J.U.L.I.A. Among the Stars

The one positive thing I can say about this trainwreck is that the 3D rendered artwork is very well done - both the static backgrounds and the cutscenes. Some of the logic puzzles are ok but the game is just needless noise around them. Beyond that, this is a total write-off. The story, most of the puzzles, the "AI"... I don't even know where to start. Most scenes are just static images with well under 10 hotspots. Once you click something, you better remember what was said because it's gone. The UI is atrocious. Several puzzles require you to remember information you may have read days before since there's no way to replay conversations or re-enable former hotspots. Most interactions are basically trial-and-error until you happen on the right order of clicking things on the screen. I couldn't even get myself to play it all the way through - I'm just happy that it's off my computer. I would avoid this at all cost - I wish I could get my time back.

Today is seven years to the day since J.U.L.I.A. was released, so it feels right to applaud this game so many years later for still being enjoyable. A simple point-and-click, made even easier by being able to highlight areas of interest on the screen if you're stuck, J.U.L.I.A. provides a mystery for you to uncover and make some moral decisions. It's a pleasant experience with gorgeous settings and good voice acting. The interface is intuitive and I rarely felt stuck in a puzzle. Ultimately, the feeling I got from this game was "peaceful". If we buy games to be enjoyed in some way, then J.U.L.I.A. certainly fits the bill. And while I enjoyed the story, I felt it lost its way a little and so I have deducted a star. Apart from that, this game was so relaxing for me. You are free to travel around and piece together the story. I definitely recommend it.

I purchased this game knowing very little about it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The graphics were beautiful, the story was intriguing, and there were enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes. The puzzles were challenging, but not in a discouraging way. I had no regrets!

I absolutely adore sci-fi and puzzles. I really do. I've spent countless hours in plenty of puzzle games, sci-fi titles and otherwise. However, I cannot bring myself to play more Julia after a grand total of a few minutes. I just can't. The writing and dialogue is so ham-fisted and lacking and couldn't be less subtle if it tried. The visuals are also pretty cheesy in places. I can enjoy any kind of visuals if they're well-designed and feel appropriate, but the ones here feel like a first attempt. The whole title feels like something for 13-15 year olds. It feels like something only slightly higher budget than a learning game you'd get as a kid for the summer vacation or etc. I hate that I didn't enjoy this game. It has 2 things I really enjoy and the premise was interesting. I can overlook very flawed games if some aspects are great. But this was just too much. Unless you have earplugs and wear a blindfold whenever not working on a puzzle and *only* focus on the puzzles, I don't think you'll enjoy this.

I had a blast with Julia. It has it's flaws, the puzzles are too easy, as it throws a wide net with all sorts of challenges that are paper thin. It has it's moments of jank technically.. but honestly I don't mind a bit given the soul of this creation. This game is steeped in true creativity, from the art to the storyline. And while the tasks are a bit shallow, the unfolding tale is strong enough that I don't mind much when I get to read the next chapter instead of tinkering away at some intricate puzzle. This is no Riven, but if you are a fan of node based first person adventure games, this is an absolute no brainer! Jump in and enjoy the ride.