Info about Vapor World: Over The Mind:

Official game description:
_Countless dreams, bled into a vast world. A sea, deep within the mind. **It is called the Vapor World.** Sorrow becomes the beast, guilt the prison, and some live out an eternity inside their nightmares._
_In the unfathomable abyss of this dream, you awaken as the Last Awakened One. Wake the Sleeping Ones, and this world will collapse at last, freeing you to return to reality._
_Lost and corrupted by the Id, the boy is you. In the deepest of dreams, everything you lost awaits. Wake every last Sleeping One, and face the truth buried below._
**Extract the Embers, Defeat the Projections**
Deflect an enemy's strike, and force a Crack Break. Extract the ember the defenseless projection lays bare, with the power of the Id.
**Explore a Mind Shaped by Sorrow and Regret**
The layers of the dream are joined as one seamless, borderless world. Reclaim your lost powers with the embers the projections leave behind. Then venture into the deepest reaches of this world.
**Recall Forgotten Skills, Grow Stronger**
With every useful tool brought back, more becomes possible at the workbench. Read the scattered records to recall forgotten skills, and let the symbols the Sleeping Ones left behind take root in you, to project them in battle.

Release date: Aug 18, 2026

Categories: Soulslike Combat, Parry-based Combat, 2D Action Platformer, Metroidvania, Dark Fantasy, Stealth Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The explicit numeric reports span 11 minutes, about 1 hour, 3 hours, and 5 hours. Their central value is roughly 2 hours, so sessionLength is set to 2 hours as a practical early-access session estimate. The same reports describe only partial progress (first map, factory boss), and no review gives a numeric hour count for finishing the full game, completing the story, or a quantified endgame phase; therefore gameCompletion, storyCompletion, and endgame are null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Soulslike Combat Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering responsive parry combat, executions, and demanding boss fights.
    - Playstyle: Plays aggressively around parry timing and boss patterns while comparing combat feel to genre benchmarks.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; Bloodborne
  - Early Access Waiter (no buy)
    - Motivation: Getting a polished, complete game instead of an unfinished early-access build.
    - Playstyle: Waits for patches and full release, checking value and readiness before committing.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Cautious Genre Newcomer (sale)
    - Motivation: Finding an approachable stealth-action experience with an interesting world and room to experiment.
    - Playstyle: Uses lenient stealth and assassination while experimenting with combat styles and tolerating rough difficulty.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


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:
- Unique and appealing art style (weight 0.35): The game's painterly, dark, and distinct visual style is frequently highlighted as a major strength, setting a great tone and being visually magnificent.
- Solid and fun gameplay (weight 0.34): Many players find the game solid, fun, and playable, with good mechanics and dynamic gameplay.
- Satisfying parry mechanics (weight 0.33): Players consistently praise the parry system, noting that perfect parries feel rewarding and the timing is forgiving, making combat enjoyable.
- Game has potential (weight 0.16): Several players see potential in the game, particularly in its combat framework and overall design, though some aspects are still rough.
- Combat feels smooth and natural (weight 0.1): Animations and combat movements are described as smooth and natural, enhancing the overall combat experience.
- Good hit feedback (weight 0.09): Hit feedback is praised as excellent, contributing to satisfying combat alongside the art style.
- Interesting story (weight 0.09): The story is found to be deep and interesting, adding to the game's appeal.
- Fast-paced and fun combat (weight 0.09): Combat is described as fast-paced and fun, with an interesting base game.
- Decent attack and parry feel (weight 0.09): Some players find the attack and parry feel to be decent or passable, though not outstanding.

