Pneuma: Breath of Life

 Xbox One
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. Gamestyle
    Mar 9, 2015
    90
    A wonderful entry into the first person puzzle solving genre and whilst other games do individual elements better, Pneuma nails it as a package.
  2. Gaming Age
    Mar 20, 2015
    83
    All in all, though, Pneuma: Breath of Life does a whole lot more right than it does wrong. I don't think anyone's going to be shortlisting it for the title of Best Game Ever any time soon, mind you, but it's a solid enough game that it can be enjoyed on its own terms, rather than as just a lousy Portal clone.
  3. Brash Games
    Jan 31, 2016
    70
    To me Pneuma: Breath of Life felt more like a taster of what could have been a huge puzzle game. Not to say the game wasn’t a success, from what we can see the game works very well with new innovative puzzles – I just wish there could have been more!
  5. MondoXbox
    Mar 2, 2015
    70
    A visually compelling game, Pneuma: Breath of Life offers very original puzzles mechanics and an interesting background story, but lacks in length resulting in 2-3 total hours of play.
  6. Pure Xbox
    Feb 27, 2015
    70
    Pneuma: Breath of Life didn't completely rock our world, but it did make for a captivating and satisfying afternoon in front of the television.
  7. TheSixthAxis
    Feb 27, 2015
    70
    A game that I urge you to experience. It’s not perfect, but in a way that fits entirely with its own outlook, and its effectiveness as a story is both thought-provoking and surprising. Pre-conceptions aside, it is certainly an intriguing and unique title that explores elements of philosophy and life often left untouched by gaming.
  8. IGN Italia
    Mar 11, 2015
    68
    Filled with nice ideas yet very short, Pneuma is a nice but forgettable collection of puzzles.
  9. God is a Geek
    Feb 27, 2015
    65
    An aesthetically-pleasing but decidedly empty puzzle game, Pneuma scratches an itch but fails to excite.
  10. games(TM)
    Apr 12, 2015
    60
    Breath of Life will have its fervent champions, but it won't go supernova. [Issue#159, p.113]
  11. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Mar 28, 2015
    60
    Pneuma is let down by its waffling and insistence on shoving questions about the nature of reality down your throat. [Apr 2015, p.83]
    All this publication's reviews
  12. IGN Spain
    Mar 6, 2015
    60
    A beautiful walk that sometimes forgets to be a videogame becoming boring in a way. Short and plain aside from its interesting premise.
  13. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Mar 4, 2015
    60
    The execution doesn’t quite manage to do justice to the concept, but for fans of the puzzle genre there’s still a lot to like about Pneuma.
  14. VideoGamer
    Mar 2, 2015
    60
    Pneuma's appeal lies in its successful creation of a world that inspires at least some curiosity as to exactly why you're there, openly challenging the various incongruities of game design and world-building in its discussion of the player's role.
  15. Metro GameCentral
    Mar 1, 2015
    60
    Portraying existential quandaries as gameplay puzzles is a daring idea, but ultimately this is a more enjoyable game to watch and listen to than it is to play.
  16. Post Arcade (National Post)
    Feb 27, 2015
    60
    Pneuma: Breath of Life wants to wedge its way into this lofty club, but it’s simply not as elegant or consistent as the best games of its ilk. The observer theme makes for some memorable puzzles the likes of which I’ve never quite seen before, but others are either frustrating, unfair, or both.
  17. Destructoid
    Feb 26, 2015
    50
    Impressive aesthetics and weighty mental gymnastics aren't enough to compensate for puzzle design that becomes a slog before long. It's a shame because Pneuma boldly asks questions about player agency, but in ways that are bogged down in tedium.
  18. Xbox Achievements
    Feb 26, 2015
    45
    Pneuma: Breath of Life should have been the kind of game you turn to between Call of Duty sessions, but instead it's a slightly insipid, short-lived and ultimately disposable puzzler. Console gamers like us are crying out for games like these, but Pneuma really isn't it.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
26
#26 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 61 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 61
  3. Negative: 7 out of 61
  1. theTRUTHson
    Jun 8, 2015
    8
    Don't let anyone make you miss this game. If you like puzzle games in beautiful environments, this game is for you. The narrator can get a bitDon't let anyone make you miss this game. If you like puzzle games in beautiful environments, this game is for you. The narrator can get a bit too chatty but if you listen to what he says, it is always relative to the puzzle you are solving. It's a short game but personally I have no problem with that. I liked all the puzzles except for one, and really liked the overall atmosphere. Hope there is a sequel.… Full Review »
  2. Game_Pad
    Feb 28, 2015
    7
    Intriguing, philosophical, frustrating but mostly wonderful.
    Pneuma is a bit of an anomaly. Looking at it through the perspective of a    Intriguing, philosophical, frustrating but mostly wonderful.
    Pneuma is a bit of an anomaly. Looking at it through the perspective of a 'puzzle' game, it's pretty standard (although set in a beautiful, immense temple indicative of ancient Rome), but as a whole package, this game is something special.

    Some of the puzzles are fairly straight forward, but many others are extremely frustrating! But that's a good thing because the last thing you want, when playing a game like this, is to be able to walk through completely unchallenged. Another good point is the variety of puzzles, yes almost all of them are to do with looking at things and changing your perspective to adjust the puzzles, no two puzzles are the same which adds a new challenge to every single puzzle.

    Throughout the game, you play as some sort of unseen thing that believes himself a god. This god you play as has a voice, of course, which adds a lot of interesting, occasionally humorous, subtext to the game. The voice acting is marvellously done and really does feel like he (yes, the Pneuma god 's a he... and English!) is experiencing this world for the very first time. Not only does the voice acting add a running commentary to your actions and progress through the game, it also brings up many philosophical questions for the player to ponder over.

    The world of Pneuma is truly beautiful and boasts some impressive visuals. Built using Unreal Engine 4, the marble and gold that lines most rooms glimmers and shines like nothing I've seen before! The outside areas aren't quite as stunning as the inside areas, but they are still fairly impressive. The game is also exceptionally serene and calming compared to a lot of gun-in-hand, jetpack jumping and occasional tea-bagging games we see coming out at the moment, and it makes you wish you could be there in real life throughout the entire 2-4 hours play-through.

    Things, however, do start to get a little weird later on in the game. Not only does your god character start saying things like '...what if my movements aren't my own? Does that mean I'm still me? Or perhaps I am merely a spectator?', but the endless idea that 'Well I AM a god, so why can't I walk through walls?' or 'Why do I have to do these puzzles if i'm the all powerful?'. However things soon become clear as you reach the final area. Suddenly, the game that was about solving problems whilst listening to and ever-talking god becomes a project that explores the meaning of humanity and the idea of existence! It all becomes very, VERY weird! But, after the final monologue, and we are returned to the title menu, it all makes a lot of sense!

    I, for one, really did love this game! Yes, it may be short for a £15 game, but the visual design is spectacular I i'm a sucker for these more 'philosophical' games. Even if your not into the whole 'meaning of life' stuff, the game is fun! And if your just looking for quick achievements, 8 of the 11 are achieved just by completing the game (7 100G, and 1 150G) which could give you 850G in just a couple of hours! Either way, it really is worth giving it a go!    … Full Review »
  3. ITZZZPERRY
    Dec 22, 2016
    9
    Pneuma: Breath of Life is more of a graphical showcase than a game, as they are amazing. Its environments are the prettiest I have ever seenPneuma: Breath of Life is more of a graphical showcase than a game, as they are amazing. Its environments are the prettiest I have ever seen in a game. The puzzles are also intricate, and the ending blew my mind.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »