Chasing the Unseen

跟着引导探索起来还挺惬意的. 但不值这个价.

If you've played and liked NaissancE you'll probably like this. Both are similar in that they gave me the feeling of playing some 3d platformer and glitching my way outside the level into the skybox, into some area that was never designed to be reachable but you can manage to explore regardless. Its a game of traversing terrain that's clearly not designed to be traversable (or not designed at all! It looks like its generated with some generative systems or noise functions, with only rare bits of intentional terrain) and then given some sparse things to help you - waypoints to keep your progress, guidance to the next waypoint, and certain things to help you past impassable terrain (the creatures and other intentionally-placed objects). The game has a theme of meditation, which unfortunately seems to hurt the final level, as its mostly stripped of the usual gameplay resulting in something thats more a winding-down than a climax to the game, in the service of the theme. Despite the theme, don't expect it to be a calming game - it's quite frustrating at times. While I finished all the levels, I did not have the patience to chase after all the critters to unlock the extra content (I wonder what the completion% on that is...). I'm not sure it's worth the full asking price, but on a sale I felt it was fair, and definitely appreciated the experience.

Who doesn't want to run around a massive dreamy landscape while traversing around with the help of colossal creatures? The artistic style of the game is perfect for that dreamy feel, and the music pairs well with the gameplay. The impending rise of a colossal octopus as it crests over the side of the landscape in front of you while his 'boss' music starts trumpeting just sent shivers down my spine, it was aweing. I found myself searching for a chance to see the massive creatures as I played early in the game, and was happy with the amount of time I engaged with them. The small 'minigame' of chasing the critters always had me excited and trying to find clever ways to catch them as they were so fast to just chase over the wide open grasses. Overall I really did love the game and it fits right into the styles that I really love. I've always been a huge fan of platformers, and this game does throw me back to those old platforming games, but I can see where someone could easily get frustrated with the accuracy of the controls. The trailer also makes the game feel more fast paced than I perceived it in game, while there were some fast parts (like riding the snake) most of the parts were open terrain traversing the massive levels. Pros: -Visually appealing (love the style) -Unique gameplay -Just really cool Cons: -Controls were sometimes clunky -Repetitive music -Slower paced than conveyed in the trailer Overall, I really enjoyed what I played of it so far and can't wait to explore the levels I haven't gotten to yet.

I just felt lost playing this game. While the way-finder would indicate where I needed to be, figuring out how to get there was often difficult. There were precarious pathways with camera angles that disallowed me to see where my character was. There were lots of dead-ends that I found myself into by following the way-finder. The draw-distances and occlusions made it difficult to keep track of where I was. After 107 minutes of trying I had no sense of accomplishment, had died uncountable times, and had no sense for what I could do to be better at the game.

Con Chasing the Unseen he pasado de la frustración más grande a tener una sonrisa enorme en el rostro. Básicamente estamos ante una aventura donde debemos llegar al final de cada uno de los siete niveles, y lo haremos saltando y caminando, con el uso de una 'paravela' para planear. En algunas fases, no en todas, con la interacción pacífica con algunas criaturas gigantes será donde se nos ponga más a prueba. Cada coloso propone su propia dinámica, siendo el primero que nos encontremos, el pulpo en la segunda fase, el que más nos pondrá de los nervios. A nivel jugable todo puede parecer muy simple salvo esos momentos con esas maravillosas criaturas, pero el juego está mucho más pensado y planteado que su aparente sencilla estructura de caminar y saltar, muy limitada en sus controles (solo podemos agarrarnos y escalar unas pocas superficies, fuera de los colosos, no podemos siquiera agarrarnos o subir a algún saliente cercano), pueda dar a pensar. Si solo queremos culminar los siete niveles nos costará la mitad o menos de las horas que llevo aquí marcadas, y será algo muy especial igualmente... aunque con lo particular de la propuesta, ya cada jugador se la tomará a su manera. Lo que pasa es que el juego tiene decenas de capibaras distribuidas por todo tipo de sitios. Buscarlas todas le da el verdadero sentido a la exploración, y nos da la comprensión real del trabajo enorme en la creación de zonas, caminos, cuevas, recovecos... que tiene el juego. Encontrarlas todas no es un mero cosmético, porque además de un objetivo desafiante (que se hace más sencillo si hemos hecho............), desbloquean un nivel oculto. Para mi Chasing the Unseen ha sido algo tremendamente especial, y agradezco haber hecho este viaje, interior y exterior. Hago una última aclaración. El juego es muy particular y a mucha gente no le terminará convenciendo. Pero con el lanzamiento de la versión 1.1 se han suavizado algunas aristas que tenía y lo hacía bastante frustrante, siendo la más importante que el botón de guía ahora sí ofrece información útil para progresar. Abrid la mente y dadle una oportunidad.

A great game about finding your way when you feel lost and isolated. The sense of awe and the joy of finding a companion when you feel lonely are amazing

The scale of the game is impressive! As a challenge to go through and experience and take your time with it can be quite fun! For those who wish to explore further there is a LOT of capybara creatures to find which supposedly unlock something however the gameplay doesn't hold enough for me to want to spend who knows how much time to collect the 100+ creatures. Overall its an interesting experience! edit: I have now beat the game! And it unlocks an ability to highlight the creatures making them easier to find AND tells you that it unlocks a special level!

Chasing the Unseen, developed and published by Strange Shift Studio, is an atmospheric third-person exploration adventure that prioritizes mood, scale, and abstract symbolism over conventional gameplay structure. Rather than presenting players with combat systems, skill trees, or traditional objectives, the game places them in the role of a young protagonist wandering through a vast, surreal landscape populated by colossal, organic entities. It is less about defeating obstacles and more about navigating them—physically and emotionally—through climbing, gliding, and careful traversal across dreamlike terrain. The core of the experience revolves around movement. Players climb enormous, living structures that double as both environment and creature, scaling twisting limbs, ridges, and fractal formations that stretch toward the sky. Traversal mechanics are simple but central to the experience. A glide or parachute-like mechanic softens falls and allows for controlled descents, turning vertical exploration into a rhythmic dance between ascent and gravity. The absence of combat shifts the focus entirely onto physical navigation, giving each climb a contemplative pace. There is tension in reaching higher points, but it is environmental rather than adversarial. Visually, Chasing the Unseen stands out for its use of fractal-inspired design and abstract geometry. Landscapes fold in on themselves, patterns repeat and spiral, and natural forms blur the line between terrain and organism. The world feels alien yet strangely cohesive, evoking the sensation of exploring a subconscious dreamscape. The scale of the colossal creatures, which serve as living platforms rather than threats, creates moments of awe. Climbing along their surfaces feels intimate and grand at the same time, reinforcing themes of insignificance and wonder. The aesthetic is not hyper-realistic but instead stylized and symbolic, favoring impression over literal detail. The narrative is minimalistic and interpretive. There are no lengthy dialogue sequences or explicit story exposition. Instead, meaning emerges from context and atmosphere. The journey feels personal and introspective, as if the player is chasing not just something unseen in the world, but something intangible within themselves. The lack of direct narrative guidance encourages players to project their own interpretations onto the experience. For some, this ambiguity becomes a strength, allowing for emotional resonance. For others, it may feel too abstract or underdeveloped. However, the same design choices that give the game its artistic identity also contribute to its divisive reception. Navigation can be disorienting, especially within environments that deliberately obscure clear pathways. The abstract design sometimes makes it difficult to determine where to go next, leading to moments of confusion or backtracking. While respawns are generally forgiving, repeated falls or missed jumps can break immersion. Players accustomed to clearer objective markers or more structured progression may find the open-ended design frustrating rather than liberating. Mechanically, the game is intentionally restrained. There are no complex systems layered beneath the surface, and the gameplay loop remains consistent throughout. This focus on purity of concept can feel refreshing, especially in a landscape crowded with feature-heavy titles. Yet it also limits long-term engagement for players who seek mechanical depth or evolving gameplay dynamics. The experience feels curated and finite, designed to be absorbed in a few thoughtful sessions rather than revisited endlessly. Sound design plays a subtle but crucial role in shaping atmosphere. Ambient audio, environmental echoes, and minimalist musical cues enhance the feeling of isolation and scale. The absence of bombastic scores or intrusive sound effects allows the world’s emptiness to breathe. This understated audio design reinforces the meditative tone, drawing attention to the quiet tension of each step and glide. Ultimately, Chasing the Unseen is a contemplative exploration of scale, solitude, and personal interpretation. It is not a traditional adventure game built around challenge or mastery, but rather an experiential piece that invites reflection. Its strengths lie in its striking visual identity and its willingness to forgo combat in favor of pure traversal and atmosphere. While its abstract design and limited mechanical complexity may not appeal to every player, those open to slow-paced, introspective journeys will find a distinctive and memorable experience. It stands as an example of indie experimentation—imperfect in execution at times, but bold in vision and intent. Rating: 6/10

This is a very odd, very atmospheric, very lonely-feeling game. The environments are huge and labyrinthian (which is part of the gameplay, you are finding your way through several labyrinths) and the colossal creatures add to the otherworldly-ness of the emptiness. It feels meditative (the labyrinths all have names) and if you're not in a hurry to explore and maybe chase capybaras through twists and turns and lose your way, this might be the kind of game for you. I did get lost here and there, but generally, so long as I was orientating myself towards another goal, I found my way.

While, admittedly, the environments, from what little I've played, are very pretty and the scale inspires a degree of awe, this hardly feels like a game. I got the impression that someone wanted an excuse to show off their cool blender models so they ported some open source platforming mechanics in and hardly tested it. The environments are not fun to maneuver around and don't feel designed for the purpose of a game at all. While I began with a big urge to explore, it was quickly stifled after I dropped to a place that seemed traversable enough, just for it not to be in the slightest, requiring me to jump off until I ran out of lives so that I could respawn at a checkpoint. With mixed reviews, I didn't expect much, but I was really hoping for a halfway decent walking simulator to explore these cool environments. I don't remember how much I got this game for but my gut tells me it wasn't worth the price, let alone the full $20 price tag. I probably intend to play more of the game because I do want to see more of the pretty environments, but partly because I feel bad refunding money from an obviously struggling indie dev. Get this game if you really want to jump on the things you see in the trailer and don't mind disappointing platforming. Otherwise, there are plenty of other beautiful games with better mechanics made by indie developers to play instead.