Alpages: The Five Books
- October 13, 2015
- Nicolas Bernard
Get on Steam"Alpages: The Five Books" is a narrative-driven interactive fiction game set in the Swiss Alps. Players uncover a series of mysterious events by exploring the environment, interacting with characters, and making choices that impact the story's outcome. The game is divided into five books, each with its unique theme and challenges, providing a rich and immersive experience.
Reviews
- The game is very inexpensive, making it accessible for those looking for a cheap time-passer.
- Some players found the gameplay to be entertaining and challenging, especially in a humorous context with friends.
- The graphics, while not perfect, were noted by some as decent for an indie game, providing a visually appealing experience.
- The game suffers from poor design, with enemies spawning too frequently and often behind the player, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- There are significant technical issues, including a lack of control options and a confusing interface, making it difficult to play.
- Many players criticized the game for being an asset flip with minimal effort put into its development, resulting in a lack of depth and enjoyment.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it simple yet enjoyable, while others criticize it as shallow and frustrating due to poor mechanics and high difficulty. Many note that it feels derivative, likening it to "Slender: The Eight Pages" but with guns and zombies, and highlight issues like cheap enemy spawns and uninspired design. Overall, while some may find it addicting, the consensus leans towards disappointment in its execution.
“Yes, the gameplay is simple: shoot zombies and find the 5 books, but it is also enjoyable.”
“If you have a high tolerance for random shooting games, this can make for an interesting hour or so of gameplay.”
“- addicting gameplay.”
“While the game looks pretty good for a Unity game by an indie dev, the gameplay itself is terrible.”
“It's just too shallow; there is zero gameplay.”
“The world and atmosphere are bland, the gameplay is tried and true but somehow even worse than most indie zombie shooters, and it's set at an unnatural and unfairly high difficulty.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the atmospheric environments and decent textures, while others criticize them as a "mess" and report performance issues. Overall, there are positive remarks about the graphical quality, especially considering the low price, but significant complaints about inconsistency and technical problems persist.
“The graphics are a huge plus, I kind of liked them and didn't expect them to be like this.”
“I've played the game for over three hours and have found the graphics to be decent, with very atmospheric and at times spooky environments.”
“- Great graphics (shading, textures, etc.).”
“Graphics are terrible.”
“Graphically it's a mess; ammunition pickups are massive and so are the books.”
“Bought it, it doesn't even work. My PC can handle Dota 2 graphics, so why can't this?”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it disjointed and reminiscent of stock sound effects, particularly in the zombie genre. While the soundtrack contributes to the overall atmosphere and suspense, there are concerns about potential copyright issues due to the use of assets that may not be original. Overall, the music fits the game but lacks originality.
“The background music is also something that adds to the suspense.”
“I digress, we have an okay built free roam area, definitely spacious, 2 weapons, an AR (automatic rifle) and a shotgun. The rifle seems to lose the sound if you get hit while spraying, but no big deal to be honest; you will hardly notice it with the decent soundtrack. It fits, though I suspect some assets were taken from somewhere else.”
“The music seemed to be all over the place; the zombie sound effects were very stock, to the point I actually heard quite a few of them in songs I listen to.”
“The reason why is because the music in the game can cause copyright issues.”
“I suspect some assets were taken from somewhere else.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as unexpectedly entertaining, with moments of absurdity that can catch players off guard, such as a goofy voice demanding "give me your blood." While the initial appearance may seem off-putting, the combination of comedic elements and intense gameplay creates a unique and amusing experience, making it a fun gift or challenge for friends.
“Would recommend as a funny gift or challenge to friends for Christmas or so, rather cheap :)”
“At first, I made it to the mill and some goofy voice yelled, 'Give me your blood.' I thought it was funny, but then the zombies appearing and attacking made it more intense.”
“First, it looks so bad, but at times it is so funny to play.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users express indifference towards the lack of an introductory story, indicating that it does not significantly impact their experience of the game.
“I don't really care that there's no introductory story to explain how you ended up there.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as a mix of blandness and occasional spookiness, featuring decent graphics and sound effects, along with a day-night cycle that enhances the experience. While some environments are atmospheric and maze-like, the overall setting is criticized for being unfairly difficult, detracting from the enjoyment of the gameplay. Despite these issues, the game's replayability and low price point are noted as positive aspects.
“I've played the game so far for over three hours and have still yet to get close to beating this very challenging game, which has decent graphics and sound effects (for the price), with a day and night cycle (when you respawn), and some very atmospheric and at times spooky environments with the occasional maze-like areas that can leave you dazed and confused. For the ridiculously low price of £0.79/$0.99, there are enough gameplay elements such as power-ups, including other weapons, ammo, and health plants. If you die, the books you are collecting do spawn in different places, so you never know where they are going to be from each playthrough, making this a very replayable game and, in my opinion, well worth purchasing.”
“The world and atmosphere are bland; the gameplay is tried and true but somehow even worse than most indie zombie shooters, and it's set at an unnatural and unfairly high difficulty.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
“Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere falls flat, leaving me feeling disconnected from the game world.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and a lack of credit to original creators, leading to perceptions of the game as a cash grab.
“The developers didn't credit any of the artists and real game developers who created the assets, which feels like plagiarism and a cash grab.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“It feels like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than providing a fair gaming experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally solid, allowing players to navigate through various obstacles and enemies without significant technical issues. However, the presence of certain enemies, like the witch and the teddy bear, introduces moments of frustration that can disrupt gameplay flow. Overall, players can enjoy a stable experience as long as they master dodging mechanics.
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
“The stability issues are so severe that I often find myself unable to complete levels due to unexpected crashes.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its challenging nature, dynamic day and night cycle, and the random spawning of collectible items, which ensures that each playthrough feels unique. Players appreciate the variety of gameplay elements, such as power-ups and different weapon options, making it a worthwhile purchase for those seeking a fresh experience with each session.
“I've played the game for over three hours and have still yet to get close to beating this very challenging game. With decent graphics and sound effects (for the price), a day and night cycle (when you respawn), and some very atmospheric and at times spooky environments, the game offers a lot. The occasional maze-like areas can leave you dazed and confused. For the ridiculously low price of £0.79/$0.99, there are enough gameplay elements such as power-ups, other weapons, ammo, and health plants. If you die, the books you are collecting spawn in different places, so you never know where they will be in each playthrough, making this game very replayable and well worth purchasing.”
“The variety of gameplay elements and the random spawning of items keep each playthrough fresh and exciting. I love how I can come back to the game and experience something new every time.”
“With multiple paths to explore and different strategies to try, this game has an incredible amount of replayability. Each session feels unique, and I find myself wanting to dive back in again and again.”
