Despite an interesting premise and moments of earnest dialog, the story ultimately fell flat. Only one character was strongly developed (though the writing for the character is to be commended), and my curiosity about the world diminished as I played on. The game's world seemed empty in terms of themes or substance. The scenes between Richard and Alice together mostly seemed like a waste. The twists at the end were poorly conveyed and felt rushed, leaving me with little impact and little drive to see an alternate ending.
Miasmata is a game about a man trapped on a solitary, seemingly deserted island and his efforts to rid himself of a plague. It's also a game about a man born with roller skates instead of feet. The gameplay is all about exploration, with a strong survival emphasis. This island that you've landed on is sprawling and massive, covered by dense jungle, dank swamps, and tall, grassy hills. Ruins dot the landscape, as well as the tiny settlements of more recent inhabitants. It is these locations that will be your lifeline as you explore the island, offering shelter and occasional documents that expand on the story and gently nudge you the right way. From the moment you start playing, though, you are free to explore the whole island in any direction you like as you look for the materials needed to rid yourself of the plague. There are no quest markers or friendly NPCs. You should be prepared, then, to get lost. Frequently. In fact, this willingness to let the player get lost is one of Miasmata's best features. Accomplishing goals feels more meaningful, and I felt genuine relief as I'd catch a glimpse of a thatched roof while stumbling through the jungle. While fragments of maps may be found, to even locate their location on those maps or reveal more detail about the surrounding area, the player must triangulate their position using landmarks. Very often, these landmarks take the form of large, stone heads reminiscent of the moai at Easter Island. The system manages to feel both immersive enough not to diminish the exploration and accessible at the same time. The survival aspect of the game centers around the gathering of water and plants, either to combat thirst and fever, or to create elixirs and tablets that boost your mind and body. The variety of plants is quite large, and must be researched and/or mixed in order to be used. It's a convention of the game that you can only care three types of plants (but not three of the same type) and a single type of crafted product. From a balance perspective it makes sense, and I was never too bothered. The very rare plants that are needed to craft a cure are only found in one place, but their location never feels designed. These locations always seem organic with the world around them. Player movement is the last major element of the game. Your character has a weight and momentum to it unlike any FPS that I've played. Moreover, the player can tumble and fall if they walk over an incline with too much speed. These injuries can threaten your life if not healed, and it forms the main danger that you'll encounter. In principle, this system encourages patience and a careful connection to the environment as you consider how to reach an area. It's interesting that the main challenge the player experiences is something they inflicted upon themselves, rather than from some trap or enemy the game set upon them. In practice, however, you slip and fall far, far too often. I lost track of the number of times that I slipped and fell while running on flat ground, or after simply walking over a two foot drop. Arresting your momentum can be extremely difficult, and it's not uncommon to stumble or fall for dozens of feet. It would be comical were it not so frequent or the consequences so potentially harmful. This tends to discourage exploration- a serious downside in a game that's all about it. The system absolutely should stay, but it needs tweaking. It was a constant annoyance as I played, even after adjusting how I walked and ran. Once, though, I was searching for the last item I needed. I'd missed some clue and had searched possible areas for two hours. After a single misstep I fell-again- off of a cliff. Cursing to myself as I got up, I suddenly I what I'd been searching for two inches from my face. It felt like a moment right out of a movie. Miasmata's strength is letting the player experience their own stories like this. Misamata may be a demanding game, being wide open with lots of foliage to display. I have a 560 Ti and ran it fine, but lesser machines might struggle. While not the best looking game out there, the visuals complement the atmosphere well. My only complaint was that the lighting for the day/night cycle did not seem consistent. The soundtrack is used sparingly, but is effective and memorable when it's used. The ambient noise of the jungle did not leave a big impression on me- a lost opportunity, perhaps, to add to the atmosphere. Miasmata is a game that's clearly not for everyone. Even those interested in a game about exploration and constructing the story from the pieces around them, the flaws in the movement or the initial shock of getting lost may test their patience. Overall, this is a unique, compelling experience, and I'd glad to have played it.
Clunky controls, poorly optimized, and a story that falls flat. The atmosphere gets old very quickly, and the rest of the game feels like drudgery. There are far better horror games out there.
I played this for the first time two years ago. I had heard great things about it, but could it live up to those expectations without any nostalgia influencing my opinion? I was already a fan of stealth games, and if it wasn't for the blocky graphics (which you'll soon ignore because of the fantastic lighting and level architecture) I would have thought that this was the next generation of the genre. Huge, non-linear levels that I could spend several hours clearing. Tense stealth mechanics where every encounter is important. The wonderful feeling of exploring (and getting lost!) in a level that feels like an actual place and not a bunch of linked hallways. I was wary about the supernatural elements when I was reading reviews, but, as one who doesn't really like zombies in general, I have to say that they are among my favorite levels. I think they work perfectly with the atmosphere and have this really great grave-robbing feel to them. I absolutely must mention the fan maps, which have easily added 200 hours to my playing experience. Outstanding new maps are still released monthly, many of them surpassing the original levels in some way (length, originality, etc.). Thief 2 has the most active mapping scene and the bulk of the maps, so I'd wait for GoG to release it before you dive into the fan mission scene. I'd easily rank Thief among my top 5 games of all time. A must-buy.
