Glad I could help save you money Swordfish. I was worried I was alone in disliking the game, but now this is the highest rated steam review. Only spoils what is not in the game:
"A non-VR review
Calling it a disappointment is putting it mildly. I know there was Covid during the development of these. But I don't see five years worth of work here.
The bugs are numerous, graphical issues. Puzzles can literally break on you, forcing you to 'teleport to safety' and restart them. But because of how slowly some of the puzzles move, this can set you back ten to fifteen minutes because a crane literally gets impossibly jammed between two walls.
The lack of FMVs is disappointing, the narrator is currently broken and inconsistently talks. Which is kind of a problem because she is the only real source of 'story' to be had. The grand total of 'lore' you can find is two, a book with two poems, and a book with minimal explanation about your puzzle tool. She is literally the only NPC.
While the environments are nice, closer to what I expect out of Cyan. It's missing so much of what made cyan great.
The puzzles are not puzzles, every single one of them is just orientation based. Rotate platforms to get a certain number, but it's random because there is no logic to the numbering system for the platforms. Complete a sliding block puzzle where you remove X block, on an X Y axis, orientation, figure out just the right spot to stand in a convulted enclosed space to hit a switch, and each switch has to be in order, you can't get it wrong, you just have to find the right one and the right spot, orientation.
There are no actual logic puzzles to be had here, even Obduction had far superior puzzles to this. No need to write down a note from one area to help you solve a puzzle in another area, no little things to investigate that make you understand a number system (The counting device in Riven school).
This is a lifeless, poor excuse of a game, that doesn't justify a $40 price tag. I expect more from Cyan, more from a kickstarter that raised $1.5 million, which to compare to obduction, raised more than Obduction. Obduction had multiple FMV actors, actual puzzle elements, lore aplenty to find and dive deep into the world. Where the heck did all the money for this go? Because I don't see it.
Cyan, Rand Miller, you were so influential to my childhood, I know you are capable of doing better. Please, it's so upsetting to see this game come out of your studio.
Take your money somewhere else, this is a barely more than a VR walking simulator.
Edit to respond to Developer
I didn't see FMVs advertised anywhere, in fact I kept pretty low key on how much info I allowed myself to get. Saw the annoucenment, new Cyan game, decided I would get it.
But why was I expecting to see FMVs? You are literally Cyan Worlds, the pioneering studio of taking FMVs in this type of game to the next level in the industry. Even your last game Obduction, had FMVs. FMVS and Cyan studios mostly go hand in hand. Myst, Riven, Exile, Revelations, Obduction < All FMVs, Uru and End of Ages no FMVs (Y'all we're even criticized for leaving out the FMVs in the Myst remake) So, uh, yea. FMVs are an expected product given your legacy.
I will admit the mention of a '90s style physical box' listed on the Kickstarter did give me slim hope that this would be a return to form, and 90s style Cyan Worlds is FMVs all in. Did I make an assumption, sure. But again, it's literally your legacy and a rather large chunk of why the Myst Franchise is so beloved.
As far giving it a try again, why? I beat it. There is literally nothing more to gain because it's a poorly realized universe that looks pretty but doesn't really have anything else going for it."
https://steamcommunity.com/id/trisotter/recommended/754890/
"A non-VR review
Calling it a disappointment is putting it mildly. I know there was Covid during the development of these. But I don't see five years worth of work here.
The bugs are numerous, graphical issues. Puzzles can literally break on you, forcing you to 'teleport to safety' and restart them. But because of how slowly some of the puzzles move, this can set you back ten to fifteen minutes because a crane literally gets impossibly jammed between two walls.
The lack of FMVs is disappointing, the narrator is currently broken and inconsistently talks. Which is kind of a problem because she is the only real source of 'story' to be had. The grand total of 'lore' you can find is two, a book with two poems, and a book with minimal explanation about your puzzle tool. She is literally the only NPC.
While the environments are nice, closer to what I expect out of Cyan. It's missing so much of what made cyan great.
The puzzles are not puzzles, every single one of them is just orientation based. Rotate platforms to get a certain number, but it's random because there is no logic to the numbering system for the platforms. Complete a sliding block puzzle where you remove X block, on an X Y axis, orientation, figure out just the right spot to stand in a convulted enclosed space to hit a switch, and each switch has to be in order, you can't get it wrong, you just have to find the right one and the right spot, orientation.
There are no actual logic puzzles to be had here, even Obduction had far superior puzzles to this. No need to write down a note from one area to help you solve a puzzle in another area, no little things to investigate that make you understand a number system (The counting device in Riven school).
This is a lifeless, poor excuse of a game, that doesn't justify a $40 price tag. I expect more from Cyan, more from a kickstarter that raised $1.5 million, which to compare to obduction, raised more than Obduction. Obduction had multiple FMV actors, actual puzzle elements, lore aplenty to find and dive deep into the world. Where the heck did all the money for this go? Because I don't see it.
Cyan, Rand Miller, you were so influential to my childhood, I know you are capable of doing better. Please, it's so upsetting to see this game come out of your studio.
Take your money somewhere else, this is a barely more than a VR walking simulator.
Edit to respond to Developer
I didn't see FMVs advertised anywhere, in fact I kept pretty low key on how much info I allowed myself to get. Saw the annoucenment, new Cyan game, decided I would get it.
But why was I expecting to see FMVs? You are literally Cyan Worlds, the pioneering studio of taking FMVs in this type of game to the next level in the industry. Even your last game Obduction, had FMVs. FMVS and Cyan studios mostly go hand in hand. Myst, Riven, Exile, Revelations, Obduction < All FMVs, Uru and End of Ages no FMVs (Y'all we're even criticized for leaving out the FMVs in the Myst remake) So, uh, yea. FMVs are an expected product given your legacy.
I will admit the mention of a '90s style physical box' listed on the Kickstarter did give me slim hope that this would be a return to form, and 90s style Cyan Worlds is FMVs all in. Did I make an assumption, sure. But again, it's literally your legacy and a rather large chunk of why the Myst Franchise is so beloved.
As far giving it a try again, why? I beat it. There is literally nothing more to gain because it's a poorly realized universe that looks pretty but doesn't really have anything else going for it."
https://steamcommunity.com/id/trisotter/recommended/754890/
