Sanfu
Last updated: 2025-07-25
- Stunning art and visuals, immersive atmosphere
- Compelling, emotional story with strong characters
- Accessible, creative puzzles, short playtime
- Inconsistent, illogical plot with forced deaths
- Weak, unengaging gameplay experience
- Poorly integrated supernatural elements, lacks horror
Emotions
Players expressed disappointment primarily due to the game's narrative shortcomings, including illogical plot points, rushed and unsatisfying endings, and underdeveloped characters, especially concerning character deaths. Many felt the game failed to live up to the expectations set by its demo or previous titles, with a perceived decline in story quality, lack of meaningful gameplay, and unfulfilled potential.
Players found satisfaction in the game's strong narrative, engaging plot, and well-developed characters, particularly in the early stages. The artistic presentation, including art style, music, and cinematic elements, significantly contributed to a positive and immersive experience, often exceeding expectations.
Frustration stemmed from the game's narrative choices, particularly the frequent and often illogical character deaths, perceived forced emotional manipulation, and plot inconsistencies. Players also reported frustration with poor controls, repetitive gameplay, and a general lack of originality or innovation in the later parts of the game.
Sadness was a direct result of the game's tragic story and character fates, especially the deaths of key characters like Qiu Wu. Players were emotionally impacted by the sad and often manipulative endings, leading to feelings of regret and sorrow over the narrative outcomes.
Admiration was directed towards the game's artistic elements, including its unique art style, music, and cinematography, as well as its bold narrative choices and thematic depth. Players also admired specific character portrayals, particularly Qiu Wu, and the overall quality and effort put into the game's presentation.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 59% · Negative 41%. Score: 41 / 100
Positives:
- Players consistently praise the game's narrative for its depth, emotional impact, and engaging structure. The story is described as well-told, complete, and full of unexpected twists, often leading to strong emotional responses and a lasting impression.
- The game's art style, visual presentation, and cinematography receive widespread acclaim. Players highlight the significant improvement over previous titles, the unique aesthetic, and the effective use of visuals to enhance storytelling and atmosphere.
- Character development is a strong point, with players particularly praising the depth and memorability of key figures, especially Qiu Wu. Characters are described as well-fleshed out, relatable, and having impactful arcs.
- The game excels at creating an immersive and atmospheric experience. Players note the effective use of music, sound design, and scene setting to build suspense, evoke emotions, and transport them into the game's world and historical context.
- The game's approach to horror is appreciated for being subtle and psychological rather than relying on jump scares. Players note that the horror often stems from human nature and societal themes, making it more thought-provoking and less overtly terrifying than its predecessor.
Negatives:
- The overarching narrative is widely criticized for being illogical, messy, and inconsistent, especially in its later chapters. Players felt the plot became rushed, forced, and failed to deliver on its initial promise, often resorting to contrived emotional manipulation and leaving many questions unanswered. The story's ambition to blend supernatural and scientific elements, as well as social commentary, was seen as poorly executed, leading to a confusing and unsatisfying experience.
- A significant number of players expressed strong dissatisfaction and anger regarding the deaths of key characters, particularly the female protagonist, Qiu Wu, and Tang Yu. These deaths were frequently described as forced, unnecessary, illogical, and solely designed for emotional manipulation, rather than serving a meaningful narrative purpose. This creative choice led to a sense of betrayal and frustration among players who had grown attached to these characters.
- The gameplay experience was largely criticized for being weak, monotonous, and lacking engaging puzzle elements. Many players felt the game resembled a visual novel with minimal interactivity, and the puzzles were often too simple, repetitive, or poorly designed, offering little challenge or enjoyment.
- The game's attempt to blend supernatural elements with scientific explanations, particularly through the 'illusion' mechanic and Buddhist themes, was seen as poorly executed and inconsistent. Players felt these elements were often used as lazy plot devices, lacked clear explanations, and ultimately undermined the game's stated anti-superstition message, leading to a confusing and unsatisfying narrative.
- Character development for both protagonists and antagonists was widely criticized as inconsistent, illogical, and underdeveloped. Characters often acted out of character, lacked clear motivations, or felt like mere tools for plot progression, leading to a lack of emotional connection and believability.
Gameplay:
- Players consistently report that the game's puzzles are very easy, often feeling guided or negligible, making the experience more akin to a visual novel. The overall playtime is also short, typically around 3-4 hours.
- The game is primarily a story-driven suspense thriller with minimal horror elements, often lacking traditional jump scares. It focuses more on building suspense than delivering outright horror.
- The game features a dual-protagonist system and a fragmented narrative that spans two timelines (1995 and 2000) within the same space, enhancing the storytelling.
- The game is praised for its unique art style, camera work, and diverse presentation methods, which effectively serve the narrative.
- The central plot revolves around the 'Three-Eyed Child' theme, including a robot and a youth potential development center, which is integrated into the game's narrative and visual design.
Performance:
- Players are experiencing frequent crashes, especially during critical moments like boss fights or area transitions. This severely disrupts gameplay and leads to frustration, often resulting in lost progress.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including low and inconsistent frame rates, even on high-end hardware. This makes the game feel sluggish and unresponsive, detracting from the overall experience.
- Many players report a variety of bugs, such as characters getting stuck, quests not progressing, and visual glitches. These issues, while not always game-breaking, accumulate to create a less polished experience.
- The user interface is often described as clunky and unintuitive, particularly for inventory management and menu navigation. This makes basic interactions cumbersome and less enjoyable.
- Some players feel the game's difficulty is unbalanced, with certain encounters being overly punishing or unfair. This can lead to frustration and a sense of unfairness rather than challenge.
Recommendations:
- Many players found the game to be a worthwhile experience, often recommending it for its story-driven aspects and overall quality, despite some noted flaws. It's considered a strong entry in the domestic puzzle/horror genre.
- Players are highly anticipating future releases from the developer, expressing a desire for continued improvement, especially in plot refinement, and hoping for more engaging and less tragic narratives.
- Some players found the game not suitable for their preferences, particularly those seeking deep puzzle mechanics, strong plot logic, or a different type of gameplay experience. This suggests the game has a specific niche audience.
- A significant number of players recommend purchasing the game, but primarily when it's on sale, indicating that the full price might be a barrier or that its value is perceived higher at a discount.
- There's a notable comparison to the developer's previous work, 'Fireworks.' Some players prefer 'Fireworks,' while others find 'Sanfu' to be a strong standalone or even superior experience, suggesting a divided opinion on which game is better.
Miscellaneous:
- The character of Qiu Wu is highly praised for her bravery and intelligence, becoming a fan favorite. Her unexpected and tragic death, however, caused significant emotional distress and disappointment among players, leading to strong reactions and discussions about narrative choices.
- The game features a complex, multi-layered narrative with a strong focus on human nature, morality, and the interplay between reality and illusion. It delves into themes of good versus evil, the dangers of pseudoscience, and the consequences of greed, with characters driven by their secrets and motivations.
- The game's length is generally considered short, with most playthroughs lasting around 4-5 hours. While some found this satisfactory, others felt it was too brief, especially given the full price, and desired more content.
- For many, this game served as their first experience with a visual puzzle novel on Steam, or a similar genre. It also resonated deeply with some players due to its connection to childhood memories or as a continuation of the developer's previous works.
