Epitasis

[h1] In A Nutshell [/h1] 🔵 [b] Pros [/b] + Excellent art direction and graphical style, resulting in breathtaking landscapes and visuals throughout the adventure. + Well made blend of free-roaming exploration and puzzle game, open enough to give a sense of freedom, while focused enough to avoid being dispersive. + Very good soundtrack, changing based on the places players visit, adequate to the style and setting of the game. + The indirect, minimalist storytelling style gives out a good sense of mystery and alienation... 🔴 [b] Cons [/b] - ...but at the same time makes the story, context of the game very obscure, too much open to interpretation. - Puzzles are generally simple, fans of more complex puzzle games probably will be disappointed by this factor. [b]Epitasis[/b] is an open-world exploration game with puzzle mechanics thrown into the formula, mixing the two genres together, so [u]results a bit different than your run of the mill "walking simulator"[/u] style adventure. Set, for the most part, on an unknown alien planet, players will impersonate a lonely space researcher, to find a way to get back home from this alien place they have been brought into. Without [u]any clue about what to do[/u], and minimal inventory interface for puzzle items, [u]players will find themselves roaming around aimlessly, inspecting the various alien structures[/u], most of which inactive, and try to figure out how to proceed. Just [u]understanding where to go next is a "puzzle" onto itself[/u], at times. Puzzles involving moving around cubes to hold down place, make laser beams converge in specific points, rotate machinery, and activate buttons in a specific sequence, [u]are what players will have to deal with most of the time[/u], while [u]some of them result unique and out of "standard" puzzle schemes[/u]. The style these puzzles are made reminded me a lot about [i]The Talos Principle[/i], although way more simple than that. The main goal of the game will be to gather several artifacts, but [u]there also will be other collectibles[/u], namely purple cubes, that will unlock additional content when all are found, hidden portals to secret areas are also a thing, but are pretty few overall, and [u]do not really lead anywhere that explains better the origin, purpose, or history of the alien structures[/u]. This is the main issue with Epitasis: [u]the narration style is too minimalist and obscure[/u], with players not even being able to read inscriptions, to get at least a small clue about the events that transpired on the alien planet, [u]leaving most of the "story" to the interpretation of players, overly so, in this case.[/u] [u]In conclusion, [b]Epitasis[/b] is definitely a very good puzzle-roaming hybrid, that will captivate fans of the genre with really stunning visuals, spot-on soundtrack style, and excellent art direction, and whose only flaw is the way too obscure story, even for this kind of games. It's a purchase I can gladly recommend to all fans of puzzle games, simple ones that is, and open-world exploration based games.[/u] [quote]Liked this review, and want to see more of the same quality? Check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/39323490]Tamaster's Review Archive[/url] to see all my Reviews in a single, convenient location.[/quote] [h1] In-depth Feature Analysis [/h1] 🎮 [b] Gameplay [/b] Gameplay in [b]Epitasis[/b] is divided into Exploration and Puzzles. [u]Exploration[/u] is performed in first-person, with only a flashlight at disposal to get some additional light in darker areas. Other tools, usable once, can be found, such as Power Cores, used to give energy to pylons, firing energy beams used to open key locations, and often gained as a reward for solving puzzles. Cubes are a collectible used in a specific puzzle later in the game, giving access to an hidden area if all are collected. Another tool will be a drone, unlocked at some point, allowing players to use previously inaccessible control panels. While exploring, there are not many secondary locations or secrets to find, as the alien planet's surface is pretty much devoid of any life or content apart the structures serving as puzzles. [u]Puzzles[/u] are generally about opening up energy barriers, or gateways, to acquire one of the Artifacts or power cores.. To do so, players will need to use several machines to re-route energy beams in a specific order, move around cubes to use as weights for platforms, and generally use some degree of logic and method to get the enigma solved. The level of difficulty of such puzzles is generally moderate, people used to this kind of games will have no trouble with them, might even get a bit disappointed by the fact puzzles aren't more complex. 📖 [b] Story [/b] Apart from a starting, brief narration consisting of some text screens, there is no other direct narration, leaving to players how to interpret the storyline. In my opinion, the narration of [b]Epitasis[/b] is excessively obscure and minimalist, even for this type of game where this manner of story-telling is not unusual. 👊 [b] Combat System [/b] N/A 💰 [b] Content & Pricing [/b] Offering about 2-3 hours of content in total, and being priced at 15€ discounted, while 17€ regular price, I'd suggest waiting for some discount before buying, as the full price is quite steep for the total amount of content offered. 🔗 [b] Balance & Challenge [/b] As said before, Puzzles are generally of moderate difficulty, while apart from some degree of orienteering to perform, the game poses no other "real challenge, so it's safe to say the challenge level is low to moderate. [h1] Technical Analysis [/h1] 🎥 [b] Graphics [/b] The strong suit of Epitasis, and art direction consequently, are really good, featuring breath-taking landscapes, full day/night cycle, atmospheric changes, and some really well-made light effects, contrasts between light and darkness. Models are not overly complex, nor are textures overly detailed, but there is a great charm in how the totality of elements of landscapes, structures comes together to form a really impressive setting. 🔊 [b] Sound [/b] Very good quality soundtrack, that goes along well with the alien, sci-fi setting, and is composed of several tracks. Sound effects are pretty good as well but nothing rey special. 🔩 [b] Performance & Stability [/b] The game tuns without any problems maxed out in 1440p. [GTX1080, i7 4820K, 16GB RAM]. 💻 [b] Artificial Intelligence [/b] N/A 🏠 [b] Quality of Life [/b] N/A 🐛 [b] Bugs & Issues [/b] No major issues to report. Handy "reset puzzle" and "load game" buttons are present in case something glitches out or players get stuck. [h1] Conclusion [/h1] [b]Epitasis[/b] is definitely a solid title for this genre, and a sure-fire purchase for fans of either puzzle or exploration games, possibly on sale. This product was reviewed using a free key provided by the Developers.

