Info about Genesis Noir:

Official game description:
Buzz
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About the Game
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You play as No Man, a watch peddler caught in a love triangle with other cosmic beings, Miss Mass and Golden Boy. When your affair turns into a bitter confrontation, you will witness a gunshot fired by a jealous god—otherwise known as The Big Bang. Jump into the expanding universe and search for a way to prevent or destroy creation and save your love.
With a focus on tactile puzzles and exploration, you’ll experiment with objects in small slivers of the universe to discover how they can be manipulated to progress your journey. Dial a rotary phone; destroy a civilization; plant a garden; improvise with a musician; create life—all in your search for a way to save Miss Mass.
The Big Bang isn’t just the birth of creation as we know it, it's also a gun blast frozen in time, with the bullet speeding towards the love of your life. You’ll jump into pockets of time, explore moments throughout the lifespan of the universe, and search for a way to change the course of destiny.
You’ll observe moments in the history of the universe, from the first microseconds of Life to trillions of years in the future. What will you learn about these new creations, in your search to destroy them?

Release date: Mar 26, 2021

Categories: Point-and-click Adventure, Narrative Adventure, Puzzle Solving, Noir, Interactive Fiction, Exploration, Multiple Endings, Linear Progression

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Mixed Experience; summary: The game offers a unique and artistic narrative that explores complex themes, which is appreciated by users. However, there are mixed reviews about the controls, with some users finding them intuitive and others experiencing difficulties. The game's genre is hard to classify, which can be both a positive and a negative aspect.

- 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:
- Stunning visuals and art design (weight 0.97): The game is widely praised for its visually stunning graphics, beautiful art direction, and outstanding visual spectacle. Players appreciate the unique blend of scientific concepts and visual beauty, as well as the excellent visual effects and animations.
- Exceptional soundtrack and music (weight 0.31): The game features a very good soundtrack that fits the atmosphere well. Players enjoy the cool soundtrack, wonderful music, and excellent jazz soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Noir elements and atmosphere (weight 0.12): The game features noir elements and a cool, noir atmosphere, which adds to its unique appeal. Players enjoy the noir themes and the creative use of noir elements in a space setting.

Common complaints:
- Confusing and unclear story (weight 0.52): The story was frequently criticized for being hard to follow, confusing, and poorly executed. Players found it difficult to understand and felt it was all over the place.
- Boring and weak gameplay (weight 0.46): Many players found the gameplay to be boring, straightforward, and lackluster. It was described as minimal, uninteresting, and one of the most boring experiences.
- Lack of guidance and direction (weight 0.38): Players reported a lack of guidance in the game, including poor tutorials, unclear objectives, and difficulty understanding what to do next.
- Frequent bugs and performance issues (weight 0.11): Players encountered multiple bugs and performance issues, which affected their overall experience.
- Not suitable for photosensitive players (weight 0.11): The game contains a lot of flashing and bright light effects, making it unsuitable for players with photosensitive epilepsy.
- Unsatisfying ending (weight 0.11): The game's ending was criticized for being unsatisfying, redundant, and uninteresting, leaving players feeling unfulfilled.
- Non-intuitive controls (weight 0.11): The controls were criticized for being non-intuitive and lacking player agency, with no controller support.

