Observation

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 180 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 180
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 180
  3. Negative: 26 out of 180

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  1. 0000h
    May 21, 2019
    9
    Great creepy story and cool 2001: a space odyssey look. Might not be for everyone but i really enjoy it
  2. Voodoo123
    Jun 14, 2019
    8
    If you ever had the thought 'I wish I could play a videogame as HAL' then stop reading and buy this game. Observation presents the player with an remarkably realised NASA inspired space station setting. This suitably isolated atmosphere is further bolstered by its great voice cast, and the plot develops moving along with excellent pacing. Warning, for at times the many 'puzzles' canIf you ever had the thought 'I wish I could play a videogame as HAL' then stop reading and buy this game. Observation presents the player with an remarkably realised NASA inspired space station setting. This suitably isolated atmosphere is further bolstered by its great voice cast, and the plot develops moving along with excellent pacing. Warning, for at times the many 'puzzles' can become frustrating for us mere humans as the game was clearly designed for a superior HAL intellect. A few negative points would be the speed at which cameras move is sooooo slow. Also the facial animation is pretty vacant seeming at times which is a bit of a shame given the quality of the vocal performances here. I would love to see more games adopt this setting.… Expand
  3. greenstar
    May 31, 2019
    5
    Good production values, but story is very slow, dull and thankfully short in this case. The puzzles are well-integrated into the story mechanics, but feel more like work than fun. Watch a let's play of the first half-hour or so to determine if to your tastes. The 'Untold Stories' was similar pacing and mechanics.
  4. Ryuail
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    This is one of those games that is tailored for a very specific taste. And I love it!

    The strength of studio no_Code, and of Observation by extension is the ability to tell abstract stories through complex puzzles. That with the oppressive, thriller-esque pacing of the narrative makes for the tensest 6 hours you may ever experience!
  5. BLUEKNIFE
    Dec 26, 2020
    10
    Terrific game and a breath of fresh air in a gaming world polluted with FPS, Battle Royale, etc. There is something unique and special here and I hope to see more from these developers. Top notch voice acting/writing/direction.
  6. robochef
    May 27, 2019
    10
    The original gameplay concept along with the very well written story make this game a piece of art.
    Definetly a worthy heir to Stories: Untold.
  7. Astroner
    May 23, 2019
    9
    Very good game for funs of Science-Fiction. Slow study of the station will not please everyone
  8. suprem3x
    May 24, 2019
    9
    A great gripping story with amazing atmosphere, attention to detail and visuals. All of which done to perfection! Had a few out loud "WTF!" moments too.

    The only negative I can bring from the experience was me spending a lot of time trying to understand/ figure out where to go or what to do, this slowed the pace of the story at some points where I was eager to progress (not knowing to    A great gripping story with amazing atmosphere, attention to detail and visuals. All of which done to perfection! Had a few out loud "WTF!" moments too.

    The only negative I can bring from the experience was me spending a lot of time trying to understand/ figure out where to go or what to do, this slowed the pace of the story at some points where I was eager to progress (not knowing to smash the vent as an example. it shamefully took me a while to figure that out). But it was nice not being hand held and instead given the freedom to explore and be apart of the experience as the ships AI as everything unfolded.

    Thank you for making this game.    … Expand
  9. YeOldePa
    Jun 10, 2019
    5
    Having played "Untold stories" just before, I was hoping for enjoying a great story once more, but sadly, this time you are not surprised with twists or great revelations that stay in your mind for long. The fun in the beginning often turns into tedious work, and navigating the station modules is a pain for its own. The controls and the game UI are quite weak, the game pace is always slow.Having played "Untold stories" just before, I was hoping for enjoying a great story once more, but sadly, this time you are not surprised with twists or great revelations that stay in your mind for long. The fun in the beginning often turns into tedious work, and navigating the station modules is a pain for its own. The controls and the game UI are quite weak, the game pace is always slow. The suspense is good though and reminds of the classical scifi master piece "2001", it's the thing that helped me keep playing it through. Don't hesitate to use a walkthrough help.… Expand
  10. ayk8
    Dec 7, 2020
    4
    Boring. The story may be great, but that's not the point.. To unravel it, you do lots of mundane tasks like switching and rotating cameras and solving grade school pattern puzzles to open hatches, turn switches and fetch things... it gets old pretty fast, and absolutely kills the pacing of the story. I got bored with the gameplay after several hours and quit.
  11. Rockr
    May 21, 2019
    7
    Cool story. 80's, Space Odyssey, Alien look. Graphics are awesome. A little slow paced sometimes. Great game. 7 out 10.
  12. GreggK
    May 22, 2019
    9
    (SPOILER FREE Review: This game is best experienced when you know nothing about it.)

