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.
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Reviews
- The game is inexpensive and can provide some fun moments, especially for those who enjoy simple gameplay.
- The graphics are surprisingly decent for an indie game, and the atmosphere can be engaging.
- Some players found the game entertaining and challenging, making it a good option for a short, casual play session.
- Enemies spawn too frequently and can appear right behind the player, making the game frustratingly difficult.
- The game lacks basic features like a pause menu and sound options, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players reported technical issues, including lag and unresponsive controls, making the game nearly unplayable.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally criticized for being shallow and uninspired, with repetitive mechanics that involve shooting zombies and collecting items, reminiscent of "Slender: The Eight Pages." Many players find the spawn mechanics frustrating, as enemies often attack from behind, leading to an unfair difficulty level. While some appreciate the simplicity and find it enjoyable for a short period, overall, the gameplay lacks depth and polish, making it less engaging compared to other indie zombie shooters.
“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 spawn mechanics are pretty cheap; you'll get attacked from behind far too often for it to be fun.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the atmospheric environments, shading, and textures, while others criticize them as a "mess" and express frustration over performance issues. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant plus by some, but not universally appreciated, leading to a polarized perception among users.
“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 shit.”
“Graphically it's a mess; ammunition pick-ups are massive and so are the books.”
“Bought it, it doesn't even work. My PC can handle Dota 2 graphics, why can't this?”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % 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 audio. While the background music contributes to the overall suspense, there are concerns about potential copyright issues due to the use of assets that may not be original. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent but raises questions about its originality and coherence.
“The background music also adds to the suspense.”
“You will hardly notice it with the decent soundtrack; it fits, though I suspect some assets were taken from somewhere else.”
“The reason why is because the music in the game can cause copyright.”
“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.”
“The background music is also something that adds to the suspense.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as unexpectedly entertaining, with players finding amusement in its low-quality visuals and quirky voice lines, such as a character humorously demanding "give me your blood." While the game can shift to more intense moments with zombie attacks, it is recommended as a fun and lighthearted challenge to share with friends, particularly as a gift for occasions like Christmas.
“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.”
“Would recommend as a funny gift or challenge to friends for Christmas or so, rather cheap. :^)”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story is criticized for being convoluted and poorly presented, making it difficult for players to engage with the plot. Many users express indifference towards the lack of a clear introduction or narrative context, suggesting that the game feels unplayable due to its disjointed storytelling.
“It drags on to the point where it is literally unplayable. The game is not presented to the player in a clear and concise manner. The plot, if it existed, is convoluted due to the simple fact that the developers wanted to make a game, and games need a plot, I guess. So here's a witch, five books, some zombies, and bam!”
“I don't really care that there's no introductory story to know how you ended up there.”
“I don't really care that there's no introductory story to know how you ended up there.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as a mix of blandness and occasional spookiness, with decent graphics and sound effects that enhance the experience. While the environments can be atmospheric and maze-like, contributing to a sense of confusion, the overall world lacks depth. Despite its challenges, the game offers replayability through varied item spawns and gameplay elements, making it a worthwhile purchase for its low price.
“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.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally solid, allowing players to navigate through various obstacles and enemies without significant technical issues. However, some players have noted that certain enemies, like the witch and the teddy bear, can create frustrating moments that may disrupt gameplay flow. Overall, the mechanics encourage skillful dodging and strategic movement, contributing to a stable gaming experience.
“The game frequently crashes, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing significant progress.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
“The stability issues are frustrating; I often find myself getting kicked out of the game unexpectedly.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its challenging nature, dynamic environments, and randomized item placements, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging. With a low price point and various gameplay elements like power-ups and a day-night cycle, players are encouraged to return for more attempts at mastering the game. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile purchase for those seeking a game with lasting appeal.
“I've played the game for over three hours and have still yet to get close to beating this very challenging game. It 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. 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 from each playthrough, making this a very replayable game and, in my opinion, well worth purchasing.”
- 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 monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for free-to-play users.”
“The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
