UleTheVee Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 (edited) >Observer_ is an interesting game to say the least. I should probably start my argument by saying that I have wanted to play this game ever since it came to the Steam Store. Unfortunately, I was in a very tough financial spot and I was forced to skip on the game. The very first thing I heard about >Observer_ is just how good it is on creating an ambience set in a cyberpunk dystopian future. Thankfully, Bloober Team was kind enough to give me a Review key for the Switch version of the game. I’ll preface my review by saying that I am an extremely big fan of Bloober Team and their games. Layers of Fear is one of my favorite games and I basically owe that experience to Nick Nocturne’s recommendation. Now, I must say that there are a lot of things I liked about >Obersver_. However, I also had a few gripes that have managed to kill some of my thrill for the game. I will definitely say that >Observer_ is an incredible game… Just not exactly what I expected from the development team that made Layers of Fear. So, what defines >Observer_? Let’s find out. Story: A Murder Mystery with Thousands of Twists. >Observer_ sets you on the role of a Detective in a dystopian Cyberpunk world. His name is Daniel Lazarski who is basically under the direction of the leading corporation of the Fifth Polish Republic, Chiron. The world is a dystopian society where a plague killed a lot of people and then a war basically erased what little was left of it. I’m telling you this because it really doesn’t come into play at all during the course of the game. Whether or not you know what Chiron’s purpose is, it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Since this is a Bloober title, the game’s setting will basically focus on the mind of the character in question; not so much the setting where the game is taking place in. Daniel is an Observer. What this means is that Mr. Lazarski can literally hack into people’s minds and extract important information. He uses this information to solve different crimes that are assigned to him by Chiron. However, this also puts a huge level of strain in him, which makes him dependent of a drug called Synchrozine. Before someone thinks about the implications of the drug and how it could be some sort of mind-control device. Once again, the game literally throws that concept out the window in favor of showing us the mental struggles of our protagonist. In case you haven’t noticed the pattern as of yet; there are a lot of aspects in the game’s story that are basically thrown away in favor of the game’s protagonist and his struggles. While I certainly came to play >Observer_ to play a Psychological Horror game. I cannot help but notice just how many incredible plot points are basically forgotten by the story. In fact, the game seems to be setting you up for a story where you solve multiple crimes from the get-go. You start in a slum with people who trap themselves in their apartments and slowly work your way up to bigger crimes, right? Wrong. All you literally do in >Observer_ is solve ONE mystery that’s basically taking notes from games like Bioshock. As in, the game literally tells you to solve a crime as the main objective but to do so you basically have to do an entire game’s worth of sidequests. Without spoiling anything, this sort of approach is what killed a bit of my positive thoughts about the game’s story. However, I certainly get the point that this isn’t a game about the world of >Observer_ or a “Cyberpunk Detective Simulator”. This is a game about a detective that basically is trying to find out who murdered his son. It’s an intriguing and engaging narrative that has a lot of twists and turns and, being a horror game, a lot of moments where the game has you questioning reality. I just wish the world could’ve been expanded a little bit more. While I certainly understand that I can read the lore about the characters through databases and asking around; I have the feeling that this sort of thing is better off being shown in practice rather than read in text. Show, don’t tell in the purest sense of the word. Presentation: How to Feel Miserable by Looking Around The thought that kept popping up my head when it comes to >Observer_’s presentation is “Blade Runner”. It’s a cliché Cyberpunk movie to choose from, I’m aware. However, the environments are bleak and the default climate is Rainy. Exploring the apartment complex is an experience in and off itself. The game has you constantly looking at grim but beautifully detailed environments; the voices of deranged lunatics who are trapped in their apartments due to a lockdown; subtle but charming environment noises that have you wondering if what you listened is actually a person or something else. All in all, the game certainly allows you to feel like you’re in a horror game. Even though you’re supposed to be safe, the game actually makes you feel afraid of your own environment. The isolation, the claustrophobic environments, and the sound design definitely work a lot in >Observer_’s favor. Definitely something I expected from the team who basically mastered this sort of approach and only gets me giddy for Layers of Fear 2 when it comes out. However, this sense of dread is only further enhanced whenever Daniel jacks into someone else’s mind to extract information. You get to relive the person’s last memories from their own psyche perspective. Since this is a traumatic event in a horror game; constant hallucinations and surreal environments come aplenty and make you get scared for life. Daniel will literally have to explore through these psychedelic experiences that put the players in nightmarish worlds. The worst part here is, the only way forward is to explore and experiment in these environments that will make you feel unsafe all the time. No words can explain the level of fear this game can instill in your head, so allow