    Entirely from the point of view of the computer, this is a different type of FPS sci-fi thriller. In fact This is more of a puzzle game than anything else, but it is a thriller that keeps the momentum going all throughout by making some intriguing twists and dark turns. Your main responsibility is    (SPOILER FREE Review: This game is best experienced when you know nothing about it.)

    Entirely from the point of view of the computer, this is a different type of FPS sci-fi thriller. In fact This is more of a puzzle game than anything else, but it is a thriller that keeps the momentum going all throughout by making some intriguing twists and dark turns.
    Your main responsibility is protecting Emma. The lonely astronaut who's stuck in this space station with you. She talks to you throughout the game asking for your assistance, and then you assist her. that's it, that's pretty much the game in a nutshell.
    Your only way to interact with the world is through a computer screen BIOS and cameras. Unlock hatch, turn a switch, operator a laptop etc. At on point you get into a sphere drone and get to fly around the station. But you never interact with the world in any other way than through a computer BIOS screen.
    The sound's and computer modules style reminded me the most of Alien: Isolation. Just like all sci-fi thrillers there's a hint of ALIEN in here. But only in some stylistic choice here and there.

    The only down side is there might be some moments where you can get stuck on because you may not know how to complete a certain task. I did twice. Those can be frustrating, but then looking at the solution online- the answer was always staring me right in the face. I just didn't see it.

    Overall this is a great experience.

    It's not a long game you can finish the whole thing in one sitting.
    ***Definitely check it out if you're into these types of games.
    *And especially now as the EpicStore sale is on, because you can pick up the game at almost 50% off. Well worth it.    … Expand
  13. Dexan
    May 22, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game gives a Fresh way how you play a game. The game is a bit short and Would love More interaction with more npc/ bigger spacestation. I has potenial to be allot more… Expand
  14. a_wild_dandan
    May 15, 2020
    3
    Captivating story, stunning atmosphere, and aggressively awful gameplay & controls...

    Let's start with praise: the story's mystery sinks its claws in and holds you until the (admittedly disappointing) ending. It's reminiscent of the first few episodes of Lost. The characters are engaging and charismatic. The world is superbly crafted and oozes eeriness and atmosphere (sometimes    Captivating story, stunning atmosphere, and aggressively awful gameplay & controls...

    Let's start with praise: the story's mystery sinks its claws in and holds you until the (admittedly disappointing) ending. It's reminiscent of the first few episodes of Lost. The characters are engaging and charismatic. The world is superbly crafted and oozes eeriness and atmosphere (sometimes literally). It reminds one of *Alien: Isolation*.

    Unfortunately, the most important aspect of a game -- the gameplay -- is stunningly bad. Here's the game loop: you are tasked with traveling to a particular room in the space station; you must scrupulously hunt pixels in this room to find a puzzle device that progresses the story (usually a laptop or switch); you must fiddle with said device in some insultingly tedious, time consuming way ("press your W key for awhile", "look at these symbols and regurgitate them back"); you thus trigger a progression cutscene; you do it all over again. It is the worst gaming experience I've had in recent memory.

    A game consisting solely of tedious busywork would perhaps be bearable if not for the astonishingly terrible controls. They're so convoluted and bizarrely unintuitive that it borders on parody. To avoid a scathing diatribe of nearly every aspect of this senseless, clearly-ported-from-a-console control system, I will simply say this: It feels as if someone who has never used a computer before was told to design the game's controls, they did, and Observation was shipped with this system with nary a playtest for usability. From using WASD instead of a mouse to control excruciatingly slow cameras, to hacky junk like holding `RMB` & `W` to change drone elevation, Observation's controls are a special hell that can only be truly appreciated by playing it.

