STASIS

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 135 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 135
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 135
  3. Negative: 15 out of 135

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  1. MalcomGTX
    Sep 8, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Stasis is a lovingly-crafted game, the atmosphere is oftentimes superb. (My favorite area is the medical bay) Dark and moody is definitely attractive, but at times, items were very difficult to identify from other scenery. Oftentimes I knew what needed to happen in a puzzle, but couldn't figure out where the part I was missing was or seemingly clicked at the wrong spot the first attempt to solve a problem. Some environment interactions are inconsistent room to room (IE, bed footlocker) and a few times a description threw me off. ('Processed') The 'bone ''glue'' could have hinted more at its use if it were Bone ''Plaster'' or something along those lines, glue typically.. glues things solid. Thankfully most are logical. Once there is a need to backtrack near the very end, which at that point I might have just been fatigued but felt a bit contrary.

    It was nice to play a game that was psychologically orientated without relying on jump scares (well, some audio queues are designed that way, but thanks to the isometric perspective they are more enjoyable than uncomfortable). The text entries are well written and the VO is passable, though the actors lines give away a bit too much information in the way they are constructed. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the VAs, the delivery seemed hampered by their lines and it sounds as if lines were recorded out of context.

    I played through Stasis in about 10 hours with my wife; reading every text entry I could find to divulge more of the story. Sadly, towards the end I felt let down as the curtain was drawn. The climax of the story is suppose to be moving (and if it were juuuust a bit different it would be heart-wrenching), but we just sat there in disbelief. Surely there is some twist? This seems too, odd, straightforward. Is this a dream seque- nope. It has a reprieve before the final scene that is very well put pacing wise, it sets a dissonant tone, though it is immediately followed by another confusingly straightforward reveal that was plain as day. I was almost fooled mid-sentence into thinking it wasn't what I suspected with how sudden it was played.

    I advise you to play it, it is definitely worthwhile, it is a flawed game, but if anything the atmosphere of the first half is worth the pick up.    … Expand
  2. Voyou
    Sep 12, 2016
    4
    Heavy on text with a tiny font; I had to let it go. Yet a while later, a patch introduced a larger font, to be modified in a configuration file, an XL size that finally behaves like a normal font. Or almost (it's still rather small and hard to read.) Credit where due, the developers are active and diligent on the support, so, if you have a technical issue with the game, you still have aHeavy on text with a tiny font; I had to let it go. Yet a while later, a patch introduced a larger font, to be modified in a configuration file, an XL size that finally behaves like a normal font. Or almost (it's still rather small and hard to read.) Credit where due, the developers are active and diligent on the support, so, if you have a technical issue with the game, you still have a chance to come back to it later, like I did.

    The pretty pictures, unfortunately, are also terribly small. Very few developers seem to understand that the constant increase in screen resolution is not meant for smaller sprites and fonts, but for more detailed ones at a constant metric size. In the case of Stasis, it's hard enough to provoke a scare with animated pixels, it becomes a complete waste of time when one can't even distinguish that some tiny creature is rushing towards the protagonist. Can't give a more than average note for the graphics; specially if you consider that you've already seen it all before, many times.

    The interface is definitely less than average. For starters, there is no hot spots key, in 2015. Who still wants to scan their entire screen with a mouse ? I, for one, don't need the aggro. Here it's worse since the large majority of hot spots can't even been interacted with. When they do seem to interact, sometimes nothing happens on the click. When something does happen, it can be very unclear. For instance, you click on a corpse and a PDA pops up, supposedly the corpse's journal, but it's very awkward. In another case, you click on a corpse and all that happens is that your inventory icon flashes briefly in another corner of the screen. Open this inventory and you might notice that a new item is in there, but since inventory items have no descriptions, you are still left wondering. In short, the interface confuses the narrative instead of helping it.

    The voices are good. The atmospheric sounds also, technically, but I'm still wondering why I keep hearing screams and such in empty rooms and corridors. They seem out of place, random, played for thrills with no regard for environmental consistency.

    Finally, the story and its context are dreadfully unoriginal. I won't spoil, but you'll recognise every single aspect of Stasis from a previous game or movie if you were not born yesterday: the plot, the setting, the narrative through logs and journals, etc.

    I can't recommend; it's good enough for the true fan of this niche genre, not for the picky point n' click player. And I still wonder why the lift goes down at least 10 floors when I press the button to go down 1 floor. Maybe just for the muzak unfunny joke...    … Expand
  3. timberlaender
    Feb 14, 2016
    10
    System Shock meets Santarium, that probably best describes this rare gem of a game. If you are a fan of traditional adventure games and if you like ScFi classics like SS, Alien and Event Horizon than this is no brainer.

