Get on Steam"4PM" is a single-player drama action game with a lackluster visual experience, focusing on a narrative driven by alcoholism and suicide. As Caroline Wells, endure a life-changing day filled with cathartic experiences, dark humor, and realism. This game resulted in a people's choice award win at the Develop Conference in Brighton, promising a series of immersive, narrative-focused experiences. Note: player discretion advised.
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Reviews
- The game offers an interesting and unique story that touches on serious themes like alcoholism and personal struggles.
- Some players appreciated the artistic presentation and the attempt to create an interactive narrative experience.
- The voice acting was noted to be better than in many other games, contributing positively to the storytelling.
- The game is extremely short, with many players completing it in under 30 minutes, leading to feelings of disappointment regarding its value.
- Technical issues such as poor graphics, a blurry camera, and clunky controls detracted significantly from the gameplay experience.
- The narrative was criticized for being poorly written and lacking depth, with many players feeling that it failed to engage them emotionally.
- story104 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its ambition and emotional depth, particularly in exploring themes of alcoholism and memory, while others criticize it for being poorly written, cliché, and lacking substance. Many reviewers noted that the short runtime hampers character development and narrative complexity, leading to a feeling of an incomplete experience. Overall, while there are glimpses of potential, the execution leaves much to be desired, making it a disappointing entry in the story-driven genre.
“The story is just ambiguous enough to satisfy any story searcher's lust, and even after the story was over, I still felt like attempting to connect some of the dots in the story.”
“Without wanting to give too much away, your character appears to be a 20-something party girl, and the story is a parable on alcoholism and memory, which is a refreshing change from the constant barrage of orcs and guns that constitute much of gaming.”
“The way the main character unfolded through the story was wonderful.”
“The story feels like it was written in 5 minutes, and the graphics are terrible and creepy.”
“Just a generally poor story; it seems like something a 10-year-old would throw together. I mean, the ending was just... what.”
“The whole story is cliché.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 53 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as poor, dated, and even reminiscent of 1995-era visuals. While a few comments noted that the graphics do not detract from the gameplay or story, the majority criticized issues like high system requirements for low detail, annoying blur effects, and overall lack of polish. Some users suggested that a different art style could have improved the visual experience significantly.
“Graphically, the game is beautiful, but probably more so in still format than anything else.”
“The graphics could have been better, but I do like the blur and wobbling as if it was an actual hangover.”
“The graphics aren't necessarily great, but they get the job done without getting in the way of the story or gameplay.”
“I would not recommend the game since the graphics are really bad honestly and the constant blur, which you can't turn off (at least I couldn't) is really annoying.”
“The story feels like it was written in 5 minutes, and the graphics are terrible and creepy.”
“Graphics were oddly power hungry for not a lot of details, as well as many visual elements flickering or see-through hair.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of mechanics and confusing, frustrating design, leading to a short experience of around 20 minutes that many found unsatisfying. While some elements aim to reflect real-world issues, the execution is deemed poor, with players reporting nausea from the blurry camera and a clichéd narrative. Overall, the game fails to deliver a compelling experience, making it hard to recommend despite its low price.
“The graphics aren't necessarily great, but they get the job done without getting in the way of the story or gameplay.”
“Usually when the term 'short' is used to define a game's length, it often means a few hours worth of gameplay, not breaking the half hour mark.”
“While the game is built around a unique mechanic that takes the player through more down-to-earth events, reminiscent of real-world problems, and boasts attractive lighting and set designs (not to mention a very low price-tag), I ultimately can't recommend it for purchase.”
“The camera is blurry and out of focus; I felt nauseous after about 5 minutes of gameplay.”
“Very confusing and short gameplay.”
“It has no game mechanics at all, and the story is poorly written and so cliché that it hurts.”
- music10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's soundtrack has received positive acclaim, with players expressing a desire for access to specific tracks, particularly the credits song and an early club banger. Despite some criticism of the overall audio experience, the music stands out as a highlight, leading many to wish for downloadable content featuring the soundtrack.
“The one thing this game does right is the soundtrack. I'd love a copy of the credits song and the club banger toward the beginning of the story, but haven't had any luck tracking down those songs online.”
“Blurry scenes, drunken wanderings, and bad loud music will either inflict you with a piercing headache or a stomach churn worthy of a suicide jump.”
“If any game could benefit from having soundtrack DLC, this would be it.”
“The one thing this game does do right is the soundtrack; I'd love a copy of the credits song and the club banger toward the beginning of the story, but haven't had any luck tracking down those songs online.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a compelling story but is noted for having minimal emotional impact, despite its interactivity and engagement with controversial subjects.
“This game has a great story, is very emotional, and highly interactive.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its cinematic quality and overall presentation, but many users feel that its short length hinders the development of a more immersive environment.
“I like the cinematic atmosphere and the whole presentation.”
“This game is too short to build its atmosphere.”
