Chasing the Unseen

You mostly wander around pieces of abstract geometry and dead-ends that don't really lead anywhere. There's no player guidance whatsoever and the "ingame guide" you can activate isn't really helping either (I can't fly or climb cliffs). The gameplay itself is guite frustrating, slow paced and without much depth. The save system is baffling, not sure what the purpose of the stone are, you can softlock yourself and have to waste all of them. This is barely functional as a game. This is really a shame because it looked really interesting and unique.

Honestly, I really didn't want to make this review but damn. This was a bit dissapointing :( First thing when you open the game, the font and UI already make you feel out of the whole experience. When clicking to start, you don't even realize that you are in a loading screen, and wondering why the text won't continue. And once you start, theres a bunch of small things that just add up and make you not want to play it. Wether thats the weird character visual design, The timing when the octopus emerges from right away completely killing any suspense, the character controller and him taking 5 seconds to get up once he falls. The level design doesn't always make sense, the checkpoints which you have to manually use, have a very long sound effect and animation on the side that makes you think you need to hold it, even though you don't? Ultimately you come to a conclusion that there is barely any gameplay other then walking, and a bit of jumping and climbing. Which in my opinion is also a bad design choice for this type of game, since it just annoyes you and takes you out of the experience. Not that theres anything wrong with these types of games, but I don't get the rationale behind it in this instance.. The actual enviornments and the collosal creatures designs look really cool, but otherwise I really couldn't find anything else to latch on to continue playing this. I hope this can be useful to the devs, but I'm sorry :(

Chasing the unseen reminds me parkour in Dark Souls and Elden Ring, either the Archtrees in Ash Lake or Erdtree branches and roots respectively. The gaint octopus functions as both a platform and obstacle that comes with Nolan Batman's OST. It feels like a dream. I recommend the game.

角色性能很弱，移速缓慢，惯性极大，攀爬和滑翔耐力低，滑翔的角度也不够水平。踩到斜坡会以大硬直滑倒，从稍高的地方落地更是会立即进入布娃娃状态而无法操作。角色趴在巨型生物的背上抱住不动竟然要消耗大量耐力，中途必须站起身休息；同时却又几乎无法正常地站在移动的物体上，经常莫名地滑下或者直接被弹开。操作起来十分痛苦。 游戏的设定是在广阔空间里追寻巨型生物，但实际上角色的移动能力不足以支撑自己的探索。无论是向下跳跃的垂直探索还是向远方滑翔的水平探索都做不到；即使是相对地图来说很矮的台阶，角色都无法越过，稍微走错一点或者脚滑一下就无法原路返回，只能从存档点重开；而从存档点走到下一个点的路程对角色而言又过于漫长。并且，因为角色自己的移动能力孱弱，地图设计也受到极大局限，某些关卡完全变成了线性而老套的平台跳跃，失去趣味。 作者擅长的美术确实发挥出色，但玩法、游戏性和叙事上的短板都短到无法忽视的地步，可以说是相当遗憾了

If you want to critique something - say something good first, imo. And I'd like to say something good about the game, but there's nothing I can come up with, unfortunately. In the first hour of every game, a player decides whether she likes the game or not. Therefore, a developer puts out the best things, the most interesting things, the most curious challenges to hook a player. In modern reality it's more closer to half an hour. I have only played ten minutes, however, and there was absolutely nothing that would keep me going. It's not QAed properly, so the chances of sliding or getting stuck in places you shouldn't are enormous. No story or overarching idea was presented to hook a player up. No interesting mechanics to keep playing. The visuals are very much last decade, and the music is just meh. And most importantly: there's no gameplay to be seen. They might appear later in game, but no one would get to "later" if they are bored within first two minutes.

１時間プレイ時点でのレビューです。 スピリチュアルな世界をアスレチックで進んでいくステージクリア型のゲーム。 巨大タコのイメージにひかれてやってみましたが 操作性やマップデザイン、ゲーム性の洗練具合で言えば今一つと感じます。 高所からの着地後かなり慣性の影響をうけたり（某壺ゲーや高所登りゲーのような）、戻れないところの収集要素をとろうとするとチェックポイントから再開するために残機分自殺するしかないなど。 あくまで世界観にひかれたら楽しめそうな雰囲気ゲーといった印象です。