Gameplay feedback:
- Point-and-click gameplay focus (weight 0.53): The game primarily features point-and-click mechanics, with players interacting with the environment through clicking and dragging to solve puzzles and navigate the game world.
- Simple and intuitive puzzles (weight 0.45): The game includes a variety of puzzles that are generally simple and intuitive, making them accessible to a wide range of players without being overly challenging.
- Narrative-driven experience (weight 0.26): The game is heavily focused on its narrative, offering a story-rich experience that drives the gameplay forward, often described as a narrative adventure or interactive fiction.
- Abstract and surreal elements (weight 0.17): The game includes abstract and surreal elements in both its narrative and gameplay, offering a more artistic and thought-provoking experience.
- Minimal gameplay interaction (weight 0.17): The game has very little in terms of traditional gameplay mechanics, with minimal interaction required from the player, focusing more on story and exploration.
- Multiple endings (weight 0.12): The game features multiple endings, which can influence the game's progression and provide different achievements based on the choices made by the player.
- Jazz music and unique atmosphere (weight 0.1): The game features a distinctive atmosphere blending jazz music with themes of cosmology and theology, creating a unique and immersive experience.
- Linear progression (weight 0.09): The game features linear progression with minimal interaction, guiding players through a structured narrative with limited gameplay mechanics.
- Noir and detective elements (weight 0.08): The game incorporates elements of a noir detective story, adding a layer of intrigue and mystery to the narrative and gameplay.
- Time manipulation mechanics (weight 0.08): Players can manipulate time and sound within the game, providing a unique mechanic that allows for more intuitive control over the game's pacing and puzzle-solving.
- Not action-oriented (weight 0.05): The game is not suitable for those seeking action or frenetic gameplay, as it focuses more on narrative and puzzle-solving at a relaxed pace.
- Collection of mini-games (weight 0.05): The gameplay includes a variety of mini-games that contribute to the overall experience, offering diverse activities within the game.
- Scientific and philosophical themes (weight 0.05): The game incorporates scientific and philosophical themes, such as existentialism, metaphysics, black holes, string theory, and multiverses, adding depth to the narrative.

Performance notes:
- Frequent bugs and technical issues (weight 0.37): Players report a wide range of bugs, including performance issues, save issues, and general technical problems. These bugs significantly impact the gameplay experience.
- Game crashes and freezes (weight 0.14): The game crashes frequently for some players, and others report instances where the game completely freezes, particularly in specific chapters like 'Improvisations'.
- Performance issues on basic gear (weight 0.09): The game has performance issues on basic or standard PCs, including frame rate drops. This suggests a need for better optimization.
- Graphical and animation glitches (weight 0.07): Many users experience glitchy graphics and choppy animations. These visual issues detract from the overall gaming experience.
- Control and camera issues (weight 0.06): Players find the controls awkward and the mouse and camera movements dizzying. These issues affect the overall playability and user experience.
- Resolution and loading screen issues (weight 0.06): Some players encounter resolution issues and problems with loading screens. These issues can disrupt the gaming experience.
- Positive performance feedback (weight 0.05): Some players report that the game is technically sound and optimized, indicating that not all users experience performance issues.
- Lack of save points (weight 0.04): There are no save points within chapters, which can be frustrating for players who need to restart entire chapters due to bugs or other issues.
- Specific bug on Mac (weight 0.03): There is a specific bug on Mac that prevents players from achieving certain accomplishments, affecting the overall gaming experience for Mac users.

Recommendations:
- Artistic and narrative appeal (weight 0.52): The game is highly recommended for its artistic, visual, and narrative qualities. It is particularly suited for those who appreciate surreal, non-linear storytelling and unique artistic works.
- Specific audience with niche interests (weight 0.41): The game caters to a very specific audience with interests in jazz, noir, cosmic themes, and artistic inclinations. It is recommended for those with specialized knowledge in art and natural philosophy.
- Limited gameplay focus (weight 0.2): The game is noted for its lack of traditional gameplay, focusing more on story and visuals. It is recommended for those who enjoy visually striking games with rich backstories but not for those seeking substantial gameplay.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.13): The game is appreciated by some but not recommended for everyone. It may not be suitable for those who prefer traditional gameplay or are not interested in its specific artistic and narrative style.
- Mixed recommendations on purchase (weight 0.12): Opinions vary on whether the game is worth its full price. Some recommend buying it on sale or only for fans of specific genres like art, music, or point & click games.
- Technical and execution issues (weight 0.03): Some reviews mention poor execution and technical issues, which may detract from the overall experience.