    I initially hesitated buying Stasis due to some mixed reviews, especially with the regards to the story. Don't make the same mistake. The story is top notch, the puzzles    System Shock meets Santarium, that probably best describes this rare gem of a game. If you are a fan of traditional adventure games and if you like ScFi classics like SS, Alien and Event Horizon than this is no brainer.

    I initially hesitated buying Stasis due to some mixed reviews, especially with the regards to the story. Don't make the same mistake. The story is top notch, the puzzles are fun and the atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous .Rich isometric graphics combined with amazing sound effects make this one of the densest games I have ever played.

    To think that all this has been created more or less by a single person (Chris Bischoff) is just mind boggling.

    Total 10/10. Get it NOW !    … Expand
  4. Mikimax
    Sep 4, 2015
    9
    Awesome isometric 2D adventure game with ok graphics, great music, ok story and really sick and twisted stuff. It reminds of Sanitarium.
    This is what the gaming is meant to be.
  5. PublicNuisance
    Mar 29, 2022
    7
    Having just come from playing Cayne I pretty much knew what to expect with Stasis. I expected to not be a big fan of it’s puzzles but absolutely love everything else. This was spot on. The atmosphere was a delightful mess although the graphics were showing a bit of age compared to Cayne as they were lacking in colour variety and detail. The voice acting was top notch and everyone involvedHaving just come from playing Cayne I pretty much knew what to expect with Stasis. I expected to not be a big fan of it’s puzzles but absolutely love everything else. This was spot on. The atmosphere was a delightful mess although the graphics were showing a bit of age compared to Cayne as they were lacking in colour variety and detail. The voice acting was top notch and everyone involved did a wonderful job. The music was great throughout. As for the puzzles, they were the same as Cayne, which is to say a mixed bag. My issue with many of them were the fact that many were what felt like random mixing of items and others required multiple tries. When I click on a valve and my character can’t turn it my train of thought never gets to “maybe I should try it exactly three more times” and several puzzles have this. Turning valve’s multiple times; hitting glass multiple times, etc. Usually in puzzle games something either works or it doesn’t. There was also a surgery puzzle I thought was terrible. The first part was alright but in part two of it you must hit buttons in a very specific order with little to go on as what that order is and if you die you start it from scratch. Being able to run was great. I do wish there was more of an objective list, it would have been very handy. I also wish that you could pause the game during dialogue but you can’t. You can die in the game but it isn’t really a big deal. A lot of it is common sense stuff of what not to do and if you do you respawn to a point usually shortly before. You never have to worry about enemies which is a bit weird. There are several creatures roaming about the ship; they have killed most of the crew; you can hear them running about; but they never attack you. I know the reason is probably due to combat not working well with a puzzle game but it’s still weird. I guessed the twists in the plot pretty much a mile away but the journey there was enjoyable enough I didn’t mind. The ending could have used a bit more of Epilogue but I guess in a way Cayne helps with that.

    I played Stasis on Linux using the Linux beta. It never crashed and I didn’t notice any bugs aside from Steam achievements not working. You can save whenever you want or there are auto save points as well. One thing I didn’t like was sometimes if I died the game would load an auto save point instead of my last manual save which was further along. It wasn’t a big deal as I just manually loaded the save file I wanted. There are no graphics options at all. Alt-Tab worked. I couldn’t monitor frame rate but I didn’t notice any lag. A couple times there were loading screens that lasted 3-5 seconds, which felt long for being on an NVME, but most loading screens were near instantaneous.

    Game Engine: Visionaire Engine
    Game Version Played: 1.3.9
    Disk Space Used: 2.84 GB

    GPU Usage: 4-15 %
    VRAM Usage: 1165-3257 MB
    CPU Usage: 2-11 %
    RAM Usage: 2.9-3.6 GB

    Despite the puzzles I really think Stasis is a solid game. Everything else is of such high quality I have to recommend it. Fans of the genre probably won’t mind the puzzles anyway. It’s worth it for the story; characters; voice acting; music and visual style. I finished the game in six hours and six minutes. I paid $5.74 CAD for it and felt that was fair value. Even $10 would have been alright.

    My System:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 580 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 21.3.7 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB | Garuda Soaring White-tailed-eagle | Mate 1.26.0 | Kernel 5.16.16-zen1-1-zen    … Expand
  6. PrimeHydra
    Oct 2, 2015
    7
    Solid old-school point-and-click sci-fi adventure. Some very chilling scenes to disocver. A lot of the backstory is delivered through email and journal logs that you discover along the way. These are all well and good, particularly when they provide relevant clues, but they get a bit repetitive.