Common complaints:
- Poor UI and movement polish (weight 0.28): Reviewers mention that movement, animation, and UI need more polish, with rough edges in overall quality of life.
- Clunky and imprecise controls (weight 0.24): Multiple reviewers report that the controls feel stiff, janky, and not smooth, making precise input difficult.
- Bad AI cutscenes (weight 0.21): AI-generated cutscenes are described as horrible, off-putting, and detrimental to the story experience.
- Sluggish combat feel (weight 0.17): Combat is described as sluggish and lacking satisfying feedback, with disappointing aspects.
- Speed-animation mismatch (weight 0.16): Walk and run speeds feel slow and misaligned with the animations, creating a disconnect.
- AI voice acting remains (weight 0.14): Players note that AI-generated voice lines are still present and are perceived as awful, ruining the game's vision and potential.
- Rough character animations (weight 0.14): Walking and running animations are choppy, awkward, and unpleasant to watch, affecting overall immersion.
- Weird cutscene execution (weight 0.14): Cutscenes feel out of place, clunky, and inconsistent, sometimes appearing and sometimes not.
- Settings not saved (weight 0.14): Sound and keybind settings fail to save, forcing players to reconfigure them repeatedly.
- Wrong button prompts (weight 0.1): Button prompts show incorrect inputs (e.g., X instead of A), causing confusion during gameplay.
- Strict parry timing (weight 0.1): Parry timing is too strict, making parries fail often and discouraging use of the mechanic.
- Subtitles missing text (weight 0.1): The subtitle box appears but shows no text, making dialogue unreadable.
- Inventory display bug (weight 0.1): Items do not show up in the inventory, which can hinder gameplay progression.
- Sluggish dodging (weight 0.1): Dodging feels sluggish and requires two button presses, likened to an old man's roll.
- Difficulty too high for beginners (weight 0.1): The game's difficulty is seen as unfriendly to new players, potentially causing early frustration.
- Tiny font size (weight 0.1): The font is so small that players have to lean in to read text, indicating a readability issue.
- Insufficient content for price (weight 0.1): The amount of content is considered too small relative to the price point, leading to disappointment.
- Blurry graphics (weight 0.1): Graphics are reported as blurry, reducing visual clarity and overall presentation quality.
- Skill unlocking restricted (weight 0.1): Skills can only be unlocked and viewed at home, limiting accessibility and convenience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Parry-focused combat core (weight 0.53): Multiple clusters emphasize that combat is built around parrying, with sustained parries breaking enemies and enabling powerful counters. The system is compared to Sekiro and features counterattacks and a break gauge.
- Side-scrolling soulslike framework (weight 0.29): The game is consistently described as a 2D side-scrolling soulslike action game that borrows Dark Souls systems like beacons, talent trees, and consumables. It is a linear, narrative-driven experience with platforming and exploration.
- Boss fights and phases (weight 0.27): Boss encounters are a major feature, often involving multiple phases, fog gates, and varied attack patterns that players must learn. Some bosses are called wounds or seeds and have multiple lives.
- Movement and platforming controls (weight 0.22): Movement includes jumping, sprinting, and platform-grabbing, with running activated by holding a button. Some areas restrict running, requiring creative use of jumps for speed.
- Stealth and assassination mechanics (weight 0.22): Stealth systems allow players to crouch behind obstacles and perform fatal back attacks to avoid or eliminate enemies. This adds a tactical layer to combat.
- Combat animations and hit feel (weight 0.2): Combat includes weighty hit feel, execution animations, and cutscene-style finishers that enhance immersion. Attack modules speed up as combos continue.
- Varied enemy attack patterns (weight 0.17): Enemies telegraph their attacks through animations, and some low attacks are unparryable, requiring different responses. Ranged and melee enemies often attack together.
- Parry timing and learning curve (weight 0.17): The parry system has a slight learning curve, with specific timings for different attacks, such as perfect parries on low sweeps. Players must learn boss patterns to succeed.
- Dream world setting and story (weight 0.16): The game is set in a dream-like world called Steam World, where players control a boy who must awaken sleepers. The narrative is delivered through cutscenes and character interactions.
- Fire core destruction mechanic (weight 0.16): Combat involves breaking enemy shells to expose red fire cores, which must be destroyed to defeat certain enemies. Elite and boss enemies change stances when their fire core is taken.
- Linear level design with branches (weight 0.14): The map follows a largely linear path with occasional small branches and secret areas. Exploration includes ladders, movable boxes, and breakable chests.
- 2.5D environments and atmosphere (weight 0.14): The environments are 2.5D, with a nonlinear dream world featuring ruins, distorted areas, and secret paths. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Bloodborne and Lies of P.
- Skill unlock via farming (weight 0.13): Skills are unlocked by farming basic mobs for materials, and they can be viewed and upgraded at the home base. This progression system ties combat to exploration.
- Equipment and upgrade systems (weight 0.11): Players can find items and equipment, and there is a workshop for modifications and upgrades. A pipe item restores HP during upgrades.
- Difficulty and pacing (weight 0.11): The game is moderately difficult, with a difficulty spike at the start of the second act. Boss encounters are spaced closely with short enemy sections between them.
- Memory fragment collection (weight 0.09): Players collect lost memory fragments throughout the game, which likely drive the narrative and progression.
- Dodge roll lacks i-frames (weight 0.09): The dodge roll has a long animation and no invincibility frames, making it less reliable for avoiding damage. This impacts the flow of combat and encourages parrying instead.
- No lock-on mechanic (weight 0.05): The game lacks a lock-on system, which can make targeting enemies more challenging, especially in fast-paced fights.
- Endless stamina system (weight 0.05): Stamina is endless, removing the need to manage it during combat and allowing for continuous attacks and dodges.
- Controls introduced late (weight 0.04): Controls are introduced gradually, with full mechanics unlocked around the first or second boss, which may slow early gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Lack of settings menu (weight 0.06): There is no graphics or sound settings menu, limiting players' ability to customize their experience. This is a significant usability issue.
- Performance needs improvement (weight 0.06): Overall performance needs improvement, as indicated by a general comment. This is a common concern that can affect many players.
- Loud audio in story (weight 0.06): Audio volume is extremely loud during story sequences and voice lines, even at low settings. This affects the overall experience and may require volume adjustments.
- Blurry graphics (weight 0.06): Graphics appear blurry, which can detract from visual quality. This is a common complaint among players.
- Sluggish movement (weight 0.05): Movement feels slow, unstable, and sluggish according to one player. This can impact gameplay responsiveness and enjoyment.
- Intermittent audio cuts (weight 0.05): Game audio intermittently cuts in and out, disrupting the experience. This is a specific technical issue reported by at least one player.
- No ultrawide support (weight 0.05): The game lacks support for ultrawide monitors, which may disappoint players with such setups. This is a niche issue but important for affected users.
- OBS capture issue (weight 0.05): One player reported that OBS cannot capture the game, which may affect streaming or recording. This is a niche but potentially important issue for content creators.

