Amphora
- November 11, 2014
- Moondrop
Get on Steam"Amphora" is a peculiar puzzle game with an interesting plot, wonderful graphics inspired by shadow theater traditions, and ingenious music. Players manipulate objects and build structures to solve unconventional problems in an unfamiliar world, while uncovering the story of a girl in a world of intertwining tales through non-verbal storytelling. The game offers a curious and unique gameplay experience with physics-based mechanics that invite creativity.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful art style that captivates players.
- The music and sound design enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a relaxing experience.
- The puzzles, while sometimes challenging, can be enjoyable and rewarding to solve, especially when players figure out the mechanics.
- The physics mechanics are often unpredictable and frustrating, leading to a lack of satisfaction when solving puzzles.
- The game lacks clear guidance or tutorials, making it difficult for players to understand what to do at times.
- The story is minimal and can become convoluted, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story98 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Amphora" is described as minimalistic and often disjointed, with players finding it challenging to piece together due to the lack of dialogue and the convoluted nature of the puzzles. While some appreciate the beautiful imagery and the emotional journey of the main character from childhood to adulthood amidst war, many feel that the frustrating gameplay mechanics detract from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the game offers a touching story that is best appreciated when players take the time to explore the visuals rather than rush through the puzzles.
“In this game, you follow the story of one girl from her birth through happy times with her family, and more difficult times during war.”
“The story is beautifully portrayed through the speechless and text-less imagery of the game, with perfectly paced and balanced music, supporting it every step of the way.”
“Together, all of them weave a wonderful, colorful story of growth, love, and loss.”
“The story was straightforward at first, but then it got more convoluted as it went on until I stopped understanding who was where or how they got there.”
“The 'story' it supposedly tells is disjointed, and the few puzzles that will give you problems will make you forget the story entirely when you spend 20 minutes trying to throw a fireball at a soldier.”
“I was also so frustrated with the puzzles I didn't care about the story anymore.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and unique art styles, including shadow puppetry and stained glass aesthetics, which create a beautiful and immersive atmosphere. Many players appreciate the enchanting visuals and music, noting that they enhance the overall experience, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, making the game worth experiencing for their artistic quality alone.
“The Chinese shadow puppetry art style is what initially drew me to this game, and each level is gorgeous and vibrant.”
“The graphics are astounding!”
“From the very first scene, I found myself completely immersed within its stained glass visuals and hauntingly beautiful music.”
“For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrow timed, and clumsy.”
“The only redeeming quality this game has to offer is its visuals.”
“I do recommend playing it for the graphics and story alone, but wait for a sale, and maybe skip this one if poor physics and obtuse puzzling frustrate you.”
- music66 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its enchanting and calming qualities that complement the stunning visuals. However, some players found the music's integration into gameplay inconsistent, particularly with abrupt cuts during level completions. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered a highlight, it is sometimes overshadowed by frustrations with the gameplay mechanics.
“The music is lovely, sound design is great, game mechanics are fun.”
“From the very first scene, I found myself completely immersed within its stained glass visuals and hauntingly beautiful music.”
“The story is beautifully portrayed through the speechless and text-less imagery of the game, with perfectly paced and balanced music, supporting it every step of the way.”
“The music when beating a level just cuts out.”
“+music is more just soft sounds in the background that make you think of wind chimes, with a giggling child sound occasionally being triggered.”
“For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrow timed and clumsy.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the innovative puzzle mechanics and intuitive controls, but expressing frustration over inconsistent mechanics, vague objectives, and poorly designed levels. While the puzzles start off simple and gradually increase in difficulty, they often rely on trial and error, leading to tedious experiences. Overall, the beautiful visuals and music are praised, but they are not sufficiently supported by the gameplay, which many feel lacks depth and challenge.
“Innovative type of puzzle games, the gameplay was enjoyable.”
“The visuals, audio, and gameplay all worked together to produce a memorable and enjoyable experience.”
“The mechanics of the game are easy to understand and as the stages change, you understand what you have to do differently in order to solve the puzzle.”
“For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange that some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrowly timed, and clumsy.”
“I got stuck many, many times, sometimes from not understanding what the puzzle even wanted me to do, to not knowing how to solve the puzzle itself, to knowing how to solve it but repeatedly not being able to get the physics to do what I want, to not even realizing when critical new game mechanics were introduced.”
“The artwork is gorgeous, and the concept intriguing, but the ham-fisted mechanics and poorly designed levels just make this game unbearably frustrating.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its beautiful atmosphere, touching story, and emotional soundtrack, which create a strong emotional experience for players. However, some feel that the lack of a narrator diminishes the emotional connection to the storyline. While the game may have limited replayability, its emotional depth and cross-cultural music leave a lasting impression.
“I love it, but I am not sure how much replayability it has - but I would play it again for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack!”
“Touching story and music.”
“The music used throughout this touching tale is a cross-cultural mix and is a pleasure to listen to.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the excellent integration of music, graphics, and sound effects that create an immersive experience. The soundtrack is particularly noted for its ability to enhance the overall ambiance, contributing to a captivating and engaging environment.
“The soundtrack fits very well with the atmosphere; I love it.”
“With matching music and sound effects where necessary, it sets a great atmosphere.”
“What the rhythm, what the sound, what the atmosphere!”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and boring, particularly due to the trial-and-error gameplay and the requirement to replay the entire game if achievements are missed. The lengthy level structure exacerbates this issue, making the experience feel repetitive and frustrating.
“The game is pretty, but playing gets tedious and boring very fast.”
“This isn't too bad, except when going back through for the achievements; if you miss the achievement on level 36 and don't restart the level before level 37 loads, you have to play the whole game back over to get to that point (and with 41 levels, that gets tedious).”
“Most of the gameplay is done through trial and error, which can get pretty tedious.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack, but it has limited replayability, typically offering only 2-3 hours of gameplay. Many players suggest it is worth playing again, albeit primarily for its aesthetic qualities rather than for varied gameplay experiences. Overall, it may be more appealing to pick up during sales due to its short length and minimal replay value.
“I love it, but I am not sure how much replayability it has - but I would play it again for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack!”
“Not a lot of replay value.”
“I would pick this game up when it's on sale, because it's only a 2-3 hour game with very little replayability.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players experienced occasional glitches requiring a restart, others reported a smooth experience without significant issues. The game is praised for its visual and auditory appeal, suggesting that when functioning properly, it delivers an engaging experience.
“No glitches or half-done stuff, just pure eye and ear candy from the first colors till the end.”
“There are glitches that made me have to exit the game and go back in to fix the level, but I didn't have to do that more than twice.”