me to show you a visual demonstration: NOTE: Since I don’t have a capture card, I’ll have to cheat a bit and show off the PC version of the game. Do not worry, the Switch version of this game looks the same minus a few details which I’ll address in this review. While these nightmare sequences are definitely scarring and can make you feel scared. They have a meaning and a story to tell. However, that is up for the player to figure out for themselves. As for threats, there are some (which we’ll cover in the gameplay section) huge threats that can end your game. The really incredible thing that definitely sold this game for me was the fact that the developers at Bloober team integrated the Switch’s HD Rumble feature so well. Whenever a threatening creature is approaching you, you’ll literally feel the vibration from the exact position the threat is at. This gives you a perfectly excellent radar that you’ll be able to feel as well as hear. I definitely love this approach to HD Rumble and will love to see this feature being implemented in other games besides horror. It would help a lot of Stealth games and even some action games. However, the greatest downside I find is the fact that this game is held back a lot due to the Switch’s hardware. The game runs at 720p 60 FPS on Handheld mode and 1080p 30FPS on Docked mode. At least that’s what my experience felt like. However, in both of the modes the game had some stuttering issues and there were plenty of times where graphics and textures took some time to load. Not only that, but the game can actually be beaten in one session if you really are engaged. My playthrough of >Observer_ (according to my Switch’s data) lasted around 6 hours. That is a huge detriment because the game literally only has value to only be played once. As such, the game’s value is driven down by a lot because of this. Sadly, some of these issues affect the gameplay side of the game. Gameplay: The Singularity Collapse The game is what’s infamously known as a “Walking Simulator”. You’re tasked with talking to residents in the apartment complex; examining crime scenes with the help of your augmentations; and looking into the person’s last memories if such is needed. This is the ENTIRE GAME. Perhaps this is my Layers of Fear favoritism speaking. However, I certainly didn’t feel like I was going through a hallway with plenty of scary stuff to look at. This is the opposite of what I felt >Observer_ had to offer. While I certainly felt scared, or actually related to of these nightmare sequences; The rest of the game started to feel like I am going from Point A to Point B most of the time. The game loves throwing you into exploration and environmental puzzles. I really love the brain teasers in this game. From stealth sections requiring you to stay on your toes and figuring out the solution to a puzzle while being hunted by a monster to sections where you’re required to look at your surroundings and pay attention to get through; >Observer_ definitely knows how to make the player constantly pay attention. However, the payoff certainly isn’t worth the hassle in some sections. There were some parts of the game where I basically wandered aimlessly looking for the thing that the game wanted me to look for. Not only that, but the enhancements are really underutilized and will only solve a couple of puzzles while the rest of the game can stay turned off. I mentioned the irrelevance of taking Synchrozine. Every time you get out of a nightmare sequence (or after some time passes), Daniel’s perspective will start to “glitch out”. As such, you take Synchrozine to “fix your perspective” and see things clearly. In case you think that this is a great way to implement a sense of urgency during investigations; Don’t worry, you will NEVER run out of the drug. Even if there’s the risk of running out; the game will leave plenty of Sinchrozine refills for you to take. Not only that, but taking it or not doesn’t influence the ending of the game. Speaking of the ending of the game; once again, without spoiling anything. You literally don’t get more than 2 endings for the game which are both completely independent of the player’s actions throughout the game. The saddest part about this is that Bloober team already mastered the influence of player choice through Layers of Fear. So, what’s this game’s excuse? I could go on and talk about how the encounters with the monsters in the game aren’t really necessary (or scary). How the game is reliant on jumpscares sometimes and they aren’t effective (this is coming from someone who downright loathes jumpscares and is constantly unfazed by them). The fact that this game almost always tells players the solutions to the puzzles in a desperate attempt at being accessible. But, I think the point is already driven home… So, let’s go to my conclusion. Conclusion: It’s Blade Runner, but “Scary”. >Observer_ is a great disappointment for me. After seeing how masterfully the game and narrative elements were introduced in Layers of Fear, I can’t help but feel like the game could’ve done a lot more. The game feels rushed with how many of the elements of it are either lost or not implemented as well as they could have. I am aware that >Observer_ is more involved than Layers of Fear but I feel like that is because it has the player solving a puzzle or avoiding a monster every now and then. Layers of Fear had slight and subtle ways of impacting the player experience without needing to put random gameplay elements that really were useless. As such, I can forgive the fact that it was a "Walking simulator". But even then, >Observer_ has a lot of issues that come out even if the issue with the design I mentioned was fixed. The fact that this game can really be played once and literally “delete your file” (A.K.A. force you to replay the entire game again just so you can see the second ending) is a really dumb excuse to pad out game time. Not