An exceptionally unique game. There is truly nothing like it. I wish this sort of genre was more popular.
The few things stopping this game from being 10/10 for me are: the graphics/art style, the music which was good but got annoying during some chapters, and some minor tweaks that could have been made ("fast travel" between chapters, for example).
Loved it otherwise, would strongly recommend.
The few things stopping this game from being 10/10 for me are: the graphics/art style, the music which was good but got annoying during some chapters, and some minor tweaks that could have been made ("fast travel" between chapters, for example).
Loved it otherwise, would strongly recommend.
A wild new genre appeared!
there's nothing quite as amazing as playing a game that is like nothing you've ever played before
Excelente exploração de narrativa não linear. Ponto forte pra multiplicidade de filtros para os gráficos, emulando computadores antigos. Uso intenso de dedução, inferências e outras habilidades de raciocínio para montar e prosseguir a história, premiando o jogador que conseguir desvendar todos os destinos com a história completa.
I love the hell out of this game. Just slowly unraveling what happened as this journey just totally went to hell is so compelling and it's so wonderful to look at and geez it's just good, ok?
This game was wonderful from start to finish. Learning the mechanics at the start is interesting, and I almost always made new discoveries, even when reviewing seen-before content. Surprisingly, even the "grind" in the last hour or two of gameplay is enjoyable, and the feeling of getting on a roll figuring things out is unreplicable.
Though full of captivating moments, a unique art style, and amazing sound design, upon finishing Return of the Obra Dinn I find it difficult to say that I fully enjoyed it. The story is interesting, the voice acting is superb, and it is exceptionally tightly written.
However, it is also marred by a horrendous interface that is not conducive to a pleasant experience. As much of the game is spent in this interface, I often found myself losing engagement with the mystery to be solved while becoming frustrated at how much time I was simply spending in menus; an issue that could easily be rectified in more ways than one.
Moreover, while I was initially impressed by the puzzles, they quickly devolved into a guessing game that was less than challenging. Sure, it's satisfying to solve all the little mysteries contained within the larger mystery that is the story of the Obra Dinn itself. But, that story was largely known to me before solving a vast majority of the clues.
I generally enjoyed my time with Return of the Obra Dinn and would love to see more games created in this style. However, I'd be hard-pressed to experience a (pseudo-)sequel without a major overhaul of the UI, an increased difficulty in the puzzles themselves, and a reimagined narrative structure.
Content: Single-Player Campaign
Difficulty: N/A (None)
Source: Steam
Input: Mechanical Keyboard & Mouse
Display: Monitor
Audio: Headphones
Location: Home
Audience: Solo
Tweaks & Mods: N/A (None)
However, it is also marred by a horrendous interface that is not conducive to a pleasant experience. As much of the game is spent in this interface, I often found myself losing engagement with the mystery to be solved while becoming frustrated at how much time I was simply spending in menus; an issue that could easily be rectified in more ways than one.
Moreover, while I was initially impressed by the puzzles, they quickly devolved into a guessing game that was less than challenging. Sure, it's satisfying to solve all the little mysteries contained within the larger mystery that is the story of the Obra Dinn itself. But, that story was largely known to me before solving a vast majority of the clues.
I generally enjoyed my time with Return of the Obra Dinn and would love to see more games created in this style. However, I'd be hard-pressed to experience a (pseudo-)sequel without a major overhaul of the UI, an increased difficulty in the puzzles themselves, and a reimagined narrative structure.
Content: Single-Player Campaign
Difficulty: N/A (None)
Source: Steam
Input: Mechanical Keyboard & Mouse
Display: Monitor
Audio: Headphones
Location: Home
Audience: Solo
Tweaks & Mods: N/A (None)
DEMO
otra obra maestra en los juegos de los últimos años: increiblemente inteligente, innovador, atmosférico y encima hermoso. una experiencia
Really original and unique way of telling a story.
