Moebius: Empire Rising

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 121 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 121
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 121
  3. Negative: 36 out of 121

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  1. wavigravi
    Apr 20, 2014
    5
    Interesting story , but the shoddy animations put me off this game completely. I cant stop laughing at the main character that walks like hes been thoroughly shafted. I don't understand how such shoddy animations can make it to final release. Poor effort
  2. Northx
    Apr 29, 2014
    2
    There is the glorious Gabriel Knight, than there is this cheesiest dialogues piled up on top of each other with completely illogical character behaviors. Only positivity I can take from Moebius is that it hopefully will fund a new Gabriel Knight game but if they make it as cheesy as Moebius or make Gabriel sound and talk like Malachi or Tim Curry, I can't get my hopes up for even mediocrity..
  3. Wracky
    Jun 9, 2014
    4
    Considering the budget that this game was made on, it is not strange that the level of polish is not as high as it is on for instance Broken Age. If you compare it to cognition for instance, it does a lot better on the art, animation and cut scene department. But, Cognition, having a much smaller budget, is a lot more enjoyable. Because if you past the low budget art/animation sequences,Considering the budget that this game was made on, it is not strange that the level of polish is not as high as it is on for instance Broken Age. If you compare it to cognition for instance, it does a lot better on the art, animation and cut scene department. But, Cognition, having a much smaller budget, is a lot more enjoyable. Because if you past the low budget art/animation sequences, you are left with a fairly decent adventure game, while with Moebius, the graphics are better, but the game underneath is a lot worse.

    The most frustrating part Moebius for me, is the character profiling, and character matching puzzles. The game is full of them, which makes it repetitive. They come in two forms: a: you get to judge a character based on what they are wearing, or how they are looking, and try to find some extra data while doing so, b: you try to match a character to other people's lives based on facts about their life that overlap with the other person's life. The problem with these puzzles, is that sometimes, they're horribly ambiguous. So you put in the options which you think match best, press the button to verify, and the game just goes "WRONG".... upon which you can try to revise your choices (which make less sense to you now, since you went with your best guess first time around) or you brute force the thing, which can be a LOT of work.

    The overwhelming amount of these type of puzzles, and the low amount of "game world"-puzzles (just to call m something) killed this game for me. I didn't finish it, which is a shame since I was looking forward to another Jane Jensen story to play. I backed the kickstarter for this for a good amount, and was really excited about it, but I'm afraid it is a lot less fun than Cognition was, and it can't hold a candle to Jensen's earlier work like Gabriël Knight or even Gray Matter (which I really enjoyed)

    For me, an adventure game is about the story, and dealing with this story. Matching arbitrary statements in tables is not part of my definition of fun, and it feels to me like the game is full of m, because there's not much else going on.

    This game could have been so... soo much more.
    A real shame.    … Expand
  4. SOLEFISH
    Nov 19, 2015
    7
    Starts off strong with a great lineage. Graphics always seem bulky and awkward. Especially with the slow and stiff movements of main AI. Story is engaging at first but concept loses steam halfway through the game. For little good reason the beautiful backdrops and music fall away to a cave exploration ending that just fails to feel like it even belongs in the same game. Ending is barelyStarts off strong with a great lineage. Graphics always seem bulky and awkward. Especially with the slow and stiff movements of main AI. Story is engaging at first but concept loses steam halfway through the game. For little good reason the beautiful backdrops and music fall away to a cave exploration ending that just fails to feel like it even belongs in the same game. Ending is barely satisfactory considering the 7th and final chapter is full of glitches that are sometimes hilarious and other times computer rebooting. I had to restart 5 times during the last chapter and play through the first 15 minutes over again 3 of those times. I don't hate this game. But, it feels like it was abandoned around chapter 5 and left to chance whether or not it would work from there. It did. Barely. If it weren't attached to Gabriel Knight it wouldn't have so much to meet up too. But, when compared, the older game still prevails. There were a lot of lacking pieces to this adventure puzzle. Not to mention the constant stereotypes of other cultures and especially women. All women, according to this game, are sex starved, easily manipulated, and are greedy. Nah. Not all of them, anyway. Glad I played this game. I just wish the developers would have played the last 2 chapters before releasing it.… Expand
  5. pnr
    Apr 17, 2014
    2
    The quality of this game is abysmal.
    It starts with the writing, where not much in the storyline actually makes sense, and you are better off NOT asking questions about it, or trying to analyze it. You won't get far before your brain shortcircuits.
    The contrived plot and pained dialogue, that look like they had been written in a rushed span of a weekend, are wonderfully complemented by    The quality of this game is abysmal.
    It starts with the writing, where not much in the storyline actually makes sense, and you are better off NOT asking questions about it, or trying to analyze it. You won't get far before your brain shortcircuits.
    The contrived plot and pained dialogue, that look like they had been written in a rushed span of a weekend, are wonderfully complemented by the efforts of a less than competent development team to animate it.
    The result is a one of a kind creation, with a cast of exceptionally badly animated 3D characters on ok-ish 2D backgrounds, enacting a story, which if you won't forget, it's owing to its unexpectedly bad ideas.
    The development studio should first and foremost concentrate on finding talented visual artists, with capabilities beyond that of mediocre amateurishness, if they seriously wish to produce computer games on a professional level.
    The author should not underestimate the intelligence and taste of her prospective audience, and if she wishes to live up to her name and fame, it will need a more serious attempt, with much more effort, thought, research and care invested.
    Some self-reflection is probably in order for both parts of the team.
    I give a score of 2 for trying (1 for the design and 1 for its execution (pun intended)). Otherwise this is unforgivable.    … Expand
  6. innrspace
    Apr 17, 2014
    0
    It would be unfair to stop at the bad graphics when discussing Moebius. Like many other point-and-click adventure fans, I can overlook the ugliness of a game if it has a good story underneath. But Moebius' bad graphics only serve to hide the bad quality of everything else. And while a small budget can excuse (to a point) its bad graphics, its ridiculous animations, its clunky interface,It would be unfair to stop at the bad graphics when discussing Moebius. Like many other point-and-click adventure fans, I can overlook the ugliness of a game if it has a good story underneath. But Moebius' bad graphics only serve to hide the bad quality of everything else. And while a small budget can excuse (to a point) its bad graphics, its ridiculous animations, its clunky interface, and its buggy gameplay, what Moebius lacks is nothing you can buy. It lacks logic, research, attention to detail, creativity, self-awareness... It basically lacks good design.

