Exo-Leviathan

[i]Full disclosure; I am close friends with the developer and did some beta testing of the game for them. I did, however, buy the game and will try to keep my review as unbiased as possible.[/i] Exo-Leviathan is a short, fairly simple space-based horror game about collect dragon scales in an asteroid belt. The rather simple premise (as far as I can tell) is that you're a Cadet working for an unnamed corporation that intends to study(?) the scales of dragons, and so are tasked with filling six carapace boxes. The story is pretty thin here, with the only dialogue being an opening text crawl that contains some world building, followed by objectives being fed to you through a pair of screens on your ship. There is no voice work to speak of. The general game play loop consists of collecting the carapaces, which occasionally gets broken up by a couple of other events that are tied to the narrative. While collecting carapaces, you'll also have to manage your oxygen levels when you're out on your space walks, and keep an eye out for a sort of 'dragon alarm' that will require you to power off your ship or become another victim. Ultimately ending in - for me - a satisfying way. The carapace detector around your crosshair, which appears as arrows pointing you in the right direction, can be a little finnicky, especially on smaller asteroids, and can sometimes feel like trying to lead a cat on a leash. Thankfully, a beeping noise can also be heard to help you find them, which speeds up the closer you get to one. There isn't much meat here. You do the objectives and finish the game. There are no collectables or much of a reason to explore the asteroid belt. There is, however, an alternate*ending! It's simple. It's pretty. It sounds decent. 8/10, worth the reasonable price tag.

I really enjoyed my short time with Exo-Leviathan. Despite a simple gameplay loop, Exo-Leviathan's ominous sound design and dramatic lighting establish a suitably unsettling atmosphere. There's a fun contrast between that realistic lighting and the chunky, lo-fi ship that lends itself to some genuinely surprising scenes - my screenshot button got a good workout. I look forward to whatever Dreaming Eagle do next.

This game helped me realize I have an irrational fear of space dragons. 10/10 would recommend if you're looking for a fun little horror game that you can play in one sitting. :)

Broadly similar to other "guide the vehicle through the dark using the radar" type search/horror games, though less frustrating to control than most. The story (after the intro) is told entirely through a text panel (well two, one at the ship controls one on the wall) which can be easy to miss an update on at times. I'm not sure if having actual audio for the text would improve that aspect, as being forced to stop and move closer to read it does add something to the experience, and probably breaks immersion less than amateur voice work would. The actual movement in 3d is frustrating compared to something like Space Engineers, but is far from the worst ive seen. Certainly adequate for a simple game. Overall I'd recommend it, but to bear in mind its a very short simple game clearly made by a small team, and likely early in their development career. Got to say though: Now i really want more titles to explore the posibilities of space dragons. :p

I took part in the testing stages, and its been a real fun journey from testing to release. The developer Dreaming Eagle Games, cares about the project, and has been responsive to feedback. The game itself is a short experience as mentioned in the description, but I really like the atmosphere, the feeling, the impeding sense of doom. That power button, always catches me off guard and causes panic, but on a whole, it is a good experience, and is worth the money. The, concept is simple, but I really like simple, it takes me away from my competitive nature and allows me to sink into this immersive experience. Never thought I'd be fearful of deep space with a dragon waiting to eat me up, but hey, this experience shows me that I am xD. I would definitely recommend as its worth the money, and different in its own right, the developer is also very helpful and actively fixing any issues promptly. For a solo developer, you gotta give credit where it is due. I can't wait for the next project by this studio! Not many devs now-a-days that care deeply about quality. Reminds me of the good ole days when times where simpler and games got released without massive issues. The experience is worth the try, and if only for the sake of supporting good developers with passion, I recommend this to others, who knows, you might discover a fear you never thought you had like me! :).

Exo-Leviathan is a straightforward short horror game set in space which personally brings me back to fond memories of the old school indie films of a similar genre. the gameplay loop is simple yet effective. piloting the ship i found to be a challenge however that is on me getting confused but after i figured it out it was a breeze. the suspense and use of sound and lighting was well executed. overall i rate this game a 8/10. well done dreaming eagle games i shall await the next release with anticipation!