Too difficult for my smooth no wrinkles brain so I had to cheat a bit.
Too difficult for my smooth no wrinkles brain so I had to cheat a bit.
this game is so fucking good. just a fantastic deduction puzzle experience, with the only real ding being late in the game when you have to deal with the like six guys who can only be id'd by revisiting one particular boring memory over and over again.
I am so, SO bad at this game. Like really fucking bad. I will never ever finish this game because i am NOT smart enough for it
Genuinely incredible indie darling. A modern classic
Genuinely incredible indie darling. A modern classic
What really sticks with me about this (tremendous swiss watch of a) game is the subtle stuff, like how the representation of early computer graphics dovetails with the look of older art styles and printing techniques.
This game outsmarts me in every way. I will never figure out every death, but this game shines from the first moments. I'd recommend this game to anyone.
Regarding puzzle games, Obra Dinn is my absolute favorite. The peculiar binary art style is absolutely gorgeous and unforgettable. The soundtrack is golly and suspenseful period-accurate instrumentals. They had a powerful effect on me deciding to replay.
The ledger sequences are well crafted and almost always allow for multiple paths for progression. What you discover here will help narrow and solve something there, even the guesswork needs some noggin' juice.
And on top of that it's very replayable for a puzzle game of this type, This is my 2nd time playing and I only love it more now.
The ledger sequences are well crafted and almost always allow for multiple paths for progression. What you discover here will help narrow and solve something there, even the guesswork needs some noggin' juice.
And on top of that it's very replayable for a puzzle game of this type, This is my 2nd time playing and I only love it more now.
My 2018 GOTY
Such a great game and experience. Based around a clever ideia, it's extremely rewarding to find all the pieces of the story and deduce the final outcome. One the few games I felt as a real investigator doing investigating stuff. Fantastic music and art design. Might be my 2018 GOTY.
hella GOATed 💞 it's been three years since I've played this game and it still holds a special place in my heart
The feeling of connecting various pieces of observation into a coherent whole that this game delivers is great. Giving the player confirmation after 3 correct matches was also very smart to make sure you feel like you're on the right trail and still making progress. The mixture of old school PC aesthetics, high seas pulp fiction, and a murder mystery narrative investigated by an insurance adjuster works spectacularly. Loved this game.
the smartest a game has ever managed to make me feel
Was loving it but the graphics gave me headaches :(
Delightful little ditty of a game, sparks the imagination and love the music and atmosphere.
b r i ll i a n t a r t s y f ar t sy
One of the best feelings in the world is playing a game that truly deserves the kind of praise it's garnered.
Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most perfectly detailed and intricately planned games maybe ever made. The nature of it's extremely unique gameplay requires that every detail of the story be near perfectly woven together with every aspect tying into the next. Miraculously, it almost pulls this off without a hitch.
Deducing a majority of the crew and the nature of their untimely deaths comes extremely naturally, through only your own cunning. It completely trusts you to notice patterns in their relationships and activity, and use the frankly beautiful dioramas to piece it together.
Which brings me to the topic of it's unique art style, which uses the limitations of low-poly models and a one-man animation team and embraces it's lo-fi nature and draws the game entirely in two colors. Too close up it can sometimes be a bit grating on the eyes, but watching the sails flap in the wind or being greeted by the gruesome sight of an execution stuck in time can be completely engrossing.
That engrossing feeling not at all hampered by the truly excellent sound design. The voice acting, the horrifying shrieks of men being shredded by monsters, the piercing sound of a gunshot making quick work of a fistfight, or even the waves softly hitting the vessel as you walk across the blood-shed boards of the Obra Dinn. Every bit of it is to marvel at.
It could be said that there is too much guesswork involved nearer to the end of the game, but it's frankly not enough to hamper the experience. It could be said that it's premise reduces replay value drastically, but the first playthrough alone is worth it.
I truly admire this game, and I hope it's gotten the kind of success it deserves.