Recommendations:
- Wait for full release (weight 0.3): Multiple reviewers recommend waiting until the game leaves Early Access and receives more updates and patches before purchasing. They suggest it is not yet worth playing in its current state.
- Not worth current price (weight 0.21): Reviewers feel the game is overpriced for its current content, and some demand refunds or advise against buying until the roadmap is complete. The general sentiment is that the asking price does not match the unfinished product.
- Great for Soulslike fans (weight 0.2): Fans of Bloodborne and 2D Soulslike games recommend the game, praising its parry-focused combat and challenging gameplay. It is seen as a worthy entry for genre enthusiasts.
- Promising but needs polish (weight 0.17): Some players see potential for a classic if developers keep improving and listening to feedback, but currently do not recommend it due to lack of polish. They advise waiting for more updates.
- Fun but flawed (weight 0.16): A few reviewers find the game entertaining despite its issues, recommending it for variety or as a positive experience. However, others find it not fun even at a low price.
- Not beginner friendly (weight 0.14): Several reviewers warn that the game is too difficult for newcomers to the genre, and some suggest it lacks proper scaling for beginners. However, others see it as a potential gateway game if boss updates improve the challenge curve.
- Support indie developers (weight 0.13): A few reviewers give positive reviews specifically to support the indie team and encourage the game's growth during Early Access. They see potential and want to back the project.
- Story and difficulty appeal (weight 0.13): Some players recommend the game for its story and high difficulty, particularly those who enjoy trial-and-error combat. Others warn that it is not for those seeking relaxing hack-and-slash.
- Avoid if expecting similar games (weight 0.12): Players expecting a game like Salt and Sanctuary are advised to avoid this title, as it differs significantly. Others warn to be cautious or not take interest at all.
- AI art criticized (weight 0.1): Some players are unhappy with the use of AI-generated content and request refunds if it is not replaced with real artwork. This concern is significant enough to affect purchase decisions.
- Refund and rebuy (weight 0.1): A reviewer refunded the game but plans to re-buy if AI-generated artwork is replaced with real art. This indicates a specific condition for future purchase.
- Trial test recommended (weight 0.09): Some suggest giving the game a try, especially for 2D Souls fans, but with tempered expectations. It is seen as worth a taste test rather than a full commitment.