    Excellent sound design adds to the eerie flavor, and the voice acting is solid. The story    Solid old-school point-and-click sci-fi adventure. Some very chilling scenes to disocver. A lot of the backstory is delivered through email and journal logs that you discover along the way. These are all well and good, particularly when they provide relevant clues, but they get a bit repetitive.

    Excellent sound design adds to the eerie flavor, and the voice acting is solid.

    The story could be a bit more original--particularly the villain. Most of the puzzles are logical, but a few I had to solve using random guesswork. One thing I liked is that you only have five or so items at any given time, making it less of a guess-fest. You probably won't have to use Google to solve this one.

    It was fun, but a bit of a letdown. Without spoiling anything, I suggest you keep in mind that this is first and foremost a horror story.    … Expand
  7. Skarwind
    Aug 31, 2015
    8
    Stasis is one of the most atmospheric point and click adventure games that I have played in a very long time. Set in a sci-fi style horror universe, Stasis may not have the most up to date graphics but its sound design and story make up for anything that the visual style may hold back.

    From a gameplay perspective it is your typical point and click adventure. You move your mouse over    Stasis is one of the most atmospheric point and click adventure games that I have played in a very long time. Set in a sci-fi style horror universe, Stasis may not have the most up to date graphics but its sound design and story make up for anything that the visual style may hold back.

    From a gameplay perspective it is your typical point and click adventure. You move your mouse over objects and find the pieces to the puzzle. One thing that stops me from giving this game anything higher than an 8 is simply because some of the puzzles do not have very apparent solutions. Most of the puzzles make sense but some will leave you scratching your head and wondering how the developers even figured this would be a suitable way to go about figuring something out.

    Otherwise, this game is a masterpiece of storytelling and will fill any sci-fi junky's heart with joy.    … Expand
  8. skyst
    Sep 1, 2015
    8
    I caught the Stasis campaign on Kickstarter back during the Kickstarter craze in late 2013 and was thoroughly impressed by the alpha demo available at that time. I immediately backed the project but would honestly forget about the game between the sporadic update emails. But now that Stasis has launched and is available to us all, how does it stack up?

    Quite well! Stasis seems to be a    I caught the Stasis campaign on Kickstarter back during the Kickstarter craze in late 2013 and was thoroughly impressed by the alpha demo available at that time. I immediately backed the project but would honestly forget about the game between the sporadic update emails. But now that Stasis has launched and is available to us all, how does it stack up?

    Quite well! Stasis seems to be a sort of labor of love from developer The Brotherhood, which, as far as I know, is basically just one-man-show, Chris Bischoff. Stasis is an isometric overhead adventure game, point-and-click style set in a near-future science fiction setting aboard a vast space ship, akin to the films Pandorum and Event Horizon. The story is told through interactions with survivors and numerous computers, PDAs and journals left scattered throughout the ship. The gameplay is backed up by a fantastic score by Mark Morgan (Fallout, Wasteland 2, Planescape: Torment) and chilling ambiance.

    The core gameplay element in Stasis is navigating the ship with the limited resources and information available to you. Challenges include using those resources to open doors, fix (or sabotage!) components of the ship and evade any various scifi/horror gooblies that may or may not be roaming its derelict halls. The dialogues with other characters are fully voiced and are quite well done, while the text is competently written and thoroughly entertaining. The version on Steam also boasts a full suite of achievements, most of which involve your character getting brutally slain by any of the many hazards and pitfalls that make up the beautiful (in a disturbingly creepy kind of way) isometric environments.

    Most of my gripes with Stasis come from my lack of enthusiasm for adventure games in general. It is a testament to the quality of this game that I rate is so highly and enjoyed it so much despite my feelings for the genre. I found some of the puzzles to be illogical and the solutions only came about by exhausting all available options, though my inexperience with adventure games could be contributing to my failing in that respect - adventure veterans' mileage may vary. My inner RPG nerd would have appreciated multiple solutions for puzzles or various means of progressing the story, which may well exist, but I didn't detect any during my playthrough. Minor gripes, all.

    In closing, Stasis is a fantastic game and a steal at $19.99 for anyone even remotely interested in scifi, horror or adventure games.    … Expand
  9. justmatt
    Sep 2, 2015
    9
    Producing an unsettling, even (at times) frightening point and click adventure game is a big accomplishment. Caveats about "ok" graphics are pointless in today's market where gamers enjoy pixelated titles if they're fun...and this game is so well done it's ridiculous. If a team this small can create something this refined than AAA publishers have fewer excuses than ever.