    The game TELLS us that Malachi Rector is an irresistibly attractive genius antiquarian expert, but he never actually SHOWS any of these qualities. Far from being attractive, he is an intentionally off-putting character who makes contemptuous flash judgments of everyone he meets based on gender and racial stereotypes. In order to convince us he's attractive, the game has another character describe his previous sexual history. Malachi also thinks and behaves like someone of completely ordinary intelligence, and the only times when he appears out of the ordinary is when he exhibits superhuman powers, like the ability to detect if a historical artefact is genuine just by looking at it. Again, the other characters don't miss a chance to gush over how brilliant he is. As for being an expert, most of the time when he looks at artefacts he just says they are expensive. But, you guessed it, there's always another helpful character around to praise his expertise in antiques.

    The other characters are barely developed stereotypes, including Malachi's sidekick David. Most woman characters (and some of the men) are stereotyped as vain, self-centered, superficial, and sexually needy (we even get a sexually frustrated librarian!), which even if you're no feminist still makes for a boring, uncreative, lazy cast.

    Another thing that's barely developed is the game's premise of history repeating itself (the "Moebius Theory"). It's an afterthought, full of holes and inconsistencies, and it just seems a pretext to bring Malachi and David together. Some plot threads (the ninja attacks) are never quite explained, and don't make much sense as they happen. Malachi's entire investigation doesn't make sense either. He travels around to uncover characteristics about people (called "datapoints") that he could have found online (like "he has a sister"). Sexism strikes here too: while the men's datapoints are about their work accomplishments, the women's datapoints are about how old they married, how pretty they looked, and whether their father was rich. There's no real climax to the story, no real explanation or reveal, no real mystery even. There's nothing to spoil about Moebius' mystery plot except by saying you can't spoil it -- it's pretty much all in the trailers.

    The puzzles are very easy, but sometimes take too long to slog through. None of them is particularly original or creative. There are a lot of sexist puzzles you can solve immediately by treating every woman like an airheaded sex tool. The worst puzzles in my opinion are a tile slider that reveals a nasty cartoonish drawing, and a nondescript maze with no payoff.

    The music is nice.

    I'd only recommend this game as "so bad it's good". It's full of unintentionally ridiculous moments because of the bad animations and the bad writing. The dialogues sound like a soap opera. The "spy" angle results in a ludicrous villain confrontation that made me laugh out loud. Foreign names are mangled. The fake accents and bad intonations are a mockery of the European languages the actors pretend they can speak. Foreign texts such as a letter or shop signs look like the output of an online translator. Maybe it would work if the game showed any self-awareness or sense of humor, but it takes itself deadly seriously. So it's just plain bad.    … Expand
  7. Plukh
    Apr 16, 2014
    6
    This could've been a great game. Unfortunately, it falls far short from greatness, and barely reaches mediocrity.

    First of all, it uses the same in-house engine that Cognition was using, and it's horrific. Animations are terrible, facial expressions are terrible, clipping is terrible, interaction with backgrounds is terrible - everything about this engine is terrible. There is just no    This could've been a great game. Unfortunately, it falls far short from greatness, and barely reaches mediocrity.

    First of all, it uses the same in-house engine that Cognition was using, and it's horrific. Animations are terrible, facial expressions are terrible, clipping is terrible, interaction with backgrounds is terrible - everything about this engine is terrible. There is just no excuse in this day and age to use something that bad to present your game.

    Second, the writing is, well... uninspired, to say the least. I can't say if Jane Jensen had really lost her magic, if it had something to do with strains of producing a completely new game on a tight budget, or perhaps some personal issues - but the end result is a barely coherent story with underdeveloped and (mostly) instantly forgettable characters.

    If you're a die-hard Jane Jensen fan - by all means, do check this game out. But, in all honesty, everyone else would be better off getting (or replaying) any of the Gabriel Knight games instead.    … Expand
  8. PointNClickFan
    Apr 16, 2014
    0
    Games like Moebius and other products developed by Phoenix Online Studios give adventure games a bad name. They look terrible and appear to have been developed with a bare minimum budget.

    This game is slow-moving, hard to get into, has ridiculous, unbelievable characters and overall terrible production values. Pros: -Some nice backgrounds. -Comedic value in ridiculously bad    Games like Moebius and other products developed by Phoenix Online Studios give adventure games a bad name. They look terrible and appear to have been developed with a bare minimum budget.

