Info about Blacksad: Under the Skin: Official game description: Wishlist Now ! ============== About the Game ============== **A dark corruption scandal in the heart of the New York City's underworld for charismatic detective John Blacksad!** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 50s, New York City: Joe Dunn, owner of a boxing club, is found dead. Meanwhile, rising star Bobby Yale, due to take to the ring for the most important fight of his career, has mysteriously disappeared. Sonia Dunn, Joe’s daughter, takes over the gym and must deal with its financial woes. She hires private detective John Blacksad to investigate Yale’s disappearance. This sinister case will take our investigator to the darkest, most dismal depths of New York. With its anthropomorphic characters and its incredible 1950s feel, BLACKSAD: Under the Skin promises all the eerily dark adventure of a detective novel, just like the eponymous comic book series. Conduct the investigation in your own way. Make use of your feline senses as you hunt for new clues. Make decisions on behalf of Blacksad and influence the outcome of the case. ** Features -------- ** * An official and all-new story for BLACKSAD, set in the comic book series’ unique world, perfectly recreated for gamers. * An investigative narrative game with gameplay combining investigations, puzzles, quick time events (QTE) and multiple-choice dialog. * Choices that directly influence the development of the character and the story's ending. * More than 30 characters, including new faces and old favorites, each with their own story. * An immersive world with a jazz soundtrack to rival the very best of Hollywood’s film noir. * Fans of adventure games will love its gameplay and narration while fans of the comic book series will be thrilled to rediscover the characters and graphic style of this unique world. * A dark world of anthropomorphic animals Release date: Nov 14, 2019 Categories: Point-and-click Adventure, Narrative Adventure, Choice-based Narrative, Dialogue-Based Puzzle Solving, Noir, Detective Gameplay, Quick-Time Events, Story-driven Gameplay Feature scans: - Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Technical Improvements; summary: The game has a compelling story and engaging gameplay mechanics, but it is marred by significant technical issues and gameplay interruptions. These problems often force users to rely on walkthroughs, detracting from the overall experience. - Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience with the game reveals several key issues. Performance issues were frequently mentioned, with users reporting spotty performance and frame drops. Control issues were also a significant concern, with many users finding the controls insufficient and awkward. Graphical and physics bugs were noted but were not considered major. Quick-Time Events (QTEs) were problematic for some users, being described as too fast or difficult. Despite these issues, many users still found the game enjoyable and playable on the Steam Deck. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: No data - Playtime Metrics: No data - Time-to-fun: No data - Player Archetypes: No data Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Engaging and captivating storyline (weight 0.97): The game features an intriguing and well-developed narrative that keeps players hooked. The story is often described as interesting, engaging, and full of twists, capturing the essence of a classic detective tale. - Immersive 1950s New York atmosphere (weight 0.65): The game successfully captures the atmosphere of 1950s New York, with its stylish and gloomy world. The setting, music, and overall ambiance contribute to a immersive experience that transports players to a classic detective film. - High-quality voice acting (weight 0.37): The voice acting in the game is frequently praised for its excellence and professionalism. Players appreciate the high-quality sound design and the performances of the voice actors, which enhance the overall experience. - Well-developed and charismatic characters (weight 0.31): The characters in the game are well-developed, charismatic, and memorable. Each character has their own unique history and secrets, adding depth to the story and making the world feel more alive. - Engaging detective gameplay (weight 0.28): Players enjoy the deduction system and the process of solving cases, which is reminiscent of classic detective work. The gameplay mechanics are engaging and well-thought-out, providing an enjoyable experience. - Impactful player choices (weight 0.24): The game features meaningful choices that affect the story, relationships, and outcomes. Players appreciate that their decisions have real consequences, adding to the game's replayability and depth. - Faithful comic book adaptation (weight 0.14): The game's visual style and graphics are praised for being faithful to the original comic books. The art style, character designs, and overall presentation contribute to an authentic and immersive experience. - Well-written dialogues (weight 0.12): The game features well-developed and branching dialogues that enhance the storytelling and character interactions. Players appreciate the quality of the writing and the impact of their dialogue choices. - Pleasant visuals and graphics (weight 0.11): The game's graphics are described as simple but pleasant, with a visual style that is well-suited to the game's atmosphere and setting. The graphics are optimized and contribute to the overall enjoyment of the game. Common complaints: - Performance and technical issues (weight 0.53): The game suffers from various performance issues, including poor frame rates, constant stuttering, and long loading times. These technical problems significantly impact the gameplay experience and are a major source of frustration for players. - QTEs are buggy and frustrating (weight 0.43): Players report numerous issues with Quick Time Events (QTEs), including bugs, stutters, and