Abode 2
- November 7, 2019
- Overflow
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Abode 2" is an exploration-based puzzle game with a focus on detailed apartment investigation. Players must uncover secrets and restore power to the city, with gameplay inspired by the "escape the room" genre. The game offers a high level of interactivity and mystery, encouraging players to delve into every nook and cranny of the apartment.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Abode 2 features improved graphics and a more developed story compared to the first game, enhancing the overall experience.
- The puzzles are engaging and provide a good level of challenge, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and experienced players.
- The game includes a helpful drone companion that assists with inventory management and offers hints, adding a unique twist to the escape room format.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can prevent players from completing it, such as missing items and save failures.
- Many players found the game to be too short, with a playtime of around 1.5 to 2 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
- The interaction mechanics can be frustrating, with issues related to grabbing items and awkward controls that detract from the immersive experience.
- stability20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and physics problems that hinder gameplay and task completion. Players report significant frustrations with unresponsive tools, disappearing objects, and audio issues, leading to a disrupted experience. While some users noted minor improvements in the sequel, the overall consensus is that the game remains very buggy, detracting from its enjoyment.
“Oh the bugs... so many bugs.. to name a few; important tools not working until you reboot the game, important items flinging off to where you can't get them, doors flying off their hinges and spazzing out, being unable to grab things unless you tab out and back in again, robot instructions not registering, menus layering on top of one another, audio being so loud it clips your drivers.. I'm sure I forgot a few.. but yes, absolutely bug ridden.”
“I have spent 2.7 hours playing this game, but at least a third of it was dealing with glitches and restarting the game.”
“If you can tolerate some freezes (with permanent loss of data), bugs related to connecting train tracks, object clipping into walls and then flying through the room (like in the first game...) and disappearing objects, this game is for you.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the decent visuals and immersive atmosphere, particularly in VR. While some highlight improvements and a stylish aesthetic, others note issues with optimization and a lack of depth in visual fidelity. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, enhancing the puzzles and immersion, despite some criticisms.
“Still, it's a pleasant escape room with some fidelity in visuals and VR usability.”
“However, the atmosphere and graphics are really well done and it was a pleasure to play this game.”
“The graphics really sell the immersion and the puzzles make use of great ideas that are only possible in VR.”
“Graphics look okay and playable; there is something to see but not much, and it doesn't meet expectations.”
“The graphics are decent too.”
“Graphics are okay, but the reason I recommend it is that I didn't feel 'lost' or frustrated while solving the puzzles.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging and well-developed, featuring a chatty robot companion that enhances the experience. While some players encountered technical issues that affected their understanding of the plot, the overall narrative unfolds gradually and is enjoyable, even for those unfamiliar with the first installment. The immersive environment and puzzle-solving elements contribute positively to the storytelling experience.
“Your drone is chatty and fun to have around, the story is more developed, and the interface works beautifully on a Reverb G2.”
“Slicker graphics and a voluble robot helper transport you into a blade-runner-esque environment, with its two-story window dappled by rain.”
“The puzzles feel good to solve, the story slowly unfolds, and it's just fun.”
“Didn't get the story.”
“He spent the entire opening introductory shot floating on the 2nd floor, spouting critical plot dialog where I couldn't hear anything he was saying.”
“You don't need to have played the first, there are no story connections.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm and cohesion, effectively enhancing the puzzle-solving experience. Reviewers highlight the polished graphics, engaging music, and immersive environment that contribute to a satisfying escape room feel. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, complementing the gameplay and adding depth to the experience.
“A great escape room style puzzle game with a fantastic atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere was charming, cohesive to the task at hand: investigate the apartment and find a way to restore power to the elevator, and the city.”
“However, the atmosphere and graphics are really well done and it was a pleasure to play this game.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a mix of innovative puzzle mechanics and frustrating bugs, particularly with the drone and inventory systems. While some puzzles are engaging and fresh, the hint system falls short, and players often find themselves sifting through numerous containers, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite some clever mechanics, the gameplay suffers from technical issues that hinder enjoyment.
“The puzzles are strange and fresh, with some nice mechanics, as long as they worked.”
“The varied puzzle mechanics were fun as long as you could keep organized.”
“Nice game mechanics.”
“I feel this didn't really have any place in this game atmospherically, thematically, or mechanically.”
“The drone pick-up mechanic is a clever way to avoid players dropping things into inaccessible places, but I shouldn't need to use it as the primary way to grab something off the floor.”
“And quite a few bugs in general, mostly involving the drone mechanics.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for creating a nice atmosphere, but users report issues with the sound balance, often requiring frequent volume adjustments. While the music tracks are enjoyable, some players noted a limited selection, with only two songs available. Overall, the sound effects and music are described as unevenly balanced, detracting from the overall experience.
“The music records are nice too, giving the game a nice atmosphere.”
“Still, when it all slinks along in time to the detective music, it's a fine evening's entertainment all told :)”
“The sounds effects, voice, and music are so unevenly balanced you'll find yourself constantly changing the volume in an attempt to find something comfortable.”
“The sound and music balance is off and gets louder when going into the menu.”
“The sound effects, voice, and music are so unevenly balanced you'll find yourself constantly changing the volume in an attempt to find something comfortable.”
“It was just music/sound, meaning if I wanted to hear him, everything else was deafening.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by clever expectation-flips and inventive interactions, highlighted by a humorous "drone" helper and amusing puns. While the humor may appeal more to fans of puzzles and quirky robots, it contributes positively to the overall fun factor and production quality.
“The moment when they provide you with a VR mask, while a well-worn trope, exemplifies the decent production values, inventiveness, and humorous expectation-flips in the game.”
“It has a lot of funny and unexpected interactions.”
“In playtime... no, in fun factor... that depends on if you like puzzles, robots, and really stupidly funny puns.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its inconsistency, with performance fluctuating significantly even on high-end hardware, leading to issues like choppy gameplay and an inability to maintain stable frame rates. While the visuals are praised, the overall optimization is deemed severely lacking.
“Performance was inconsistent despite throwing an absurd amount of hardware power at it; some loads of the game would run okay, while others struggled to reliably hold 120fps.”
“Performance was inconsistent despite throwing an absurd amount of hardware power at it; some loads of the game would run okay, while others would struggle to reliably hold 120fps.”
“Visuals are great, but optimization is severely lacking.”
“Slightly choppy, not perfectly optimized.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has low replay value, with some users noting it as effectively zero; however, many still recommend it as a worthwhile experience, emphasizing the importance of supporting the developers.
“The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, making it highly replayable.”
“There are multiple paths and choices that encourage players to return for different outcomes.”
“The variety of challenges and unlockable content keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
“Short, low replay value, but game designers and developers deserve support for titles like this.”
“Definitely recommended, even though the replay value is 0.”