    Worse, various cutscenes and collisions needlessly cause your viewport to jolt/flicker nauseatingly. I had to put the game down twice to avoid being sick. That has never happened to me in any other game, ever. Kudos for that achievement. I simply refuse to believe that any playtester gritted their teeth through this kludge and said "yeah, this is fine."

    But worst of all? This game had so much potential. The story and art direction are world class. The game mechanics are there. As an omnipresent AI, you could've had a quest in which you must dance from room to room helping the protagonist escape an enemy. There could've been genuinely rewarding and clever puzzles instead of a string of inane "fiddle with MacGuffin #2 in Room #11" missions.

    As a 20 minute short film, Observation would've been enjoyable. As a game? A game needs serviceable gameplay. 3/10.    … Expand
  15. theswedishdude
    May 22, 2019
    7
    Amazing and skillfully crafted presentation with great graphics, art direction, sound design and performances.
    The game does a great job of melding John Carpenter, Alien Isolation, 2001 and Interstellar.
    It perfectly sells the setting and does a great job of building and maintaining tension throughout most of the game. The gameplay ranges from fun to OK but can get tedious and even    Amazing and skillfully crafted presentation with great graphics, art direction, sound design and performances.
    The game does a great job of melding John Carpenter, Alien Isolation, 2001 and Interstellar.
    It perfectly sells the setting and does a great job of building and maintaining tension throughout most of the game.

    The gameplay ranges from fun to OK but can get tedious and even frustrating at times.
    The game works best when you play it trough the static cameras rather than with free 360 movement which you will have to deal with from time to time.
    Moving from point a to b can be alot harder and sluggish than it should be and the game can be very disorienting as certain points.

    The moment to moment gameplay is simple but engaging for the most part. The puzzles are very straight forward and easy with a couple of frustrating exceptions.
    I did get stuck a couple of times that wasn't because of puzzles but because at times the game is very unintuitive and does a poor job of guiding you in the right direction.

    You will also be asked you to rinse and repeat certain menial tasks like turning on power switches, continuously inputting random 3 button combinations, and scan every single room for interactable objects.
    Tasks that offer little in terms of satisfaction.

    While the story starts of very intriguing and got me hooked and making me want to find out more, you slowly realizes the writing is obtuse and nonsensical rather than deep and cerebral. The plot seems expansive at the beginning but there is little pay off and there are plot points that go nowhere.

    I did enjoyed my time with the game, so much so I finished it in a single session. I would recommend it for the moment to moment experience, despite some minor frustrations and pacing issues.
    Unfortunately, the story did leave me underwhelmed when all was said and done. I expected more when it came to the writing and I wanted something that stuck with me for days or weeks rather than being forgettable.

    If your into suspense, adventure games, walking sims and space, definitely pick this up. Just don't expect it's themes to be as awe inspiring as it's vistas.    … Expand
  16. ShaamaanPL
    May 24, 2019
    8
    Loved the subtle, creepy atmosphere and aesthetic of the game. Some moments were truly memorable, and are still in my head. The game is a "slow burn", so don't go in expecting things to explode in action packed scenes - this is definitely a "quiet" experience. The game clearly draws inspiration from works like Space Odyssey or Moon, and I think it manages to nail the story fairly well.Loved the subtle, creepy atmosphere and aesthetic of the game. Some moments were truly memorable, and are still in my head. The game is a "slow burn", so don't go in expecting things to explode in action packed scenes - this is definitely a "quiet" experience. The game clearly draws inspiration from works like Space Odyssey or Moon, and I think it manages to nail the story fairly well. Said story is best experienced "blind" without knowing what's going on.

    Admittedly, it's not very long and there were a few minor bugs / issues along the way. The most notable problem, for me, was the fact that the game has some really wonky controls on the PC, and works far better with a controller. That doesn't mean it's unplayable using a keyboard + mouse combo, but if you do have a controller lying around, it might be a good idea to use it. The other issues I faced were: a single, minor case of a model spawning in the wrong place in the geometry (I think this may have already been fixed as some updates have been released since), a single crash (thankfully the game auto-saves), and beyond that a few cases where I got a bit stuck because the on-screen instructions didn't line up with what I was actually supposed to do.

