A Walk in the Woods
- April 21, 2020
- Brightdawn Entertainment
Get on Steam"A Walk in the Woods" is a narrative-driven, open world exploration game set in a beautifully crafted forest environment. Players uncover the story of a mysterious figure as they interact with the world and its inhabitants, making choices that affect the outcome of their journey. With a focus on atmosphere and exploration over combat, the game offers a peaceful, introspective experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful and detailed natural environments that provide a relaxing escape from reality.
- It offers a simple and effective experience for those seeking tranquility, especially beneficial for individuals dealing with seasonal depression.
- The developers have shown commitment to improving the game, adding features like free movement and expanding the exploration options.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues even on high-end hardware, and lacks essential options like antialiasing.
- Movement is primarily on rails, which can cause motion sickness and limits the sense of exploration and immersion.
- The sound design is criticized for being repetitive and not immersive, detracting from the overall experience.
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, with users noting that they are good for the current state of VR, though not groundbreaking. There are some discrepancies in quality between platforms, particularly on Linux, and while the landscapes are well-crafted, the visuals may appear better on a screen than in a headset.
“As far as graphics are concerned, unless you're a AAA studio with a million dollar budget, I'd say they are about as good as you can expect at this stage of VR.”
“It's simple, there's no map, but the graphics and effort put into the landscape is very good.”
“The graphics on Linux don't seem to look exactly the same or as good as the screenshots and videos from Windows.”
“As far as graphics are concerned, unless you're a AAA studio with a million-dollar budget, I'd say they are about as good as you can expect at this stage of VR.”
“The graphics look better on a screen than in a headset.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
While the overall performance is praised for its visual appeal, some users experience significant stuttering and low frame rates, particularly on mid-range systems, indicating a need for better optimization.
“The performance is great.”
“I haven't really had a problem with anything in VR yet, but with this, I'm pushing 30 frames and experiencing quite a bit of stuttering.”
“It's still beautiful and nice to look around, but tell me it can't be optimized for a mid-range rig!”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to be very buggy, with issues such as image instability that can cause discomfort for players.
“Very buggy - the image jumps around and makes you feel sick!”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users express skepticism about the game's story, suggesting it may be a deceptive marketing tactic rather than a genuine narrative, as it was promoted through a sad backstory about the developer's financial struggles. The lack of engagement from the developer further fuels suspicions that the project may be a scam targeting VR enthusiasts.
“This app was promoted on Facebook using a sad story about a company trying to recoup losses after investing in this project, yet the developer has since posted nothing in the thread or on Steam discussions. It feels like a scam to extract money from VR enthusiasts with minimal effort.”
“The story is poorly developed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about the outcome.”
“I found the narrative to be disjointed and confusing, leaving me frustrated rather than engaged.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and well-structured, offering a mix of challenges that keep players invested. Users appreciate the fluid mechanics and intuitive controls, which enhance the overall experience. However, some note that certain elements could benefit from further refinement to improve balance and pacing.
