Recent reviews by Teioch

I bought this game due to a fascination for both space, as well as playing as a potential HAL character. It sounded interesting to me. I expected my mind to be blown by the plot as I got some impressions of what I could expect to happen, and understood quickly that some pretty unbelievable things would be going down. The game's story managed to almost perfectly balance the fine line between making everything too obscure, and too obvious. I never really understood what was really going on, but at the same time I felt I learned more and more. More was revealed, at pretty much the same rate that new questions arose. The ending blew my mind with its implications and made me want to try a second playthrough where I knew what I now had learned!

I was impressed with HL:A from just looking at the trailers. I wanted to watch some streamers play it before I fully decided though. I liked what I saw. A lot. I was however a bit quick to judge the guy I watched as a bit of a pansy. My conclusion in the end was "Man, this game looks completely brilliant, but this dude is a bit annoying to watch because he's too afraid to have any real progression in a reasonable amount of time". Fast forward to my own game play where I almost literally save my game after every single damn headcrab zombie just for -some- form of reassurance that "it'll be ok". I'm pretty ok with tense and creepy games. This game is so damn immersive that I struggle to reassure my head that the hulking, sobbing and crying zombie waddling towards me with bloodied claws isn't actually real. I know it isn't, but my body screams for me to move away. It does not want to be here! Meanwhile, my fascination for the immersive VR experience urges me on, exploring every nook and cranny just to get the extra ammo and healing that I don't even need, just because it might make me feel just a bit more secure. It doesn't though.

Finally, after a lengthy session I need to take a break. Not because I'm dizzy. Not because my eyes are tired. No, because I've forgotten to breathe for such a long time that I'm drained. I literally need a breather. I sit down and see my water bottle on the desk. I stretch my hand out and flick my wrist, surprised for a second that it doesn't come flying into my hand.

The graphics and animations are absolutely spotless. The characters look so good, and you really feel they maintain eye contact while talking to you regardless of where you stand. I mean you can poke Russell in the face and actually get an annoyed response! The plot is engaging and gives you just enough droplets of revealing info to make you just end up with more questions even as the path is revealed. The maps are well designed and the puzzles challenging enough to make you work for it, but not to make you actually stuck. In short. This game hella good.

Also: Seriously. ♥♥♥♥ Jeff.

I've absolutely loved the earlier mobile games versions. When I learned that they were making a VR version, I nearly lost my ♥♥♥♥. I started to gather all kinds of expectations in regards to how cool it would be to be actually looking around a puzzle and interacting with them as if I was there. I hyped myself up and started to fear I had sowed seeds that would blossom into a huge disappointment. I am happy to report that I had not.

The game is visually pleasing, and while I'd had loved to see a more free movement around the different areas besides the predefined spots you could teleport to, I do realise that would have complicated the game quite a bit. The puzzles are challenging enough to be engaging, but not at all impossible to figure out reasonably quick. And, if you get stuck on something, there are some hints to guide you along the way if you get impatient.

The game is not a long one though, and while the development of the game is guaranteed to have been costly for a rather small studio, the price is a bit steep for the amount of hours of game play you get, and the game's replayability isn't great. That being said, the hours you do get out of it is really great and engaging. The puzzles are satisfying to solve, and the mystery interesting to watch unfold. The game's general "aura" is rather creepy, and while it never tries to flat out scare you, I myself found myself entering rooms quite cautiously, often feeling as if someone was watching me behind my back.

My only complaint is the price, but it isn't a huge deal. If you can afford the price well enough, you won't regret buying this.