Observer

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 104
  3. Negative: 20 out of 104
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  1. lipesg
    Sep 24, 2017
    10
    Observer is like Blade Runner meeting Layers of Fear. The atmosphere is insanely well crafted. The story makes us go forward. And the parts where we hack into the mind of people are just insane as Layers of Fear, with nightmarish visions and abstract things happening around us, the surroundings shifting, and we never know what to expect next.
    Bloober Team just did it again!
    I'm loving    Observer is like Blade Runner meeting Layers of Fear. The atmosphere is insanely well crafted. The story makes us go forward. And the parts where we hack into the mind of people are just insane as Layers of Fear, with nightmarish visions and abstract things happening around us, the surroundings shifting, and we never know what to expect next.
    Bloober Team just did it again!
    I'm loving this game just as I loved Layers of Fear.

    Update: After finishing the game I can say that for me this is really a masterpiece. The ending has a mind blowing plot twist that will make you keep thinking about this game long after the credits rolls on the screen. And there are also some short side stories that are so sick and will make you think about the way we use technology today and in the future. Thank You Bloober Team!    … Expand
  2. Ascyltus
    Aug 16, 2017
    10
    It really is Layers of Fear meets Blade Runner, the soundtrack is great, I love the graphics and the atmosphere, very unsettling use of analog video and retro-futuristic set-ups.

    On another note, the fps tends to drop even on the PS4 Pro. I used to think that there was screen-tearing but it's actually a feature of the game if you forget to take your Synchrozine Pill. 10/10 would accept    It really is Layers of Fear meets Blade Runner, the soundtrack is great, I love the graphics and the atmosphere, very unsettling use of analog video and retro-futuristic set-ups.

