EVERYTHING

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 52
  3. Negative: 12 out of 52

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. AndersMorales
    May 5, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. O'Reilly's "Everything" is fantastic. I had high expectations for this title, and it delivered right at a moment that I probably needed it to. With so much shifting and solidifying in the gaming industry, it's fun to watch a pronounced gaming experience really live up to its hype.

    I will agree with some reviews here that there's a lifespan to the game, however. For example, there's a clever environmental-repeat device that is seamlessly subtle and unnoticeable to start, but it becomes obvious and caging once you know what to look for. Traveling in a straight line only to realize that you're going in circles helps the messaging of the game in a way (existence is cyclical, etc. etc. etc.), but I very quickly became, for lack of a better way of describing it, claustrophobic. Once you notice the effect, there's no going back. The illusion shatters.

    And then there's Alan Watts. I love Alan Watts. I love the use of his lectured material as you amble through different levels of tangible and intangible magnifications. However - and I might have this wrong for not exploring long enough - the little recording nodes eventually seem to stop, and you lose that vastly important companionship in the game. I would've preferred the material to simply restart. Once they're gone, you're alone in a way that feels boring.

    And then there's this: the way you bop into different worlds a few levels down or a few levels up to find that transformations you had left in your wake remain, it just isn't ideal. I suppose that this makes sense for players looking to keep and eventually return to their assemblages, but I found myself feeling, again, pretty claustrophobic. Once I realized that it was a thing, I realized that the procedural infinitude I was perceiving was actually merely a handful of different ID'd zones that I could probably count if I gave myself to the effort. Granted, if my focus and interest were to worldbuild, I'd probably love this as a feature.

    All of that said, I just completely loved the scoring. There's a wonderful homage paid in music to much of what you're watching as you play, especially in the use of Glass-esque arpeggio and build. As a point of taste, though, I will say that there were some tracks that I didn't enjoy quite as much and did find myself sort of hoping for the ones I did like more often than not. I actually found myself at points trying to time Alan Watts recordings to play during the really good musical numbers. Pretty funny...

    Anyway, this title is outrageously fascinating. And that's really the word for it - fascinating. By the end, the formula is simple, and you're left to exist within a patterned series of repeating worlds and object sequences, but this game has a brilliantly memorable unfolding from start to finish. The confluence of musical wandering, natural abstraction, and in-scope-out-scope is powerful and symphonic, and it will stick with you for a good while if you give it time to do its thing. This game is total art.    … Expand
  2. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 21, 2017
    8
    Everything
    One of the strangest and most relaxing games I’ve ever played.
    Everything is a game about everything about perspective, and it does perspective in a near perfect way... You can become anything and everything… rolling around as an animal, listening to the thoughts of other plants, animals and items… sing to them… bring them with you... dance with them… Ascend or descend    Everything
    One of the strangest and most relaxing games I’ve ever played.
    Everything is a game about everything
    about perspective, and it does perspective in a near perfect way...
    You can become anything and everything…
    rolling around as an animal, listening to the thoughts of other plants, animals and items…
    sing to them… bring them with you... dance with them…
    Ascend or descend into them…
    and depending how far up or down you go, the perspective of the world changes almost completely…
    the giant world is a blur when you’re running around as a lady bug or rolling around as a pinecone..
    And changes again when you’re a penguin, or a mammoth… even a continent…
    visit the ocean... the stars...
    become a star...
    become a planet... descend into that planet and explore its lands…
    find recordings in the world that make you rethink everything there is to rethink
    It was calming doing nothing but exploring and listening to and reading philosophy as I transformed..
    You’re also free to change into any item and anytime you’ve transformed into before... including bringing a planet into another planet…
    There’s not much to say about this experience other than its one worth having.
    Nothing to worry about here…
    No tasks... no enemies…
    just enjoy…
    I give everything
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  3. BlakDak666
    Mar 23, 2017
    5
    I don't know how I truly feel with Everything. It is a game that tries to invoke a sense of philosophy that seems so uncertain how I should see it. It takes the concept of going to different roles of things like animals, houses, landmasses and such with some comical results as you can move, transform and more throughout the game. While this can sound initially funny and enjoyable (alongI don't know how I truly feel with Everything. It is a game that tries to invoke a sense of philosophy that seems so uncertain how I should see it. It takes the concept of going to different roles of things like animals, houses, landmasses and such with some comical results as you can move, transform and more throughout the game. While this can sound initially funny and enjoyable (along with a narration that feels quite interesting) the game is so boring to play after you've played for a few hours. The blur and textures on the game are not that great, and I even got a bit of motion sickness as the framerate drops mixed in with having groups of things was hard for me to continue forward. The way some things move might come off initially weird and funny, but the toy-like setup tires out too quickly and lacks diversity in animations.