    This game is slow-moving, hard to get into, has ridiculous, unbelievable characters and overall terrible production values.

    Pros:
    -Some nice backgrounds.
    -Comedic value in ridiculously bad animation.

    Cons:
    -Frighteningly bad animation.
    -Limited gameplay.
    -Requires lots of sitting and waiting while character walks at snail's pace.

    Verdict: Unless you have money to throw away, don't waste it on Moebius.    … Expand
  9. Tante
    Apr 16, 2014
    5
    Unfortunately this game gets nowhere near the Gabriel Knight series and is a mediocre Adventure Game at best. Character animations are very wobbly and look unnatural (+arms frequently clip into bodies), actually interactive items are rare for a game from this genre and the puzzles... I just don't know. Most items can't even be picked up before the character 'knows' he needs them which IUnfortunately this game gets nowhere near the Gabriel Knight series and is a mediocre Adventure Game at best. Character animations are very wobbly and look unnatural (+arms frequently clip into bodies), actually interactive items are rare for a game from this genre and the puzzles... I just don't know. Most items can't even be picked up before the character 'knows' he needs them which I always find frustrating (f.e. a bottle of motor oil certainly could prove useful in the future, damnit) as it leads to needless walking back and forth between scenes as a fetchquest. Thats not stimulating to me. Analysing people as well as objects Sherlock-Style (the main character is a -very- logical person) could have been interesting but the execution falls flat once more as - at least with people - it all comes back down to clichés and guesswork as the player receives 3 possible options per noticed thing (one often being rather nonsensical though, so lets say 2 options). Comparing modern-day people to people in history is interesting as well but ultimately boils down to just counting how many datapoints match up - which, really, is not very engaging either after a few times even as the player learns more about historical figures.
    Overall: Pass.    … Expand
  10. GabrielKnghtFan
    Apr 16, 2014
    0
    Waste of money. I played all the Gabriel Knight games, and Moebius feels like a cheaply made "fan game" in comparison.

    The gameplay is such a chore. You couldn't pay me to finish this game. You can only pick up items when the game wants to let you pick them up, and you have to wait so long while the character performs these routine (and horribly animated) automatic actions. The dialogue    Waste of money. I played all the Gabriel Knight games, and Moebius feels like a cheaply made "fan game" in comparison.

    The gameplay is such a chore. You couldn't pay me to finish this game. You can only pick up items when the game wants to let you pick them up, and you have to wait so long while the character performs these routine (and horribly animated) automatic actions. The dialogue sounds like something from a very bad b-movie, and the characters aren't at all likable. The plot (I won't give any spoilers) is like a lame wannabe Dan Brown knockoff.

    After one night of this game I had enough.    … Expand
  11. TitansCC
    Apr 16, 2014
    0
    Don't believe the positive reviews.

    This game is poorly made with some of the ugliest animation in a game that isn't free. I'm actually surprised they are charging people for this.

    It's not even fun to play and the characters move too slow. The Sierra games from 20 years ago were way better than this.
  12. theNILE
    Apr 22, 2014
    6
    It has charm, but really, that's all it has going for it. Like a lot of mediocre point & clicks, the plot is rather bland and doesn't really draw you in, you don't have much to entertain you while the plot unfolds and there is a typical lack of dialogue at some points, uncharacteristic for a game such as this. On the flip side, the settings are done well, the small characters are fleshedIt has charm, but really, that's all it has going for it. Like a lot of mediocre point & clicks, the plot is rather bland and doesn't really draw you in, you don't have much to entertain you while the plot unfolds and there is a typical lack of dialogue at some points, uncharacteristic for a game such as this. On the flip side, the settings are done well, the small characters are fleshed out well enough, although rather stereotypical. Mediocre graphics too. Overall, it's just mediocre but one of the better ones, the charm (partly from some good dialogue) seems to be the only thing making me like the game.… Expand
  13. sh4dow
    Apr 16, 2014
    3
    As someone who has loved all GK games and even enjoyed Gray Matter quite a bit (my rating: 4/5), I figured Jane would be able to handle herself and so I supported this with way more than any other game. Man, was I wrong.
    The alpha was quite a disappointment but I figured they might still refine it a LOT and so I wrote an extensive report on it. Unfortunately, the quality of the final    As someone who has loved all GK games and even enjoyed Gray Matter quite a bit (my rating: 4/5), I figured Jane would be able to handle herself and so I supported this with way more than any other game. Man, was I wrong.
    The alpha was quite a disappointment but I figured they might still refine it a LOT and so I wrote an extensive report on it. Unfortunately, the quality of the final product is very similar. The animation is awful pretty much all around, characters don't even look into each other's eyes and the shoulders of the main character make him look bizarrely deformed.
    With a delivery like that, how can one even care about the story? It's like watching a great theater piece being performed by some hillbilly amateur group that has only started to learn about acting two weeks ago.
    It just seems unprofessional through and through. Well, aside from the music. There's that.
    Speaking about being unprofessional - there are even spelling mistakes in the historical data. And there are words missing sometimes. I really enjoyed reading about some guy who "was talented Italian artist". But why care about such details, as if reading about things would be important in this game...
    People keep talking about the niche appeal, the low budget, etc. to try to justify the low quality of Moebius. As if adventure games "naturally" have to look like crap. So, how do explain The Book of Unwritten Tales, Gray Matter, Deponia, Machinarium, etc.?
    In fact, aside from the Telltale games, I don't think I've ever seen an adventure game that looked as bad as Moebius. And even though I don't care for Telltale's art style, I still find it acceptable in comparison.
    And, frankly - Jane Jensen's writing isn't that great to begin with. For crying out loud, it's mundane, somewhat cheesy mystery stuff! There's nothing innovative or meaningful to be found in there. That was the case with Gabriel Knight already. But the overall atmosphere of the games was what caused it be a great ride. Unlike Moebius.    … Expand
  14. AdventureGamer2
    Apr 15, 2014
    0
    In my opinion, many backers of this Kickstarter felt tricked after learning that Phoenix Online Studios would be developing Moebius. Phoenix Online had developed a critically-panned game called The Silver Lining set in the King's Quest universe, and reportedly they were not explicitly identified as developers in the funding campaign video for Moebius. With no option for KickstarterIn my opinion, many backers of this Kickstarter felt tricked after learning that Phoenix Online Studios would be developing Moebius. Phoenix Online had developed a critically-panned game called The Silver Lining set in the King's Quest universe, and reportedly they were not explicitly identified as developers in the funding campaign video for Moebius. With no option for Kickstarter refunds, and already having low expectations for Phoenix Online, apparently many backers were left with little choice but to hope and have faith that Jane Jensen's writing and game design would be enough to make the game a winner.