    On another note, the fps tends to drop even on the PS4 Pro. I used to think that there was screen-tearing but it's actually a feature of the game if you forget to take your Synchrozine Pill. 10/10 would accept Corporation-approved drug again. Insane cyberpunk dystopia that Philip K Dick could be proud of.    … Expand
  3. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 17, 2017
    8
    Observer
    Slow start but a great finish
    Observer is an about 6 and a half hr long cyberpunk styled psychological horror game where you play as detective Daniel Lazarski investigating an apartment building after he gets a call from his son adam, you spend the rest of the game trying to find out exactly what happened to your son and to the other murdered victims in this building.. This    Observer
    Slow start but a great finish
    Observer is an about 6 and a half hr long cyberpunk styled psychological horror game where you play as detective Daniel Lazarski investigating an apartment building after he gets a call from his son adam, you spend the rest of the game trying to find out exactly what happened to your son and to the other murdered victims in this building..
    This game is developed by the same team that made one of my most favorite horror games of all time layers of fear, so I was extremely excited to try this one out
    and admittedly I was very disappointed in the games first half…
    The first half to me felt like a door to door salesman simulator..
    youre just knocking on door after door until someone answers and you interrogate them to help you progress through the game
    Youre finding codes and throwing switched to access different areas and youll eventually find yourself investigating a crimescene, there are computers around with mini games within the game as well as documents to get you deeper into these characters, but this is where you do batman style scanning of the items at the crime scene trying to figure out exactly what happened to the victim
    but you can take getting information a step further
    you play as an observer.. youre able to plug into minds and see a distorted reality of your target to get answers buried deep in their conscious and subsconsious through a chip they have in their head, which is found by scanning them..
    these moments arewhere the game becomes great,
    a lot of puzzles and mind tricks and survival horror , shifting rooms much like the layers of fear games…
    and each one offers an intriguing and unique experience, stopping it from feeling repetitive like the investigator part of the game
    I didn’t necisarily find this game to be scary, but its definitely unsettling..
    and once you reach the end of that characters story things are blurry and you have to take a pill… this happens as you wander around the building for too long as well..
    im not really sure the point of this mechanic.. its just makes the game ugly, choppy, and hard to look at.. but it’s a thing and you have to look for these pills around the rooms.. but then youre back to being a door to door salesman..
    until finally youre not anymore..
    theres one final door to door section underground which is where I ran into the only bug during my play time where the night vision wouldn’t click off, thankfully this was fixed by backing out into the menue and coming back into the game…
    but the 2nd half of the game is very linear and is like one giant chunk of the mind hacking stuff and its great..
    shifting rooms, illusions, questions, answers, monsters…
    I much preferred going through these mind bending moments that made me fall in love with layers of fear so much…
    I was worried with the initial direction the game was taking, but the brilliant story telling pulled me through to the good stuff
    Who knows, maybe you end up liking the door to door stuff and finding codes and investigating areas..
    I didn’t.. and if you don’t I promise you that its definitely worth getting through the slow drag of the games first half and dealing with all of its knocking on doors, puzzles and switches to get to its 2nd half..
    Bloober Team delivers again with a great psychological horror experience
    I give Observer
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  4. kraenk
    Aug 16, 2017
    10
    As soon as I realised this game was made by some polish developers I got curious. By experience most developers from Eastern Europe always care a lot for a unique style, story and atmosphere and luckily I was not disappointed. A dystopian horror adventure with great character and a likeable protagonist! Sadly performance on PS4 isn't that great but ok for such a game.
    Do me a    As soon as I realised this game was made by some polish developers I got curious. By experience most developers from Eastern Europe always care a lot for a unique style, story and atmosphere and luckily I was not disappointed. A dystopian horror adventure with great character and a likeable protagonist! Sadly performance on PS4 isn't that great but ok for such a game.
    Do me a favour...watch the first hour or so in a let's play...if you like what you see buy it! Small developers who dare to bring us experiences like that deserve to be supported!    … Expand
  5. Turbodowg
    Nov 21, 2017
    8
    The Observer is one of those neat little hidden gems you find. I'd heard nothing about it, I accidentally stumbled on it in the PSN Halloween sale. Within minutes I was drawn into the interesting dystopian sci-fi world that resembled Bladerunner mixed with George Orwell's 1984. The world has a rich detail complemented by lighting and a foreboding synth sound score. The protagonist isThe Observer is one of those neat little hidden gems you find. I'd heard nothing about it, I accidentally stumbled on it in the PSN Halloween sale. Within minutes I was drawn into the interesting dystopian sci-fi world that resembled Bladerunner mixed with George Orwell's 1984. The world has a rich detail complemented by lighting and a foreboding synth sound score. The protagonist is voiced well by Rutger Hauer who plays the aging cop like a film noir character.
    Game-play consists of searching for clues, questioning NPCs, exploration and a bit of stealth. The story moves the game-play along and keeps you wanting to know more.
    The protagonist is an observer, someone who can hack into peoples minds to find out what they have witnessed, when inside their minds game-play because very trippy and a little disturbing.

    The observer is one of those games that sticks with you and gets you thinking. It's a good and solid story driven game and I hope the studio behind it keeps on producing unique games like this.

    It's not perfect and there are some frame-rate drops and at times the mind sequences can leave you a little puzzled and go on a little too long. But I'd definitely recommend this game to horror and sci fi fans.    … Expand
  6. badgerryan19
    Aug 27, 2017
    8
    Really liked the game. Pretty cool Cyberpunk story and scenery. The games story is pretty interesting even though it was a little confusing at moments. Good voice acting and engaging/thrilling scenes make this one a good one. The game is sometimes really bad laggy though. But not all the time.
  7. PS-Online
    Nov 5, 2017
    8
    I remember as a teenager an actor that stood out for me and a movie, that movie was Wanted Dead Or Alive staring Rutger Hauer. I was made up to learn that he would be playing the main character in the new horror game from Bloober Team.

    You play as Daniel an investigator, receiving a call from his son asking for help which leads him to an apartment block that gets locked down as soon as    I remember as a teenager an actor that stood out for me and a movie, that movie was Wanted Dead Or Alive staring Rutger Hauer. I was made up to learn that he would be playing the main character in the new horror game from Bloober Team.

    You play as Daniel an investigator, receiving a call from his son asking for help which leads him to an apartment block that gets locked down as soon as he has entered, cutting it off from the outside world. The block is full of mad, strange tenants that remain locked behind doors where interacting with them comes through a game of door knocking to try to solve riddles and find out what has happened to your son.

