there's always that creepy vibe in
the background. See More
Top Pro
•••


BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS

The game impresses with stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted world,
overlaid with a neat canvas effect. See More
Top Pro
•••


ADDS INTERACTION TO THE "WALKING SIMULATOR" GENRE

Unlike many walking simulator game the player is allowed to interact more with
the environment than expected. User can repel down ropes, collect caches of
items and even adopt a pet. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend6
--


THE LONG DARK

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE LONG DARK

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE LONG DARK

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All
9
Pros
5
Cons
3
Specs

Top Pro
•••


GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN SURVIVING AND EXPLORING

There is a delicate balance between exploring and surviving, and every aspect of
gameplay is closely related. The amount of activity the player performs and the
distance they can travel and explore, are balanced around certain metrics such
as time, warmth, and calories - and all of these game systems are closely
related resulting in a finely tuned experience. For example, eating food
replenishes calories, but in order to find food, you have to explore and salvage
which causes you to burn calories in the first place. The player must watch how
many calories they burn, even when sleeping, and make sure they find or hunt
enough food to keep themselves going. On top of this, the player needs to seek
shelter from the cold, make sure they are wearing the appropriate clothing, and
build fires to stay warm and cook food. During your explorations to salvage
supplies and look for food items, you will need to explore carefully as to not
get stuck without a place to sleep for the night. See More
Top Con
•••


NO JUMPING OR CLIMBING

You cannot jump or climb over fences, rocks, or other obstacles meaning
sometimes you will have to take the longest route possible to reach your
destination. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:First-Person Survival, Sandbox
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


COMPLETE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE THE OPEN-WORLD

The game features a massive, open-world sandbox mode in which there are no
quests to gate your progress, or artificial boundaries to exploration. The only
goal is to survive as long as possible, and to do it by whatever means possible.
This free-exploration, open-world design offers plenty of space to roam for
those who want to enjoy a more open playstyle without the hindrances of time
gates or quest mechanics. Whether you choose to salvage for supplies, hunt the
local wildlife, start cooking fires, or simply just take in the view - the
freedom to explore and interact with the world in your own way is endless. See
More
Top Con
•••


NO MULTITASKING

Most actions in the game have a small wait time, and you can only perform one
action at time. For example, if you search an item, boil water, repair your
clothes, or salvage anything, you will have to stop and wait until the action
completes. See More
Top Pro
•••


REALISTIC SURVIVAL ELEMENTS MAKE YOU FEEL A PART OF THE WORLD

You'll feel like you're living in true survival situation, and the game does an
excellent job of placing the player in the role. This game features elements of
survival that are very close to the real world, creating an enriching gaming
experience for those who want a realistic survival challenge. You will have to
keep an eye on your calorie intake, monitor your body temperature, and even
craft and wear clothing appropriate to the harsh arctic environment. Staying
outside too long after dark can kill you via hypothermia. The wildlife is
dangerous and can injure or kill you - as the animals are starving too. You can
starve to death if you forget to eat, or run out of food. Death in this game is
permanent, and will require you to start the game over. See More
Top Con
•••


NO TUTORIAL

There is no tutorial or learning mode. When you start the game, you have to
figure out how to survive in this harsh world on your own. Some say this adds to
the experience, but for many, this can be overwhelming especially in a survival
game where everything can -- and will -- kill you. See More
Top Pro
•••


STORY MODE ADDS A NEW WAY TO PLAY

For those who desire a story to go with their survival gaming, The Long Dark
offers a fully voiced-acted, five chapter story mode called "Wintermute"
complete with cutscenes. It features all the survival gameplay aspects of the
sandbox version, as well as story quests and character development, making it an
engaging, new way to experience all the game has to offer. In the story, you'll
assume the role of a man trying to survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness
after crashing his plane during a geomagnetic disaster. Rather than just a
no-bones survival situation, you'll be working through an actual storyline as
you head for safety. As you progress the story, you'll have the opportunity to
do quests, watch voice-acted cutscenes, and interact with other characters who
are fighting for their lives as well. This pulls you even deeper into the game
world since you now have a real goal to work for - escaping the harsh wilderness
alive. Story mode adds a deeper layer of immersion via storytelling than the
sandbox mode, which is only about surviving as long as you can. Though currently
not all of the chapters are available as they are released episodically over
time. See More
Top Pro
•••


FOUR DIFFICULTY LEVELS TO SUIT ALL SKILL LEVELS

Regardless of your skill level, you will be able to find a difficulty level that
suits you and satisfies your craving for a good challenge. This game features
four different difficulty levels, making it accessible to a broad range of
players. The easiest mode is Pilgrim and it offers a gaming experience suitable
to all players where dying is a rare occurrence. For beginning players, Voyager
is recommended as it gives you a forgivable way to learn the basics. After that,
the difficulty takes a strong curve upwards into the remaining two modes:
Stalker, and Interloper - with the latter being considered a very challenging
gaming experience only recommended for expert gamers and those who desire a true
video game survival challenge. See More
HideSee All

$29.99
Recommend4
--


NIGHT IN THE WOODS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR NIGHT IN THE WOODS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR NIGHT IN THE WOODS

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8
Experiences
1
Pros
4
Cons
2
Specs

Top Pro
•••


WELL-WRITTEN SIDE CHARACTERS

Every character feels like they have a history and realistic personal
motivations, even when they're left unexplained. Mae's friends are all different
yet interesting in their own ways, like Gregg who's always happy to see her and
helps Mae feel like someone truly cares, and Bea with her biting sarcasm and
apathy that seem to cover up her more complex issues. The residents of the town
also talk about things in ways that are true-to-life, like how they gossip about
their neighbors as you listen in, or just flat-out tell you sometimes to leave
them alone. Every character in the game feels like a real person, whether
they're central to the story or just one of the NPCs you see sitting on their
porch all the time. See More
Top Con
•••