    After I spent almost 10 hours on Everything and getting through the certain "story" point, I was then told I finished the tutorial and the 'real' journey of Everything had begun. I found this very hard to rationalize on why I spent so much time figuring out things, only then told it was a tutorial, but then precede to do the exact same things no differently? It makes no sense and I understand it is suppose to be a philosophical game that has no true definitive answer, but having no real goal can hurt someone's motivation to play after the humor wears off and the gimmick becomes tedious and stale. You can even let the game play itself and not even touch the controller and set the factors of interaction and huds to make it a movie like presentation, instead of playing it yourself.

    Everything is a literal mixed feeling for me, because on one hand I can see how the premise can be interesting and goofy to want to try, but the humor and gimmicks wears thin by the end. The game's graphics and framerate drops made it hard for me to appreciate the solid soundtrack and voice work of the narrator. I was so bored that if I even left out the true "ending" of Everything you really can't blame me if your game just doesn't sink in with me well enough to care.    … Expand
  4. Metog
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    What is Everything? Well, according to Alan Watts, I am Everything. You are Everything. And I wouldn't even know who Alan Watts is if I didn't buy and play this game. Everything is a journey about Everything. You can be anything you want to be. Including an army of fifty foot penguins. So because of that last reason, I am forced to give this game a perfect 10. If this wasn't helpful atWhat is Everything? Well, according to Alan Watts, I am Everything. You are Everything. And I wouldn't even know who Alan Watts is if I didn't buy and play this game. Everything is a journey about Everything. You can be anything you want to be. Including an army of fifty foot penguins. So because of that last reason, I am forced to give this game a perfect 10. If this wasn't helpful at all, it is probably because Everything cannot be explained. I am eight hours in and am planning to play al least a dozen more.… Expand
  5. Agarwel
    Mar 24, 2017
    7
    Everything is very difficult to rate. This piece of software (Im avoiding calling it a game) is basically interactive philosophical message. Dont expect much more. And it is up to you if you are interested into listening to this stuff. Dont expect some polished gameplay. Basically all oyu do is picking up the philosophical recordings and move in a enviromnent that is trying to support theEverything is very difficult to rate. This piece of software (Im avoiding calling it a game) is basically interactive philosophical message. Dont expect much more. And it is up to you if you are interested into listening to this stuff. Dont expect some polished gameplay. Basically all oyu do is picking up the philosophical recordings and move in a enviromnent that is trying to support the point visually. Everything is basically not bad. But I would probably suggest to wait for a little lower price before experiecing it. For 5-10 bucks it is worth it.… Expand
  6. omochadreams
    Mar 31, 2017
    10
    Everything is a stroke of genius. Thank you for this wonderful experience and for this great piece of art. The architect has left the building. Kudos to Alan Watts.
  7. creepkiller37
    Mar 29, 2017
    10
    This is an interesting title to say the least, at a first glance the game looks like a weird glitch game with the rolling animals, you soon gain the ability to change into other objects, plants, animals and more. The philosophical aspect is quite interesting, the minimalist design helps to get the point across. There is also the reading of thoughts, these thoughts range from lightheartedThis is an interesting title to say the least, at a first glance the game looks like a weird glitch game with the rolling animals, you soon gain the ability to change into other objects, plants, animals and more. The philosophical aspect is quite interesting, the minimalist design helps to get the point across. There is also the reading of thoughts, these thoughts range from lighthearted birthday planing to mild racism and near endgame from downright depressed to suicidal. The game is features a large amount of content as well as a massive world divided into zones which can be accessed by ascending and descending from certain areas and "Characters." Over all I would say that this game is quite an experience.… Expand
  8. PoleSaker
    Apr 8, 2017
    10
    Everything is a unique experience, there is a lot to discover, it is fun.
    I enjoy the feeling of being able to transform into anything I see, it's nice to walk around and interact with everything else... Everything has life.