Chasing the Unseen is a unique and fascinating game that I think will be quite polarising amongst players, even for those who are fans of other platformers and exploration games. Some, like me, will get a thrill out of navigating the game’s bizarre and overwhelming environments, enjoying the journey, while others may find it confusing, possibly leading to frustration. But Chasing the Unseen is a game that is unwavering in its vision, clearly wanting to deliver a particular type of experience, which is something to be applauded. Simply put, Chasing the Unseen is a 3rd person exploration platformer that has the player navigating impossibly surreal environments inhabited by colossal creatures, all floating in a dreamlike expanse. The game feels quite esoteric with very little information given to the player throughout and leaves you wandering these incredible dreamscapes to make sense of what is happening and where to go. At the final level of the game, you are given more context, but it feels as though the game was designed to be interpreted by the player with minimal bias. This goes a long way to add to the mysterious feel of Chasing the Unseen but is also one of the main reasons why I think some people will not vibe with it, struggling with the lack of direction both thematically and physically. Running, jumping, climbing, and gliding are all the actions at your disposal, with only certain surfaces able to be climbed and a stamina bar for both your grip and gliding. Limitations like this highlight that sense of helplessness that I felt through my whole playtime; a diminutive figure lost and wandering in a place that feels both serene and inhospitable. This is no power fantasy; there aren’t power ups to unlock, stats to increase or new gear to buy. You are supposed to feel small, vulnerable and at the whims of the world you find yourself in. I found it an intoxicating feeling, and something that is rarely explored in video games, especially outside of the Horror genre. Each level is a puzzle for you to figure out, much like an escape room where you must rely more on your intuition than your instincts. Chasing the Unseen is an evocative and challenging game that does an excellent job of creating a world and gameplay experience that captures the internal struggles that many deal with on life’s journey. The combination of these surreal dreamscapes with the strange and unsettling sound design creates a constantly unnerving and fascinating experience unlike very few other games I have played. The lack of direction and handholding may be off putting to some, but I do feel that it is the right decision to create this unique video game and have it be its most impactful. I absolutely adore Chasing the Unseen and how it made me feel, and I hope that we get more game likes it in the future. My full review is available on my blog: https://gamereviewlution.blog/

クリアしたけど物語性は皆無でスピリチュアル系でした。まさに雰囲気ゲーでございやす。 巨大生物に乗れるのは楽しかったかな。 ボリュームも5時間かからないぐらいでクリアできるから2000円は高すぎるかも。

