ALASKA
- February 1, 2018
- Wreck Tangle Games
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Get on itch.io Store[Media 2071551] 'ALASKA' is an adventure game developed by Orion Moon, the one man behind the indie studio at 'Wreck Tangle Games'. The game gives players a week in the life of an Alaskan man...
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a captivating and artistic storytelling experience, with a surprising twist at the end that keeps players engaged.
- The voice acting is well-performed, adding depth to the characters and enhancing the overall emotional impact of the narrative.
- The game offers a variety of fun activities and mini-games, providing a sense of unlimited content and exploration within the Alaskan setting.
- The graphics are often criticized for being outdated and lacking polish, with some players noting a grainy and clunky appearance.
- Certain mini-games, particularly the ice skating and fishing sequences, are described as frustrating and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.
- The pacing can feel slow at times, and some players found the NPC animations and voice acting to be subpar, leading to a less immersive experience.
- story26 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its artistic presentation and emotional depth, featuring a captivating narrative that explores themes of guilt and redemption. While some players found the plot twists and character development engaging, others criticized the pacing and delivery, describing certain elements as heavy-handed or clichéd. Overall, the story serves as a strong foundation for the gameplay, despite mixed opinions on its execution and voice acting.
“This game is a masterpiece of storytelling.”
“In one of the greatest plot twists a game could have (which I will not spoil), the protagonist that you play will have to face the greatest obstacle that one could face: his own guilt over the murders of his neighbors.”
“But the game has a really good story to tell...”
“Alaska is on a railroad and will only allow you to experience the story as intended by the creator.”
“I thought the story, which was really the key element to this game, was pretty heavy-handed and very obvious.”
“In general, I found Alaska to be a pretty average game with nice graphics but poor voice acting and story.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming landscapes and atmospheric visuals, while others criticize the outdated textures and grainy quality. Animations are often described as lacking, and there are reports of minor bugs affecting visual effects. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they can still provide an enjoyable experience for those with reasonable expectations.
“Great story, characters, graphics, design, music, voice acting, and that song 'Follow Me' is too good.”
“Some animations are just... off, but the visuals for the most part were gorgeous and I quickly fell in love with it.”
“I'll make this short - the graphics are not anything like as clear and crisp as you see on the product's page. I have a 4GB Nvidia card and can easily run this game (and did) on the highest settings, and the world is kind of grainy, kind of clunky looking, very much with an unfinished quality and repeating tiling clearly apparent in the game space.”
“Graphics have some minor bugs with screen space reflections and irritating lens flares.”
“Even though the graphics engine being used features some dated and washed out textures, the developer did a good job with it, and I felt this was the biggest success in the game.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its originality and emotional impact, particularly highlighting the song "Follow Me" as a standout. However, there are complaints about the lack of volume controls and inconsistent audio quality, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, many players appreciate the game's soundtrack for enhancing the atmosphere and keeping them engaged.
“Great story, characters, graphics, design, music, voice acting, and that song 'Follow Me' is too good.”
“Just like a true indie game, there is a little bit of everything in here with original music and songs.”
“Its OST was perfect too, subtle yet striking.”
“No volume settings, no option to turn music off or on, no option to even turn subtitles off or on.”
“If you are willing to look past the few imperfections and the general lack of quality that can be found around almost every corner, from the weird movements, the music that goes on and off on a whim, even the static background noises that can be heard when characters start speaking.”
“Music made me stay till the end; however, voice acting and overall NPC animations were pretty average.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as excellent while others find it mediocre and lacking depth. Players note that the game primarily involves walking and conversing, with only minor puzzles and a few challenging mini-games, which may feel disconnected from the overall experience.
“Gameplay: excellent”
“They're really just minor puzzles that occur once at certain points in the story. Though they feel slightly incongruous with the rest of the game mechanics, they don't harm the experience, which mainly consists of walking from station to station and conversing with townsfolk.”
“The gameplay is pretty much non-existent with the exception of some hard mini-games.”
“Again, gameplay is pretty mediocre overall.”
“The gameplay is pretty much non-existent with the exception of some hard mini games.”
“They're really just minor 'puzzles' that occur once at certain points in the story, not something you have to do repeatedly, and though they do feel like a slightly incongruous match to the rest of the game mechanics, they're not a big deal and don't harm the experience, most of which is walking from station to station and conversing with townsfolk.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, featuring amusing mini-games and quirky facial animations. While some aspects, like the voice acting, may come off as odd, players found moments of genuine hilarity that contributed to their overall enjoyment of the plot. The humor is noted to appeal to those who appreciate a bit of adult comedy.
“5 bucks is still a bit steep in my opinion for this title and I would hold out for a sale, but if you can’t wait to play a remote-controlled pair of skates dodging sawblades, or the even more hilarious 'shoot 10 mystery men' mini-game that appears after you complete the game.”
“Okay, so this is a technical nightmare with hilarious facial animations; a horribly optimized game and pretty odd voice acting throughout.”
“It was funny at the right moments (even if not for the reasons intended), had a pretty good plot all things considered, and I ended up getting really invested.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heart-wrenching dialogue and a captivating story, setting it apart from other indie simulation adventure games. Players are drawn into a profound narrative that evokes strong feelings and introspection.
“With heart-wrenching dialogue such as 'Oh, what have I become?', Alaska distinguishes itself from any other indie simulation adventure game out there.”
“+ A captivating, heart-wrenching story.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to technical problems and poor performance, while also featuring awkward facial animations and questionable voice acting.
“This is a technical nightmare with hilarious facial animations; a horribly optimized game and pretty odd voice acting throughout.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times.”
“Despite its potential, the game is poorly optimized, making it nearly unplayable on mid-range systems.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users feel that the atmosphere of the game deteriorates as they progress, detracting from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere of the game deteriorated as I progressed, making it less engaging.”
“As I continued playing, the atmosphere became increasingly lackluster and detracted from the overall experience.”
“The game's atmosphere started strong but quickly faded, leaving me feeling disconnected from the world.”