    This leaves the games length. I did buy the game for 40PLN (roughly 10 USD*), and for that price I can't complain at all; this is WITH the Epic discount currently on hand. Without the discount? Well, you need to judge for yourself - I'd probably find it a bit too short / expensive, but YMMV. Overall? I still highly recommend playing Observation.

    *- I don't know how much the game ACTUALLY costs in USD - regional pricing be damned. You, dear viewer, will need to check for yourself.

    PS. Be weary that most, if not all, of the negative reviews / scores are likely from people being salty that the game is on Epic Games Store. Obviously if that's a deal-breaker for you, then skip the game (or wait till it's available on another platform), but don't give the game a low score for that alone...    … Expand
  17. psylife
    May 29, 2019
    4
    You will be spending your time solving kindergarten level 'puzzles' served through an intentionally convoluted and obtuse interface as to create the illusion of challenge. That is if you consider challenging, the idea of bumping into every wall in search of some interactive pop-up. Tedious, boring, and repetitive, this is an experience that relies heavily on its audio-visual presentationYou will be spending your time solving kindergarten level 'puzzles' served through an intentionally convoluted and obtuse interface as to create the illusion of challenge. That is if you consider challenging, the idea of bumping into every wall in search of some interactive pop-up. Tedious, boring, and repetitive, this is an experience that relies heavily on its audio-visual presentation in order to entertain. Intriguing and immersive, the game is heavily inspired by classics such as 2001: A space odyssey and interstellar, while never succeeding in offering a respectable narrative pay off. Observation is a genuinely mediocre game and a concrete example of what happens when the artistic and directorial aspirations of a developer takes precedence over genuinely fun, clever, and engaging design and mechanics.… Expand
  18. dr_yev
    May 30, 2020
    3
    Boring, slow, uninspired story punctuated by completely unrealistic and unnecessary "puzzles" that involve slowly panning the camera around and having to remember patterns. Given that the protagonist is a an AI from a few years into the future, the slowdowns are silly and just serve to elongate the process. I probably got about half-way through and I do not know that I will be able toBoring, slow, uninspired story punctuated by completely unrealistic and unnecessary "puzzles" that involve slowly panning the camera around and having to remember patterns. Given that the protagonist is a an AI from a few years into the future, the slowdowns are silly and just serve to elongate the process. I probably got about half-way through and I do not know that I will be able to force myself to return.… Expand
  19. Nobilis1984
    May 26, 2019
    7
    Preliminary criticism:
    Very strong start but fizzled out after an hour. Messed up takes the helm.
    I fly around the area with Sam and look off spaceships. Very annoying. In the space station itself, the player also finds his way around badly. Without navigation assistance, you will search for the other sections forever. But what makes the game positive is the good story line. Based on    Preliminary criticism:
    Very strong start but fizzled out after an hour. Messed up takes the helm.
    I fly around the area with Sam and look off spaceships. Very annoying.
    In the space station itself, the player also finds his way around badly. Without navigation assistance, you will search for the other sections forever.
    But what makes the game positive is the good story line. Based on 2001 by Kubrick, this is the best in many months. Kudos to the developers.
    The puzzles are ok but quickly wear off. Always the same thing.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    … Expand
  20. philzlz
    May 29, 2019
    9
    A game that might not be for everyone but i really enjoyed. You are controlling the board computer on a space station in low earth orbit. Puzzles are pretty easy but i did get lost on space walks. Voice acting was good and graphics looked very realistic. The whole atmosphere was very unsettling and i wanted to finish the story to see what it was all about.