Other player notes:
- Brightness warning for photosensitive players (weight 0.04): Players advise that photosensitive individuals should turn down the brightness.
- More experience than game (weight 0.04): Players describe the game as more of an experience than a traditional game.
- Game duration feedback (weight 0.03): A player reported taking 5 hours to complete one playthrough.
- Achievements should be attainable (weight 0.03): Players suggest that the achievements in the game should be fairly easy to attain.
- Limited dialogue outside certain scenes (weight 0.03): The game reportedly lacks significant dialogue outside of specific scenes.
- Pausing mechanism feedback (weight 0.03): Players note that pausing and unpausing the game is required for certain actions.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Players expressed disappointment due to the game's shallow and fragmented gameplay, obscure and incomprehensible story, and lack of engaging content. Additionally, bugs, lack of proper guidance, and misogynistic undertones contributed to the overall dissatisfaction.
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Frustration stemmed from glitchy graphics, choppy animations, and awkward controls, as well as numerous bugs and game crashes leading to progress loss. Players also found the gameplay repetitive, confusing, and lacking clear directions, with an abstract and difficult-to-follow story.
- Admiration (weight 0.14): Players admired the game's unique artistic style, deep narrative, and interesting puzzles. The beautiful visuals, animations, and impressive use of color, along with the artistic design and music, were also highly praised.
- Confusion (weight 0.12): The game's story was frequently cited as confusing and difficult to understand, with abstract and unclear narrative elements. Players also found the gameplay mechanics and puzzles hard to interpret, leading to a sense of confusion.
- Joy (weight 0.09): Players found joy in the game's beautiful visuals, atmosphere, and music. The engaging and thought-provoking story, along with unique and original gameplay elements, contributed to a pleasant and enjoyable experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciated the game's unique artistic style, high-quality art, music, and puzzles. The game's beauty, artistic ambition, and unique vision were also highly valued.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Despite some confusion, players enjoyed the game's interesting concept, stunning visuals, and beautiful music. The unique experience and improving puzzles also contributed to their enjoyment.
- Awe (weight 0.05): Players were in awe of the game's unique, haunting, and profound artistic experience. The visual and narrative elements, along with the game's beauty and experimental nature, left a deep impression.
- Impressed (weight 0.03): Players were impressed by the game's visual masterpiece and amazing aesthetic. The atmosphere and themes of the game also contributed to their positive impressions.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Players found the game boring due to its slow and shallow gameplay, lack of engaging content, and barebones narrative. The repetitive and unengaging nature of the gameplay led to a boring experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players were excited by the game's unique and engaging experience, high-quality visuals, and music. The anticipation for the sequel and the game's impressive narrative and themes also contributed to their excitement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.02): Игроки выразили разочарование из-за того, что нарратив и геймплей не оправдали их ожиданий. Проблемы с сохранением прогресса и плохой дизайн взаимодействия также способствовали их разочарованию.
- Inspiration (weight 0.02): Игроки почерпнули вдохновение из глубоких тем и интерпретации сюжета, а также из уникального визуального стиля и атмосферы игры.
- Engaged (weight 0.02): Players felt engaged due to the unique blend of music, atmosphere, and symbolism that pulled them into a surreal experience. The creative mechanics and cosmic story also contributed to their engagement.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Players found the game's abstract stream-of-consciousness style and hidden themes interesting. The romantic explanation of the Big Bang and the puzzles, along with the stunning visuals and art style, piqued their interest.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players felt anger due to the story being considered idiotic and the infuriating ending presentation. The game's title was also seen as misleading.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players were excited by the unique and engaging experience in later chapters and the anticipation for the sequel.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players were surprised by unexpected narrative elements and unique visual patterns. The game's world and depth exceeded their initial expectations.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Players had mixed feelings due to the game's impressive style and storytelling, which were contrasted by boring and unengaging gameplay. The complex emotions evoked by the narrative and themes also contributed to their mixed feelings.}