excessive difficulty. These problems make the game unplayable for some, as the QTEs require instant reactions and fast button mashing, which are hindered by lag and technical issues. - Poor and clunky controls (weight 0.39): The game's controls are widely criticized for being clunky, poorly designed, and difficult to get used to. Players find the controls janky, clumsy, and not well-adapted for keyboard and mouse, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. - Unskippable cutscenes (weight 0.12): Players are frustrated by the inability to skip cutscenes and dialogues, which can make the game feel slow and tedious. This lack of option to skip content is seen as a significant drawback. - Slow character movement (weight 0.12): The character's movement speed is criticized for being too slow, which affects the overall pacing of the game. Players find the slow walking speed and general sluggishness of the character to be frustrating. - Graphical and character glitches (weight 0.08): The game has various graphical glitches and issues with character models. These glitches can be distracting and detract from the overall visual quality of the game. Gameplay feedback: - Investigation and deduction mechanics (weight 0.32): Players engage in crime investigation, gathering clues, and using deductive reasoning to solve cases. This includes analyzing information and making conclusions based on evidence. - Choices with consequences (weight 0.26): Players' choices matter and have consequences, affecting the hero's attitude and the characters' attitudes towards the hero, as well as influencing future events. - Story-driven gameplay (weight 0.2): The game is narrative-driven, with a strong focus on story progression and involvement, making it a story-based game. - Dialogue and character interactions (weight 0.19): The game involves extensive dialogue with characters, where each choice and dialogue brings players closer to solving the case. Character interactions and relationships are key mechanics. - Noir detective setting (weight 0.19): The game features a noir detective storyline set in 1950s America, with a protagonist who is a stereotypical New York detective in a film noir setting. - Choice-based adventure (weight 0.13): The game features a choose-your-own-adventure genre with point-and-click mechanics and decision-based gameplay, similar to Telltale games. - Quick Time Events (weight 0.13): The game relies on Quick Time Events (QTEs) for action sequences, requiring players to press buttons quickly in response to on-screen prompts. - Unique movement and mechanics (weight 0.12): The game includes unique mechanics such as driving and cat senses, as well as WASD movement for character control. However, some players note unnatural movement and movement design issues. - Anthropomorphic characters and world (weight 0.09): The game is set in an anthropomorphic world with characters that are anthropomorphic animals, adding a unique twist to the noir detective setting. - Slow-paced narrative (weight 0.09): The game has a slow-paced story, focusing on interactive storytelling and a narrative-driven detective adventure. - Fixed camera issues (weight 0.08): The game uses fixed camera angles, which can sometimes cause issues such as the character moving out of the frame during street navigation. - Puzzle-solving elements (weight 0.07): The game includes puzzle-solving elements, where players need to solve puzzles to progress, and some puzzles can be difficult. - Character mechanics (weight 0.07): The game features character personality mechanics, customization, and progression, allowing players to develop their character's traits and abilities. Performance notes: - Game is buggy and laggy (weight 0.33): Players report a variety of bugs, lags, and game-breaking issues that significantly impact gameplay. These include visual bugs, freezing, and general bugginess. - Audio and technical problems (weight 0.22): There are various technical issues reported, including audio problems, lack of environmental sounds, and general technical shortcomings. - FPS issues and drops (weight 0.21): There are frequent complaints about FPS locks, drops, and severe frame rate issues. Players mention constant FPS drops and the game ignoring FPS lock settings. - Optimization issues (weight 0.15): There are widespread complaints about the game's poor optimization, leading to various performance issues. - Slow loading times (weight 0.14): The game is criticized for being very slow, with excessive loading times that impact the overall gaming experience. - Constant stuttering (weight 0.13): Players experience constant stuttering and micro-stutters, which affect the overall performance and smoothness of the game. - Texture loading issues (weight 0.11): Players report problems with texture loading, including blurry textures and texture pop-in, which affect the visual quality of the game. - Animation and control issues (weight 0.09): There are reports of poor animations and problems with controls, including unresponsive keys and binding issues. - Black screen issues (weight 0.05): Some players experience black screens without the ability to take any actions, which severely impacts gameplay. - Reinstallation and restarting (weight 0.05): Players mention having to restart sections or reinstall the game to resolve issues, indicating significant technical problems. Recommendations: - Recommended despite flaws (weight 0.25): Some reviewers recommend the game despite its flaws such as bad optimization and control issues. They suggest that the game is worth trying if you can overlook these drawbacks. - Worth buying on sale (weight 0.24): Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale to purchase the game. It is often mentioned that the game is worth buying at a discount rather than at full price. - Recommended for fans of noir and detective stories (weight 0.18): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy detective stories