The Mooseman

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 4 out of 22

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  1. iseeall
    Dec 17, 2017
    7
    A slow, atmospheric walking simulator-type game with a few puzzles and a focus on mythology of indigenous peoples of Northern Russia.

    Pros: - nice graphics, sounds and music - the game is unique, I doubt I ever saw anything like this about any real-history indigenous mythilogy.. Makes me actually wonder why e.g. Canadian devs never made anything about the Eskimo people or Australian    A slow, atmospheric walking simulator-type game with a few puzzles and a focus on mythology of indigenous peoples of Northern Russia.

    Pros:
    - nice graphics, sounds and music
    - the game is unique, I doubt I ever saw anything like this about any real-history indigenous mythilogy.. Makes me actually wonder why e.g. Canadian devs never made anything about the Eskimo people or Australian devs about the Maori etc. I suppose the market for the topic is just too small. Maybe I just didn't stumble upon those on Steam or other major stores but they do exist (?).

    Cons:
    - as most walking simulators go, it's "not really a game" type of game.. Though you will find a bunch of puzzles on your way which are mostly pretty easy to solve

    The game/application is not for fun or entertainment. Instead it's more like a relaxing/educational/artistic "experience", similar to what you would have while visiting a museum or following a audio-guide around some ancient ruins in a popular tourist destination. Giving it a 7/10 because I do think such stuff should exist even on such mass-culture medium as computer games specifically to prove that games can also be something else than pop culture. Though as a gamer I'd really expect more gameplay.. Just check e.g. "Inside" - a Danish game which does have interesting philosophy behind it and looks at least just as artistic (maybe even more artistic) than this one, but is aslo filled with tons of really interesting puzzles and mechanics. The comparison is probably too far-fetched, but I just want to say that you don't have to make a walking simulator if you intend the game to be non-mass culture. "Mooseman" feels almost like a walk around a museum with some puzzles slapped on it to make it look like a game. But at least the overall direction of thought is worthy, and I appreciate the effort.    … Expand
  2. SuperkenGaming
    Jul 5, 2018
    8
    The Mooseman
    A beautiful adventure
    Themooseman is a 2d puzzle walking simulator… There is no jumping here… there’s no real combat here… it’s a journey of the mooseman traveling through the different layers of the universe.. and different it is.. t through your whole journey… This game will take you anywhere form an hour to an hour and a half to complete if you search for collectables    The Mooseman
    A beautiful adventure
    Themooseman is a 2d puzzle walking simulator…
    There is no jumping here… there’s no real combat here…
    it’s a journey of the mooseman traveling through the different layers of the universe..
    and different it is.. t through your whole journey…
    This game will take you anywhere form an hour to an hour and a half to complete if you search for collectables like I did…
    But the world here is constantly changing and is gorgeous and mysterious throughout..
    basically you start as being able to change from dark to light, revealing new creatures or items to help you progress through the game..
    The is this games main mechanic and is the only one that sticks through with you to the end.. though its used in clever ways throughout, the required switching is spread out just enough to really keep this game feeling relaxing, letting the visuals and music soothe you as you explore this mysterious world..
    but there will also be moments though brief of doing other things like shooting an arrow or dealing with a bunch of flying heads..
    taking flight on the back of a bird…
    this really is a you never know whats around the next corner kind of game..
    I did have a bit of a hard time following the story here though..
    the voiceover is all in Russian, and there were even parts of the chapter text in Russian as well, though some were English..
    so im not sure if this was some sort of glitch, accidental Russian setting, or if it was done on purpose…
    even after your hour and a half journey though, this game is still full of secrets to uncover, and with a decent trophy list including a platinum trophy, I definitely plan on going back to uncover them
    I give the mooseman
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  3. GReviews
    Jul 17, 2018
    6
    Mooseman is a delightfully illustrated , side scrolling adventure game. Its puzzles are relatively straight forward for the most part but the world shifting mechanics allow for a interesting appreciation of its mythology. Mooseman will take you on a fantastical journey through the three worlds that make up the universe. It's pretty basic gameplay is less of a factor once you immerseMooseman is a delightfully illustrated , side scrolling adventure game. Its puzzles are relatively straight forward for the most part but the world shifting mechanics allow for a interesting appreciation of its mythology. Mooseman will take you on a fantastical journey through the three worlds that make up the universe. It's pretty basic gameplay is less of a factor once you immerse yourself in its rich culture.… Expand
  4. dubleyhew13
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    Another great indie title that delivers in quality atmosphere, gameplay and historical/cultural insight. This game may not be for everyone, but there's no denying the developers did an amazing job creating every small detail in the game and doing the necessary research to get everything about the history accurate. One of the best slow-burns I've ever played, and completing the game leavesAnother great indie title that delivers in quality atmosphere, gameplay and historical/cultural insight. This game may not be for everyone, but there's no denying the developers did an amazing job creating every small detail in the game and doing the necessary research to get everything about the history accurate. One of the best slow-burns I've ever played, and completing the game leaves you with a feeling of existentialism.… Expand
  5. SilverOrlov
    Sep 23, 2019
    8
    Very simple in terms of game-play. A game with its atmospheric and mystical style of spirits and legends. In general I liked it. There is only one fat BUT: half of the artifacts you damn don't understand how to get... once you dance for half an hour like a real shaman with a tambourine and a it doesn’t work, then I started to do it, I thought it didn’t work out, turned the game down toVery simple in terms of game-play. A game with its atmospheric and mystical style of spirits and legends. In general I liked it. There is only one fat BUT: half of the artifacts you damn don't understand how to get... once you dance for half an hour like a real shaman with a tambourine and a it doesn’t work, then I started to do it, I thought it didn’t work out, turned the game down to look at the guide’s website, through minute returned to the game, make one random move and this damn artifact appears ...WTF?!
    But even so, I would recommend this game at a discount in steam, at least for the sake of a beautiful interesting style that tells this story.    … Expand
  6. Crimert
    Jan 16, 2021
    5
    The atmosphere was okay but the puzzles weren't satisfying for me. 2hrs on record.
  7. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    3
    Could you walk any faster? No? BOOOOOORING. and looks like it was drawn in paint
  8. KEKRiLL
    Jul 8, 2021
    10
    the game perfectly tells about the mythology of the Komi-Permyaks, of course, there are flaws in the form of different sound volume and emptiness in some scenes. also, some things are not quite clear both in the plot of the story and in the gameplay. it turned out not bad and, following the acc of insta, you can understand that a sequel will be released soon. 1010
  9. Nebular_Echo
    Nov 13, 2021
    4
    Сама игра очень короткая, технически слабая и во многом похожа на заготовку, на концепт такой игры, а не что-то действительно готовое.

    - Слова автора на языке коми - это отличная идея, но читать это должна была колоритная старуха или дед с легким эффектом эха, чтобы игрок прямо почувствовал дух шаманизма. Увы, эту возможность слили. Язык-то звучит древний, но четко ощущается, что читает    Сама игра очень короткая, технически слабая и во многом похожа на заготовку, на концепт такой игры, а не что-то действительно готовое.

    - Слова автора на языке коми - это отличная идея, но читать это должна была колоритная старуха или дед с легким эффектом эха, чтобы игрок прямо почувствовал дух шаманизма. Увы, эту возможность слили. Язык-то звучит древний, но четко ощущается, что читает это просто полноватая работница пермского музея.
    - Герой максимально безликий, неинтересный. У него абсолютно невзрачная внешность, нет никаких отличительных черт. Он ничего не говорит, у него нет характера, нет развития, нет личной истории. Это просто болванчик.
    - Походка героя откровенно раздражала. Шаги не попадают в поверхность.
    - Игровых механик очень мало. Два переключателя режимов и по одному разу дают полетать и пострелять без возможности промахнуться. Это всё.
    - Уровень с охотой я нашел примитивным настолько, будто вернулся на 40 лет истории развития игр. Ты просто идешь вперед, нажимаешь стрелять, персонаж стреляет и побеждает. Я глазам не мог поверить, что они такое реально вставили.
    - Эффект lens flair (блики на линзах от солнца) сделан просто ужасно. Его вообще не должно было быть в игре про древность, где само присутствие линз камеры разрушает атмосферу. А они еще и сделаны так погано.
    - В библиотеке артефактов один из последних называется "пицевидный идол". Вы поняли? На пиццу похожий! И я загуглил - авторам сообщали об этом еще в 2017 году! Они не исправили.
    - Финальная головоломка с вращающимся лицом абсурдна настолько, насколько это возможно. Даже при замедлении вращение по трем осям происходит настолько быстро, что отреагировать и решить это невозможно. Условия головоломки меняются чаще чем раз в секунду. Таким образом выбить нужную комбинацию можно только если случайно.
    - Загадки с кристаллами и святилищем Ворсы реально делают из игрока человеколося.

    Капитальный недостаток игры - нехватка сюжета. Начиналось с того, что герою выпал жребий посетить три мира, и я ждал, что по мере прохождения будет раскрываться цель этого. Но нет. Нам зачитывают мифы о сотворении мира, и где в этом всем именно мы, я не уловил. В конце вроде бы оказалось, что путь героя - это объяснение суточного цикла, хотя я не уверен. Нет, не такой концовки я ждал, а чего-то помощней. Видите ли, за пару месяцев до этого я Gris прошел, а это абсолютная вершина философских платформеров, та игра впивается в душу, в глаза, влезает в сны, в ней лучшая 2д-графика из всех, мощнейшая музыка, потрясающая подача эмоциональных образов. После нее все остальные игры этого жанра всегда будут выглядеть мелко и пресно.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Aug 15, 2022
    70
    The Mooseman is a beautiful and moving art game that tells the story of a shaman’s journey to bring light to the world. It’s short but well worth playing for the atmosphere and creativity on display.
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  2. COGconnected
    Jul 20, 2018
    68
    Gameplay should be a delight, not an obligation. As a game, The Mooseman falters, but its atmosphere, tone, and storytelling all take huge strides to make up for the lacklustre gameplay. All-in-all, it’s certainly not bad, and I don’t feel guilty recommending it.
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  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Mar 10, 2017
    80
    Testo: Mithology and videogame, a strange but intriguing combination for an opera which manages to tell a series of forgotten myths in an engaging and inspired way. The gameplay might seem too simplistic but overall The Mooseman is an extremely fascinating experience.
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