THE MAIN CHARACTER IS INSUFFERABLE AT FIRST

It's hard to like Mae from the start for a few reasons. She's extremely
self-centered, she likes to steal for the thrills, and she has no interest
whatsoever in fixing her shortcomings. Her life seems to be one awkward moment
after another where you can't help but cringe in embarrassment, like in one
early scene where she gets drunk at a party and blabs away about her personal
problems after spending hours telling herself she wouldn't. As you get to know
her, Mae might grow on you, but if you're the type to lose your patience with
people who are immature, then you probably won't like her all that much. See
More
Theodore Lief Gannon's Experience
I had a couple of people tell me Night in the Woods is pretty good, but no real
details as to why. So here's why. Each character, even ones you have only a
single short exchange with, feels substantive; like they have whole unique lives
of their own, outside the plot. Characters wrestle with depression, poverty,
death, doubting their own senses; they strive toward goals, find fun, band
together against adversity. Friends have bitter arguments but remain friends.
Enemies voice mutual hate while struggling side by side to hold a slowly-dying
small town together. Everyone expresses a unique perspective; they are
wonderfully diverse, and every one of them rings true. That's the master stroke,
here. That's why so many reviews talk about connecting personally with the
characters. It's because every character is a real person... or at least, a
well-stitched collage of real experiences. And not just individually; community
interactions, and even the town itself show the same attention to detail.
Everyone and everything has a history, even if you barely glimpse it; and though
the whole is imaginary, nearly every detail is real. In short, Night in the
Woods is high-quality literature. And it manages to be a pretty fun game, on top
of that. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Adventure, Narrative
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


GREAT COMING-OF-AGE STORY

The coming-of-age story in Night in the Woods is unconventional for a video
game, making it more unique and intriguing. After dropping out of college, the
main character, Mae, struggles with her own disillusionment in life and refusal
to grow up, all the while her old friends find success and move on without her.
You join in on that struggle as you live as Mae: aimlessly going around town
talking to everyone and listening to their worries, browsing your laptop when
you're supposed to be doing other important things, and even pressing a button
to wake up in bed every morning as a reminder of how mundane life can be. You
see all the ways she doesn't necessarily want to grow up, wishing she could stay
a kid forever, but then she talks to an old acquaintance who thinks she's washed
up now, making her feel anxious about her failings as a young adult. This type
of story is familiar for anyone who has also had a hard time with similar
problems, and eye-opening for anyone who hasn't. See More
Top Con
•••


SOME PACING ISSUES WITH THE STORY

The story slogs through the premise of Mae's anxieties and disillusionment for a
long time until it suddenly switches somewhere in the middle. There are a few
hints here and there about how and why the plot becomes a murder mystery, but
these things seem inconsequential and not as important as Mae's personal issues.
It ends up feeling strange to change things up partway through to something
unrelated to the original premise. While the murder mystery isn't necessarily
bad, it would have been nice to see a more focused insight and resolution to
Mae's young adult troubles. See More
Top Pro
•••


THE SIMPLISTIC GAMEPLAY IS SURPRISINGLY FUN

Running around the side-scrolling town as Mae day in and day out is more
enjoyable than it sounds at first. It's mundane, but there's a lot of meaning to
find around the town if you're willing to look for it. You go wherever you want,
finding out stories about the townspeople and the town itself, or hanging out
with friends for scripted story moments. Poking around all over town to find out
the history is pretty cool, like the underground diner that Mae used to steal
from back in the day, or the old shopping mall that barely gets any customers
anymore. When you're not talking to people or going somewhere, you can play
around with the rhythm mini-game as you practice with Mae's bass either in her
room or in her old band with her group of friends. You can fall into a nice
habit of checking in with the NPCs and locations you care about most, almost
like in real life where you prioritize the people and places you spend the most
time around. See More
Top Pro
•••


TRAGIC, REALISTIC SETTING AND NPCS

Night in the Woods is set in Possum Springs, once a booming mine town but now a
forgotten speck on the map, rife with poverty and decay. Its history is based on
several real Adirondack towns, and its portrayal of rural decline is painfully
accurate. The townspeople you talk to lament about having to close down their
businesses, or wonder out loud how they'll make ends meet. Everyone's economic
hardships feel real and relevant to anyone who's gone through the same thing or
knows someone else who has. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend5
--


THE WITNESS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE WITNESS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE WITNESS

Add Video or Image
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4
Pros
3
Cons
1

Top Con
•••


SOME PUZZLES MIGHT BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE COLORBLIND AND HEARING IMPAIRED

Certain puzzles use colors to hint at the solution. If you're not able to tell
them apart it may be impossible to solve the puzzles. There are also that
puzzles require you to listen to the sounds in the environment and use them for
the solution. Some of them are masked with sound effects such as car horns or
birds chirping, making the puzzles hard to solve. This becomes a lot more
difficult if your hearing is impaired. See More
Top Pro
•••


CLEVERLY DESIGNED PUZZLES

All of the puzzles use a simple concept where you draw a line from point A to
point B to solve them. This could get old really fast, but the developer has
thought of many ways to keep it fresh. While the regular variants are just maze
puzzles, they gradually get new layers added to them. It can be symbols you have
to separate, panels you have to look at from different angles or clues in the
environment. Even after solving around 300 puzzles, the new puzzles you
encounter will still feel exciting. See More
Top Pro
•••


VIVID GRAPHICS MAKE YOU WANT TO EXPLORE

Everything about this game leads you toward exploration, even the graphics.
They're very vibrant and feel alive, invoking in you a sense of wonder. This is
thanks to a great variety of colors, ranging from wild, hot pinks to more
subdued ocean tones. The colors are also used contrast the environments and make
them stand out. For example, there's a location painted orange autumn colors
next to a grayish-white quarry. See More
Top Pro
•••


THOUGHT PROVOKING WORLD

Even if some of the puzzles are rage-inducingly hard, the world of the Witness
is really peaceful. It's an uninhabited island littered with stone statues and
mismatched environments. Yet none of it feels out of place. It is really
intriguing to explore each new area, especially because you can find voice
recordings in them. At first these may seem like simple audio logs, but each one
contains essential clues to gently shift your thought process. To succeed you
need to shift your perspective and think outside the box. See More
HideSee All

$39.99
Recommend31

--


WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH

Add Video or Image
All
8
Pros
5
Cons
2
Specs

Top Con
•••


NO INTERACTIVE PUZZLES

There are no puzzles to solve in this game, which can be a dull experience for
some. The narrative is told as the player goes room by room without any puzzles
or roadblocks for the player to overcome. See More
Top Pro
•••


