ROUTINE
Last updated: 2026-02-14
- Exceptional sound design and atmosphere
- Beautiful visuals and immersive experience
- Well-designed puzzles and logical gameplay
- Puzzles are frustrating and poorly designed
- Game is too short and unsatisfying story
- Frequent and cheap jumpscares
Emotions
The game's atmosphere and sound design are frequently cited as primary sources of fear, creating a tense and unsettling experience. Enemy encounters, particularly with terrifying and well-designed antagonists, along with well-placed jumpscares, contribute significantly to the game's scary nature.
Players are excited by the game's outstanding atmosphere, sound design, and engaging storyline. The unique and intense gameplay mechanics, combined with the game's immersive and innovative design, create a compelling and awe-inspiring experience.
The game's length, unsatisfying story, and underwhelming ending are major sources of disappointment. Players also express frustration with confusing narratives, repetitive gameplay, and missed opportunities in mechanics and design.
Poorly designed puzzles, lack of guidance, and complex environmental challenges lead to significant frustration. Additionally, buggy mechanics, unclear instructions, and tedious gameplay elements contribute to a frustrating experience.
Players admire the game's outstanding environment design, sound design, and visuals. The immersive atmosphere, unique gameplay mechanics, and the development team's vision and determination are highly praised.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 85% · Negative 15%. Score: 15 / 100
Verdict
Overpriced for Content
Summary
The game is perceived as overpriced for the amount of content it offers, with a relatively short runtime. While the game has received praise for its art and sound design, many users feel that it does not provide enough value for its current price point. There is a noted potential for additional content, which could improve the overall perception of the game's value. Score: 20 / 100
Top points
- Overpriced for Content - High
- Short Runtime - Medium
- Potential for Additional Content - Low
Verdict
Needs Improvement
Summary
The primary user complaints revolve around the lack of handholding in the game, which leads to confusion, frustration, and a reliance on walkthroughs. The difficulty of puzzles is also a significant issue, as users find them challenging without adequate in-game guidance. These issues collectively detract from the user experience, making the game less enjoyable and more frustrating for many players. Score: 10 / 100
Top points
- Lack of Handholding - High
- Need for Walkthroughs - Medium
- Puzzle Difficulty - Medium
Verdict
Playable with Minor Adjustments
Summary
The game generally receives positive feedback for its performance and optimization on the Steam Deck. However, there are notable concerns regarding battery life management, controller support, visual quality, and the absence of certain compatibility features like DLSS and FSR. These issues, while not critical, do impact the overall user experience and suggest areas for potential improvement. Score: 40 / 100
Top points
- Performance and Optimization - Positive
- Battery Life Concerns - Medium
- Controller and Input Issues - Medium
- Visual Quality - Medium
- Compatibility and Settings - Low
Positives:
- The game features an incredible sound design that enhances the horror experience, creating an immersive and atmospheric environment. Players consistently praise the sound effects and music for their ability to build tension and scare effectively.
- The game excels in creating a tense and immersive atmosphere, with players highlighting the dreadful and well-crafted ambiance. The atmosphere is consistently praised for its ability to maintain stress and fear throughout the game.
- The game is visually stunning with beautiful graphics and a gripping gameplay experience. Players appreciate the detailed environments and the overall aesthetic appeal.
- The puzzles in the game are challenging yet satisfying, well-integrated with the gameplay, and fit the retro-futuristic theme. They are logical and thought-provoking, providing a good balance of difficulty.
- The horror elements in the game are well-executed, providing a terrifying and engaging experience. Players find the horror aspects to be of high quality, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere.
Negatives:
- Many players found the puzzles to be annoying, unclear, and sometimes too easy or too difficult. They often felt like busywork and could be tedious and immersion-breaking.
- Several reviews mentioned that the game felt short and wished it was longer. The game's length was a common complaint among players.
- The story and ending were frequently criticized as underwhelming, disappointing, and in need of improvement.
- Players noted that the enemy AI was very basic and predictable, lacking intelligence and posing little threat.
- Enemies were seen as non-threatening and easily avoidable, reducing tension and scare factor.
Gameplay:
- The game includes a variety of puzzles that are generally well-designed and logical. Players need to pay attention to environmental clues and use tools like the C.A.T. to solve them.
- The game combines puzzle-solving with survival horror elements. It features a slow-paced, atmospheric experience with minimal music and intense, well-crafted atmosphere.
- The game features a multi-purpose tool called the C.A.T. (Cosmonaut Assistance Tool) used for interacting with the environment, solving puzzles, and combat. It is central to gameplay and receives upgrades throughout the game.
- The game is set in a sci-fi horror environment, often compared to other games like SOMA. It features a retro-futuristic aesthetic and is set in an abandoned lunar base.
- The game is heavily story-driven, with a rich narrative that is told through environmental storytelling, notes, and audio recordings. It features mind-bending cutscenes and a complex, intriguing story.
Performance:
- The game is highly praised for its performance and optimization across various hardware, including older systems and the Steam Deck. Players report smooth gameplay and high frame rates.
- Most players report a bug-free experience with only minor visual hiccups. However, there are isolated reports of specific bugs, such as a game-breaking bug where enemies are visible without the required tool.
- Some players report issues with HDR being forced in full-screen mode with no option to turn it off. There are also visual issues reported on OLED displays.
- There are specific mentions of performance on certain displays, such as 50 FPS on Steam Deck and mentions of a fish-eye lens effect.
- There are mentions of performance issues related to Unreal Engine 5, although these are not widely reported.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly praised for its unique visuals, sound design, and atmosphere, which contribute to a truly immersive and scary horror experience. Players appreciate the deep atmosphere and the way design and sound enhance the horror elements.
- The game is frequently recommended for fans of sci-fi and horror genres. It is often compared to popular titles like Dead Space, Alien, and SOMA, making it a must-play for enthusiasts of these genres.
- The game is highly recommended for its overall quality, polish, and challenge. Reviewers give it high praise and recommend it without specific caveats.
- Reviewers recommend the game for those who enjoy deep immersion and no hand-holding. It is also suggested that playing the game in a relaxed and immersive state, such as while stoned, can enhance the experience.
- The game is praised as an excellent horror game, with reviewers expressing interest in seeing more horror games like it from the same team. It is noted for its high quality and terrifying experience.
Miscellaneous:
- The game was initially announced in 2012 and spent nearly a decade and a half in development, facing various challenges and rumors.
- Several reviews mention the playtime of the game, with some players completing it in around 9 hours, which may affect the perceived value for the price.
- The game is noted for its technical aspects, suggesting high-quality graphics, performance, or other technical achievements.
- Some players expressed happiness and excitement upon learning that the game was finally released after a long development period.
- The game supports mods, which can enhance the gameplay experience and provide additional content created by the community.
