Observation

Observation took me just over 6 hours to complete. I thoroughly enjoyed the realistic aesthetic of the game. The story is very on-the-rails but that was to be expected and I am only stating it for those who may enjoy branching stories. The puzzles are not terribly hard but I did struggle to find the information I needed a couple of times, but it was never bad enough to where I needed a guide. I actually enjoyed this aspect of not having all the information I needed immediately available to me. About bugs; other reviews had me afraid to purchase initially because they seemed to have game breaking bugs. I am very happy to say that I only experienced ONE bug in my play through and it was near the end of the game. There was a hatch that would appear invisible and let me see the planet behind it. This bug was purely visual, however, and would only occur when I was looking at the door from a very specific angle. So I am assuming game-breaking bugs have been addressewd by the time I played. I played a few hours a night between December 6th thru the 9th. If you enjoy sci-fi and outer space then I think you will enjoy this game! It is well worth the play through, especially when you just want to play a quick story.

The concept is great, the controls and ui are seemingly intentionally horrid. Most of the time you're controlling VERY slowly rotating cameras, but when you get some freedom with "orb-mode", it gets bad. The orb has very delayed controls and narrow fov, which at least made me get completely lost and turned around in a single hallway. It gets worse as each "bonk" with a wall distorts the screen and nudges the orb to random direections. Controlling the darn thing is a trial. Flying outside the station trying to find "clamp controls" is a needle & haystack situation. Most of the puzzles are fairly straightforward, but instructions can occasionally be deliberately vague. Most computer systems you interact are designed by misanthropes, these UIs are not meant for humans. No technical issues, apart from the narrow fov at times. Lots of flashing lights, though. Overall I did like it. Bit confusing at times.

Controlling an AI, you use cameras and drones to solve a variety of puzzles on a modern space station. Most of the puzzles are good, some are a bit vague or require you to look for an item, except you're not exactly sure what to look for. There are some bugs and graphical glitches, but I didn't encounter anything game breaking. The controls could use some work too as they seem to be optimized for a controller. Play it if you're into puzzle games. The plot is good and not too long considering. There's a hint of horror thrown into the mix at times also.

Having finished Observation in around 10 hours, the main thing I've taken away from it is the atmosphere and forboading sense of the unknown. The unnerving mood and feeling of isolation while roaming around a seemingly abandoned space station is this game's strongest quality. The story itself is a mindbending mystery that is drip fed as players progress through each objective, trying to find out what happened on this space station, while simultaniously trying to keep the station running. All of these positives are then wrapped together with some fantastic voice acting, as the fear and dread is expertly portrayed through not only the denizons of the space station but by the station's A.I., known as SAM. If science fiction and horror indies are your bread and butter, then I couldn't recommend Observation anymore.

Like No Code's previous game, Stories Untold, this game has you fiddle with many technical gadgets and machinery that look authentic and seem inspired by real-life technology. If you don't have your inner technophile, the milieu of this game will probably turn you off. Those who've played Stories Untold know part of the drill: you face a bunch of mini-game-like challenges wrapped in a fairly engrossing narrative involving the wonder, apprehension, and bewilderment in a scientific setting. This game also allows free first-person movement in a 3D environment, as well as certain amount of pixel-hunting and logic puzzle-solving (hence, I would categorize this as an adventure game). The game succeeds in immersing you and surrounding you with nothing but technology. You couldn't get any more immersed because you actually play the main AI on board a space station! You often see unique points of view of what is inside of you as you are crunching numbers. You also get to space-walk by remote controlling a mobile device. And fans of the classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey can pick up several references of it (visually and thematically) with ease.