    The game soon gets very bloody and anyone with the faintest admiration for jump scare games or who are in any way won over by mad trippy mind bending soul searching are in for a treat. Observer starts off slow but intriguing. You visit your sons apartment to find a 'mess', to search through this to gather clues you have a scanner to view electrical surges or general object scanning. This forms the main part of the game, clue searching.
    It's essential that I point out that you have a glove that monitors your health etc. You have a bit of a fit now and then and have to stabilise yourself. I thought the game had gone wrong. Poor frame-rate and messed up visuals is corrected by taking a pill. Ooops.

    The game really kicks off when you first use the little prong that can enter a chip in a victim to scan what they have been up to. My first use of this was quite frankly...mad. Brilliant but mad and reminds me of so many movies I've seen over the years, the wtf movies. I can't say any more than that as it would spoil things for you.

    Observer is a dirty game. The old run down but futuristic Blade Runner type look to the world is brilliant. Look into a old smashed up toilet and you will repulse at some of the fantastic artwork on show. Lights flicker, rain streams down glass, sparks everything is designed to make you feel uncomfortable, it works. Did I mention blood? Some of the imagination that has gone into the game simply can't be talked about in a review, it would just spoil things.
    Sound plays a huge part to the game ramping up the tension. People calling out in desperation wondering whats going on adds to your own claustrophobic feeling.

    Observer wants to play with your mind and does a really good job of what I feel the developer has set out to do. Games like this come and go but you'll talk about some of it's moments in years to come and that's what makes a great game.

    Original and scares at the right turns not just for the sake of it make this game a worthy contender to the walk-horror game genre. Now get in and try to find your son!    … Expand
  8. NikolayG
    Aug 27, 2017
    10
    An awesome beautiful game. If you like cyberpunk; if you liked Blade Runner, the short story, movie, or game, you will love Observer. This is a stylish, first person adventure. There are few games in the history of gaming, like it.
  9. slomofojoe
    Jul 7, 2018
    10
    Ok, maybe not a 10/10 like The Witcher 3, but for it's genre, wow. Talk about a mind f*ck. It's visually stimulating and just insane at times. Almost like walking through an amazing haunted house at times. If you dont like dream sequences with flashing lights, and environments constantly shifting and transitioning into to new horrific and groteqes scenes when you least expect it, or a mindOk, maybe not a 10/10 like The Witcher 3, but for it's genre, wow. Talk about a mind f*ck. It's visually stimulating and just insane at times. Almost like walking through an amazing haunted house at times. If you dont like dream sequences with flashing lights, and environments constantly shifting and transitioning into to new horrific and groteqes scenes when you least expect it, or a mind bending plot that twists the realms of the mind, technology, and reality so much you question what is real, then this game is not for you. And the story is actually great to, youll be given hints, and you may figure some parts out, but youre never really sure. It reminded me of SOMA, another awesome game, but if you disliked SOMA, then this might not be for you because it follows a very similar formula... also, this is not straight up horror. Its a science fiction, murder detective, thriller, with strong horror elements... th only bad really is that the acrual gameplay is weak. I mean, no inventory management, or weapons, or anything like that. Its 85percent ineractive narrative and a visual experience. My mind was blown!!!!… Expand
  10. destinyfan1
    Sep 20, 2017
    8
    I normally don't buy this games but a friend of me forced me,he is my best friend now ( actually not)
    This game is amazing ,the atmosphere ,the story, memorable characters
    I saw some bugs but nothing groundbreaking
    I also found the first half of the game to be sometimes boring ,but believe me the second half is awesome
    Buy this polish game!!!!!!!
  11. BITESCREEN
    Oct 4, 2017
    9
    Das Indie-Horrorspiel Layers of Fear versetzte uns in den verdrehten Verstand eines wahnsinnigen Malers. Technisch beeindruckend und überzeugend erzählt, war die Psycho-Geisterbahn des polnischen Bloober Teams jedoch nicht mehr als ein fast interaktionsfreier Walking Simulator. Das ändert sich mit Observer: Deutlich ambitionierter in Inszenierung, Story und Gameplay, geht es als DetectiveDas Indie-Horrorspiel Layers of Fear versetzte uns in den verdrehten Verstand eines wahnsinnigen Malers. Technisch beeindruckend und überzeugend erzählt, war die Psycho-Geisterbahn des polnischen Bloober Teams jedoch nicht mehr als ein fast interaktionsfreier Walking Simulator. Das ändert sich mit Observer: Deutlich ambitionierter in Inszenierung, Story und Gameplay, geht es als Detective Daniel Lazarski in eine von Implantaten und dem Orwellschen Tech-Unternehmen Chiron beherrschte Cyberpunk-Zukunft. Der Staatspolizist sucht in einem abgeschotteten Apartmentkomplex nach Cyber-Terroristen – und der Quelle des mysteriösen Funkspruchs seines eigentlich verstorbenen Sohnes. In bedrückender Stimmung und einer stark von Blade Runner-inspirierten Umgebung befragen wir paranoide Bewohner via Gegensprechanlage, suchen mit der Detektivsicht an blutigen Tatorten nach Hinweisen und loggen uns per Kabel in die Hirne von Toten. Besonders in diesen surreal-durchgeknallten Sequenzen wird Observer richtig fies, während der Rest mehr stimmungsvoller Psychothiller als Horrorspiel ist. Der aber überzeugt immens: Die Spielwelt ist bedrückend authentisch und voller kleiner Geschichten, Kultstar Rutger Hauer mimt den zynischen Detective perfekt – und die Wo-hört-der-Mensch-auf-wo-beginnt-die-Maschine-Thematik überzeugt wie einst in Soma.… Expand
  12. ToMajonez
    Jul 27, 2018
    10
    The storytelling and visual art are excellent. This game is a masterpiece. PS: One of the best mini - games "With Sword and Fire: Spiders".
  13. angelknives
    Dec 11, 2020
    8
    A small but intriguing cyberpunk game that has a lot of smaller details to discover. I really enjoyed exploring the world and can still find new small stories I hadn't noticed before. The main story is interesting, even if it could've used a bit more content. I also love the art style of the game.
  14. beta_Critic
    Oct 21, 2019
    9
    Think phsychological psychadelic horror. Amazing horror with tons of puzzles/easter eggs and butt-clenchers, and I mean true effin buttclenchers,