and noir atmosphere. It is ideal for lovers of quality detective stories and atmospheric games. - Good for fans of narrative-driven games (weight 0.18): The game is praised for its strong narrative and is recommended for fans of story-rich and engaging games. It is particularly noted for its deep plot and atmosphere. - Worth playing for the story (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for its story and characters. Reviewers suggest playing the game for its engaging storyline. - Recommended for fans of the comic (weight 0.07): The game is highly recommended for fans of the original comic series. It is suggested that fans of the comic will definitely get their money's worth. - Use a gamepad for better experience (weight 0.05): It is advised to use a gamepad for a better gaming experience. Some reviewers mention issues with controller remapping. - Recommended for interactive cinema fans (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for fans of interactive cinema. It is noted for its strong narrative and engaging storyline. - Recommended for multiple playthroughs (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those who enjoy playing games multiple times. It is suggested that the game offers a great experience for repeated playthroughs. Other player notes: - QTE fix requires 60 Hz (weight 0.03): Players found that setting the system refresh rate to 60 Hz resolves issues with Quick Time Events (QTEs). - Motion sickness issues (weight 0.03): Some players experienced motion sickness while playing the game, which affected their overall experience. - Cheating with SAM software (weight 0.03): Players reported using external software called SAM to cheat or bypass challenges in the game. - Character design criticism (weight 0.03): There were criticisms aimed at the design of a particular character in the game. Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.62): Players are primarily frustrated by technical issues such as poor performance, bugs, and glitches that hinder gameplay. Additionally, the game's mechanics, particularly the quick-time events (QTEs) and controls, are cited as major sources of frustration due to their difficulty and unresponsiveness. - Disappointment (weight 0.27): Disappointment stems from the game's technical issues, including poor optimization and performance problems that detract from the overall experience. Players also express dissatisfaction with the story, character development, and the lack of meaningful choices affecting the game. - Enjoyment (weight 0.18): Players enjoy the game's story, atmosphere, and characters, which are highlighted as strong points. The engaging narrative, interesting plot, and good voice acting contribute to a positive experience despite some bugs. - Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Satisfaction comes from the game's well-crafted story, characters, and atmosphere. Players appreciate the unique characters, good character development, and the overall noir aesthetic. - Engagement (weight 0.06): The game's engaging plot, deep dialogues, and moral dilemmas keep players interested. The captivating story and atmosphere contribute significantly to player engagement. - Boredom (weight 0.05): Boredom is caused by the game's slow pace, including slow movement speed, long loading screens, and poorly timed dialogues. The story is also criticized for being tired and filled with tropes. - Excitement (weight 0.05): Players are excited by the game's incredible story, which includes plot twists and surprises. The engaging story and multiple endings also contribute to this excitement. - Engaged (weight 0.04): The unique abilities of the main character and the decision-making system keep players engaged. The captivating story and good music also contribute to this engagement. - Discomfort (weight 0.03): Discomfort arises from the game's tasteless story elements and strange handling of race themes. Some players also experience motion sickness. - Interest (weight 0.03): Players are interested in the game's engaging storyline and world atmosphere. The unique world and atmosphere, along with the interesting story, keep players intrigued. - Frustrated (weight 0.03): Numerous technical issues and poorly designed QTEs break immersion and cause frustration. Various gameplay and performance issues also contribute to this frustration. - Confusion (weight 0.03): Players are confused by unclear investigation progression and inconsistent tone. The unnatural choice of animal characters also adds to the confusion. - Pleasure (weight 0.03): Players derive pleasure from the game's story and visuals. The overall enjoyment of the game contributes to this feeling of pleasure. - Disappointed (weight 0.03): Disappointment is caused by controls, optimization issues, and shallow world-building. Constant micro freezes during action scenes and various gameplay issues also contribute to this disappointment. - Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the voice acting and the game's ability to perfectly capture the spirit of classic noir. The visual style being close to the original comics is also appreciated. - Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's atmosphere, plot, and characters. The overall positive feedback on these aspects contributes to the enthusiasm. - Immersion (weight 0.02): The gripping atmosphere and excellent soundtrack contribute to player immersion. The unique visual style and detailed locations also enhance this immersive experience. - Irritation (weight 0.02): Players are irritated by the game's controls and camera movement. These issues cause significant annoyance during gameplay. - Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game's story and characters. The enjoyment of the game's story, art style, and soundtrack contributes to this appreciation. - Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt by players at the end of the game. The conclusion of the story evokes this emotional response.}