I hope Lucas Pope is proud of this game, because it's a beautiful tribute. And god damn, those transitions are like porn to me
Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most perfectly detailed and intricately planned games maybe ever made. The nature of it's extremely unique gameplay requires that every detail of the story be near perfectly woven together with every aspect tying into the next. Miraculously, it almost pulls this off without a hitch.
Deducing a majority of the crew and the nature of their untimely deaths comes extremely naturally, through only your own cunning. It completely trusts you to notice patterns in their relationships and activity, and use the frankly beautiful dioramas to piece it together.
Which brings me to the topic of it's unique art style, which uses the limitations of low-poly models and a one-man animation team and embraces it's lo-fi nature and draws the game entirely in two colors. Too close up it can sometimes be a bit grating on the eyes, but watching the sails flap in the wind or being greeted by the gruesome sight of an execution stuck in time can be completely engrossing.
That engrossing feeling not at all hampered by the truly excellent sound design. The voice acting, the horrifying shrieks of men being shredded by monsters, the piercing sound of a gunshot making quick work of a fistfight, or even the waves softly hitting the vessel as you walk across the blood-shed boards of the Obra Dinn. Every bit of it is to marvel at.
It could be said that there is too much guesswork involved nearer to the end of the game, but it's frankly not enough to hamper the experience. It could be said that it's premise reduces replay value drastically, but the first playthrough alone is worth it.
I truly admire this game, and I hope it's gotten the kind of success it deserves.
I hope Lucas Pope is proud of this game, because it's a beautiful tribute. And god damn, those transitions are like porn to me
now this is a good fucking game. despite it's lack of replayability my shit memory allows me to enjoy it multiple times
Uno de los mejores juegos "¡Eureka!" que he jugado. Se siente como trabajo detectivesco real, tomando notas, haciendo tablas, uniendo nombres... La fisicalidad con la que interactuas con ciertos elementos te hacen estar aún más presentes en ese mundo con esa estética perfecta.
I wish I was smart enough to beat this game ):
Return of the Obra Dinn does a lot right. The monochrome art style is one, and surprisingly not as bad on the eye as you'd think (And you have a lot of colour options for specific computer aesthetics!). It is a detective puzzle game where almost everything is important to solve the ship's mysteries, and I mean almost everything - who the shipmates calls out to, their outfits, who they hang out with, where they are positioned in the art sketches you're given, even the bloody numbers on the crew list... if you are perceptive enough, everything can be solved without guessing.
And yet what I feel is the greatest strength of Obra Dinn is how much leeway it gives you in solving fates. It knows the frustration of knowing the answer in old adventure games, but not knowing the exact answer said game wants you to input, and thus has a few answers be malleable. For example, when a shipmate is crushed by a loose cannon, you can input that as his fate or blame the individual who loosened the cannon in the first place, and both answers would be accepted. It's a small thing, but one that undoes so much frustration, I can't believe I haven't seen it much in other games.
Also the jingle when you get three fates correct releases the good brain chemicals. Always good to have one of those.
I recommend you play this game.
And yet what I feel is the greatest strength of Obra Dinn is how much leeway it gives you in solving fates. It knows the frustration of knowing the answer in old adventure games, but not knowing the exact answer said game wants you to input, and thus has a few answers be malleable. For example, when a shipmate is crushed by a loose cannon, you can input that as his fate or blame the individual who loosened the cannon in the first place, and both answers would be accepted. It's a small thing, but one that undoes so much frustration, I can't believe I haven't seen it much in other games.
Also the jingle when you get three fates correct releases the good brain chemicals. Always good to have one of those.
I recommend you play this game.
everytime I transition to a new flashback and hear the DUN DUN sound effect I nutted
Excelent game, I felt like an absolute genious everytime I confirmed the passenger's identities. I liked the pocket watch mechanic, would love to see a "sequel" using it in another unsolved case.