    One of the better indie games of 2019.
  21. OGNIOMAN
    Jun 3, 2019
    10
    Really interesting concept of being an A.I. of the ship. a total reversal of roles in typical science-fiction games, where we have at our disposal our artificial intelligence. Here we are A.I. and we listen to commands. A brilliant sound setting, graphics (the feeling of being a software) dialogues, storyline ... everything is perfectly interconnected creating one of the mostReally interesting concept of being an A.I. of the ship. a total reversal of roles in typical science-fiction games, where we have at our disposal our artificial intelligence. Here we are A.I. and we listen to commands. A brilliant sound setting, graphics (the feeling of being a software) dialogues, storyline ... everything is perfectly interconnected creating one of the most interesting science-fiction games for a long time. Only one minus. it is definitely too short and the ending leaves more questions than answers.… Expand
  22. NBMTX
    Jun 5, 2019
    9
    I enjoyed Observation quite a bit, as a sci-fi walking sim. A lot of people will find it boring, and/or maybe frustrating. If you're looking for gameplay, this isn't really it. If you're already intrigued by it's premise and just want an interactive 2001 x Interstellar experience, then check this out (...when it's on sale).
  23. IICookieG82II
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Creepy, unsettling, thriller. I would recommend watching 2001: A Space Odyssey before playing this game. Absolutely fantastic.
  24. nullbs
    May 25, 2019
    3
    Poor UI/UX.
    Boring game play.

    It's better to do something different than play this game.
  25. coloradomike
    Jun 5, 2019
    10
    Amazing game. Absolutely one of my favorites of all times. Story is fantastic and checked off most of my sci-fi needs.
  26. DaveTheJackal
    Jun 8, 2020
    4
    Really tedious puzzles the most difficult part of which is working out the clunky controls, the solution often amounting to "oh, I didn't realise I could do that!".

    Clichéd but stylish story with lazy ending. Confusing references in the finalé which presumably copies both 2001 and Bioshock Infinite [no, not homages, it's called lazy copying, especially when you rely on the previous    Really tedious puzzles the most difficult part of which is working out the clunky controls, the solution often amounting to "oh, I didn't realise I could do that!".

    Clichéd but stylish story with lazy ending. Confusing references in the finalé which presumably copies both 2001 and Bioshock Infinite [no, not homages, it's called lazy copying, especially when you rely on the previous works to do the world building for you]

    Not a patch on Stories Untold.    … Expand
  27. Mandulum
    Jun 20, 2019
    8
    Favorite Thing: Space? Horror? *drool*
    Least Favorite Thing: Searching aimlessly for things. Especially when outside the station, it's about as fun as looking for a needle in a haystack.

    Date Completed: 2019-05-31
    Playtime: 5h
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: If space and/or horror is your thing then yes!
  28. Lireal
    May 22, 2019
    9
    Game turned out to be really good. Voice acting was top notch, but the lip sync was just a tiny bit off. Graphics were beautiful. Controls on mouse+keyboard were spot on during the main parts of the game, but the sections where you controlled the sphere were a bit clumsy and at times irritating. Not a huge fan of QTEs, albeit only a few were in this game. Most of it was just enteringGame turned out to be really good. Voice acting was top notch, but the lip sync was just a tiny bit off. Graphics were beautiful. Controls on mouse+keyboard were spot on during the main parts of the game, but the sections where you controlled the sphere were a bit clumsy and at times irritating. Not a huge fan of QTEs, albeit only a few were in this game. Most of it was just entering strings of numbers in a sequence. The setting for the story was great. I loved the 1980's "future tech" feel, similar to that in Alien: Isolation.

    I give it a 9/10.    … Expand
  29. EvilsToy
    May 24, 2019
    9
    Great game! I understand than many negative reviews are for Epic Game Store. Well, also not supporting that policy, but the game is really good.
  30. mist1014
    Jun 15, 2019
    9
    Great game. Definitely inspired by Arthur C. Clarke and probably Stephen King. Deep and philosophic story.
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Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Best PC Game of 2019
74
#74 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Jun 28, 2019
    80
    Once you have mastered the interface and navigation challenges, Observation will sweep you up in a compelling story of human and machine interaction that offers a refreshing spin on a familiar sci-fi formula.
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  2. GameCritics
    Jun 17, 2019
    85
    While there have been a lot of games like it recently, Observation’s interesting player perspective, stellar production values, and exceptional level of detail might just make it the best of them.
    Read full review
  3. The Overpowered Noobs
    Jun 17, 2019
    60
    Challenging puzzles and a thrilling story makes Observation truly fantastic — but launch prices paired with the brevity of the experience and its lack of replay value make it hard to recommend.
    Read full review
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