Advent Rising

About

"Advent Rising" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with a marvelous story and beautiful gameplay, accompanied by awesome music, developed by GlyphX Games and written by Orson Scott Card. Despite its cult following and considered an underrated classic, the game suffered from poor critical reception and sells, leading to the cancellation of its sequels. The game was originally conceived as a trilogy, with a PSP title in the works called 'Advent Shadow' that was also canceled.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 368 reviews

story138 positive mentions

graphics18 negative mentions

The story is amazing and well-written, with a compelling narrative that keeps players engaged.
The gameplay mechanics, including the combination of shooting and psychic powers, provide a unique and enjoyable experience.
The soundtrack is exceptional, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.

The game is plagued by frequent crashes and technical issues, making it frustrating to play.
The controls can be clunky and awkward, especially when switching between powers and weapons.
The graphics and animations feel dated, which detracts from the overall experience.

story
288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The story of "Advent Rising," penned by Orson Scott Card, is often described as ambitious and engaging, blending elements of classic sci-fi with themes of heroism and destiny. However, many reviewers note that the narrative feels rushed, with plot holes and a lack of character development that detracts from its potential. Despite its flaws, the story remains a highlight for nostalgic players, offering a mix of epic moments and familiar tropes, though it ultimately leaves many feeling unsatisfied due to its unfinished trilogy status.
- “The story is by the venerable Orson Scott Card.”
- “Advent Rising is a classic game with an amazing story and universe.”
- “The story in Advent Rising is nothing short of excellent.”
- “The goal is to stop them, of course, and the plot goes through a lot of twists and deaths, but I didn't care about any of them.”
- “I blame the fact that the game just rushes through the plot at lightning speed.”
- “The story is completely rushed and absurd; the pacing is too fast, and it leaves many plot holes.”
gameplay
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting its fun mechanics and engaging combat, but also highlighting outdated controls, bugs, and a repetitive nature. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and unique powers, others criticize the overall execution and technical issues that detract from the experience. Despite its flaws, the game is often described as enjoyable, especially for those who prioritize story and character progression over polished gameplay.
- “The gameplay is fun and the story was engaging for the most part.”
- “The gameplay constantly evolved and the story was epic.”
- “A story line written by one of the greatest authors of our age, some of the most kick-ass music in video gaming, and some damn fun gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is just not good enough to keep me playing.”
- “Controls are very janky and the bugs are numerous; gameplay is average and story is bland.”
- “But the gameplay is just so rough around the edges that the game becomes a test of patience a lot of the time.”
graphics
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
23%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reminiscent of late 90s to early 2000s visuals, with many players noting their clunky and low-quality appearance. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and artistic style, others find the dated graphics and technical issues detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, many reviewers emphasize that the engaging story and gameplay can still shine through for those willing to overlook the visual flaws.
- “The graphics were new at its time; today they are certainly outdated - but in a nice, sweet, and charming way.”
- “Despite its old graphics and some bugs, the story, gameplay, and music are beyond the standard.”
- “If you're willing to give it a shot and look past some of the older graphics (which have held up pretty well, I might add), you will find yourself enjoying the story and gameplay.”
- “The graphics are very late 90s, early 2000s.”
- “The AI can downright hinder gameplay and the graphics look ancient for the time it came out.”
- “Cinematics: they are literally 360p movies instead of using the in-game graphics engine, so they look bad and detached.”
music
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
41%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its epic quality and cinematic feel, often comparing it favorably to soundtracks from major films. Composed by Tommy Tallarico, the soundtrack is described as memorable and emotionally engaging, elevating the overall experience despite some criticisms regarding sound design and repetition in certain sections. Overall, the music stands out as a significant strength of the game, often regarded as one of the best video game soundtracks of its time.
- “The music score is worthy of an A-list movie; the music producer had to have asked themselves, 'If I were boarding an enemy ship in space, what would I want playing?'”
- “The soundtrack on the other hand is really great and done by a real orchestra.”
- “I absolutely love the soundtrack.”
- “Sound design is completely messed up, with some noises being louder than they should be and in some sections lacking sound or music entirely.”
- “Music kind of gets a bit repetitive by the end where in every cinematic it plays the same dramatic music again and again and again.”
- “But (and this may be due to design issues or time constraints) once a song plays, it's often done.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, crashes, and unresponsive elements that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, many describe the game as a "buggy mess" that can be frustrating and at times unplayable. Overall, the game's age and technical shortcomings are evident, leading to a cautious recommendation for potential players.
