Alpha Polaris

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 141 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
Alpha Polaris Game Cover
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In Alpha Polaris, players step into the role of an oil rig engineer confronted with a supernatural Arctic threat. The game is a horror adventure, combining point-and-click exploration with challenging puzzles and a gripping narrative. As the crew's safety unravels, players must uncover the mysterious force threatening their lives and the environment while battling harsh weather conditions and isolation.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 141 reviews
story54 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story with interesting characters and a unique setting in the Arctic, drawing inspiration from Lovecraftian themes.
  • The puzzles are mostly logical and provide a good challenge, with some creative elements like text parser puzzles that add variety to the gameplay.
  • The atmosphere is well-crafted, with good voice acting and a fitting soundtrack that enhances the eerie and immersive experience.
  • The graphics are dated and inconsistent, with character models that can appear awkward and cutscenes that lack polish.
  • The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more depth and development in both the story and character arcs.
  • Some puzzles can be frustratingly vague or require specific knowledge, leading to moments of confusion and the need for walkthroughs.
  • story147 mentions

    The story of "Alpha Polaris" is a mix of intriguing supernatural elements and Inuit mythology, but it often feels underdeveloped and derivative, leading to a disappointing conclusion. While some characters are likable and the atmosphere is engaging, many reviews highlight issues with pacing, lack of depth, and a rushed ending that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the narrative has potential and is appreciated by some for its unique premise and psychological horror aspects.

    • “It has an interesting story with fun characters, and it's not over the top with the horror parts of the game.”
    • “The story is intriguing and kept me interested throughout the game.”
    • “Alpha Polaris is an excellent game; the story is based on real legends and I found it captivating, the characters are well developed, and the puzzles are not easy but logical.”
    • “The story here is lackluster, if only because the game doesn't take the time or care to fully flesh out the details.”
    • “In short, the story was brief and disappointing.”
    • “The story basically deteriorated after the middle.”
  • graphics44 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric visuals and well-crafted backgrounds, while others criticize the dated character models and inconsistent quality, particularly in cutscenes. Many players find the art style acceptable but not outstanding, noting that it fails to meet modern standards despite some appealing elements. Overall, the graphics contribute to the game's atmosphere but are often seen as a significant drawback in terms of fidelity and animation quality.

    • “The atmosphere and graphics are beautiful; I normally don't play horror games, but I did like this one.”
    • “A little buggy, but overall -- engaging story, great characters, and beautiful visuals.”
    • “The voice acting is good and the graphics are neat with 3D renditions mixed with 2D comic book art.”
    • “The graphics are dated even for its release date (2015).”
    • “Graphically, this game is a disaster.”
    • “The animated scenes could have had a lot better graphics, and with the low quality graphics, they shouldn't have tried to put in the mild sex scene; it just looked plain weird with the derpy graphics.”
  • atmosphere36 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong, creepy, and immersive qualities, often drawing comparisons to the works of John Carpenter and Lovecraft. Many reviewers highlight the effective use of music and sound design in enhancing the mood, creating a tense and eerie environment that complements the horror elements. However, some critiques mention that while the atmosphere is compelling, it sometimes overshadows other aspects of the game, such as writing and puzzle design.

    • “The atmosphere is fantastic and it really feels like there was effort put into details.”
    • “The music is really good and helps build an incredibly creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is a comfy academic exploration/horror medley.”
    • “The setting and atmosphere is reminiscent of John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (1982), which is both a good thing (what a lovely, isolated place!) and a bad thing (inspirations from arguably better media will remind the consumer that the current media fails to live up to the same expectations).”
    • “For being a horror adventure, there is zero atmosphere and the 'evil' in the game is barely fleshed out.”
    • “The atmosphere is dull, but it is the Arctic; how exciting is that?”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay of Alpha Polaris is characterized as a standard point-and-click experience, featuring straightforward puzzles and basic mechanics that can feel clunky and lacking in direction. While the setting and character interactions are praised for their depth and charm, many players find the gameplay itself to be average at best, with some mechanics requiring external help to navigate effectively. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, with potential overshadowed by execution issues.

    • “Gameplay is your classic point and click with solving puzzles and combining items you find.”
    • “The two-button controls are straightforward and work well, the conversations are easy to navigate, and overall I would say that the gameplay is solid.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth.”
    • “The gameplay is what really lets Alpha Polaris down.”
    • “A walkthrough is nearly mandatory to avoid stalls due to badly thought out puzzle mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit clunky; I found myself confused a lot of times because there wasn’t always much direction on what I should do next.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it atmospheric and fitting for the game's tone, enhancing the creepy ambiance, others feel it is forgettable and occasionally absent. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for its ability to complement the narrative and setting, particularly in creating tension and enhancing the overall experience. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of variety and presence of music throughout the gameplay.

    • “The music is really good and helps build an incredibly creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The music throughout the entirety of the game does an amazing job setting the tone—something I've found that games have trouble with fairly often.”
    • “Very good adventure game with a great atmosphere and soundtrack!”
    • “There's some music playing but I don't remember it, which means the music is there for the sake of music.”
    • “Tldr: a solid engine, and nice enough overall idea for a narrative made completely forgettable by mediocre voice acting, superficial character motivations, questionable writing level, a lack in quantity of musical scores, a rushed plot, few character developments and brickwall undecipherable puzzles using text boxes.”
    • “The music is fine and fits everything that is going on.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in Alpha Polaris is a mixed bag, featuring awkward and poorly executed moments, such as a hilariously bad CG sex scene and cringe-worthy dialogue that often serves as comedic relief. Players noted a funny side mission involving cake baking, which contrasts with the game's darker themes, while the unexpected ending adds a layer of absurdity. Overall, the humor is described as both unintentionally amusing and a highlight amidst the game's more serious elements.

    • “His dialogue is hilariously bad sometimes and it feels like everything that comes out of his mouth is actually comedic relief, instead of serious stuff.”
    • “There is a funny little side mission that you accomplish before everything gets really bleak.”
    • “There's a hilarious one where you bake a cake to try and impress a girl.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some puzzles can be engaging, others feel tedious and frustrating. The navigation can also become repetitive, but the option to skip walking animations is a welcome feature that alleviates some of the grind. Overall, the balance between challenge and tedium varies, impacting the enjoyment of the adventure.

    • “Any shorter and it would feel like a quick rip-off, any longer and it would start to feel tedious.”
    • “The characters were pretty flat and the puzzles ranged from solid to really tedious.”
    • “A fun little adventure with a decently creepy slow-burning plot, it's a real callback to the days of point-and-click adventures with the kind of puzzles that would have you grinding your teeth for weeks.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the character designs are appreciated, the overall character development is lacking, with many feeling that the plot progresses too quickly and fails to provide sufficient depth or motivation for the characters. The writing quality is noted as decent, but it is overshadowed by rushed pacing and mediocre voice acting, leading to a forgettable narrative experience.

    • “I really like the character designs.”
    • “The writing is pretty good, but the plot moves too fast. Having the plot take place over a few more days and including more character development would have made the end result better.”
    • “TL;DR: A solid engine and a nice overall idea for a narrative made completely forgettable by mediocre voice acting, superficial character motivations, questionable writing quality, a lack of musical scores, a rushed plot, few character developments, and brickwall undecipherable puzzles using text boxes.”
    • “Needs more character development.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with only a couple of minor glitches reported, allowing players to enjoy its engaging story, great characters, and beautiful visuals without significant interruptions.

    • “The game seems to run fine, but I encountered a couple of glitches.”
    • “It's a little buggy, which detracts from the overall experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its low-quality graphics, which some users liken to poorly made 3D ads, suggesting a lack of investment in visual quality that detracts from the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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