    Was it enough? No.

    The character animation is embarrassingly bad and looks worse than an old Sims game. You almost have to wonder if they are embarrassed putting out this quality of work. There is also a disappointing low number of interactive hotspots in each scene, which should frustrate classic adventure game fans. The voice acting is also bad (and, at times, laughably bad), though the voice-over actor for the main character is solid.

    How is the writing? Not one of Jane Jensen's better efforts. The dialogue feels unnatural and the plot, well, silly.

    If someone is able to get this game for a low price, and if they aren't scared off by the Phoenix Online Studios name, then Moebius: Empire Rising could be a good candidate for "a game so bad it's funny" entertainment experience. Otherwise, people should save their money and avoid this stinker.    … Expand
  15. hatterwar
    Apr 15, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll give everyone a fair spoiler warning before i begin...

    I'm really disappointed with this game as a fan of Jane Jensen's previous work. Having played her excellently written Gabriel Knight series I came in to this game expecting a similar level of script writing but was surprisingly disappointed. Having been a backer on Kickstarter and playing one of the chapter as a preview, I agreed with others who made comments very early on stating that there were major fixes required for the animation which seemed to have gone completely unheard by the production staff. Walking animations and Malachi's strange standing pose as well as the fact that he seems to have boulder shoulder syndrome. Other things of note were subtle hand movements weren't paid any attention, most notably in one cutscene where a man climbs a ladder while seemingly not grabbing any of the rungs and instead appearing to become some kind of spider-like creature crawling up the ladder.

    The written dialogue as well as the way in which the lines were delivered were very stilted from some of the characters, namely by Malachi himself. The fact that the 'interact' icon appears on a lot of items which cannot be interacted with until you have done something first is frustrating and looks sloppy as surely there could have been a way to hide that icon prior to the option being available? That would have saved a lot of hassles to be honest.

    The story is bizarre. I mean hey, as I mentioned before I LOVED Jane's older works, played all 3 GK games and had shivers with the way Tim Currie delivered his lines especially the famous "what can you tell me about voodoo?" but here we have a very wooden delivery of a discussion about the possibility of history repeating in people? That is ridiculous. I love a good fantasy story or something that stretches the imagination but this just seems really lazy.

    I was really looking forward to this game. I played the first chapter when it was released to backers as a beta test and was disappointed but was glad to see some changes were being made... but overall I am still very disappointed and kind of sad to see that in comparison to other Adventure, Point and Click games being released at the moment via Kickstarter, this is probably the lowest in quality.    … Expand
  16. xaRoc
    May 2, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If we are to say that adventure games are separated from other genres because they are story-driven, then it's difficult to call "Moebius" an adventure game. What it is are a number of plot points without a strong connecting thread.

    The central theme concerns a secret organisation that uses the titular "moebius theory" to politically manipulate the government. This plot is compelling and promise but it is dropped after act two of the game and is never addressed again. The protagonist mentions how this shadowy organisation needs to be publicly outed. He says he wants to end their political machinations, yet he does absolutely nothing to bring this about.

    The game ends without a climax or denouement to tie together all of the plot threads. And a series of plot points without a resolution is not a story. It is, essentially 2/3rd of a story, seeking an ending that never comes. So I cannot give it a grade on story. Technically, "Moebius" has no story.