- “Since it's on UE2, it shows its age, but it plays great on modern hardware. The best part is I can play it on anything now, like a laptop or an old hardware PC, which it also runs great on.”
- “Unfortunately, the age of the game really lets it down now in terms of visuals, and it is by no means bug-free, but these are very small gripes and will not hinder your enjoyment!”
- “With the game being old, it has various bugs that ruin the game experience, the biggest of which either crashed the game even in compatibility mode. I also had various freezes, especially in cut-scenes where it would freeze the video but keep playing audio.”
- “The game is a buggy mess, and the first section of the game is much harder due to missing tools and a much worse health regeneration mechanic than you acquire later on.”
- “Camera glitches make the game basically unplayable after the 4th cutscene when entering the hallway.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's unique ability to evoke deep emotional responses, comparing it to iconic roles and experiences that resonate on a personal level. The heartfelt story, combined with an engaging soundtrack, creates a profound sense of immersion that leaves a lasting impact, making it stand out among other titles. Overall, the emotional depth of the game is a significant factor in its cult status and player appreciation.
- “But this is the only game I've ever played that made me feel like Neo should feel, including the Matrix games.”
- “Whatever cult status Advent Rising has achieved to this day is most likely stemming from how genuine and heartfelt the whole production is.”
- “The story is wonderful, exciting, heart-breaking, and accompanied by lovely music.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
38%
50%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting performance issues, low frame rates even on high-end hardware, and numerous bugs. While some players managed to improve controls and graphics settings, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from poor optimization, affecting both gameplay and cinematic experiences.
- “I optimized the controls and graphics quite easily, and I find that it still looks quite nice and the framerate issues from the console version are gone.”
- “Also vehicle controls... why would someone put steering on the mouse? I also had performance issues, with my 1080 Ti barely getting 60fps at 1440p for some reason.”
- “It's bad... too many PC problems and optimization issues, along with poor controls.”
- “With that being said, it has a huge number of bugs, does not deliver on as much as it tries to, and needed some serious optimization work.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the growth and depth of the characters, others criticize it as lacking and poorly executed. The character designs are noted as good but somewhat dated, reflecting a 90s aesthetic. Overall, the inconsistency in character development has left some players feeling unmotivated to continue.
- “The characters are very good and there is actual character development - you grow as a character during the game.”
- “Character design could have been a bit better, but what can you expect from a B-list title that received less than two months of television advertising?”
- “Poor character development.”
- “Poor character development.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to extended periods of idle play rather than engaging gameplay. While there are enjoyable elements, such as a variety of guns and cool powers, the necessity to grind for ability upgrades and the frequent need to dodge during combat detract from the overall experience.
- “The game has a lot of cool guns to choose from, but there are like four you will use constantly. The rest are only useful when you are forced to use them. The powers are actually pretty cool, but having to constantly dodge to let them recharge after using them once or twice, especially in the forced powers sections, makes it tedious.”
- “Obsolete and tedious gameplay.”
- “I found this game to be a bit tedious.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its goofy jokes and light-hearted dialogue, which many players find endearing and entertaining. Reviewers appreciate the developers' willingness to take risks with the humor while maintaining high-quality voice acting and cinematics, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. Additionally, the occasional funny bugs encountered during gameplay add to the charm.
- “I instantly fell in love with its goofy jokes and humor.”
- “I already played it like 15-20 times in my life and never even saw a game-breaking bug; 2-4 bugs in one playthrough, and all of those are funny.”
- “It is fantastic to see the developers stepping out of their boundaries and trying something risky while maintaining professional voice acting, superb cinematics, and humorous, light-hearted dialogue.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short playtime of 6 to 9 hours and a lack of substantial story depth, though a single impactful choice provides some incentive to replay. Overall, while it has potential, many players feel it requires improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “I spent most of the game thinking it's a great game, just lacking in story, but the more I played, the less enjoyable the game became. There are a lot of things that could be smoothed out but were not thought about enough. I honestly would recommend the game otherwise, but I just can't.”
- “It's relatively short - 6 to 9 hours of play, but there are some story choices (well, one choice of who to save to be exact) that makes it replayable.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is consistently described as uplifting, contributing positively to the overall experience.
- “It gives the game an atmosphere that is very uplifting.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is perceived as lacking, with users noting that the character design falls short, likely due to the limited budget and minimal advertising support typical of a b-list title.