INSTILLS A SENSE OF WONDER

From the opening scene to its final moments, What Remains of Edith Finch, seeks
to instill a sense of wonder through it's detailed game world. The house itself
is a mix of various unconventional architectural styles and flavors. From it's
towering bedroom spires to it's dark, claustrophobic basement, each area of the
house is different and varied with different decor and textures. Moving from
room to room is sometimes done with interesting travel mechanics such as secret
passages that act as a seamless transistion between two vastly different rooms.
This makes each area feel fresh, new, and exciting. The player is never quite
certain what they're going find beyond the next door, which instills a deep
sense of wonder of what other secrets the house holds. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Narrative, Adventure
See All Specs
Top Con
•••


SHORT PLAYTIME

The game doesn't take very long to complete and can be comfortably completed
within a few hours. This may be a turn off for some players who are hoping for a
longer experience. See More
Top Pro
•••


EVERY STORY FEATURES A NEW GAMEPLAY MECHANIC

As Edith travels throughout the house and surrounding areas, she will encounter
objects that tell the history of the various family members and how they met
their demise. Upon inspecting the objects, an interactive story will be
triggered and the player will take on the role of the family member portrayed in
the story. Each one of these stories has its own gameplay mechanic, making for a
new gaming experience each time a piece of the family history is discovered. For
example, when exploring the room of a young, imaginative child named Molly, the
player will come across a handwritten story hastily scribbled in crayon. By
examing this note, the player assumes control of Molly for the duration of the
tale. This particular story involves taking on the form of different animals and
hunting various prey. By the time the story ends, the player not only learns
about Molly and her imagination, but they also learn of how Molly met her end.
Throughout the game, you will experience the memories and last moments of each
family member in unique and interactive ways. See More
Top Pro
•••


MYSTERIOUS STORY

This award-winning story takes us step-by-step through the tragic and mysterious
history of the Finch family. We learn of all the family members, the stories of
their lives, and how they met an unfortunate and untimely end. By it's thrilling
conclusion, the player has been led on a strange journey filled with all sorts
of reveals, surprises, and plot twists. At the end, the game closes by answering
the titular question: What exactly does remain of Edith Finch? At the beginning
of the game, the player is informed that teenager Edith is the last living
member of her family. She speculates and half-jokes that her family suffers from
some kind of curse. Throughout the family's history, all of the members have met
unfortunate and bizarre deaths. The origins and nuances of the alleged curse are
a mystery to Edith and the player alike. The overarching storyline for the game
expands deeply on this mystery and features two major themes as it progresses.
The first theme is Edith's journey through the sprawling house as she tells of
her childhood growing up there. Through Edith, we get to hear family stories and
learn of the struggles the family has endured over generations. She comments
about the family members as she goes from room to room telling us pieces and
parts of her past. As the game progresses, much is revealed about Edith and her
family through her tales and observations. The second theme revolves around the
various family members and how they met their untimely demises. During the
course of the game, the player relives memories of the various family members.
These memories are always tragic events that result in an untimely or strange
death for those involved. By seeing the story not just through Edith's eyes, but
the eyes of the deceased as well, we get a complete, deeper and more intimate
look into the lives of the family. See More
Top Pro
•••


EXPERT PACING

The game sets an excellent pace by never giving players a chance to become
bored. While detailed and varied, each room only has a handful of objects that
can be interacted with. This limited interaction ensures the player will never
linger in a single room too long and acts as a gentle nudge to keep moving
onward. This encourages a comfortable pacing that allows the player to explore
at their own pace, yet doesn't allow for much downtime between important story
elements. See More
Top Pro
•••


AMAZING ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Every room in the Finch house is unique in decor and style, and plays its part
in telling the story. No two rooms in the game are alike and each is filled with
it's own charm and personality. While exploring the hallways and rooms of the
sprawling home, the player will find various notes, photos, trinkets, and old
momentos. While not all can be interacted with by Edith, the player is still
free to zoom the camera in for a deeper look. Old photos and post-it notes often
contain untold stories for the player to ponder. When Edith is narrating, the
words she is speaking appear within the gameworld and then dissappear with a
variety of different effects. They melt, burst, and fade away depending on her
emotions. When Edith mentions a specific object, the words will take shape
around that object. This is much more involved than the simple subtitles that
most games opt to do. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend4
--


THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER

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13
Pros
6
Cons
6
Specs

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•••


HEAVILY EXPLORATION BASED

With the exception of a few storyline gated or locked areas, you have the
freedom to explore the entire game world from the very beginning. From the dark
forests to the run down old houses, you can wander and go wherever you please,
stopping to enjoy the scenery or investigate locations at your leisure. There
are no linear story paths to follow and most of the puzzles can be completed in
any order. This unhindered exploration allows you to explore the world and
unravel the mystery completely at your own pace. See More
Top Con
•••


FRAMERATE DROPS FROM 60FPS

There are framerate drops in the game but they never go below 30fps and do not
tear due to the progressive vsync. See More
Specs
Genre:Horror, Adventure, Puzzle, Narrative
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


CHALLENGING AND REWARDING PUZZLES

The puzzles require great observational skills with many clues being found only
after thoroughly exploring the location in which the puzzle resides. Oftentimes,
these clues are very discreet, well hidden, and integrated into the environment
in creative ways. Piecing everything together can be quite a challenge at times
as the puzzles provide no instructions, but also very rewarding as bits of the
story are revealed after each successful solve. See More
Top Con
•••


PACING FEELS UNBALANCED

There is one notable part of the game where the player spends an uneven amount
of time in that the environment is lackluster as well as holds many frustrating
puzzles. This makes for what feels like unbalanced pacing and is an aggravating
section of the game. See More
Top Pro
•••


GORGEOUS, STATE-OF-THE-ART GRAPHICS

During development, real objects were photographed, scanned, and put into the
game world using a process called photogrammetry. As a result, everything
in-game renders as photo realistic without jagged lines or appearing pixelated.
Everything from buildings and trees down to the smallest details like rocks and
blades of grass look great. See More
Top Con
•••


NOT MUCH DIALOGUE

For a game that is heavily steeped in storytelling, there is a surprisingly low
amount of actual dialogue and spoken lines. While it doesn't detract much from
the experience, some people might be expecting a lot more writing for a game
that boasts its story as a selling point. See More
Top Pro
•••


IMMERSIVE ATMOSPHERE

While wandering the landscape, it's easy to believe you are exploring an old
forest and town lost to time. The buildings are run down and decrepit, the roads
and railroad tracks are overgrown with grass, and save for the chirping of birds
or the river babbling, it is eerily silent. Exploring around and poking into
every dark corner of the vast wilderness, one can't help but feel a complete
sense of awe and become fully immersed in the mystery. See More
Top Con
•••


HORRIBLE CHARACTER MODELS

They are very plain and look almost cartoonish in nature, which is a stark
contrast to the photo realistic environment they inhabit. The same level of work
that went into the game world didn't quite make it into the character models,
and as a result, they are disappointingly bad. See More
Top Pro
•••


RUNS AT 1080P AND 60FPS

The game runs at 1080p and 60 FPS. See More
Top Con
•••


SIMPLISTIC GAMEPLAY

There is very little direct interaction with the world outside of solving
puzzles and reading notes. Much of the game is simply walking around and
exploring. From time to time, you will stumble upon a location in which you can
manipulate items to solve the various puzzles, read notes, and watch story
cutscenes play out. See More
Top Pro
•••


VERY SURREAL AND MYSTERIOUS STORYTELLING

While the game starts out with the premise of a detective trying to solve the
disappearance of a young boy, the story quickly takes a sharp turn and begins
mixing in some very surreal, strange themes. These themes border on the
paranormal and supernatural, and it quickly becomes apparent this is not a clear
cut missing persons case. During the course of the game, the story keeps you
guessing and invested as you try to figure out exactly what's going on.
Additionally, due to the way you explore the nonlinear world, you might be
witnessing events out of order which makes it even more mysterious. See More
Top Con
•••


REPETITIVE PUZZLE SOLVING

Without revealing spoilers, almost every major puzzle in the game is solved
using the exact same logic. While the puzzles themselves are thematically
different, the way you approach them and the mechanics they use are the same.
After you've figured out how the first one works, you'll be applying the same
basic principles to every puzzle in the game thereafter. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend3
--


ATELIER LYDIE & SUELLE: THE ALCHEMISTS AND THE MYSTERIOUS PAINTINGS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ATELIER LYDIE & SUELLE: THE ALCHEMISTS AND THE MYSTERIOUS
PAINTINGS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ATELIER LYDIE & SUELLE: THE ALCHEMISTS AND THE MYSTERIOUS
PAINTINGS

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10
Pros
5
Cons
4
Specs

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•••


CREATIVE CONCEPT OF ENTERING PAINTINGS TO EXPLORE NEW WORLDS

The many fantasy-like worlds you explore through the mysterious paintings are
very pretty and whimsical. Going into the paintings themselves is fascinating
since it's something you don't get to do in real life, and you get to learn more
about Lydie and Suelle as you go along. Gathering resources and fighting
monsters while surrounded by waterfalls and flowery forests helps keep the
gameplay from getting too repetitive or stale. All of this adds a more magical
feel to the game's more ordinary slice-of-life sections. See More
Top Con
•••


NO ENGLISH VOICES EVEN THOUGH PREVIOUS ATELIER GAMES INCLUDED THEM

For some reason, Atelier Lydie & Suelle doesn't have an English dub and just has
the original Japanese voices with English subtitles. There's nothing wrong with
only having the Japanese option, but it's really weird considering the other
Atelier games in the West have English voice acting. New players don't have much
to worry about here unless you can't stand having to read subtitles. If you're a
fan of the series and you're used to the English dub, you might be thrown off by
the change. See More
Specs
Genre:Role-Playing
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


CHARMING AND COLORFUL ANIME ART STYLE

The art style is has many bright colors and well-drawn characters. Everyone has
all sorts of colorful hairstyles, eyes, and outfits like pink, blue, and crimson
that aren't too over-the-top. Their eyes have cool swirls for pupils, their skin
tones are radiant, and every character has a bright and lovely smile. This is a
beautiful anime style that looks good in the 3D cel-shaded graphics and the 2D
cutscenes with still art that are more like a visual novel. See More
Top Con
•••


YOU WON'T FIND A SPRAWLING NARRATIVE HERE LIKE IN MOST RPGS

The stories in the Atelier games are more about everyday life mixed in with
whimsical fantasy. This isn't the kind of RPG with the type of layered, rich
story with dramatic twists and turns that you'd expect from the genre. If you
want a heavier narrative with more to say, you won't get that with this game.
See More
Top Pro
•••


SLICE-OF-LIFE STORY AND GAMEPLAY THAT'S RELAXING AND LAID-BACK

There's a sweet simplicity to the story and gameplay that focuses more on
everyday life. Playing as the two twins, Lydie and Suelle, you're mainly trying
to make ends meet and become the best possible alchemists you can be. You pass
the days at your own pace as you take on jobs from the townspeople, leading you
to explore the worlds inside of paintings, gather materials, and craft those
materials into items through alchemy. It's nice that this game lets you kick
back and relax with a more low-stakes story and simplistic gameplay. See More
Top Con
•••


GRAPHICS FOR ENVIRONMENTS AREN'T THAT GREAT

The visuals for the environments don't hold up to how pretty the cel-shaded
graphics are. The textures are low-quality with jaggies sticking out. It's not
so bad on the PC version and the PlayStation 4; things are much more obvious on
the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. There are also some invisible walls
that cut you off in places like open arches leading to shops, making the maps
feel a lot smaller. If you can handle limited maps with so-so graphics, then
these problems aren't that big of a deal in the long run. See More
Top Pro
•••


ENGAGING GATHERING AND CRAFTING SYSTEM WITH ALCHEMY AS THE GAME'S MAIN FOCUS

Atelier Lydie & Suelle focuses on gathering materials and synthesizing them into
alchemy formulas as the main mechanics. You can lose yourself in the game for
hours as you explore the fantasy-like levels, picking up resources from bushes,
hacking away at trees, or mining them from rocks. You can take as long you want
to gather the stuff you need before going back home to your alchemy lab, or your
atelier. The puzzle-like 4x4 crafting grid has a neat strategy in how you can
make the most out of your ingredients. If you just put your ingredients wherever
on the grid, you'll end up with a bad product. Arranging your ingredients
together in certain ways on the grid boosts the end product's effects, like
putting them near green squares to improve your product's healing effect, which
improves the item's overall quality. Going for quality gives you more experience
points to level up and more money from the jobs you take on. Taking your time to
gather the materials you need and synthesizing them into the best possible items
pays off in the end. See More
Top Con
•••


NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE REPETITIVE BUSYWORK

If you can't stand doing the same things over and over again in games, then
Atelier Lydie & Suelle probably isn't for you. The whole game is about exploring
maps to gather materials and then crafting those materials into something useful
through alchemy. There are some turn-based battles thrown in, but these more or
less take a backseat to the alchemy mechanics. The heavy focus on gathering and
crafting can end up feeling like busywork, turning the game into a drag for
players who hate that kind of thing. See More
Top Pro
•••


SOLID TURN-BASED COMBAT THAT'S WELCOMING TO BEGINNERS

Atelier Lydie & Suelle's combat is simple enough for beginners who want to try
out a turn-based JRPG. The interface is clean with basic commands for attacking
and using skills, magic, and items. It's easy to get the hang of when to go on
offense while your health is high, and when to switch to healing when your
health starts to get low. The combat doesn't overwhelm you with complicated
tutorials or mechanics, staying at a beginner's level with some room to grow
down the line. This is a really good choice to start with if you want to get
into turn-based combat before moving onto other games. See More
HideSee All

$59.99
Recommend1
--


NO MAN'S SKY

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR NO MAN'S SKY

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR NO MAN'S SKY

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8
Experiences
1
Pros
5
Cons
1
Specs

Top Con
•••


NO CLEARLY DEFINED MISSIONS

The objective of the game is to ultimately reach the center of the galaxy.
However, the player is completely free and unguided from the beginning. You
figure it out for yourself as you start mining, crafting and upgrading your ship
and gear. This game doesn't have a big story to tell. See More
Top Pro
•••


GOOD GRAPHICS

The art style of this game is very colorful and saturated and uses hues in a way
that it gives you an otherworldly feel. Graphics like these tend to remain good
for a much longer time than classic 3D graphics. See More
JovialSzelanya's Experience
Excellent game. Easy to learn/play. Virtually endless. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Action-Adventure, Survival
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


MASSIVE GALAXY TO EXPLORE

Thanks to the fact that the entire galaxy of No Man's Sky is procedurally
generated, the amount of planets to explore is almost endless. The number of
planets would be 18,446,744,073,709,551,616. However, the fact that 2 players
managed to find each other in game on the first day, seems to make this number
quite questionable. See More
Top Pro
•••


FREEDOM TO CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO PLAY

Ally with factions, trade or just be a pirate. When trading with NPC aliens, you
build up a positive reputation with the faction they belong to. Alternatively
you can also be hostile and attack trade ships, or even be attacked by NPC
pirate spaceships. Both can be ways to get what you need, so do whatever suits
your play style. See More
Top Pro
•••


ENDLESS PROCEDURAL GENERATION

This game procedurally generates almost everything. Your spaceships are
procedurally generated, so are the planets, moons, every animal on these
planets, the resource nodes, trade routes, languages, etc. When discovering new
species or planets, players get to rename these and leave their mark on the
galaxy. See More
Top Pro
•••


SEAMLESS SPACE TO PLANETARY FLIGHT

See More
HideSee All

$14.90
Recommend165

--


ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED

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12
Pros
7
Cons
4
Specs

Top Con
•••


ANTI-CHEAT ISSUES

ARk has started using an anti-cheat tool called Battleye, this has so far broken
Linux and Mac support for using official servers. Battleye has also had some
issues with banning legit users and does not have a very good reputation. These
issues add up to many angry players who paid for the game but now can not play
it. See More
Top Pro
•••


GOOD CHARACTER CREATION

When starting a new game the player is allowed to choose between a man or woman,
from there is a plethora of options for making a character with a personalized
look. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Mostly Positive
Genre:Action-Adventure, Survival
See All Specs
Top Con
•••


HARD FOR SOME PCS TO RUN

Ark is kind of a resource hog - it's not very well optimized and that can cause
many players to experience slow graphics. See More
Top Pro
•••


STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL

The landscape, creatures, structures, even other players are all gorgeous. The
textures are seamless, and the character/dinosaur models are just great. The
environment ranges from lush green forests, to snowcapped mountains, to
incredible coastal views. When you combine all of these things, it adds up to
being simply breathtaking. See More
Top Con
•••


THE GAME CAN BECOME A GRIND

At the higher levels, it begins to take a very, very long time to level up
(unless you're playing on a custom server). This can make the game tedious to
play for some people. See More
Top Pro
•••


AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC COMMUNITY

The community for Ark is simply great. Whether you're talking about custom
servers, the modding community, or just the playerbase in general, there's
always people around to help out with any questions you might have. See More
Top Con
•••


NO MORE EARLY ACCESS, STILL BUGGY

Ark has been fully released on August 2017, but bugs are still easily found and
many areas of the game lack polish. See More
Top Pro
•••


THE GAME MAKES YOU WANT TO EXPLORE, CRAFT, AND FIGHT TO MAKE THE MOST OF ITS
PROGRESSIVE CRAFTING SYSTEM

Ark is unlike many survival games in that you attain levels as you progress. As
you level higher and higher, you gain access to more craftable items. Some are
just more powerful versions of lower-tier items (such as leather armor vs. cloth
armor), but most are brand new (such as firearms, scuba gear, and saddles for
more powerful dinosaurs). This really drives you to explore more areas to find
rarer resources and fight stronger dinosaurs. See More
Top Pro
•••


YOU CAN TAME AND MOUNT NEARLY EVERY CREATURE IN THE GAME

From the small, quick raptor to the massive, vicious giganotosaurus, you can
mount nearly any dinosaur in the game. There's huge, flying dinosaurs, aquatic
dinosaurs, some that are like walking fortresses, and others that can take those
down. See More
Top Pro
•••


YOU CAN SHARE MATERIALS, DINOSAURS, AND STRUCTURES BY FORMING (OR JOINING!) A
TRIBE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Users can form a tribe with other online users to for a community. This
community can now band together in order to build and grow as well as team up
against other tribes. This makes for a fun experience with friends and other
players as it requires teamwork in order to be successful. See More
Top Pro
•••


INCREASED CUSTOMIZATION THANKS TO PLAYER-CREATED SERVERS

Ark has hundreds, if not thousands, of great custom servers. You can control
things such as PvP, experience, gathering, and taming rates, set things up so
there's no griefing (constantly bullying a player or group of players), and the
difficulty of the creatures. See More
HideSee All

$59.99
Recommend6
--


KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE

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3
Experiences
1
Pros
1
Specs

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•••


YOU LEARN AND LEVEL UP SKILLS IN ORGANIC, REALISTIC WAYS

Instead of leveling up in traditional ways with the usual experience points,
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a much more organic approach to the ways you can
grow your character. Playing as the protagonist Henry, you'll need to practice
your skills in areas such as sword play, fist fighting, alchemy, and even
reading. Just like in real life, as you fight more, craft more, and read more,
you'll improve in ways that feel like you're actually learning as you go. You're
illiterate when you begin the game, gradually retaining letters and words as you
keep practicing. It's a refreshing system that helps you feel like you're really
getting better at the skills you work on the most. See More
ReveredBulucChabtan's Experience
Kingdom Come is simply the most immersive and realistic game that I've ever
played. If you're talking about RPG and exploration, nothing compares to it. See
More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Role-Playing
See All Specs
HideSee All

$59.99
Recommend2
--


ELITE: DANGEROUS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ELITE: DANGEROUS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ELITE: DANGEROUS

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8
Experiences
1
Pros
4
Cons
2
Specs

Top Pro
•••


GREAT OCULUS RIFT INTEGRATION

Elite Dangerous has very good integration with the Oculus Rift thanks to its
cockpit view only gameplay philosophy. All ship UIs are part of displays that
appear on each side of you that appear when you turn your head, so accessing the
navigation or ship menus happens seamlessly just by looking in their direction.
The game also uses the direction you are looking in for targeting, so your lock
on target is whatever you're head is pointing at. By sitting in the cockpit of a
ship, you are given a stationary frame of reference that helps prevent motion
sickness associated with movement in game when you aren't actually moving. See
More
Top Con
•••


REALLY COMPLICATED TO LEARN

Looking up faqs and trade routes from first hand users will be the norm for
figuring out many aspects of Elite: Dangerous. On top of this notes will have to
be taken, which is made more difficult by the fact the game does not support in
game not taking. So a pad and paper is recommended to remember all of the
minutia of the game. See More
ProudAeshma's Experience
No guidance for first time experiences on things such as docking, high speed
travel, etc. Every first time on a specific task such as things should at the
very least have a pop up with advice on how to accomplish on the first go. See
More
Specs
Steam Rating:Mixed
Genre:Space Sim / Open World / MMO
Co-Op:Multiplayer
Controller Support:Full
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


EXPLORATION AT EVERY LEVEL OF DETAIL

Full exploration of the galaxy is planned, allowing you to be able to jump from
star system to star system, and fly around within a solar system from planet to
planet, eventually going all the way down to a planet's surface at a 1:1 scale
in a later update. Planetary landings will require a lot of details to be
developed and designed, but you can still see the level of detail shift in
action when flying into a planet's rings, where getting close enough show the
individual asteroids within, which you can then interact with through mining, or
by having a battle among them. See More
Top Con
•••


"MILE WIDE AND AN INCH DEEP"

The game has a serious problem with depth and requires the user to repeat the
same few fun actions over and over again. The world is massive and beautiful but
feels empty. The game gets stale quickly despite being visually stunning. See
More
Top Pro
•••


BUILT WITH FUTURE EXPANSION IN MIND

When Elite Dangerous come out, development won't stop. To build a game with the
huge scope of Elite Dangerous, not all of it can be done at once, so the
developers have adopted an approach of incremental improvement. Various game
play elements are being designed as a foundation for later features. For
example, although planetary landings aren't going to be available until a later
update, the engine has been designed to be able to support going from lightyears
away to meters away. See More
Top Pro
•••


VERY REALISTIC REPRESENTATION OF SPACE & STAR SYSTEMS

Elite Dangerous uses publicly available real world star maps that we have of the
Milky Way consisting of 150,000 star systems. Although in the current beta, full
access to the entire galaxy is limited, in the final game, you will be able to
visit any of the 400 billion stars in our galaxy on a 1:1 scale. Stars that we
do know of are properly mapped in place and are of the correct type given the
information we have about them. Stars we haven't collected data on are
procedurally generated which allows you to explore any of the 400 billion of
them. Star systems are intelligently simulated using the "Star Forge", a
generator that simulates the creation of a star system forming from its nebular
cloud to determine what celestial bodies appear and what orbits they have. This
feature leads to many varied and unique star systems possibly with planets that
can co-orbit around each other, or with binary star systems, and infinitely more
possibilities. See More
HideSee All

$29.99
Recommend23
--


FE

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR FE

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR FE

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6
Pros
3
Cons
2
Specs

Top Pro
•••


ENEMY ENCOUNTERS CAN BE TENSE

There's no combat in Fe, resulting in some pretty tense situations with the
monsters. If you are spotted by the Silent Ones, rather scary robotic creatures,
they can kill you on sight. Hiding in a bush or climbing a tree in a panic to
escape can deliver some pretty exciting and tense moments. No matter how careful
you are in the open world, some objectives will require sneaking past or evading
them to grab key items. These situations can deliver some of the most exciting
moments in the game. See More
Top Con
•••


PLATFORMING IS A BIT UNPOLISHED AT TIMES

The platforming can feel a bit clunky or rough at times. For example, when
climbing trees you have to jump to the top branch by branch. Hitting the jump
button one time too many will result in falling and having to re-climb the tree
from the base. It's just little unpolished details like this that can sometimes
make the platforming feel a bit clumsy. See More
Specs
Genre:Adventure, Action, Platforming
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


USES MUSIC AS AN INTERESTING PLATFORMING MECHANIC

Songs are used to interact with the world and navigate the platforming aspects
in interesting ways. Using various melodies, you'll be able to perform such
actions as calling birds to help you cross large gaps, spring boarding off
plants for super high jumps, and even summoning a stag to attack enemies. If
you're ever lost, there is a melody you can use to call down a bird who will
point you in the direction you need to be going. Using musical melodies to
navigate the platforming is integrated incredibly well. See More
Top Con
•••


STORY CAN SEEM NONSENSICAL

There is no dialogue in the game, so the story can be hard to follow at times.
During cutscenes, sometimes you'll have no clue what's really going on due to
their surreal and strange nature. A lot of the story is left up your own
interpretation, which can be disappointing for those who prefer a solid,
coherent narrative. See More
Top Pro
•••


EXCITING ABILITY PROGRESSION

Abilities are learned gradually as the game progresses by collecting gems and
also learning the musical language of the forest life from plants and animals.
As you gain more abilities or learn how to interact with more creatures, you can
then go back to old areas and find new paths that were previously inaccessible.
For example, birds that may not have paid much attention to you before may now
gladly carry you over large gaps once you speak their language. Plants can
springboard you high into the air once you can communicate with them. This
ability progression is an exciting way to keep things fresh, and makes visiting
old areas rewarding with new secrets to be found. See More
HideSee All

$19.99
Recommend4

--


OBSERVER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR OBSERVER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR OBSERVER

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7
Pros
4
Cons
2
Specs

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•••


INTRIGUING CYBERPUNK WORLD

The deserted, rain-slicked streets of the gritty city at night, filled with
unsettling displays of government advertisements fits right in with the themes
and media that inspired Observer's cyberpunk world. A dystopian future where
augmented humans were killed off by a mysterious disease is a fascinating, if
familiar concept for cyberpunk enthusiasts. It's interesting to explore this
technologically-advanced world where the government has collapsed and a
mega-corporation has taken over, making you wonder how you might survive in this
type of setting. See More
Top Con
•••


GAMEPLAY IS LIMITED TO MOSTLY WALKING AROUND

As a "walking simulator," Observer is appealing to players who enjoy taking
their time to explore and take in the environment, but it may not have enough
gameplay for those looking for a more involved experience. Hacking into minds,
analyzing crime scenes and moving from place to place makes up the bulk of the
game. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Very Positive
Genre:Cyberpunk Psychological Horror
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


IN-DEPTH ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING

As you search around apartment buildings and office spaces with augmented
vision, you'll come across emails, video sequences, and notes that flesh out the
story. You can take your time to find out about now-extinct religions from the
past, learn about the lives of the many people who died from the digital plague,
and interact with each piece of evidence lying around at crime scenes. Scanning
items, computers and blood stains to solve these crimes can lead you down a
rabbit hole of discovering more about the world through environmental
storytelling. See More
Top Con
•••


SOME FRUSTRATING, OUT-OF-PLACE CHASE SEQUENCES

Some segments of Observer force you to stealthily avoid a menacing enemy
lumbering through a dark workspace or a dilapidated set of hallways, but they
don't quite fit with the game's overall freedom of discovery and exploration. If
you're discovered, it's game over. These parts ruin the pace and flow that
you're used to from the gameplay. See More
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•••


HACKING INTO PEOPLES' MEMORIES IS AN ENGAGING WAY TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES

While solving cases, you can hack into a subject's memories through their
augmentations, creating a new reality as you physically explore their thoughts.
You'll then proceed through the scenes of their memories, listening to
conversations that reveal more about the story and the world. The psychedelic
visuals as you progress through these memories are unique and mind-bending,
making these sequences even more exciting. These sections of Observer go above
and beyond the other, more standard investigation mechanics in the game, making
each crime mystery unique and exciting. See More
Top Pro
•••


TERRIFYING, MIND-BENDING STORY PRESENTATION

Observer's detective story sounds simple, with you tracking down protagonist
Daniel Lazarski's missing son, but the way the game presents this narrative is
what counts. As you follow leads on his son's whereabouts, you'll analyze crime
scenes mostly by searching through horrifying, psychedelic memories from the
neural implants of dying or dead victims. These are unstable displays of
augmented reality, with broken visuals filled with psychedelic colors, eerie
hallucinations, and rattling jump scares. They manage to distort your own
consciousness in the game, making you question the reality around you. Through
these terrifying experiences, the game poses philosophical questions on the true
nature of reality, such as what point technology can take over and shape what we
believe is real. See More
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$29.99
Recommend2
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JOTUN: VALHALLA EDITION

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR JOTUN: VALHALLA EDITION

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR JOTUN: VALHALLA EDITION

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9
Pros
5
Cons
3
Specs

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•••


BEAUTIFUL HAND-DRAWN GRAPHICS

The graphics and animations resemble a painting in motion thanks to their
colorful, hand-drawn style. Lines are bold, with lots of contrasting colors. The
crisp, vibrant look is easy on the eyes and helps to make your journey through
green plains, forest, and snowy fields even more inviting. With gorgeous
backdrops and scenery throughout, exploring the world is simply great. See More
Top Con
•••


CAN BE A BIT BORING

Much of the gameplay consists of walking around searching the various areas for
power ups and runes. With the exception of the boss fights, there is very little
combat. This slower pace may be boring to some. See More
Specs
Genre:Action, Adventure
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


IMMERSIVE NORDIC ATMOSPHERE

Not only do you fight war gods as a viking warrior, but the entire landscape and
story is steeped heavily in Norse lore from start to finish. Rune stones are
scattered around the world which give glimpses into tales and stories about
mythology. The landscape itself is heavily influenced by Norway including green
plains, mountain vistas, and rolling fields of snow. The soundtrack hums along
in the background with soothing, woodwind ballads and crashing battle music. All
the voice acting is in Norwegian. Taking on the role of a viking warrior as you
roam this vast and detailed world is incredibly well done. See More
Top Con
•••


COMBAT IS TOO MINIMALIST

There is only a light attack, heavy attack, dodge, and a couple special
abilities (which are learned as you progress). You'll also use the same axe for
the entire game. See More
Top Pro
•••


BOSSES PROVIDE AN EXCITING SHIFT IN TONE

Encountering a powerful boss after the relaxing nature of the exploration is a
huge shift in tone. Rather than calmly discovering and taking your time, you're
thrown headfirst into action-packed battles. This stark contrast between calm
exploration exploration and thrilling combat is incredible, as the sheer
physical size of the bosses shows how massive the world truly is. See More
Top Con
•••


OVERTUNED LAST BOSS FEELS VERY OUT OF PLACE

The last boss is so hard and unforgiving, that it completely ruins the laid-back
feel of the rest of the game. This sharp difficulty spike feels very out of
place compared to the other bosses. See More
Top Pro
•••


GREAT BOSS BATTLES

Squaring off against the larger-than-life Jotuns (bosses) is action packed and
requires paying attention to the mechanics, but the encounters never really feel
unfair. Trying to get a hit in with your axe while dodging massive attacks and
environmental attacks can be challenging, but doable once you learn the
patterns. Each boss features their own mechanics, and surviving each of these
encounters can be rewarding knowing you beat it through skill and persistence.
See More
Top Pro
•••


RELAXING EXPLORATION

Much of the gameplay is simply focused on enjoying the scenery and soaking up
the lore as you explore. Roaming around and encountering lore items that dot the
map and then taking a break to listen to the stories contained within can be
quite calming. Walking through snowy fields as the soundtrack plays
Viking-inspired music really gets you in the state of mind to see whats around
every bend. Casually exploring while enjoying the atmosphere is really what this
game is all about. See More
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$14.99
Recommend1
--


DEAR ESTHER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR DEAR ESTHER

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR DEAR ESTHER

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7
Pros
5
Cons
1
Specs

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•••


OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful which suits the games visual atmosphere
quite well. See More
Top Con
•••


SHORT GAMEPLAY

Only about 90 minutes to two hours long which is pretty short for a game and can
easily be finished in a single sitting. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Mostly Positive
Genre:First-Person Exploration
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


GORGEOUS, INTRICATELY DETAILED ENVIRONMENTS

There is no arguing that the scenery and graphics in Dear Esther is jaw dropping
gorgeous. Due to how nothing can be interacted with the environment can be
rendered in a much more beautiful way as not much needs to change while walking
around. See More
Top Pro
•••


CAN BE RELAXING

Just sit back, relax, and spend some time with Dear Esther. The experience isn’t
long and there’s no pressure to go past the pace you want to go. While it does
have a sense of loneliness and isolation the graphics are beautiful and the
music is soothing which also lends a hand in the relaxedness of the title. See
More
Top Pro
•••


PERVASIVE SENSE OF ISOLATION, LONELINESS, AND MYSTERY

The game takes place on an abandoned island, so in a practical sense the player
is alone. Add to that that this is a bit of a ghost story and mystery becomes
enwrapped within the isolation of the island making for what is as much of an
experience as it is a game that makes for a feeling and sense of loneliness and
despair that often is only found in real life. See More
Top Pro
•••


NARRATIVE DRIVEN EXPERIENCE

There are no waypoint markers, no quests, in fact nobody else in this world
except the player and the narrator. Hike through the world and discover the
inner workings of this person’s mind. See More
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$9.99
Recommend2
--


MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA

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8
Pros
4
Cons
3
Specs

Top Con
•••


SUB-PAR STORYTELLING

MEA's writing is very inconsistent throughout the game. Sometimes the dialogue
is really poor, having lines like "my face is tired". Other times characters
forget important information such as the length of their trip to the Andromeda
Galaxy, showing surprise at things that should be obvious to them. Even though
there are few great moments with moral grey areas, most of the story feels
rushed, incomplete, or done by completely different teams with different visions
for the game. The end result is a story that lacks immersion and isn't very
memorable. See More
Top Pro
•••


YOU CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOUR CHARACTER WORKS ON THE FLY

In Mass Effect Andromeda, the class system is incredibly open, and classes can
be swapped at any time, even in the middle of combat. Essentially, you can go
from being a battle-hardened front line soldier to a crafty engineer, or even to
an infiltrator that's capable of invisibility. This will also swap out your
abilities, which makes sure you're always prepared for the next challenge you
have to face. See More
Specs
Steam Rating:Mixed
Genre:Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter
Co-Op:4 Player Online
See All Specs
Top Con
•••


POOR FACE TEXTURES AND ANIMATIONS

Widely mocked and ridiculed near Andromeda's release, the facial animations, eye
movement and tracking, and general skin textures are still sub-par, even after
patches meant to fix these issues. Characters look unnatural and downright ugly
at times, with the female Ryder inspiring dozens of cringe-worthy compilations
of her cinched facial expressions and comical duck-like running animations.
Moving to the Frostbite engine no doubt hampered the team's efforts to create
believable faces, but in a Mass Effect game, the faces especially should not
have been as bad as they were. See More
Top Pro
•••


COMBAT IS VERY FAST PACED

The combat in previous entries of Mass Effect has been based on getting behind
cover and having good aim. That aspect still exists in Andromeda, but thanks to
the new jump jet, things are much faster and much more fun. The jump jet allows
you to vault over obstacles or make quick dashes while running, which lets you
flank, charge, and generally just outmaneuver enemies in many more interesting
ways. See More
Top Con
•••


NO SINGLE-PLAYER DLC

There will not be any single-player downloadable content for Mass Effect:
Andromeda. This is especially disappointing because, by the end of the game, the
writers clearly intended to give more context through DLC about certain galactic
races who were absent from the original story. With the news that the publisher,
Electronic Arts, has put the Mass Effect franchise "on ice," the series' future
looks bleak. See More
Top Pro
•••


EXPLORATION IS QUITE FUN

Nearly every planet in Andromeda is unique from the others. There's different
terrain and environments to check out, new hazards to watch out for, and a
plethora of missions to complete on every planet. See More
Top Pro
•••


FUN MULTIPLAYER

Mass Effect Andromeda's fast-paced combat from single-player works well with the
team-based multiplayer matches, where up to four players cooperate to complete
hacking or target objectives while fighting back against waves of enemies. Maps
are densely packed with obstacles and winding rooms to take cover in or to take
the enemy by surprise. Aggressive foes actively push back forward into player
territory even on lower difficulties, keeping matches fun and intense. See More
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$49.99
Recommend21

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OUTER WILDS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR OUTER WILDS

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR OUTER WILDS

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5
Pros
3
Cons
1
Specs

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•••


UNIQUE

Never played a game like this. See More
Top Con
•••


REALISTIC PHYSICS

Physics are realistic, but can lead to irritation when you die after a fall. See
More
Specs
See All Specs
Top Pro
•••


GREAT PUZZLES

You figure out more and more each time you complete a cycle which creates an
exciting and unique game experience. See More
Top Pro
•••


SANDBOX

Sandbox style open world. See More
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20.99€
Recommend71


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undefined21 Best exploration games for PS4 as of 2023 - Slant21 Best exploration
games for PS4 as of 2023 - Slant