I'm afraid I have to say... no. I wanted to love it. It promised more than what's here. You're allegedly a researcher listening for signals from outer space that may be intelligent life. Sure enough, you find one. The signal works out to coordinates on Earth that take you to an open portal to the alien world. That's all in the prologue. You step through the portal and are warped to... The Planet Of Placing-The-Cube-On-The-Pressure-Pad Puzzles. After that prologue, there's no narrative. Why would an advanced civilization construct a world full of box puzzles, but no obvious other life? This is a puzzle game at its thinly-veiled core - it's NOT a sci-fi adventure/exploration game. That said, it looks and sounds lovely - nice use of colors, a nice new-age musical score, and the Unreal Engine doesn't break a sweat rendering the scenes. It's got some nice abstract building designs, but they're just housings for the puzzles. Speaking of the puzzles, they're only mediocre. Some puzzle concepts have seemingly been lifted directly from The Talos Principle, which at least had a mysterious meta-narrative going on along with the puzzles. This is just puzzles; no personality.

Geez, the reviews here have been harsh and I'm really quite suprised, because playing this was a fantastic experience. First off, it's utterly beautiful, vivid, lush, vast, atmospheric. Everything you could ever want graphics-wise. It's the type of game that doesn't really give you a story, rather, you just simply get thrown in. Each world is great, towing the line between 'open world' and 'linear', a nice balance between the two. Contrary to other reviews, I always had the sense of generally knowing what to do, and if I didn't, it just meant I had to explore more! Which is GREAT! That's exactly what made this game so balanced and high quality. The puzzles are definitely not original, with the Talos Principle's style of gates and enemies. I don't think that takes away from the game though, the puzzles were quick and easy and fluid to solve. I'm not the kinda gamer who actually enjoys hard or even medium difficulty puzzles. I like to just coast through the game really nicely, and this provided the perfect difficulty level. Frankly, seeing how brutal the reviews have been for this, Kairo and NaissanceE, makes me lose some faith in the gaming community. Just be patient guys! There's a wealth of beauty to be had in this genre of games. Maybe play it for more than an hour before writing a negative review. So overall, this is just a high quality game, I'm impressed, and I had a really good time.

I really wanted more out of this game. The concept has potential that you never really see come to fruition. On the positive side, the environments are beautiful and the music is outstanding. Story wise, other than a basic premise of their being aliens and you're navigating through something they've left behind, you never learn more about that. The major gripe I have is that the puzzles are just too simple. There wasn't really any moment that made me stop and have to think about how to accomplish the goal. Clocking in at about 2 and a half hours total playtime, it doesn't leave me satisfied.

Epitasis is a science fiction/space walking simulator/exploration type of game with light puzzling. Comparisons have been made with The Talos Principle, Portal and Myst. It does have components of these games but was never meant to be at the same level of difficulty. This game is to be enjoyed for its ethereal beauty and stunningly beautiful graphics. You are meant to explore the alien environments, marvel at the engineering feats and ponder on the sprawling ruins of a lost ancient civilisation. There is no pressure, just a relaxing stroll admiring what is around you. Be sure to dodge some of the drones as you can be killed, but you respawn very quickly. One warning about this game is that there are no instructions, no dialogue or narration, no help buttons. You are entirely on your own. Apart from a brief introduction, the story is entirely yours to interpret. You can be like me scratching your head wondering what that was all about or you may be able to decipher some of the text and interpret the story. You are a scientist at a space tracking station and the radars pick up a signal. A portal appears and you enter into an alien planet. Gameplay comprises of activating laser beams to open doors by using weight cubes and getting all the laser beams to converge at certain points. Along the way you adopt a friendly drone who helps you to open these doors and communicate with the other drones. You encounter less friendly ones who zealously protect their patch and will kill you. You have to collect magenta cubes along the way which go into your inventory. They will be used to open up another portal. Music is gentle and mostly done by a synthesizer. It really enhances the beautiful visuals. This is a 2 man developer team and they've done an excellent job with this game. I will be interested with their next adventure. The only negatives is the lack of an understandable story. Not everyone will understand the nuances of the visuals. Other reviewers have mentioned the lack of a map which would have been most helpful as there were often 2 or 3 worlds interlinked with one another and you can get easily lost or confused. The other downside is that the Hidden Garden achievement didn't activate for me which has happened to others. Other than those small negatives, it was a very relaxing and beautiful game to enjoy by a 2 man team. I encountered no bugs. Highly recommend for those who enjoy walking sims with light puzzling. 8.5/10 Note: I took over 8 hours to play, but faster people have done it in 2 hours. I just took my time and enjoyed all the beauty around me and the changing colours as night fell.

