A SECOND BEFORE US

38%
Game Brain Score Based on 29 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
A SECOND BEFORE US Game Cover
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"A Second Before Us" is a puzzle-platformer game where players manipulate time to solve levels. You control two characters, switching between them to coordinate actions in different timelines. Careful planning and quick reflexes are required to overcome obstacles and reach the end of each stage.

  • Windows
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

38%
Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews
story8 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and varied environments that enhance the atmosphere.
  • The story has a fantastic foundation and intriguing premise, drawing players into a post-apocalyptic setting.
  • It's a short and easy game, making it accessible for achievement hunters and fans of walking simulators.
  • The execution is weak, with limited levels, obvious puzzles, and a lack of supporting backstory details.
  • Technical issues, such as clunky controls, slow movement, and glitches, detract from the overall experience.
  • The story is often confusing and poorly presented, leaving players unsatisfied with the ending and overall narrative.
  • story32 mentions

    The game's story has a compelling foundation and interesting premise, but many players feel it falls short in execution, often coming across as confusing and poorly communicated through notes and voice-overs. While the environments are praised for their beauty, the narrative lacks clarity and depth, leaving players wanting more from the overall experience. Despite some engaging elements, the story's potential is largely unfulfilled, leading to mixed feelings about its impact on gameplay.

    • “The story is very interesting and has a great foundation.”
    • “The plot of the game drew me in and the stories have kept me playing.”
    • “For me, the main pleasure of this game was working my way through all the possible twists and turns of the story.”
    • “The story is hectic and confusing, being told mostly through a series of poorly-written notes and some poorly acted voice-overs.”
    • “I really liked the premise of the story and felt that it had lots of potential but never capitalized on it.”
    • “The story is obscure (not the delicious Dark Souls type of obscure, either) and confusing, even after reading as many logs as I could.”
  • graphics15 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and atmosphere, with many users highlighting the visually appealing environments and smooth gameplay. However, some critiques mention a lack of customization options and occasional outdated or bland visuals, particularly in comparison to larger titles. Overall, while the graphics are considered good for an indie game, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking high-end visuals.

    • “Graphically, it’s a very pretty game.”
    • “Good walking simulator with nice graphics, environments, and story.”
    • “Beautiful graphics.”
    • “The game looks pretty but it lacks any real graphics options.”
    • “Even graphics quality can only be changed between 4 presets; settings for individual features are not available.”
    • “It was glitchy with the mouse; the graphics are outdated.”
  • gameplay6 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by exploration and puzzle-solving within various environments, including a sci-fi facility and historical locations like a lighthouse and Stonehenge. While players appreciate the interactive elements and story integration through notes, some express frustration with the mechanics and suggest that the gameplay could benefit from more depth and variety beyond reading text messages. Overall, it meets expectations for the genre but leaves room for improvement.

    • “Due to this, gameplay is not limited to the sci-fi facility you live in; you'll also visit places like a lighthouse in ancient Greece or Stonehenge in the 19th century.”
    • “The gameplay is what you'd expect from a game like this - exploring nice levels, interacting with the environment, and doing puzzles.”
    • “Maybe the length of gameplay should be fleshed out more or the approach needs to be more than just reading a text message.”
    • “I was also frustrated with the mechanics and gameplay.”
    • “In terms of story, there's more than a hint of The Talos Principle in here (although the gameplay is not even similar).”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including clunky controls, slow movement, and various environmental glitches such as freezing animations and invisible walls. Additionally, players have reported camera shake problems, low-quality textures, and even spelling errors in in-game notes, contributing to an overall buggy experience.

    • “The controls are clunky and movement is slow, and I encountered a few environment glitches.”
    • “There's this weird camera shake whenever you move, you walk very slow, it's buggy, and the first note I picked up had spelling errors in it.”
    • “The environments have big glitches, like the flag animations in the Petra level freezing after some time, a lot of unnecessary invisible walls closing in the player, the lighting is wonky, and some textures are low-quality.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics and immersive world, making it a standout in the walking simulation genre. Players appreciate the beautiful and engaging environments, complemented by enjoyable puzzles, despite the game's short length.

    • “If you’re a fan of atmospheric and walking simulation games, I would definitely recommend it.”
    • “The atmosphere in the different stories is amazing and beautiful.”
    • “It is pretty short; I completed it two times. Awesome atmosphere, great graphics, wonderful world, smooth walking simulator, nice puzzles, and easy.”
  • music1 mentions

    The background music is well-received, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the changing scenery in the game.

    • “I love the change of scenery as well as the background music.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users report that while the game's performance can be satisfactory, it occasionally suffers from instability, affecting overall optimization.

    • “But sometimes the performance isn't that stable.”
    • “The game frequently suffers from frame drops, making it hard to enjoy.”
    • “I often experience long loading times that disrupt the gameplay flow.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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