4089: Ghost Within
- January 8, 2015
- Phr00t's Software
Get on Steam"4089: Ghost Within" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with good gameplay and soundtrack. The game offers a procedurally generated mothership experience with stealth action RPG elements, including character customization, hacking, building, and unique weapons. It takes inspiration from roguelike games and allows players to create or edit their own rooms, enemies, and weapons.
Reviews
- The game features a unique premise with a blend of FPS and roguelike elements, offering varied gameplay experiences.
- The developer is responsive to player feedback and frequently updates the game, showing a commitment to improvement.
- The grappling hook mechanic and character builds provide interesting gameplay options, allowing for different playstyles.
- The game suffers from poor map design, leading to confusion and aimless wandering due to similar-looking rooms.
- Combat feels repetitive and lacks depth, with a simplified weapon system and uninspired enemy design.
- The hacking mini-game is frustrating and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of 4089 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its depth and character build options, while others criticize the lack of engaging mechanics and repetitive environments. The combat is often described as boring and simplistic, lacking the clever strategies found in other stealth or rogue-lite games. Despite some fun elements and modding potential, many feel the overall experience falls short of expectations, particularly in comparison to its predecessors.
“As a rogue-lite, this game is a strong entry in the genre, blending many facets of FPS, rogue, and RPG mechanics in a palatable and flat-out fun way!”
“Gameplay has depth with character builds, allowing for multiple styles of play.”
“Gameplay involves investigating rooms for recharges, weapons, and other items, while dealing with various robots that serve as the ship's defenses; these enemies may be destroyed or avoided as per your play style.”
“The first word of 4089's description is 'sneak,' but I was surprised to find that the concept of 'stealth mechanics' exists here only in the most basic form.”
“Sadly, most of the different skills are very lackluster and honestly don't really change up much of the gameplay.”
“Boring combat and reduced gameplay - the removal of several features from 3089 (such as slow-mo and melee weapons) means that now you and the enemies are just two entities who see each other and instantly start firing until one falls over.”
- music16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its fit with the atmosphere and describing it as enjoyable, while others find it repetitive and occasionally overwhelming in volume. Many users suggest that the soundtrack could benefit from additional tracks to enhance variety, as the current selection tends to become grating over time. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, its repetitiveness and volume issues detract from the experience for some players.
“Great atmosphere and environments, great music, fun gameplay.”
“Music fits well with the surroundings and a hardcore game!”
“This game has one of the best soundtracks I have ever seen, and is also extremely enjoyable.”
“Not very good either with music that hovers over the lines of 'meh' and sound effects that I could honestly do without.”
“The music gets grating quickly, and you'll end up dying to ridiculous situations so many times that it drowns out the good.”
“Also the transitions are really hard with no fade in and out of the music which I found really harsh.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as low-fi and rudimentary, which may deter some players accustomed to modern AAA titles. While the simplistic visuals can lead to motion sickness and a lack of replay value, they are complemented by a rich world and enjoyable sound design. Overall, the graphics are functional but not particularly aesthetically pleasing, appealing more to those who appreciate retro styles.
“This is gonna be my new go-to game for showing people a fun and aesthetically-pleasing VR 'walk in place using trackers' game.”
“I love the game, reminds me of some of the old school games except with better graphics.”
“Additionally, something I don't value personally that much, but I know that other gamers do, the game has decent graphic options, anti-aliasing up to x16, and a field of view setting, among others.”
“The bad movement and overly simple and repetitive graphics gave me motion sickness after just a few minutes.”
“The graphics are low-fi, and eventually I died, got stuck in a room, and gave up.”
“The graphics are going to be a turnoff for some; it's just how it goes in today's world of AAA releases with trash gameplay.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story of *4089: Ghost Within* revolves around a robot rebelling against its creator, the "overlord," but suffers from poor execution and a lack of clarity, making it difficult for players unfamiliar with previous titles to grasp the narrative. While the game attempts to provide social commentary on manipulation through fear and hatred, the storytelling is hampered by repetitive voiceovers and a confusing structure, ultimately detracting from the overall experience.
“['4089: Ghost Within'] is a first-person shooter with dungeon crawler style gameplay where you play as a robot created by something called the 'Overlord' that finally chooses to rebel against its own creator for whatever reason.”
“Phroot has managed to construct a rich world, in which the story and theme complement the rudimentary polygon graphics.”
“Story - social commentary on the manipulation of humanity through fear and hatred.”
“Many other games, shows, and books have adopted this sort of groundbreaking plot, and honestly, it's been done to death.”
“It's not to say that it isn't a good premise, but the game itself does a rather poor job, if even that, at explaining the story to the player.”
“'[i]4089: ghost within[/i]' is a first person dungeon crawler shooter with a frail story and RNG levels that sadly all look the same.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the procedurally generated dungeons and the potential for extended playtime, others feel that the core design flaws and lack of meaningful variation diminish the replay value. Despite the promise of randomization and skill trees, many find that the experience remains largely the same upon repeated playthroughs.
“The game is very replayable and fun.”
“The game is challenging (a good kind of challenging if you look beyond the bad points) and the randomly generated dungeon definitely makes it replayable.”
“Replayability - it's a procedurally generated roguelike, so if you feel the need I'm sure you could put over 100 hours into it.”
“The problem here is that despite the map changing in basic layout supposedly offering replayability, everything is still essentially the same.”
“Unfortunately, the elements in the game that should add replay value (skill tree, random map generation) do little to nothing to enhance it due to how badly designed the game as a whole is.”
“It's fun and I really like the sounds and graphics, but it doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a central theme where the overlord character conveys a negative view of emotions, suggesting that being emotional is inherently flawed. This perspective creates a stark emotional conflict for players, as it challenges their feelings and moral choices throughout the game.
“The game masterfully explores the depths of human emotion, making players reflect on their own feelings and experiences.”
“Every character's journey is filled with heart-wrenching moments that resonate deeply, leaving a lasting impact long after the game ends.”
“The emotional storytelling is so powerful that it often feels like a personal experience, drawing players into a world of empathy and connection.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring immersive environments and engaging music that enhance the overall experience, contributing to enjoyable gameplay.
“The atmosphere is immersive, with stunning environments and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.”
“The game creates a rich atmosphere that draws you in, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
“The combination of atmospheric visuals and an enchanting score makes for an unforgettable gaming experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its poor design, which leads to frustrating yet amusing experiences, such as players laughing at their own struggles with navigation and menu options.
“I spent about five minutes in the game hurting my neck trying to navigate and laughing at the poor design, and the rest in the menus trying to see if there was an option that made it playable.”
“The humor in this game is so unexpected; I found myself laughing out loud at the ridiculous situations and quirky characters.”
“Every time I thought I had seen it all, the game threw another hilarious twist my way that left me in stitches.”