    I look forward to carry on this journey!
  9. setuis
    Aug 16, 2019
    3
    This is not a game but a boring interaction of objects ...

    There is nothing to do in it you just change shapes, collect speech bubbles and listen to junk about suicide and universal hypothesis. The Trophy for this is it is stupidly glitched and not possible to get. I have tried emptying the mind many times often while full. This is pretentious garbage a short    This is not a game but a boring interaction of objects ...

    There is nothing to do in it you just change shapes, collect speech bubbles and listen to junk about suicide and universal hypothesis. The Trophy for this is it is stupidly glitched and not possible to get. I have tried emptying the mind many times often while full.

    This is pretentious garbage a short experience ruined by glitched trophies and utterly boring premise there is nothing to do once you escape the tutorial and is so boring that they included an auto play feature.

    If you like boring lectures , stupid movement animations or for some reason what to watch junk move around for no reason this is something to love otherwise avoid this garbage. The fact that is has a huge section about suicide with zero warning is a huge flag for people with depression to avoid this junk.    … Expand
  10. FuturePanda
    Jun 26, 2017
    10
    This is a game where the less you know about it before playing it the more revelatory the experience will be. For that reason I'm not going to go into detail about the contents of the game, except to say its unique, amusing, wise, cosmic and very much worth your attention.
  11. Snyx
    May 25, 2018
    8
    Everything is simple, yet charming. It offers a peaceful and relaxing experience that taught me a new philosophy of life, nature and everything really.

    There's not much that will keep the average gamer for long in Everything: no action, combat or puzzles, the graphics are subpar and there isn't any story to the game. But what this game can do, is put you in a different state of mind.    Everything is simple, yet charming. It offers a peaceful and relaxing experience that taught me a new philosophy of life, nature and everything really.

    There's not much that will keep the average gamer for long in Everything: no action, combat or puzzles, the graphics are subpar and there isn't any story to the game. But what this game can do, is put you in a different state of mind.

    You'll be exploring the world of Everything by simply taking on the form of different animals, plants, objects and pretty much anything that is out there. As you stumble and roll through the world, jumping from one form into the other, you sometimes find tape recordings of philosopher Alan Watts. Letting his words sink in while continuing to explore the world of Everything was a unique experience that I would have never expected from a game.    … Expand
  12. puporing9
    Jul 7, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loved this game... Experiencing the world as different things/critters, and dancing together... Mind you I went into this knowing what it is getting at (you are everything and everything is you, interconnectedness of beings, etc), so is not strange to me or if you already had some exposure to this experience through meditation, etc. I found it really relaxing and really liked Alan's narration and how each recording connected with the next. The game exposes limits of materialism which many people are stuck in currently and I think it is trying to shed light on this issue. The game is an attempt at expanding one's consciousness which I feel is something we need more of! What a great job and thoughtfully executed.… Expand
  13. Arreme
    Sep 27, 2018
    9
    Everything a new way of playing games not as entertainments but as totally new and meaningful experiences. At first this game created by David OReilly which has received a ton of awards, seems another time waster dumb grass simulator, but as you scout its fundamental dynamics the clock stops moving as you enter a new type of meditation while becoming everything, because you guessed, that’sEverything a new way of playing games not as entertainments but as totally new and meaningful experiences. At first this game created by David OReilly which has received a ton of awards, seems another time waster dumb grass simulator, but as you scout its fundamental dynamics the clock stops moving as you enter a new type of meditation while becoming everything, because you guessed, that’s the only objective.

