NaissanceE

 PC
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. GameSpot
    Mar 6, 2014
    80
    NaissanceE is not a horror game. Yet the hairs on the back of my neck were at attention for most of the 10 hours I spent in its world.
  2. Multiplayer.it
    Feb 27, 2014
    80
    A long, mysterious journey across an alien world that eludes our logic and communicates with us through its architectural madness.
  3. Hooked Gamers
    Feb 18, 2014
    75
    As it is, the game still comes recommended...but only for non-epileptic players who have a high tolerance for frustration.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 59
  3. Negative: 11 out of 59
  1. darkwolf79
    Feb 14, 2014
    10
    This game sets out to make you feel alone and it keeps it promise.
    On an emotional level this game really delivers.
    At first you explore    This game sets out to make you feel alone and it keeps it promise.
    On an emotional level this game really delivers.

    At first you explore simple yet confined level structures that very soon give way to absolutely monumental feeling set pieces that will have you in awe.
    The art style is in itself consistent and works very well, especially when paired with the rather excellent audio design. This visual and acoustic experience seems to always matche perfectly.
    The game really manages to deliver a wide range of experiences and emotions, from feeling lost in a huge and fascinating world to adrenaline pumping action sequences and solving the occasional puzzle, it does it all very well.

    The one thing I especially enjoyed is the at times very clever level design. While being a linear game with areas for you to explore it never feels like it is linear. In fact, I could swear I was making my way through at random or at being driven by interesting set pieces.

    Don't however expect much of a story. Not in the traditional sense anyways. Whatever happened or happens is up to your imagination. That is a good thing though.

    All in all, if you're looking for a game that will take you on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride while making you feel small, forgotten and alone, then play it.

    The thing that stayed most with me is the level design. Simply brilliant.    … Full Review »
  2. evild4ve
    Mar 7, 2014
    2
    It's much less breathtaking than it looks. The puzzles, at least during the first hour or so which was all I could endure, involve pressingIt's much less breathtaking than it looks. The puzzles, at least during the first hour or so which was all I could endure, involve pressing light switches to move floating light sources around that make certain platforms appear and disappear. At first it looks like a clever mechanic like Closure (but in 3D), but it's really just switches. In HUGE levels, with no particular idea of where you're supposed to be going or why. It isn't open exploration, there's a linear route - and it's just intentionally not marked out well, or indeed at all. It's like: if I crawl through this little space here and jump over these boxes I'm in the "next" area, which is much like the last one except the boxes are a different way round. The gigantic scale looks good, but it's dull to wander round it. Another game that had this problem was EYE: Divine Cybermancy - if you've played the particular couple of maps in that with vast outdoor areas that take five minutes to walk across but have nothing to interact with or particularly look at on the way, that's pretty much NaissanceE. Only, without anything to do at the end of the long walk, or anything to look at on the way other than grey boxes.

    Another puzzle that annoyed me early on involved navigating down a big grey "lift shaft" type thing by hopping from ledge to ledge (long drops kill you forcing a return to the last save), and the puzzle is that the only available light source slowly drifts up and down the middle of the "lift shaft" so that you have to wait 30 seconds between each jump. I hate it when games make things difficult in the game that would be easy if you were physically there - and in this case could feel for the sheer drops at the edges of the ledges.

    I'm being really down on this game. It does have a moody, mysterious atmosphere going for it. But probably so would Halo if you removed the plot and replaced all the scenery with grey boxes and put a sort of pixelly filter over the front of everything. And it could well have profound spiritual revelations waiting further into the game, about loneliness, or whether anything means anything... but I just have a creeping suspicion that I could get the same revelations by walking around a shopping mall at night wearing dark glasses. They seem to be patching it lots, and it's a genuine indie not a cynical cash-in, I could just have done with more freedom to get lost walking round a huge grey building, the linearity at the start was a huge disappointment. Back to Anti-Chamber for me!    … Full Review »
  3. Leviathin1
    Feb 17, 2014
    10
    This game is a huge recommend. It's an amazing journey through a massive structure which feels of some alien design. Environmental navigationThis game is a huge recommend. It's an amazing journey through a massive structure which feels of some alien design. Environmental navigation and puzzles are very satisfying within the artsi and surreal, shades of grey pallet. Becomes a true test of mouse and keyboard prowess in the later stages. A true PC gamers must play.… Full Review »
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