    They designers tried to bring something new to the puzzles and some of it works. Unfortunately, the remainder of the puzzles are really straightforward and the player is never challenged. You will find no complex, intriguing puzzles that allow the player to feel a sense of accomplishment. Even the maze is ridiculously easy. If the player misses the obvious markers, any wrong turn sends the player to a dead end, so backtracking is difficult and makes it impossible to get lost. But, for all this game's ease, there were no illogical puzzles either, and that is a plus. Puzzle Grade: C+

    Now, the graphics are not state of the art. The character models are clunky and move freakishly, but I didn't find this distracting. This is a kickstarter game, after all, and they didn't get enough funding to provide state of the art. I can forgive them this. Graphics Grade: C+

    I was mostly pleased with the voice acting. Some of the dialog is horribly trite but the actors do their best to make it sound natural. Actor's Grade A-

    The score is hit&miss. I enjoyed some of the themes but others created moods that felt unrelated to the scenes in which they played and became distracting. Music Grade B

    Ultimately, the game has some compelling moments but for a $30 price tag, I can't recommend it. If you feel pity for a struggling company, or are a die-hard Jane Jensen fan, then you may find some something salvageable here and fork over the cash. For the typical adventure aficionado, I'd wait until the game hits the bargain bin.    … Expand
  17. Dunge
    Apr 17, 2014
    6
    I'm up to chapter 4 writing this review. I love pretty much all point-and-click games and loved Cognition from the same devs. This one is so-so. The story start too slow, but get a bit better after chapter 1.

    Pro: The background graphics are very nice, the music and voice acting are also good. The game don't have any apparent bugs. Con: The characters bones structure are fubar, as if    I'm up to chapter 4 writing this review. I love pretty much all point-and-click games and loved Cognition from the same devs. This one is so-so. The story start too slow, but get a bit better after chapter 1.

    Pro: The background graphics are very nice, the music and voice acting are also good. The game don't have any apparent bugs.

    Con: The characters bones structure are fubar, as if they have no neck. Some of their movements look like broken robots. The French part of the game are translated by google translate and often makes no sense (source: I'm French). The homosexual bromance between male characters makes me uneasy, but that's personal, I shouldn't blame the game for it. Rector (the main character) is a total douche and everything he say make me want to punch him, but I think that's intended.    … Expand
  18. KatherineG
    Apr 15, 2014
    0
    Save your $$ and to choose another game to buy.

    As an avid point-and-click adventure game fan, I thought I would enjoy "Moebius: Empire Rising." Unfortunately, the story is tiresome and the lack of interactive hotspots is extremely disappointing. Where this game really fails, however, is in the technical execution. The 3D graphics and animation are some of the worst you will see in a    Save your $$ and to choose another game to buy.

    As an avid point-and-click adventure game fan, I thought I would enjoy "Moebius: Empire Rising." Unfortunately, the story is tiresome and the lack of interactive hotspots is extremely disappointing.

    Where this game really fails, however, is in the technical execution. The 3D graphics and animation are some of the worst you will see in a new commercial title. This is a terrible shame, as it nearly kills the experience, and the shoddy 3D work clashes with the well-done backdrops. As others have said, the character movements are wacky and very slow; you will be screaming at the character to walk faster after playing for 20 minutes, if you are patient enough to last that long.

    I don't know where Jane Jensen found this terrible Phoenix Online Studios developer or if this was the only option she had with her budget (although backers on Kickstarter DID give Jensen hundreds of thousands of dollars to make this game, and other developers have been able to do MUCH better with that much money), but I can't help but think that this game could have been salvaged by a developer able to produce work above an amateurish level.

    If you are a Jane Jensen fan, you will probably be demanding that any games from her in the future be done with a different, better developer. If you aren't a Jane Jensen fan, "Moebius" won't turn you into one.    … Expand
  19. DavGarcia
    Jul 21, 2014
    9
    This is a enjoyable adventure game that is straight forward but also provides some new Sherlock Holmes-esque gameplay. The historical tie-ins and variety of locations make the experience fun and immersive. The graphics are a little glitchy, but I don't really think that is a big deal. I only wish the story were longer and more in-depth. This game seems like something that could easily growThis is a enjoyable adventure game that is straight forward but also provides some new Sherlock Holmes-esque gameplay. The historical tie-ins and variety of locations make the experience fun and immersive. The graphics are a little glitchy, but I don't really think that is a big deal. I only wish the story were longer and more in-depth. This game seems like something that could easily grow into a novel.… Expand
  20. Devils
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    Amazing writing and amazing music outweigh the technical flaws in this adventure game. While the character animations aren't great, and some of the character models look strange, everything else that you would want in an adventure game is here. The story is thought provoking, the atmosphere is beautiful, and OMG the music is so good I can't even emphasize enough how perfect the soundtrackAmazing writing and amazing music outweigh the technical flaws in this adventure game. While the character animations aren't great, and some of the character models look strange, everything else that you would want in an adventure game is here. The story is thought provoking, the atmosphere is beautiful, and OMG the music is so good I can't even emphasize enough how perfect the soundtrack is.