Other player notes:
- Frequent Sekiro and Lies of P comparisons (weight 0.42): Many reviewers compare the game to Sekiro, Lies of P, and Bloodborne, especially regarding its parry-focused combat and overall style. It is often described as a 2D take on these soulslike games.
- Early access with limited content (weight 0.27): The game is currently in Early Access and players report a short run of content, with little added since the demo. Many feel there isn't enough content to fully enjoy the game yet.
- AI cutscenes largely removed (weight 0.24): Multiple reviewers note that AI-generated cutscenes have been removed from the game, with some replaced by hand-drawn art. However, one mentions AI-generated voices are still present.
- Art style compared to Salt and Sanctuary (weight 0.23): Several reviewers note that the art style is reminiscent of Salt and Sanctuary, particularly its misty aesthetic. The game's visual direction is frequently likened to that title.
- AI use disclosed, community backlash (weight 0.23): The game discloses its use of AI generation, which has sparked community discussion and negative reviews. Some reviewers defend the AI use, while others criticize it.
- Promising but unfinished (weight 0.17): Reviewers find the game promising but acknowledge it is not yet complete, and some are waiting for the finished version. There is expectation that the game will evolve with future updates.
- Plans for regular updates (weight 0.16): Developers plan regular updates and more content, including remaining episodes and an ending. They have also announced improvements and are actively patching the game.
- AI removal replaced cutscenes (weight 0.16): AI cutscenes were removed and replaced with hand-drawn art. The developer announced they will no longer use AI.
- Developer responsiveness praised (weight 0.16): The developer has responded to comments and quickly addressed criticism about generative AI. Reviewers encourage the developer to listen to the community and keep improving.
- Budget price, good value (weight 0.13): Reviewers highlight that the game is sold at a low price and offers good quality for the cost. It is considered a budget-priced title.
- Content ends abruptly (weight 0.13): The game appears to end after the hammer giant boss, and a boss seen at events was removed. Progress is blocked pending updates.
- Small development team (weight 0.13): The game is developed by a small team of five developers. This context is often mentioned in reviews.
- Localization issues (weight 0.13): The Japanese translation is incomplete and broken, and the Russian localization is partial and not selectable in settings. The game also starts in Korean by default.
- Positive trailer impressions (weight 0.12): The gameplay shown in the trailers looked fun, and the game has a distinct identity. Some reviewers feel negative reviews are regrettable given the quality.
- Missing advertised features (weight 0.09): The FAQ confirmed ultrawide support, but the game does not support it. Font size and resolution settings are unavailable in the current build.
- Diverse progression system (weight 0.09): The game has a diverse progression system, with skills unlocked and viewed at a home base similar to Sekiro.
- Game Pass availability (weight 0.05): The game is available on Game Pass.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Players are frustrated by poor controls and combat mechanics, including late tutorials, strict parry timing, floaty movement, and input delay. Numerous technical issues such as bugs, save loss, broken settings, and font size problems further compound the annoyance. Unfair boss fights and a lack of quality-of-life features make the experience feel cumbersome.
- Disappointment (weight 0.22): Disappointment stems from the game falling short of expectations, with lackluster graphics, minimal content, and heavy reliance on AI-generated cutscenes and voices. Combat feels sluggish and unpolished, and the overall experience lacks the depth and polish promised by the theme and trailer.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Satisfaction comes from the game's parry and counter combat, which feels punchy and rewarding. Good art, hit feedback, and smooth combat contribute to an enjoyable experience despite other flaws.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): Annoyance is driven by the inability to disable awful AI voice acting, tedious grinding for skills, and inconvenient UI. Clunky cutscenes and misplaced developer priorities add to the irritation.
- Hope (weight 0.06): Hope persists because the game has potential, and the developers have announced improvements and are expected to fix problems. Players see something special and are willing to give it another chance in better conditions.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Anger arises from persistent basic issues like key bindings and audio volume, save file wipes, and softlocks. The overuse of AI-generated content feels like a slap in the face, and missing settings make the game feel like a scam.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment is derived from fast-paced, parry-focused combat with excellent hit feedback and a solid overall experience. The hand-drawn art and dark atmosphere also contribute to the fun.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration is felt for the unique hand-drawn black-and-white art style, dreamlike atmosphere, and superb art direction. The visuals and storytelling are impressive.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement comes from the thrill of boss fights, the project's potential, and top-tier 2D art and motion. Players look forward to future bosses, maps, and updates.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion arises from an obscure story that lacks context, unclear combat presentation, and inconsistent level guidance. Mechanics like claw-switching and missing items or dubbing add to the bewilderment.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is high as players look forward to future updates, content, and seeing the game in its complete state.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is expressed for the hand-drawn backgrounds, immersive 2.5D environments, and unique art style. The developers' hard work to fix issues is also recognized.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief was felt when the developer reverted and removed AI-generated cutscenes, addressing a major criticism.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Dissatisfaction is caused by character movements and combat not being fluent enough, along with bad quality AI cutscenes and stiff animation.
- Embarrassment (weight 0.01): Embarrassment stems from obviously AI-made cutscenes with expressionless characters in close-ups, which feel awkward and cheap.
- Tension (weight 0.01): Tension is experienced due to the demanding combat that requires constant focus on blocking and parrying.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the stellar, visceral combat and excellent hit feedback.
- Annoyed (weight 0.01): Annoyance is felt because the HUD is too basic and hard to read, and the voice acting sounds like AI.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion is enhanced by execution animations and cutscenes during combat.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game is driven by its painterly style, characters, world, plot, and gameplay.}