    There is not a lot of things to be said about the graphics of the game as they are not the point of it anyway, so I’m going to review them fast: They are nor bad nor realistic, but this cartoonish style makes everything look decent without having a lot of impact to the performance, despite sometimes you can get some lag spikes when you arrive to the galactical stages.

    The gameplay seems bland at first with the limited amount of actions you are given, but as the NPC’s beautifully share their thoughts with their point of view, maybe as a photon or a black hole, you keep growing as the “everything” you are, unlocking new abilities, like dancing, thinking or scaling yourself. This “thoughts” are sometimes as dumb as “I’m expecting to become a flower” from a seed, or the regrets of a porcini for being an imbecile and now in consequence is completely alone. Everything feels alive yet dead, while you keep wandering through all these environments. As you go on, you will unlock eventually the power of transferring to another object, either big or small, getting to now thus completely new environments, as you be so small to enter the microscopic phase as a sand grain or completely enormous as a nebula in space. Despite what I have said, it’s true that sometimes the game feels really slows and gets quite repetitive, and some may not see the strange dynamics it contains. But the meaning of all these arbitrary actions become unified with the sound.

    The music is given to you as a friend, a loyal fellow that will always keep you out of the real world, so you can really feel you are moving through icy lands or wandering through the vast of space. It makes the game much more immersive, which is an effective feature considering the main idea conceived by this game, coming up next. As you explore you may find audio files recorded from the philosopher Allan Watts and his seminars in 1965, the one who introduced the Eastern Philosophy (Like Buddhism) to the western world. What you have been seeing apart from the main review are some quotes I have transcribed of the game. At first, I wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying, until he talked about death. It really touched me, and I suddenly understood the single goal it has, made me finally see the game not as the little actions you do over and over but as everything as a whole. Unfortunately, this game can only be played once. There is a side game mode after you unlock all the abilities, but you won’t be capable to repeat the experiences you get in the first run unless you have the power to erase your own memories.

    So, if I haven’t made it clear already, this game is all about patience, discovering and freedom, you are literally thrown into the wild with almost no instructions apart from the word “explore”. It’s not a game for everyone but you should get it if you want to try something now. Considering all of this, for me this game has a 9, for what it accomplishes and how it transmits a new and fresh idea with absolute originality, despite it’s sometimes repetitive behaviours.    … Expand
  14. Danil_Shtangeev
    Aug 17, 2019
    9
    This is something more about how to see the meaning of life through the lens of Alan Watts philosophy.
  15. WhatAboutThat
    Jan 22, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the most unique "games" I've ever played. It's mostly a philosophical exploration of identity. You explore the world/universe taking on different points of view: a tree, a car, a nebula, a molecule, an ant, a fire hydrant, a wolf, etc. During these explorations you get to listen to philosophical reflections from Alan Watts. If you enjoy relaxed exploring and philosophy, this is definitely the game for you!… Expand

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. games(TM)
    Jun 23, 2017
    70
    Willfully weird and captivating. [Issue#188, p.83]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 14, 2017
    90
    Weird yet wonderful, baffling yet beguiling, silly yet symbolic, this is a piece of art to make you appreciate the amazing absurdity of its creation. Safe to say, it's worth 12 quid. [June 2017, p.92]
  3. DarkStation
    Jun 7, 2017
    80
    Everything is definitely a unique experience but it does wear out its welcome at a point. When it starts to feel empty and like all you're doing is mechanically ticking things off of a "found a thing to control!" checklist and feels like it's leaving its message to the wayside, that's when it's best to cut it loose, in my opinion. It can feel unlike anything you've ever played, but eventually, like real existence, it starts to feel like a slog. But in those moments when it's firing on all cylinders, it's really something special.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »