Vane

 PC
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. Cubed3
    Aug 12, 2019
    80
    Aside from occasional camera troubles, Vane stands out as one of the most immersive titles of 2019. Whether exploring the world as a child or a bird, the visuals masterfully blend together in a beautiful environment worthy of exploration. In relying on visuals instead of dialogue, players can form a deeper appreciation for the world around them - one open to interpretation. Vane is not a particularly long adventure, but it's one that'll leave audiences reflecting long after the credits have rolled.
  2. PC Games
    Aug 14, 2019
    70
    Vane is a rather short and artistic indie game that is committed to give players as little guidance as necessary. That is true regarding the gameplay as well as the story. While the atmosphere and vast sceneries of Vane are intriguing, the game‘s reluctance to point the player in the right direction often works against itself and more often than not results in frustration.
  3. Gamersky
    Jul 23, 2019
    63
    Vane has a nice art style but with boring gameplay and tons of bugs.
  5. DarkStation
    Aug 5, 2019
    60
    Ultimately, it feels like Vane is an aesthetic concept more than a game. Certainly, it has the elements of traditional platforming games — environments to explore, puzzles to solve — but they are unrewarding and sometimes frustrating to experience. Vane’s art direction, music and suggestions of myth and mystery might be enough to carry some players through to the end, but others will be disappointed by Vane’s refusal to tell a coherent, character-driven narrative.
  6. Adventure Gamers
    Aug 19, 2019
    40
    Vane manages to successfully present an intriguingly surreal world, but its aimless story and execution keep players from deriving much satisfaction from visiting it.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 4 out of 9
  1. Zodwraith
    Aug 14, 2019
    4
    Just finished this. Took about 5-6 hours but could be done in 1-2. Most of that time was wasted wandering because there's no clues as to howJust finished this. Took about 5-6 hours but could be done in 1-2. Most of that time was wasted wandering because there's no clues as to how to progress in this concept/art demo disguised as a game. The best compliment it deserves is it's interesting, but that wears off quickly when you wander aimlessly not even KNOWING you're missing a key trigger let alone where that is. (Hint: There's more windsocks, birds, and kids than you think.)

    Flying is cool once you get it down but you're going to hate the clunky landing and camera that's not always where you need it to be, let alone want. Traveling on foot is a slow boring slog when the areas are unnecessarily large.

    The morphing landscape is cool but once that novelty wears off you have sand, rocks, empty ruins, and more sand and rocks. It's not even desolate with character, just plain desolate. The only change is when it's stormy but those parts are simple so over quickly. Ending is anticlimactic.

    The overall feel is someone had a cool idea for a level in a game, it was implemented, and they ran out of ideas so they stretched it out into a huge empty world and made you travel slowly to milk a 45 minute level into a several hour slogfest through copy>pasted environments. Exploration isn't fun when there's a ton of area to explore, very little to find, and you're really freaking slow. If you see something in the distance you may want to check out you shouldn't feel punished by that distance. Navigating and climbing obstacles on foot feels clunky and unpolished.

    I give it a 4 because a couple interesting ideas and atmosphere can't make up for the multitude of other issues that keep this from feeling like a completed game. I don't feel like it's worth $20. I have zero interest in playing it ever again and that's sad when it could be beaten in an hour once you know what you're doing.

    TLDR: If you're not an artsy hipster that gets off on environment you're going to feel very unrewarded.    … Full Review »
  2. Dubeau
    Jul 27, 2019
    6
    Vane is a nice game but has some problems along the way. The story is the kind you find in Journey but with an ending. It's a slow pace game.Vane is a nice game but has some problems along the way. The story is the kind you find in Journey but with an ending. It's a slow pace game. Flying or running isn't for the impatient. Flying is fun when you get the hang of it but there is a lot of problems with landing. Flying requires a lot of observation and exploration on where to go. Not everything is spelled out here. I experience some, going through the walls problems in the first area. The glowing ball is a bit hard to understand. There is a lot of smalls glitches with control and graphics. The sounds and the music are really good. The climbing around the tower, in the end is confusing and awful in design. I give it 60%. That was interesting but it lacked the emotion of these types of games, and technically not perfect.… Full Review »
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