Nihilumbra

 PlayStation Vita
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Gaming Nexus
    Feb 19, 2015
    74
    Nihilumbra is a good first effort from BeautiFun Games, hopefully this promising title leads to better things from the studio in the future. It's definitely a standout title on the Vita's indie store, even with some minor issues.
  2. Everyeye.it
    Jan 22, 2016
    70
    Vita is the perfect platform for Nihilumbra, but the gameplay is still to unbalanced to completely satisfy.
  3. Push Square
    Feb 11, 2015
    70
    Nihilumbra is not the biggest game, but sometimes great things come in small packages.
  5. 3DJuegos
    Feb 5, 2015
    70
    Inspiring and intriguing puzzle-platform adventure. Eerie atmosphere and clever puzzles overcome its short lifespan and low overall challenge.
  6. PSNStores
    Feb 4, 2015
    70
    The story kept me going and the overall fun of the puzzles made the game an amusing 3 hour treat which is well worth the money.
  7. The Vita Lounge
    Aug 10, 2015
    68
    Nihilumbra is an interesting concept and a short and sweet title that not only looks great but also uses some of the features that a lot of developers forget the Vita actually has, Nihilumbra is one of the more unique titles on Vita and if you're looking for something different, you should definitely give it a go.
  8. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 24, 2015
    65
    To play its best moments, requires a 3 hour tutorial of sorts. Juice is worth the squeeze though. [April 2015, p79]
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  9. Destructoid
    Jan 30, 2015
    60
    Nihilumbra is a quick diversion for these who need a puzzle-platformer in their gaming lives and have ran out of things to do on the PS Vita.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PS Vita Game of 2015
21
#21 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2015
38
#38 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2015

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. kotfr1tz
    Oct 15, 2018
    3
    It’s not that bad but it’s just...boring. Puzzles aren’t that fun. Chases aren’t that fun. Story, even if presented quite originally, isn’tIt’s not that bad but it’s just...boring. Puzzles aren’t that fun. Chases aren’t that fun. Story, even if presented quite originally, isn’t nothing special.… Full Review »
  2. dugazoid
    Feb 13, 2016
    6
    Interesting, but too easy, and short. I have enjoyed another simple games (Limbo, Fez, etc), but when I finished Nihilumbra, I felt a littleInteresting, but too easy, and short. I have enjoyed another simple games (Limbo, Fez, etc), but when I finished Nihilumbra, I felt a little bit empty...… Full Review »
  3. TheQuietGamer
    Jan 30, 2016
    7
    Nihilism is the theme of this puzzle-platformer. A game that tries way too hard to be deep and sometimes comes off as goofy as a result.Nihilism is the theme of this puzzle-platformer. A game that tries way too hard to be deep and sometimes comes off as goofy as a result. Luckily some solid gameplay is present to keep you playing until the credits roll. Whether or not it's compelling enough to keep you playing after it's initial short running time, I cannot say. Although there is something special here for the right audience.

    Storytelling is a big part of the game. It doesn't get in the way of the gameplay thankfully, but it's an always present aspect of the experience. It's all delivered through narration that presents obvious attempts at philosophical questions. It tackles topics like emptiness, hopelessness, and every persons hunt for a purpose and to feel something inside of them. All potentially compelling themes, but the way they are presented makes it all just feel cheesy. I can still say that I was interested to see how it was all going to play out as the set up of the story was pretty cool. The idea of being chased by an endless void that destroys every place you've been to could have been very symbolic. However here it just kind of feels like pandering to an emo audience. Some of this stuff could have been ripped straight from a "misunderstood" 13 year old's journal.

    As far as the gameplay goes, it's a decent ride, but one I didn't find myself wanting to take more than once. It's a breezy experience that makes the standard platforming a little more interesting with it's use of color based powers. Making great use of the Vita's touch-screen capabilities, the game allows you to paint the walls and ground around you with colors that have different abilities. For instance blue will place ice of the ground to help give you momentum, while green acts as a trampoline. There are some nifty puzzles made around the use of these colors that make the short campaign a little more entertaining.

    The short length isn't really too much of a problem here as it means the game ends just as the monotony and frustration start to set in. The story mode isn't a difficult at all. It's a breezy experience that you will get through in no time at all. It just serves as a way to tell it's story while introducing you to the mechanics in preparation for the game's real challenge; "Void Mode."

    Void mode is all about the gameplay. Twitch puzzles and some actual challenge await you here. This mode actually requires you to use more than one color at a time for it's puzzles. Something the story mode never really does. It's a nice way to extend the length of the package and offer a challenge for those looking for it.

    Personally I was done with the game as soon as I completed the story. The gameplay is solid, but not not entertaining enough to make me want to stick around and put myself through some actual challenge. You get an amusing reward for doing so, but I just wasn't up for it. I has seen everything I wanted to by that point. However I do imagine there are plenty of people who will be more than happy to tackle the challenges ahead. The only issues they'll find are that it's still short and swapping colors on the fly isn't as fast as it needs to be.

    "Nihilumbra" is a decent experience. One that's short in length and won't bring everyone the bang for their buck that their looking for, but those interested in unique and artsy experiences are likely to find something special with this game. Even if it's far from the deepest story out there. It's worth a look for the right audience and I have to give it credit for making genuinely good use of some of the Vita's unique features.    … Full Review »
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