Aonar
- August 21, 2023
- Austin Wolfe
Get on SteamThis is an immersive cinematic storytelling experience based on Scottish folklore. Become a part of the lighthouse keeper's story, and take a journey with him on the Scottish Isles. This is an exploratory application.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Aonar features beautiful artwork and impressive animations, particularly in the lighting and water effects, creating an immersive visual experience.
- The narrated story is calm and relaxing, making it a pleasant short experience for those looking to unwind.
- For a free experience, Aonar is well-crafted and reminiscent of high-quality VR animated shorts, appealing to fans of introspective storytelling.
- Aonar lacks meaningful gameplay and interactivity, functioning more as a VR cinematic than a traditional game, which may disappoint gamers seeking engagement.
- There are technical issues reported, such as sound balance problems and compatibility issues with certain VR headsets, limiting accessibility.
- The experience does not allow for scene revisits or pauses, which detracts from the ability to fully enjoy the stunning environments.
- story12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story is a calm and immersive experience rooted in Scottish folklore, offering a lovely, introspective narrative that can be enjoyed in about half an hour. While the quality may not match other titles, it provides a relaxing atmosphere with beautiful artwork and music, making it a worthwhile free experience. However, the pacing is slow, and the inability to pause or revisit scenes detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“Lovely short story game that you can sit down and relax to but still feel immersed in.”
“The story isn't anything special, and the story quality is much lower than Gloomy Eyes, but it's free.”
“The story is slow-paced and there are scenes that just linger.”
“It's an introspective story that has Scottish folklore at its roots.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful artwork that complements the game's calming narrative, creating an immersive environment. Reviewers appreciate the visual design, noting it enhances the overall experience, making it a relaxing and enjoyable short playthrough.
“The artwork is really nice and fits the game amazingly, creating a calm experience.”
“It's a relaxing way to spend 20 minutes or so in an immersive graphical environment.”
“The developer did a great job with the artwork for the different scenes.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, making it a relaxing accompaniment to the short story. However, some users suggest improvements, such as adjusting the balance between vocals and music or providing audio customization options in the main menu.
“Really enjoyed the music and, although it is a short story, it's a relaxing way to spend 20 minutes or so in an immersive graphical environment.”
“The music is wonderful.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“You could improve it by adjusting the vocals to music ratio or giving the option to adjust the audio in the main menu.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay aspect of the software is criticized for lacking any meaningful interaction or gameplay loops, resulting in an absence of engaging game mechanics.
“There are no gameplay loops in this software, no 'gameplay', no meaningful game-like interaction.”