    Only a few jumpscares compared to the constant, deep and inescapeable horror. I rarely like horror games as I don't like not being able to use defensive strategies, but in oberserver I felt nothing bad against the game that I coldn't attack.    Think phsychological psychadelic horror. Amazing horror with tons of puzzles/easter eggs and butt-clenchers, and I mean true effin buttclenchers,

    Only a few jumpscares compared to the constant, deep and inescapeable horror.
    I rarely like horror games as I don't like not being able to use defensive strategies, but in oberserver I felt nothing bad against the game that I coldn't attack. The aestethics are amazeballs, but if you are prone to seizures this is a game you should be careful playing.

    Great easter eggs and much to find for the thorough player, Even more to find for the thoughtful player.

    Aesthetics 9.5/10
    Atmosphere: 10/10 Bladerunner meet guillermo del toro
    Textures/Models: 9/10
    Audio/OST: 9/10 Great soundtrack, Menu soundtrack can get a bit loud though.
    Story: 9/10

    Gameplay: 8.5/10
    Puzzles: 8/10, ranging from very easy to challenging,
    Choice: 7/10, Most of the time you can make a choice, but sometimes you are unwillingly stifled.
    Easter Eggs: 10/10.
    Mechanics: 7/10, left some to be desired.

    Overall: 9/10    … Expand
  15. bergcamp101
    Aug 24, 2020
    8
    I wouldn't call it a horror, but some moments are definitely scary. Otherwise - great game with distinct ambience, good puzzles and interesting plot.

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. DualShockers
    Dec 12, 2017
    85
    The beauty of its terror is that it is not earned cheaply.
    Read full review
  2. The Digital Fix
    Oct 18, 2017
    60
    A beautifully realised and often harrowing cyberpunk tale let down by repetition and gameplay which is both simple and frustrating in equal measure.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Oct 15, 2017
    90
    Bloober has constructed a little game with a story that feels so much bigger than most Triple-As will manage this year. [Nov 2017, p.92]
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