Stay in the Light
released on Dec 23, 2020
Stay in the Light is an immersive first person horror game with a combination of unique features: Real-time Ray Tracing and random dungeon generator.
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Good thing this game is free, because jesus christ is it wonky and bad.
From what I understood, this was supposed to be a showcase for how Ray Tracing can become gameplay. But the game completely fails to make it clear how it's doing this — or even how it's attempting to do it. There are torches and a mirror, sure, and the dynamic lighting from the torches is kinda neat, but none of it is impressive at all or has any real effect on gameplay.
The name of the game is "Stay in the Light", but I've walked in shadows completely unscathed for half of my (admittedly short) playtime. Nothing happened. I still don't know why I should stay in the light or what happens if I don't.
There's a menacing presence in the dungeon which is apparently the villain, but he does nothing except take a single step towards you when you get near. A single step. If he touches you, you're just teleported back to level entrance, without any flavor. And if he doesn't... well, then he just stands there, having not been programmed to do anything else. You do get an achievement, though, which is fun.
You have a mirror, and it apparently uses ray tracing to show you what's behind you, but it's not any more impressive than a Portal. This has been done in 2007. And here, ray tracing or not, it's not done to any further or more impressive extent.
You also have a piece of chalk to mark places where you've been in case you get lost. Neat idea, absolutely laughable implementation. This game makes ugly object clipping part of its gameplay more than it uses ray tracing. (The mirror also clips through everything like nobody's business.)
The only incentive to keep playing then is to collect some treasures, about which the game makes no attempt whatsoever to justify why I should care. I'm outta here. Had more fun writing this review than playing.
From what I understood, this was supposed to be a showcase for how Ray Tracing can become gameplay. But the game completely fails to make it clear how it's doing this — or even how it's attempting to do it. There are torches and a mirror, sure, and the dynamic lighting from the torches is kinda neat, but none of it is impressive at all or has any real effect on gameplay.
The name of the game is "Stay in the Light", but I've walked in shadows completely unscathed for half of my (admittedly short) playtime. Nothing happened. I still don't know why I should stay in the light or what happens if I don't.
There's a menacing presence in the dungeon which is apparently the villain, but he does nothing except take a single step towards you when you get near. A single step. If he touches you, you're just teleported back to level entrance, without any flavor. And if he doesn't... well, then he just stands there, having not been programmed to do anything else. You do get an achievement, though, which is fun.
You have a mirror, and it apparently uses ray tracing to show you what's behind you, but it's not any more impressive than a Portal. This has been done in 2007. And here, ray tracing or not, it's not done to any further or more impressive extent.
You also have a piece of chalk to mark places where you've been in case you get lost. Neat idea, absolutely laughable implementation. This game makes ugly object clipping part of its gameplay more than it uses ray tracing. (The mirror also clips through everything like nobody's business.)
The only incentive to keep playing then is to collect some treasures, about which the game makes no attempt whatsoever to justify why I should care. I'm outta here. Had more fun writing this review than playing.