only that but, this game is also fairly unstable; I’ve had plenty of instances where the game crashed and forced me to replay hours of progress. In fact, the worst offender was when I got a crash during the credits sequence. I really have to ask Bloober Team: why is this game like this? Being such a big fan of Layers of Fear has really made me see that >Observer_ really only exists to entice the fans of the Cyberpunk genre. Perhaps a lot of players will tell me that the game is this way because of some hidden meaning about control in a dystopian world, to look at the deeper themes of the moral choices about how people shouldn’t be “augmenting” themselves, or whatever. But see, if I want to see a story that revolves around that; I play Deus Ex. I'm not saying that Layers of Fear is flawless or something of the sort, far from it. I am just saying that the game had more interesting sequences and reality-warping moments that made me feel engaged and forgive the many problems that the game had. This game certainly tries address the criticisms from the community but definitely loses it's idenity in the process in favor of "Adding gameplay" to some sections. However, whenever the game does something well, it does it extremely well. The horror sequences are definitely the greatest highlight in the game. The use of the HD Rumble is both creative and innovative. The fact that you can play this game on the go is an added plus especially if you want to digest these visuals in a more secluded and dark space. I definitely see the potential that >Observer_ could’ve had. However, it is held back by a lot of issues and I really just am going to go back to playing Layers of Fear. Of course, my experience will not affect my view on Layers of Fear 2. I still am excited about the game and I will definitely hope that the developers at Bloober take the positive aspects of >Observer_ and use them to make that game unforgettable. FINAL SCORE - >OBSERVER_ FOR NINTENDO SWITCH: STORY: 6.4/10 GAMEPLAY: 7.1/10 GRAPHICS: 7/10 SOUND: 6.8/10 FINAL SCORE: 6.9/10 Edited February 8, 2019 by UleTheVee Matt Morgans 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UleTheVee Posted February 8, 2019 Author Share Posted February 8, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 (edited) Great review. I've been considering picking this up on cheap because of the aesthetic and because Rutger Hauer plays the protagonist, which is most likely an intentional cast choice given he played a lead role in Blade Runner. What I've heard about the game so far has me a little disappointed since I was legit hoping for a cyberpunk horror game where you solve multiple murders so I agree it feels like a lot of wasted potential. Edited February 8, 2019 by Alyxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UleTheVee Posted February 8, 2019 Author Share Posted February 8, 2019 1 hour ago, Alyxx said: Great review. I've been considering picking this up on cheap because of the aesthetic and because Rutger Hauer plays the protagonist, which is most likely an intentional cast choice given he played a lead role in Blade Runner. What I've heard about the game so far has me a little disappointed since I was legit hoping for a cyberpunk horror game where you solve multiple murders so I agree it feels like a lot of wasted potential. To be honest, in the original draft of the review, I was mentioning Hauer's role but decided to cut it so people don't get that surprise spoiled. So I guess I did a dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 48 minutes ago, UleTheVee said: To be honest, in the original draft of the review, I was mentioning Hauer's role but decided to cut it so people don't get that surprise spoiled. So I guess I did a dumb. It's no secret he plays the lead role in Observer so... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Pretty awesome review - very detailed and well-written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UleTheVee Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 1 hour ago, killamch89 said: Pretty awesome review - very detailed and well-written. Certainly won't earn me a spot on Member of the Month because you love stabbing me in the back >:V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 8 minutes ago, UleTheVee said: Certainly won't earn me a spot on Member of the Month because you love stabbing me in the back >:V Sorry but @Alyxx promised me twinkies if I voted for her and twinkies are like my kryptonite so yeah...that happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UleTheVee Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 1 hour ago, killamch89 said: Sorry but @Alyxx promised me twinkies if I voted for her and twinkies are like my kryptonite so yeah...that happened. YOU BETRAYED ME KILA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 7 hours ago, killamch89 said: Sorry but @Alyxx promised me twinkies if I voted for her and twinkies are like my kryptonite so yeah...that happened. I admit to no such thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 5 hours ago, Alyxx said: I admit to no such thing. Like most candidates would... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 1 minute ago, killamch89 said: Like most candidates would... I do have more twinkies left. Just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, Alyxx said: I do have more twinkies left. Just saying. See, she's doing it again -_-. Alyxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyxx Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Just now, killamch89 said: See, she's doing it again -_-. Like you're the only one who wants my twinkies. Hmmph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 8 minutes ago, Alyxx said: Like you're the only one who wants my twinkies. Hmmph. I am going to check in to rehab so I can get over my Twinkie obsession so you can't bribe me again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