    This is not a game for kids- it's very mature and engrossing. Lots of wit and lots of style. If you're looking for a great story and you can get past the technical flaws (none of which are game breaking, just distracting at times), this game will not disappoint you.    … Expand
  21. Eaze2013
    Apr 15, 2014
    8
    Overall, I had a lot of fun playing this game and the story was so interesting that I never wanted to stop. Every person you had to find out was different, and every location unique. Mix that up with some really badass scenarios, especially by the end, and you have a really exciting game, that you won't want to let go. Jane Jensen, if you are reading this, PLEASE make more Moebius games,Overall, I had a lot of fun playing this game and the story was so interesting that I never wanted to stop. Every person you had to find out was different, and every location unique. Mix that up with some really badass scenarios, especially by the end, and you have a really exciting game, that you won't want to let go. Jane Jensen, if you are reading this, PLEASE make more Moebius games, as I would be more than happy to continue playing as Malachi and solving more recurrences. If you are a adventure game fan, or just love good stories in general, you owe it to yourself to play this. Also, did I mention this game has kickass opening credits?… Expand
  22. Klytos
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    An excellent adventure game in my opinion. Very story driven and a unique and interesting plot. The main character Malachi has some excellent character development throughout the game and it'll be interesting to see where they take him if they do a sequel. The voice acting is excellent, there's not a single character who doesn't sound "right" and the opening sequence is amazing. Play this now.
  23. talindar
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    For a PnC Adventure on a limited budget - it's pretty good. The paranormal story line follows a trend that Jane Jensen is known for. Is it perfect, no, nothing ever is. But given the fact that this was not a big budget game - its pretty darn good!. Story is intriguing, good characters and puzzles are reasonable. Maybe not as hard as some would like to see, but not all easy either. OnFor a PnC Adventure on a limited budget - it's pretty good. The paranormal story line follows a trend that Jane Jensen is known for. Is it perfect, no, nothing ever is. But given the fact that this was not a big budget game - its pretty darn good!. Story is intriguing, good characters and puzzles are reasonable. Maybe not as hard as some would like to see, but not all easy either. On the down side the animation could be smoother. However, the music and graphics are excellent.
    This game is in a good position to convert new people to the genre. I would anticipate any sequel would build on this and provide a deeper experience.    … Expand
  24. MigRib
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    It's a pity that people nowadays tend to look at games and check the pixels in them. Pixels and awful aestethics don't make a good game and they certainly don't make a good narrative. This game does not excel in graphical design or aestethics, but it's not your retro-style kind of crap either, it's a point and click with a mix of mechanics that, though they are not new, still areIt's a pity that people nowadays tend to look at games and check the pixels in them. Pixels and awful aestethics don't make a good game and they certainly don't make a good narrative. This game does not excel in graphical design or aestethics, but it's not your retro-style kind of crap either, it's a point and click with a mix of mechanics that, though they are not new, still are innovative enough to keep interest. And the narrative and dialogues aren't bad either. Not literature, but, well, this is a video game... Compelling, interesting, immersive enough. Quite good for a point and click.… Expand
  25. Janmanden
    Jun 26, 2014
    7
    Unless you are easily challenged by graphical issues and pauses it's worth a try on a discount.

    I am not a Jane Jensen, but I played some of her previous games, which was the best to come ouf of Sierra Studios in its time, imo, but not the best I've played. I played the demo first and then read the reviews. I had quite a mixed feeling about the game from the demo and decided to try    Unless you are easily challenged by graphical issues and pauses it's worth a try on a discount.

    I am not a Jane Jensen, but I played some of her previous games, which was the best to come ouf of Sierra Studios in its time, imo, but not the best I've played.

    I played the demo first and then read the reviews. I had quite a mixed feeling about the game from the demo and decided to try it out if the price dropped - it did and I bought it. I was biased from the beginning and it stuck with me until chapter 3 more or less, but then I got tired of the hate, ignored the errors and learnt how to play the game right and was mostly quite entertained for the rest. It took me about 25 hours to complete it, perhaps a bit less, but I learnt a few things about how not-to-play the game the hard way.

    This game really starts off on the wrong foot and it's easy to hate and criticize, but once you get used to the sometimes odd mechanics and design flaws also mentioned in Critic Reviews and realize that you are playing a somewhat borderline psychotic and resentful anti-hero it gets better. It's clearly a game made on a limited budget and planning, but everything, but the characters, looks and sounds quite decent. Had to turn off the music, because it was giving me a headache, but the voices are quite acceptable.

    I guess the relationship between the two main characters is a bit old-school, reserved and respectable like Holmes and Watson. Reviews that touch the relationship, doesn't make that analogy or any other and fails to explain anything to me, really.

    There are too many bashing reviews. It's much easier to hate that it is to love, that's a quite banal way of putting it, but quite true. I like to hate too, sometimes and the game can be quite annoying in some ways, which can be partially avoided if you play it right (double-clicking to move faster, using the tool bar for switching areas), but it seems to me that a lot of reviewers like to whine more than the game deserves.

    There are some interesting new points and features of Adventure gaming, that should have been given more attention in development, because it's a bit too immature in it's present form being more about nailing the stereotype than making indepth character analysis and it also seems to be a bit too much of an old-school Sierra Adventure game, because you can make game-breaking mistakes that drops you in a "death" screen, but unless you are in a hurry to finish the game it shouldn't really be a problem and most of these events do actually make a lot of sense just like the "menace" of the inventory.

    Could have been an 8 or 8.5 with more work and polish, but as it is, I liked it, but it's a bit hard to recommend, because there is a personal requirement to play the game. A patch to fix the crappy graphics would be really (REALLY) nice.    … Expand
  26. EliJonas
    Apr 16, 2014
    10
    Excellent story and loved the characters, especially David. Hoping for a sequel quickly. Very much feels like a new GK series for the 2010's. Personally, I liked the art style and especially the cut scenes were very well done.
  27. asianmusicguy
    Apr 16, 2014
    10
    though the game has small flaws I believe that when you look at the game as a whole its truly a worthwhile adventure it had wonderful voice actors and a interesting unique story that grew with every chapter and a very cool cool analyze function which allows the main character to analyze people in a Sherlock Holmes like fashion I am proud to be a backer what was achieved on athough the game has small flaws I believe that when you look at the game as a whole its truly a worthwhile adventure it had wonderful voice actors and a interesting unique story that grew with every chapter and a very cool cool analyze function which allows the main character to analyze people in a Sherlock Holmes like fashion I am proud to be a backer what was achieved on a $435,316 budget is outstanding… Expand
  28. ShadowWeaver
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. I had been waiting for a long time for a new Jane Jensen game. She is an amazing storyteller. Malachi and David are great characters. The story was far reaching with its historical aspect tied with today's politics. It's a bit of a political thriller, a mystery with some paranormal aspects and a helluva good time.

