The combat mechanics combined wiht the alchemy is such a satisfying system once you learn them as a player. I really enjoy how much you can prepare for a fight to gain an advantage so you don't get stomped by your target. The story is great and your choices matter in this game in ways you won't see in other games. They carry heavy weight, and often lead to consequences you did not expect. This is my fourth or fifth playthrough and it still holds up 10 years later. this game is of exceptional quality.
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.
