Project Silverfish Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-03-09
  • Excellent gunplay and immersive atmosphere
  • Challenging levels and high replayability
  • Wide variety of weapons and enemies
  • Good value for money and optimization
  • Game feels unfinished and lacks depth
  • Inconsistent enemy AI and frustrating hunger system
Project Silverfish header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Excellent gunplay and gameplay: The game is commended for its immaculate gameplay and fantastic gunplay. Players enjoy the smooth and responsive combat mechanics, which are considered some of the best in the market.

Stalker-like experience: The game is frequently compared to the Stalker series, with players noting similarities in atmosphere, gameplay, and quest design. It captures the essence of the Stalker franchise, providing a similar emotional experience and gameplay mechanics.

Atmospheric and immersive: The game is praised for its strong atmosphere and immersion. Players highlight the dark, moody, and mysterious ambiance that enhances the overall experience, making it a key focal point of the game.

Fun and addictive gameplay: Many players find the game to be highly enjoyable and addictive. The engaging and fun gameplay mechanics keep players hooked, making it a great time waster and a source of entertainment.

Challenging and well-designed levels: The game features good level design and a challenging gameplay experience. Players appreciate the intrigue and meaningful progression offered by the well-designed maps and quests.

Common complaints

Game feels unfinished: The game is perceived as unfinished with many zones incomplete and frequent crashes. Players feel it is still very much in early access.

Faction system issues: The faction system is seen as flawed and empty, with some factions being more fleshed out than others. Identifying factions can also be confusing.

Enemy AI inconsistencies: The AI of enemies can be inconsistent, sometimes being too accurate or too easy to distract. Enemies can detect the player too easily and shoot accurately from spawn.

Frustrating hunger system: The hunger system is seen as frustrating and anti-fun, with hunger depleting too quickly and not being able to be turned off.

Bland and unimpressive graphics: The graphics are criticized for being bland and unimpressive, with a low-poly style that is not immersive.

Gameplay and performance

Challenging and punishing difficulty: The game is known for its difficult and unforgiving gameplay, with brutal difficulty levels and settings that can be adjusted to provide a challenging experience.

Variety of weapons and enemies: Players can enjoy a large variety of weapons and enemies, with extensive choices for weapon customization and different types of ammunition to craft and find.

Diverse quests and progression: The game offers a variety of quests and missions with different objectives and rewards, featuring a natural and rewarding progression system with elements of story and lore.

Solid and realistic gunplay: The game provides smooth and realistic gunplay, with strategic and challenging gunfights that are quick and engaging.

AI behavior and tactics: Enemies in the game exhibit varying behavior and tactics, including flanking and aggressive actions, adding to the challenge and realism.

Good game optimization: The game is well-optimized and runs smoothly across various hardware configurations, including low-end PCs and older hardware. Players report stable performance and smooth frame rates.

Minimal crashing issues: Most players experience no crashes, although there are isolated reports of crashes, particularly during level transitions or specific actions like going to sleep in Black Lake.

Lighting and graphical issues: Some players have noted issues with dynamic lighting and graphical settings. There are also reports of blurry UI and aliasing on 4K screens.

Performance benefits from visual style: The low-poly graphics and specific visual style contribute to higher frame rates and better performance.

Game still in beta: The game is still in beta, which may explain some of the ongoing issues and the need for further optimization.

Recommendations

Recommended for STALKER fans: This game is highly recommended for fans of the STALKER series and similar games. It offers a comparable experience and is suggested for those who enjoy the atmosphere, gameplay, and unique settings reminiscent of STALKER.

Highly recommended: The game comes with a strong recommendation from many players. It is praised for its unique setting, atmosphere, and gameplay, making it a worthwhile purchase for those interested in the genre.

Worth the price: Many reviews indicate that the game is worth its price, even in its current state. Some mention that it is worth buying at full price, while others suggest it will get better with future updates.

Unique gameplay experience: The game is recommended for those who enjoy immersive and hardcore survival shooter experiences. It offers a unique setting and atmosphere that sets it apart from other games in the genre.

Feature requests and improvements: Players have suggested various features and improvements, such as better gun customization, more crafting options, diverse energy weapons, and a quicksave feature. These suggestions indicate areas where the game could be enhanced.

Buying context

Community fair range: $25.00 - $30.00.

Game completion: 80.0h.

Story completion: 20.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

Endgame: 500.0h.

The game initially presents challenges with limited resources and weak equipment, but becomes more enjoyable as players progress, acquire better gear, and understand the mechanics.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Player profiles

Challenged Newcomer: Cautious and exploratory, often struggling with the game's difficulty. Motivation: Seeking a challenging but rewarding experience. Stance: sale.

Genre Enthusiast: Engaged and immersive, often comparing the game to others in the genre. Motivation: Enjoyment of the genre and appreciation for the game's unique take on it. Stance: buy.

Veteran Critic: Critical and analytical, with a focus on the game's depth and potential. Motivation: Deep appreciation for the game's mechanics and a desire to see it improve and evolve. Stance: buy.

Platform notes

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key issues impacting the Steam Deck experience. UI scaling problems, particularly on uncommon resolutions, and the lack of proper controller support are significant barriers. Compatibility and stability issues, such as the need for specific Proton versions, also pose challenges. While performance is generally good, there are reports of FPS drops and crashes, indicating room for improvement in stability.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The game is praised for not having visible microtransactions or a cash shop, which is a positive aspect. However, a significant concern raised by users is that the game is overpriced for the amount of content it currently offers. This suggests that while the monetization approach is not predatory, the pricing strategy may not align well with the perceived value.

External guides: The analysis of user feedback for 'Project Silverfish' reveals significant reliance on external resources like wikis to understand complex mechanics and quests. Users frequently express frustration with the lack of in-game information, which necessitates looking up guides and external resources. While some users appreciate the lack of handholding and the discovery aspect of hidden mechanics, the overall experience is marred by the need for better instructional data and more comprehensive wikis.

Other review notes

Mentions playtime: Several reviews mention the playtime of the game. This suggests that playtime is a notable aspect for players.

Gifted the game: Some players mentioned that they were gifted the game. This could indicate that the game is popular as a gift choice.