    One point    Producing an unsettling, even (at times) frightening point and click adventure game is a big accomplishment. Caveats about "ok" graphics are pointless in today's market where gamers enjoy pixelated titles if they're fun...and this game is so well done it's ridiculous. If a team this small can create something this refined than AAA publishers have fewer excuses than ever.

    One point beyond stating I applaud its story, atmosphere and production value....it is not a "typical" point and click game as the puzzles not only require the right components but are also dependent on John's positioning. Good example is that pool cue.

    Well done.    … Expand
  10. sarahAnthony
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    I am so impressed with this gem of an adventure game.
    It isn't MGS sure, but it was fun to play and kept me entertained for 10 hours.
    Visually, Stasis is absolutely astounding. The grimy decks and bulkheads of the Groomlake, recently (and suddenly) redecorated in every shade of intestinal red, are as expertly and extravagantly realized as anything you'd see in a triple-A game - a    I am so impressed with this gem of an adventure game.
    It isn't MGS sure, but it was fun to play and kept me entertained for 10 hours.

    Visually, Stasis is absolutely astounding. The grimy decks and bulkheads of the Groomlake, recently (and suddenly) redecorated in every shade of intestinal red, are as expertly and extravagantly realized as anything you'd see in a triple-A game - a phenomenal accomplishment by one-man design team, Chris Bischoff. Seriously, this is sci-fi horror at its most spectacular.
    The voice acting is mostly very solid, with South African bad guy Dr Malan claiming much of the slimelight, and the sound effects will keep your blood pressure dialled up to the max with ambient whispers, occasional shrieks, and WHY ARE THERE CHILDREN TALKING OUT OF THE WALLS. Music by Mark Morgan (Fallout, Planescape: Torment) is a bonus extra, the tension-setting, minor key intro sequence being my personal favourite of the mix.

    Loved it    … Expand
  11. domeru
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    Fantastic game, everything is just top notch.

    The isometric perspective and 2D backgrounds work very well for this kind of game. The music and ambient sounds really add to the atmosphere. The gameplay is excellent: the puzzles can be challenging but are never too hard (unlike older point & click adventure games). I also really appreciate the voice acting. It kind of reminds me of Dark    Fantastic game, everything is just top notch.

    The isometric perspective and 2D backgrounds work very well for this kind of game. The music and ambient sounds really add to the atmosphere. The gameplay is excellent: the puzzles can be challenging but are never too hard (unlike older point & click adventure games). I also really appreciate the voice acting. It kind of reminds me of Dark Souls in the sense that it's kind of weird & off-beat, but it totally fits the setting. Last but not least, the writing is superb too. Reading the PDA's of the dead crew members really pulls you into the story.

    Play at night with lights out and headphones on, and I can almost guarantee you'll be completely immersed.    … Expand
  12. theNILE
    Oct 17, 2015
    7
    Some decent writing, but a bit more polish would of gone a long way. Implementing music into the game wasn't done well, but the sounds and such are okay. I think they could of done more with the sound though - it seems like you can be anywhere on the ship and hear the same screams and weird noises.

    There is a lot of text in this game and you have to read it as it's probably the best    Some decent writing, but a bit more polish would of gone a long way. Implementing music into the game wasn't done well, but the sounds and such are okay. I think they could of done more with the sound though - it seems like you can be anywhere on the ship and hear the same screams and weird noises.

    There is a lot of text in this game and you have to read it as it's probably the best thing about the game. The **** up stuff was pretty good, and although the general plot was rather simplistic and not that original, it's rather enjoyable. The ending wasn't the best, and kind of reminded you of the lack of polish, but the setting and atmosphere is great.

    Normally not really my cup of tea, but a good game overall for an indie.    … Expand
  13. evolutional
    Sep 5, 2015
    9
    This is a looking glass into the twisted side of humanity. The game has some challenging puzzles and uses the sparse music to set a great atmosphere. The majority of the storyline is delivered in the form of text and whilst it's not ground breaking in content or delivery, it is well thought out and the various threads interweave nicely. The graphics are detailed (although the resolutionThis is a looking glass into the twisted side of humanity. The game has some challenging puzzles and uses the sparse music to set a great atmosphere. The majority of the storyline is delivered in the form of text and whilst it's not ground breaking in content or delivery, it is well thought out and the various threads interweave nicely. The graphics are detailed (although the resolution could be higher) and perfectly deliver the horror of what is going on.

    I enjoyed this game. I'm going to play it through a second time to see the bits I missed.    … Expand
  14. gettheninjas
    Nov 24, 2015
    6
    Reminded me of the old point-and-click game Sanitarium (except in space, of course). Excellent visuals for such a tiny dev team, but I felt like the audio and music could have done more to draw me into the game world.