Вы не раскроете судьбу древней цивилизации, не найдёте таинственных секретов, как и сюжета. Локации приятные, но большие, однотипные и полупустые, без какого либо функционала и нагрузки. Бродить в целом по ним приятно. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2589857132 Есть смена дня и ночи, вроде и симпатично выглядит, но ночью всё....ну такое. Сами головоломки однотипные и очень примитивные. Местами приятная музыка. Не скажу, что не получил удовольствие от игры, но я просто очень влюблён в The Witness и предвзят.

Summary: Loved the aesthetics, music, and gameplay, puzzles were trivially easy, don't get it if you want any challenge. This is Talos Principle for kiddos. It uses a similar world system as Talos, where you can explore a beautiful world and 2-3 puzzles are contained within each world. Sometimes the puzzles overlap which is cool. The way the game uses colors is really fascinating and advanced, so if you're after effects and aesthetics, you'll love the hell out of that aspect of this game. There's also dynamic weather! This works for the beauty of the game but can make navigating a bit confusing because levels at certain times of day do not look anything like they do at other times of the day. Loved the color and the natural design, simplistic but pretty. The soundtrack is amazing as well, it really added to the whole experience and is one of the better ambient game soundtracks I've heard. The puzzles in this game just plain suck. Think about the tutorial level in any puzzle game, and imagine if the whole game was made off that. There's nothing new here that you wouldn't have seen in another game already, and it's almost an insult to your intelligence at times. I was really waiting for it to get harder but it never did. The "hard" part was finding out what I am supposed to do and where I'm supposed to go, which is a big no no for puzzle games in my opinion. I beat the game in ~5 hours, and that's being generous since I went to eat dinner and left it on. DO NOT GET THIS GAME IF YOU LIKE PUZZLES. THIS IS AN ADVENTURE GAME / WALKING SIM WITH PUZZLE ELEMENTS. I would only recommend this game to someone if they have literally never played a puzzle game in their life, but even then, since there is no tutorial or dialog to show the player what to do, I'm not even sure I could say that. For the price point, I can appreciate it for being a joy to admire, but not as a puzzle game. Also FYI, you don't learn sh!t about the lore of the game, unless I'm missing a significant amount, don't believe the description. There is only one puzzle in the game that was impressive, and that impressiveness was ruined by the fact that there was no leadup or follow up for it, just a puzzle with a cool planet mechanic, that I couldn't even figure out for the longest time because there was no indication that this was even a puzzle to begin with. If they wanted a wide variety of puzzles and cool puzzles like this one, great! But they should have thrown more than just one in from left field. I like this game and think there is a lot of improvement in puzzle design possible, but they need to add more features other than cubes, pressure plates, and push buttons. I would love this game so much if they had better puzzles because everything else is perfect!

Those who enjoy exploration and mechanical puzzles should play Epitasis. With the combined artistic talents of Lucas Govatos and Pejman Roozbeh, it is a lovely game to experience. For me, it represented a total departure from reality and a real step into someone else’s imagination. It was a refreshing respite from the frenzy of everyday life. Read my full review at [url=https://www.justadventure.com/2019/05/13/epitasis-review/] JustAdventure [/url]

This was a tough call, because the game is kind of...not at all what it presents it self as. The game page describes a story, and suggests that there will puzzles... and while those things are technically present, they are really not really a reason to play the game. The story is not explored, at all, beyond what is presented in the first two minutes of the game. The puzzles are not original, or challenging, or interesting. The game is more like a music video in the shape of a narrative/puzzle game. Chill visuals and trippy sounds, relaxing Synthwave tunes, and puzzles that are just easy enough that you can let your brain turn off and just float. It is relaxing. Its got a vibe. I was lucky enough to play it between some more intellectually challenging puzzle games, and it acted as a low effort palate cleanser that I was more than happy to just groove with for a while. If you want a memorable or challenging puzzle game, don't bother with Epitasis. But if you need to just relax and unwind and go with the flow for a bit, I think you've come to the right place.

Visually and acoustically pleasing. Barely anything else on offer. More akin to a "walking simulator" than a puzzle game. It plays as a game designer's first -polished- work; looking at the credits, it likely is. The puzzles are easily exploitable and [i]cheese-able[/i], because they weren't thought out with the mechanics in mind. Not that there's much to exploit. As other reviews have said, the puzzles mainly consist of putting cubes on buttons and clicking buttons, nothing else. There are no risks and the rewards for exploration are not worth it (irrelevant lore). All in all, I don't recommend this game, not even on sale. If you're interested in it for the aesthetics, there are better offerings elsewhere.