    I didn't have any trouble with the interface    I really enjoyed this game. I had been waiting for a long time for a new Jane Jensen game. She is an amazing storyteller. Malachi and David are great characters. The story was far reaching with its historical aspect tied with today's politics. It's a bit of a political thriller, a mystery with some paranormal aspects and a helluva good time.

    I didn't have any trouble with the interface or any glitches in the game. The art was beautiful, the cut-scenes were amazing. Malachi's walking animations were the only thing that I thought could have been better. However, at this budget level... it was better than I could've hoped for.

    Congratulations to Jane and to all at Pinkerton Road and Phoenix Online. Well done. 9.5/10    … Expand
  29. emeraldsorceres
    May 4, 2014
    10
    The first game in years which I enjoyed playing and where I did not constantly need to use walkthroughs to progress. The storyline behind the moebius theory fit really well with the gameplay, and I loved getting to know the different historic figures.

    Even though a lot of people claim that the 3D graphics aren't the best of the best. You'll get too sucked up in the story to be worrying    The first game in years which I enjoyed playing and where I did not constantly need to use walkthroughs to progress. The storyline behind the moebius theory fit really well with the gameplay, and I loved getting to know the different historic figures.

    Even though a lot of people claim that the 3D graphics aren't the best of the best. You'll get too sucked up in the story to be worrying about the graphics. Besides what are we rating this game for? The budget or the quality?

    I recommend this game for everyone who wants to take a break from the mainstream shooters and is ready to try out something totally new and creative.    … Expand
  30. lehulk
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    Pros :
    + Good story
    + Interesting deduction feature (I wish it could have more impact on the dialogues though)
    + Interesting set of characters

    Cons :
    - The animations are a little bit outdated, but I didn't really expect more for a game with such a small budget.
    - The last chapter of the game kinda annoying, probably rushed because they run out of time/money
  31. Renmiri
    Apr 16, 2014
    10
    I for one loved the game and I'm very happy to have backed it on kickstarter. Yes there are a few annoying flaws with the arms animations and some puzzls do make you go back and forth but the story flows very well and the Moebius mystery is a great idea. I loved the character and the music and hope to see more of this series.
  32. Cudo_Shinichi
    Apr 20, 2014
    10
    I really don't get why there are so many negative reviews. Like it's the worst adventure game you've played. I think it's one of the best adventure games I've played. I mean not just some mediocre point 'n' click adventure games like Secret Files 2 (There was even joke about this game in Goodbye Deponia). Somebody says that it's not a Gabriel Knight, that the plot is bad and thatI really don't get why there are so many negative reviews. Like it's the worst adventure game you've played. I think it's one of the best adventure games I've played. I mean not just some mediocre point 'n' click adventure games like Secret Files 2 (There was even joke about this game in Goodbye Deponia). Somebody says that it's not a Gabriel Knight, that the plot is bad and that characters are awful. But those reviewers are totally subjective. They need to resigh themselves that this game isn't Gabriel Knight, there's a different atmosphere, different setting, and a more complexed character. I really enjoyed the game, the voice of Malachi and himself reminds me Sherlock from Sherlock BBC (his thoughts and deductions also similar to the show). The whole theory of Moebius and the search for the people's biographies is really original as multiple plot twists. The cutscenes are unusual and made like comic stripes which amazes me. The puzzles are not hard,they are smooth and don't slow you from narration. Also there is some fun thing about picking objects - Malachi takes something only when he knows why he needs it. Sounds logical and when you will come across an object and you need to do something with it, you rather fast realise what you need and where to get it, but further in the game you need to fly to another state, and then you need to return because you couldn't pick up that object last time! Despite that I didn't noticed anything strange in setting. Basically the game pulls you in, I passed it in two days because I couldn't take my eyes out of it! Also it's obvious that it's the first game in this series and hopefully, net time Jane will have more budget to make the game even better. About the duo - it's the most EPIC BROMANCE since Sherlock (also another similarity). And of course they're shipped already :D
    In conclusion: this new game of Jane Jensen is different, not bad. If you compare this game to Gabriel Knight - don't. It's another project, deal with it. Better support Jane so she would be able to make you lovely GB. Also the remake Sins of the Fathers was announced recently, so don't be picky.    … Expand
  33. andytimber
    Apr 26, 2014
    9
    It might not be as good as GKIII but it certainly has it s charms!

    An intriguing storyline taking you to exotic locales such as Venice and Cairo, logical puzzles and a smooth soundtrack set the tone for Jane Jensens latest adventure game. As usual with JJ's games there are many references to ancient history and of course occult mysteries. Unlike many other other reviewers I    It might not be as good as GKIII but it certainly has it s charms!

    An intriguing storyline taking you to exotic locales such as Venice and Cairo, logical puzzles and a smooth soundtrack set the tone for Jane Jensens latest adventure game. As usual with JJ's games there are many references to ancient history and of course occult mysteries.