I played the beta about a year ago, and even then, I knew right away that I loved this game. The core mechanic revolves around climbing and platforming on giant creatures, much like one of my favorite games, Shadow of the Colossus. So right off the bat, I'll say I really like this game just because it even remotely resembles Shadow of the Colossus. So yes, my opinion is biased. The game looks fantastic and impresses with its scale and atmosphere. It's just a shame it didn't have a more experienced composer, who could've given the music more grandeur. Personally, I feel that adding more vocal tracks could have enriched the levels, but vocal compositions are limited to the tutorial, which is essentially part of the first level. Riding a massive creature across the level is particularly enjoyable. The monster designs, though restrained, work well thanks to their size and consistency in tone. However, it doesn't help that in two out of the game's six levels (excluding the secret one and the tutorial), you don't have any creature to interact with. In my opinion, this contradicts the game's core concept a little. Of course, there is octopus in the tutorial level and it is fun to ride - if I remember correctly, during the beta, I managed to climb onto it and take a ride, and it was enjoyable. But it’s just reusing the same creature in two consecutive levels. Unfortunately, that's all the game can be praised for - good concept, beautiful visuals, a solid atmosphere, and varied mechanics on each level. Now, let's move on to the downsides I found. That being said, even after completing the game, I still like it, and these flaws dampened the experience rather than turning it negative. I need wall climbing. In the game, you can climb objects, but not walls, and sometimes this leads to silly situations where you're standing in front of a platform half your character’s height, but you can't jump onto it or climb it. In a game entirely built around platforming on uneven surfaces, it's criminal to make the character so slippery on those surfaces. It's just ridiculous. There's no real plot in the game. It's more abstract and philosophical, something akin to Antichamber. Based on the level names, the protagonist's appearance, and the final chapter, it's easy to see that the game draws inspiration from Buddhist teachings, meditation, enlightenment, and similar themes. Given the protagonist's design, one could speculate that he has entered his own inner space and is trying to deal with his inner demons that hinder his path to enlightenment. Of course, this is just speculation, but it's not hard to come to this conclusion on your own. The most frustrating thing about the game is the lack of clear direction. You never know where you're supposed to go, and the waypoint system is useless. The blue line guiding you constantly jerks around in different directions, and you can’t figure out how to follow it. It also disappears too quickly. Worst of all, it passes through walls and doesn't clearly indicate the path. Sure, you could argue that the mystery and confusion are part of the game’s atmosphere, but you're left completely lost most of the time. Especially on the first level with the octopus. If the game hadn't told me to jump on it at moments, I wouldn't have done it. The creature seems to float around in random patterns, and only when you land on it, octopus does start moving confidently in the direction you need to go. (Here, I'll briefly discuss each level.) The second level is both my favorite and most hated. The objective is to collect 10 flowers to activate the snake below and progress. Philosophically, you're trapped in a maze, slithering through tunnels like a snake - quite clever. The flowers are scattered around the level, giving you freedom to explore. There are no softlocks, and from each respawn point, you can reach both the bottom and top of the level. So, it offers more freedom than other, more linear levels. But both navigation systems fail. The blue beam guide only leads you to the bottom, where the snake is. The beams of light from the flowers give you only a vague idea of their location, since you don’t have an overhead view. Even when you do, the flowers are often hidden inside mountains. In short, I really liked this level, but I spent 3 hours trying to find the last flower, which turned out to be at the very beginning of the level. And to top it all off, there's no final, you just land on the snake’s head, and the level ends. The third level is confusing right from the start. When you reach the monster, it's completely unclear how it works. The mechanic requires you to press points on the boss to make it move, but there's no indication of which points control what or how to operate them. Imagine holding a brand new, terribly designed game controller with 20 buttons, none labeled, and the controller itself trying to break free from your hands - that's how it feels. To make things worse, the buttons you first encounter make you think they’re dangerous surfaces to avoid. It's the opposite of intuitive game design. Once you figure out how the new monster works, the level becomes fun - you alternate between the game's uncomfortable platforming and trying to stay on the spider while pressing its buttons. The wind gusts that knock you off are too strong and push you much farther than you can recover from by gliding. Towards the end, the character slows down, an obvious artificial limitation to prevent you from flying to the center of the map (the end of the level). I appreciate that the levels have unique mechanics, but this one comes out of nowhere and isn't explained. The fourth level is immediately frustrating: you find yourself in a very enclosed, dark space where it's hard to navigate. But it's probably the easiest and shortest level. It starts with annoying enclosed spaces, no glider, and ends abruptly. There isn’t even a monster. Towards the end, it seemed like the level would get interesting, transitioning from pitch darkness to blinding light, but no - it just ends. The potential was much greater. The fifth level is quite interesting, and it finally makes good use of the climbing mechanic. In the level, there are blobs of clay that change shape, and you can climb on them to progress through the stage. The level is fairly easy to navigate and enjoyable to complete. Sometimes the direction of movement isn't entirely clear, but if you proceed step by step, the level is fairly straightforward to get through. The final level is all about patience, and I really liked it. Essentially, it’s a long marathon ride on a giant jellyfish. It’s not too hard to stay on, but not so easy that you don’t have to try. The key is patience and balance, as the creature will eventually take you to one of the five checkpoints, but you mustn’t jump off too soon, or you’ll have to start from the last point again. After completing the game, you gain the ability to see all collectible locations. Initially, I was daunted by how much work it would take to collect them all, but in the end, I decided to give it a try. Btw I just checked the stats on how many players bought and rated the game, as well as how many are playing it at the same time, and I was horrified. I understand this is a niche indie project, but it's still disappointing. In the end, I can’t recommend this game. It has too many flaws, not even technical ones, but fundamental game design issues. I see a wonderful, beautiful, and artistic concept. I see that the developer had the creativity, talent, and determination to bring their vision to life, but the execution fell flat. I mean, it wouldn’t have taken much to fix this game and turn it into a masterpiece. Not on the level of Shadow of the Colossus, of course, but still. Personally, I really enjoyed the game and spent a lot of time chasing those capybara-rabbits, but I can’t recommend it to you.

This game is really promising, but feels more early access than anything. Unintuitive progression and a guidance feature that's basically useless. I got this game after a Curious Archive video mentioned it and it sounded perfect...but it misses the mark but too much to keep my playing