Flux Empyrean

This game is awesome, it has such a wealth of content and care put into it. [h2]Gameplay: 4/5[/h2] Actually moving through the world is excellent. Navigation by stars is super engaging, moving around at the locations on your hoverboard feels dope, and general exploration stays super interesting for hours. You'll find yourself heading to a location, then see something off in the distance and think "ah, just a short detour" just to find yourself 3 hours into said detour, still pushing through new content in a completely new direction, and lost on the polar opposite side of the world*. [h2]Lore: 6/5[/h2] This is the focus of Flux Empyrean, so is appropriately where it shines. Outer Wilds level depth meets a DM's creativity and story-telling meets a game designer's sense of progression and flow in the best way possible. You'll end up deep into the thoughts and emotions of like 8 different characters at a time, examining what they left behind and doing your absolute best to piece together what happened, who did it, where it was done, and why! Then, using what you've found, you can push further into one of the many series of multi-dimensional puzzles that might lead you to an answer - or just deeper in... I helped playtest this, so have probably a dozen more hours than are shown here and still haven't completed it. Though, I was not the most focused on driving ahead, there is a broad array of paths to take. [h2]Graphics: 3/5 (5/5)[/h2] Don't get me wrong, its a 5/5 on pretty, but it's an indie game so you won't be blown away by AAA graphics, duh. Still, there is so much work done with the shaders and model design to make the experience super visually appealing. The cycle through day and night heavily influences the ambiance as the world fades from darkness into a shining twilight, then to a bright and cheery midday, into a dramatic dusk, then darkness. All of that while changing depending on the area of the world you're in. [h2]Sound design: 3/5[/h2] This game sounds amazing! You will feel care-free and jolly sailing the open seas, then the mood will shift and you'll feel the hairs on the back of your neck rise up in anticipation... Dope set of a bunch of different songs, don't think I've even heard them all! Two points taken off to scale this all to a AAA game, but again it's a single dev, so it doesn't make sense to expect an entire team of composers and musicians, and nothing at all is subtracted from the experience.

Played the demo a bunch and really cool to get my hands on the full game. I love sailing and exploring and this hits that very well, I also cannot get enough of riding on the surfboard!

I by no means feel as if ive made any i guess true progress in this game yet but it is so beautiful. the notes i have found has left me desperate searching for more. seeing some spire or structure far out in the distance, charting the stars as you go it is ethereal i cannot leave an awe inspiring review right now but i want to say give this game a try

Haven't made too much progress yet, but I'm enjoying it a lot! Will update review later, but leaving it to boost the algorithm

I'm so confused, I don't know what's going on, I'm scared mom can you come pick me up. I need this game to be more popular so that people who are actually smart can figure some of this out man

Flux Empyrean is a wonderful take on the "Outer Wilds" genre that seeks to ask what happens when you take that format and apply it to one planet in specific. What you get is a condensed, diverse reading experience that has you crossreferencing presocratic elegies with enlightenment era criticism. A story that has both a deep mythological/religious streak while also exploring elements of technoethics and science fiction. What's wonderful about Flux Empyrean is that all these elements don't overpower the other, but rather blend into a chewy, multilayered narrative that gives you plenty to think on as you're sailing about.

Very fun discovering the story. The sailing is bit technical though. Also pretty difficult to solve the puzzles.

Giving me a lil OW fix, interesting concept so far and can't wait to see where the story goes.

i would like to say in no means do i know what is going on despite my play time but im absolutely enjoying this game the drip feeding of the lore really gives me that feeling of dread yet such mystery. Also im scared to log back on cause those "things" really creep me out all in all 10/10 so far

as a another steam review said this game perfectly recreates what exploring in outer wilds was like, but youre sailing on one big planet instead, and then putting those pieces together to solve a puzzle and get more lore for somewhere else. this game is also weirdly scary with its ambience and random hallucinations, kinda like a gmod map thats completely empty.