    Unlike many other other reviewers I absolutely like the lead character, Malachite Rector, for his dry & arrogant attitude which perfectly fits his role as a leading historian and antique dealer. Also gotta love his quirky British accent.

    Th UI works perfectly for me: with your smart phone you can research background infos, analyse hints, contact player characters etc.

    All in all a very enjoayble & atmospheric game !    … Expand
  34. ChoicestGames
    Apr 22, 2014
    8
    The story, music and puzzles are what hold this game together - it's just a shame about the poor animations and low resolution graphics. If you can overlook the graphical flaws you've got a pretty good mystery adventure game on your hands. And with Jane Jensen at the helm, why wouldn't it be?
  35. Hechss
    Mar 24, 2016
    9
    Moebius offers a captivating, charming story, a brilliant protagonist and original (I'd say unique) gameplay mechanic in which you have to scan the history to find similarities between objects or people. A truly memorable adventure game. Congrats to Pinkerton Road and Jane. I hope we'll see more of Malachi or at least of this innovative mechanic.
  36. br305893
    Apr 26, 2014
    9
    Finally just finished playing! Overall a great adventure game, with the main strength definitely being the engrossing plot/storyline. The voice acting was superb as well, especially Owen as Malachi and Colin as David. I also really liked David's bad jokes! The only negatives I can think of were the frustrating ending cave maze and the graphics. But overall, Moebius is a winner. 9/10.
  37. JoshRitter
    Apr 17, 2014
    8
    Really interesting story but more could have been done with it. Best supporting character ever - David. Really interesting (B)romance. Excellent score. Unluckily, the graphics get in the way of the mood. Also, the puzzles were easy (due to the interface). Definitively worth a play and hopefully the beginning of a series.
  38. drnorge
    Apr 26, 2014
    9
    Moebius is filled with what Jane Jensen is know for, terrific story telling. The main character Malachi Rector is eccentric, secretive and intriguing. We start by knowing very little about him and gain knowledge into his secrets as the story unfolds. His mystery is critic to the larger mystery that unfolds within the game that has you jet setting around the world. There is a logic and funMoebius is filled with what Jane Jensen is know for, terrific story telling. The main character Malachi Rector is eccentric, secretive and intriguing. We start by knowing very little about him and gain knowledge into his secrets as the story unfolds. His mystery is critic to the larger mystery that unfolds within the game that has you jet setting around the world. There is a logic and fun to connecting the players in the game to historical counterparts that draws you back to the end game. It's not perfect but sets up an engaging outing that I would not miss if you are an adventure game fan.… Expand
  39. jinx78
    Jun 27, 2014
    7
    Moebius is a great game for the classic adventure gamer. The story is gripping, the characters interesting and the puzzles logical. I enjoyed playing it and I do hope it would turn into a new franchise.
    Negative sides are the ending that feels rushed, the music that feels a bit outdated and the ease with which most puzzles are solved. There is the point too of the graphics being a bit    Moebius is a great game for the classic adventure gamer. The story is gripping, the characters interesting and the puzzles logical. I enjoyed playing it and I do hope it would turn into a new franchise.
    Negative sides are the ending that feels rushed, the music that feels a bit outdated and the ease with which most puzzles are solved. There is the point too of the graphics being a bit substandard, but as the project had to make do with what they could scrape together, it is understandable and forgivable. Not really a GK3-mystery, but still worth your while.    … Expand
  40. Indybag
    Apr 11, 2016
    9
    Good story with good voice acting. Quite a different approach to adventure gaming, a more cerebral approach which may not appeal to eveyone, but I liked it. The graphics were ok - agree with comments about the quirky animation - but it looked good. I would be happy if a new game were produced to follow on.
  41. Tarran
    Jun 15, 2016
    8
    I was very curious about Moebius: Empire Rising as it seemed like interesting mature adventure game, despice the game not getting the best press. The demo and a low price convinced me to make the purchase.

    The game lived up to my expectations. I was particularly fond of the game mechanic where a person's appearance is used to deduce things about that person, very useful skill in real    I was very curious about Moebius: Empire Rising as it seemed like interesting mature adventure game, despice the game not getting the best press. The demo and a low price convinced me to make the purchase.

    The game lived up to my expectations. I was particularly fond of the game mechanic where a person's appearance is used to deduce things about that person, very useful skill in real life too. Many adventure games are heavy on solving simple puzzles, which I find silly and not fun. The background art was from good to very good. The main character with super high deduction and perception skills but with independent and arrogant personality, was a blast.

    Negatives are that I was little unease with the bromance that seemed to be going on, the last chapter wasn't as much fun as the rest of the game and there were some game stopping/crashing bugs. However, I played the windows version through wine in linux which adds instability.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 40
  3. Negative: 13 out of 40
  1. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Jul 30, 2014
    54
    On this new Jane Jansen adventure game, we are taking the role of an Antique dealer Malachi Rector, a man with terrible 3D graphics.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    65
    Moebius is not bad, but it’s the weakest entry in Jane Jensen’s portfolio and we have every right to demand more from her than just a decent game. [06/2014, p.70]
  3. PC Gamer UK
    Jun 16, 2014
    70
    Despite awkward graphics, it uses classic adventure themes to craft a mystery and a world worth exploring. [July 2014, p.72]
See all critic reviews »