Benign Land

graphically it's amazing but there's no pay off. the game is maybe 20 minutes long? No back story or anything. walking sims are okay but there's no explanation to outsiders what we're looking at. Is there a narration mode to each scene? even if it was just text prompts to read it would be great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSVrybO4-ZU

An artistic journey that allows you to hop from scene to scene, exploring Ireland. Beautifully crafted, calming (unlike the actual history of it). We need more short and sweet experiences like this!

Wie ein Trip ohne Substanzen – grandiose Erfahrung! Benign Land ist wirklich eine einzigartige Erfahrung! Die verschiedenen Landschaften sind beeindruckend gestaltet, jede für sich ein kleines Kunstwerk. Man fühlt sich stellenweise wirklich wie auf einem Trip – und das ganz ohne irgendwelche Substanzen. 😄 Die Soundkulisse ist ein absolutes Highlight: Sie zieht einen noch tiefer in diese surrealen Welten hinein. Einfach WOW, da merkt man, wie viel Liebe ins Detail gesteckt wurde. Bitte mehr davon! Und wenn es irgendwie möglich ist: Bitte bringt das in VR. Das wäre der absolute Wahnsinn! LG, HundelungeVR https://youtu.be/QOp2HTVt0H0?si=UaUJT5A4VYO8yzAB 👑 Powered by HoI 4 Deu Curators group in German / English 👑⠀⠀⠀[list][*][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/30388691/] Follow Main group [/url][*] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40282064/] Follow Second group [/url][*] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44688798/] Follow Third group [/url][/list] and discover more reviews from me.

Striking visuals, mesmerising soundtrack, good pacing and a nice build up of intensity. It works very well! I’m curious about what is next!

A gorgeous immersive experience. The sound design combined with the evocative visuals creates a mysterious atmosphere and invites to take your time and reflect. The visuals in this game are beautiful and support the dark themes of the experience. For 5€ I can totally recommend giving this a go!

Was very lucky to be given a free key by the developer to try this out before release. Technically wise it looks amazing, Playing full screen and with a headset on I felt fully part of the experience. The sound design was incredible and really gave it an intense eerie vibe at times. The movement was so smooth and a perfect speed to keep me interested as normally I'm not a fan of walking sims due to the pacing. The environments were all so detailed and artistic and kept me intrigued the whole way through. The only thing I would like to see ( could totally just be a personal thing as I don't do may experience sims) would be some note cards or interest points to give a bit of detail on what we are seeing or some factoids to collect through the game Cant wait to see what the developer comes up with next!

Benign Land is an immersive journey, like stepping into a living, breathing artwork. The unique seamless camera movement makes the player feel weightless, as if floating through landscapes straight out of magical realism. The world around you is rich and detailed, yet there’s a haunting stillness that makes every moment feel significant. Rather than directly focusing on historical events, artist Leandros Ntolas creates landscapes that act as silent observers, subtly reflecting the weight of the past without overtly addressing it. This approach transforms the game into a contemplative experience, where the environment itself becomes a quiet witness to history. You’ll find yourself drifting through these spaces, absorbing the atmosphere at your own pace, almost as if you’re part of something larger than yourself. The lack of traditional gameplay and the slower, more deliberate pace might not be for everyone. However, if you're looking for something unique— a game that tells its story not through action, but through space, absence, and silence—Benign Land offers something truly special. I highly recommend playing with headphones, in the dark, and on a large screen to fully appreciate its immersive effect.

This is a new experience for me and I was curious to see how storytelling, art, and video games come together. I definitely suggest playing with a controller and headphones to take in the music and audio design. It helps with the immersion and to get to the point where you let the experience drive itself vs feeling the need to go to the next scene. The lighting, the effects, sounds together trigger the senses nicely and I think it would be cool to have support for VR at some point in the future!

If you have to tell what your story is about, you're probably not telling it very well. Game claims to be about about Ireland's history and culture but focuses on just a selective few modern parts. Story is 'told' through a series of intentionally blurred scenes where controls have been made to behave as though you are swimming in syrup. You have to walk towards a light cone and when you reach it, a new scene starts. This is artsy in the 'if we make the photo black and white and out of focus, it is art' kind of way. Graphics look like someone who just learned about 3D graphics (yay light!), there are texture mistakes like puddles on a 30 degree slope, there are invisible walls that can mess you up, it is full of high school like symbolism, and the scripted parts worked directly against an immersive experience. Music is very monotonous but that is kinda OK. All in all I was bored and just wanted it to be over, but at least it's free - oh wait, it's not (maybe it should be).

Lovely atmospheric game, this is pure art!