    I think it's crucial in this kind of game to feel connected to the protagonist in order to become invested in the story, and that just didn't happen for me. I never felt    Reminded me of the old point-and-click game Sanitarium (except in space, of course). Excellent visuals for such a tiny dev team, but I felt like the audio and music could have done more to draw me into the game world.

    I think it's crucial in this kind of game to feel connected to the protagonist in order to become invested in the story, and that just didn't happen for me. I never felt as "connected" in this as I did in other adventure games. The voices were part of the trouble for me. Ending was disappointing for me, too, but I'll keep this spoiler free.

    Despite the flaws, I'd love to see a second game from this team. So much promise in this debut! If the sounds, music, and dialog were as refined as the visuals, this would be one of the best adventures of the year.

    Recommended for fans of sci-fi, point-and-click adventures, and anyone who is tired of jump scare and hiding games that try to call themselves "horror" game. (Yes, I'm looking at you Alien:Isolation and SOMA).    … Expand
  15. bancandrei
    May 26, 2020
    5
    Was looking for a good horror experience like The Witch's House but didn't find it here. This feels like a rather uninspired adventure game.
  16. StaticSpine
    Oct 17, 2015
    8
    The game is very good in terms of creating the right atmosphere: the beautiful and detailed 2D graphics and creepy sound design (including the soundtrack by Mark Morgan). You can catch the feeling of the space ship filled with dead bodies and failed experiments in every scene. The story, characters and puzzles are rather weak though. But the moody ambiance is the most important why youThe game is very good in terms of creating the right atmosphere: the beautiful and detailed 2D graphics and creepy sound design (including the soundtrack by Mark Morgan). You can catch the feeling of the space ship filled with dead bodies and failed experiments in every scene. The story, characters and puzzles are rather weak though. But the moody ambiance is the most important why you want to try this game.… Expand
  17. raorian
    Oct 15, 2015
    7
    this is the type of games that have an insane amount of flaws but still manages to be great in it's on way.
    there are some more lengthy reviews u should read.
    just two tips: don't be afraid to cheat and use walkthrough. though most of the pazzles are intuitive in a good way, some of them aren't. don't get over frustrated. also, read 50%-70% of the stuff. if u notice something is    this is the type of games that have an insane amount of flaws but still manages to be great in it's on way.
    there are some more lengthy reviews u should read.

    just two tips: don't be afraid to cheat and use walkthrough. though most of the pazzles are intuitive in a good way, some of them aren't. don't get over frustrated.

    also, read 50%-70% of the stuff. if u notice something is boring u, skip it.
    i honestly didn't care about the **** love triangle blah blah    … Expand
  18. Chilliast
    Nov 8, 2018
    9
    Heavily atmospheric sci-fi horror point-and-click adventure game. Very well made, the game shows the passion of the people who made it. Highly recommended.
  19. uVimOvil
    Jan 24, 2017
    9
    una aventura bastante innovadoramente tetrica haha me encanto la historia le falto un poco mas de desarroyo en varios apartados y algunos puzzles mas que supongan un desafio pero en general a sido fantastica esta aventura grafica
  20. Shaer
    Apr 4, 2021
    7
    ==My Opinion==
    What Good: Good atmosphere, nice graphics, cool story.
    What Bad: Lack of puzzles, Low resolution graphics, Too much reading materials through entire game-play which were really not much needed to progress.
  21. Crimert
    Mar 22, 2020
    6
    The sound and atmosphere were good. On the other hand, the controls were sometimes annoying and the ending was disappointing. 6hrs on record.
  22. Senn4237
    Aug 10, 2023
    9
    Amazing horror atmosphere and story. A little short but you receive way more than what you pay for.

Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Best PC Game of 2015
73
#73 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Brash Games
    Dec 3, 2015
    80
    It’s still an extremely worthwhile game though and provides an entertaining, if harrowing, experience. But those damn PDA entries remain incredibly irritating to the extent that STASIS remains only ‘very good’ rather than excellent.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 14, 2015
    75
    The story promises a lot but fails to deliver, visuals resembling Planescape are great but often obscure, but dense atmosphere (think Dead Space) and music will not leave you indifferent. [11/2015, p.58]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 5, 2015
    90
    STASIS is one of the best point´n click adventures of the year and a solid horror experience. Its take on horror genre – slow-paced but intense 2D sci-fi horror with a claustrophobic atmosphere – is something completely unique. Add to that solid puzzles, good story and and you have gem of a game. A must for both fans of the horror and adventure genres. [Oct 2015]
See all critic reviews »