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 very cheap, making it accessible for players looking for a low-cost experience.
- Some players found the gameplay to be entertaining and challenging, especially in a casual, arcade-like manner.
- The graphics, while not great, were considered acceptable for an indie game, and the game runs smoothly on various systems.
- The game suffers from poor design, including random enemy spawns that make it frustrating and difficult to play.
- There is a lack of options, such as no pause menu or sound controls, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players criticized the game for being an asset flip with minimal effort put into its development, leading to a lack of depth and enjoyment.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been described as simplistic and shallow, primarily involving shooting zombies and collecting items, which some find enjoyable while others criticize it for being unoriginal and frustratingly difficult. Many reviewers note issues with enemy spawn mechanics and a lack of depth, leading to a generally negative reception, with suggestions to seek better alternatives in the same price range. Overall, while it may provide a brief period of entertainment for those with a high tolerance for random shooting games, it fails to deliver a compelling experience.
“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.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them acceptable and atmospheric, while others criticize them as messy and cheap. Positive comments highlight decent textures and shading, contributing to a replayable experience, but overall, the consensus suggests that the graphics are inconsistent and can detract from the gameplay.
“The enemies spawn just everywhere, the graphics are a huge plus though, I kind of liked them and didn't expect them to be like this.”
“I've played the game so far for over three hours and have still to get close to beating this very challenging game, that has decent graphics and sound effects (for the price), with a day and night cycle and some 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.”
“It's too bad it's extremely repetitive and overall very cheap in sound and visuals.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the soundtrack for enhancing the game's atmosphere and suspense, others criticize it for being inconsistent and reminiscent of stock sound effects. Concerns about potential copyright issues due to the use of borrowed assets also arise, suggesting a lack of originality in the audio design.
“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.”
“Nice soundtrack really fits the game.”
“The background music also adds to the suspense.”
“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.”
- story6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game lacks a substantial story, with many users noting the absence of a clear narrative or purpose. While some appreciate the gameplay for its price, they suggest that a more developed storyline would enhance the overall experience.
“These kinds of games really need a strong storyline because they focus much on the narrative. It's a good game for its price; with more effort and updates, it could be perfect!”
“No real purpose nor story.”
“I don't really care that there's no introduction story to know how you ended up there.”
“Story - not much of a story.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as unexpectedly entertaining, with moments that range from goofy to intense, particularly highlighted by amusing voice lines and absurd scenarios. Users recommend it as a humorous gift or challenge for friends, noting its low cost and ability to elicit laughter despite its initially unappealing appearance.
“I would recommend this as a funny gift or challenge to friends for Christmas or so; it's rather cheap! :^)”
“At first, it looks so bad, but at times it is really funny to play.”
“When I reached the mill, a goofy voice yelled, 'Give me your blood!' I thought it was funny, but then the zombies appeared and attacked, making it more intense.”
- 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 unremarkable and the gameplay is deemed overly challenging. Despite these drawbacks, the game's replayability and low price point are highlighted 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, other weapons, ammo, and health plants, making Alpages 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, lacking any sense of tension or excitement.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for being poor, with users reporting numerous bugs and a lack of options that detract from the overall experience. Players find the gameplay frustrating and unengaging, leading to a negative impression of the game's reliability.
“This might be one of the worst games I have ever played, unfun, buggy, little options.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism due to a lack of credit for original artists and developers, 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 into spending more, rather than providing a fair experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for low frame rates, even on systems that typically handle 60fps without issues, indicating potential performance problems.
“The optimization in this game is poor; I experienced low frame rates on my machine, which is unusual since I typically run games at 60fps without any issues.”
“The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent stuttering and lag during gameplay.”
“I was disappointed with the optimization; even on high-end hardware, the game struggled to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % 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, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging. With a low price point and various gameplay elements like power-ups and different weapon options, players are encouraged to return for multiple sessions.
“I've played the game for over three hours and have 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 a very replayable game and, in my opinion, well worth purchasing.”
