Stasis is the sort of game for those of us who've been longing for a dark sci-fi horror game in the vein of Alien, Event Horizon, or Sunshine, and can't contain their itch anymore. The game builds on those experiences, and aspects of somewhat similar games like Dead Space and System Shock, to create an engrossing and dark atmosphere in the depths of space amid bio-genetic engineering gone horribly awry. John is a very likable protagonist, and a believable one as well, in his quest to find his missing wife and daughter, no matter what twists and turns the ship's inhabitants - alien AND human - throw at him. The control interface is very modern and streamlined, as well as being minimalists for maximum atmospheric impact and immersion. You won't be inundated by a smorgasburg of items, and most puzzle scenarios are challenging-but-fair. Although the game's narrative is quite linear and there's only one possible ending, the journey towards reaching that ending is very filling and kinetic, constantly moving the game forward and keeping the plot fresh. Visually the game is very well done, although sometimes the isometric view can make locating certain items more difficult than need be. The level of detail is impeccable, however, and more than makes up for this. Sound design is fantastic, especially with headphones on, and the dialog and PDA entries are well-written, grammatically sound and exuding lots of character. The only possible real disappointments are (depending on how you look at them) three specific aspects of the third act, including the ending. Again, this comes down to how you interpret events in the story, and as such rewards players who actually take their time to lay inside the lore and narrative the story has set forward for them, rather than trying to speedrun wholesale. For that reason I'd definitely suggest avoiding a particular Youtube video and Steam thread until *AFTER* finishing the game of your own accord. Highly recommended.
