Aporia: Beyond The Valley
- July 19, 2017
- Invisible Walls
- 10h median play time
There may be a lot of firt person puzzle games on the market, but this has something that warms the soul. The world is interesting, the puzzles are challenging, and there's always something to see.
Get on Steam"Aporia: Beyond The Valley" is a first-person adventure game set in a mystical, ancient world. Players explore this beautiful but ruined land, solving puzzles to uncover the story of its lost civilization. With no combat or dialogue, the game emphasizes exploration and discovery in a serene, atmospheric setting.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art design and graphics are stunning, creating a beautiful and immersive world.
- The sound design and soundtrack enhance the atmosphere, making the experience more engaging.
- The horror elements add an unexpected layer of tension and intrigue to the gameplay.
- The puzzles are overly simplistic and lack challenge, making the game feel more like a walking simulator.
- Frequent crashes and performance issues detract from the overall experience.
- The level design can be confusing, with many areas being easy to get out of bounds or reach unintended locations.
- story462 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of the game is primarily conveyed through non-verbal storytelling techniques, such as animated murals and light projections, creating an immersive and atmospheric experience. While some players found the narrative intriguing and emotionally resonant, others noted its ambiguity and simplicity, leading to confusion about the plot's details. Overall, the unique presentation and beautiful visuals enhance the storytelling, making it a compelling aspect of the game despite some critiques regarding its depth and clarity.
“The story is interesting and they really put in a lot of effort to make everything feel realistic.”
“Delightful and deeply moving story narrated without any words, just with images.”
“The story is told through images you find through this crumbling, rotting world and you're left with your own interpretation on what caused the eventual downfall for the people of Aporia.”
“The story itself is not especially complex but it is narrated via pictures and small animations.”
“You figure out the gist of the story, but in my opinion, I didn't really fully understand by the end of the game exactly what had happened and why.”
“I really liked the game, but story-wise some holes were left that left me very confused.”
- graphics240 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and immersive quality, particularly in terms of depth of field and atmospheric effects. However, several users noted issues such as graphical glitches, lack of polish in certain areas, and performance problems that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while the visuals are often described as stunning and a highlight of the game, they are accompanied by technical shortcomings that can disrupt immersion.
“The graphics are beautiful, and make clever use of depth of field and tilt-shift focusing to create a sense of breathtaking scale and detail.”
“The story coupled with interesting and beautiful visuals lent to an experience that will stay with me for quite some time.”
“The graphics are absolutely amazing and sounded great too.”
“Cons: however, the unpolished and broken graphics really take you out of the experience.”
“This endeavor suffers from a number of graphical issues like flickering textures, blinking distant objects, a painful lack of anisotropic filtering, and a general rough-around-the-edges look that makes the game feel very 'early access'.”
“Upon loading in at maximum graphic settings, I found to my disappointment that the graphics and lighting were generic CryEngine lighting; the environments are a combination of modular assets thrown together with no respect for how this game should look.”
- music132 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, particularly in creating a calming and immersive environment. However, some players noted a significant lack of music during gameplay, which detracted from the experience and left it feeling bland at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting, its inconsistent presence has led to varied opinions on its effectiveness.
“The beautiful world is enhanced by the soundtrack…strange music in some places and odd sounds off in the distance help lend to a mysterious atmosphere.”
“The music in this game is almost worth the experience alone, the sound design is excellent and the story experience is well crafted and awesome to enjoy.”
“The story is great, the graphics are beautiful, and the soundtrack is very atmospheric with excellent environmental sounds and a very effective musical score.”
“The biggest drawback is almost complete lack of any music.”
“Lack of music for most of the game makes the experience very bland and boring.”
“Finally, in a game like this, music and sounds are essential. Upon the giant gates opening at the start of the game, I was expecting some beautiful soundtrack to come on and play as I explored the environment, but nothing.”
- atmosphere104 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack that effectively conveys a sense of mystery and exploration. Players appreciate the unique storytelling through environmental elements like murals, which contribute to a rich world-building experience, although some feel the overall atmosphere can occasionally feel empty or low-budget. Overall, the atmospheric design is a significant draw, making it a compelling choice for fans of slow-paced, exploratory games.
“Indeed it's the atmosphere of this quiet, alien world that makes the exploration compelling; and that's what drives you through the entire thing.”
“The beautiful world is enhanced by the soundtrack…strange music in some places and odd sounds off in the distance help lend to a mysterious atmosphere.”
“The story is great, the graphics are beautiful, and the soundtrack is very atmospheric with excellent environmental sounds and a very effective musical score.”
“The atmosphere is ok, but don't expect anything special from this.”
“The atmosphere didn't quite get me in.”
“As far as visuals, there are stunning aspects, but you are stuck in a sunny yet raining and foggy atmosphere at all times.”
- gameplay74 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as an atmospheric adventure with immersive exploration and a unique puzzle-solving experience, though it suffers from some clunky mechanics and a lack of narrative focus. While the puzzles are generally reasonable and the game features interesting mechanics, some players found the gameplay dull and repetitive, with a few mechanics feeling uninspired. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy light puzzle-solving and exploration, but may not satisfy players seeking more depth or innovation.
“The gameplay is quite immersive; I felt like I was exploring some lost culture like an archaeologist, watching their past story unfold to understand why they vanished and solving puzzles to see how these old mechanics work.”
“A beautiful puzzler full of magical lands, with a very original set of mechanics and puzzles.”
“Gameplay had just enough difficulty to keep me going but not discouraged, and there was lots of fun exploring with some inventive game mechanics you don't see in many other games.”
“What I really didn't like was the clunky mechanics, from levers to pulleys and especially cranks while standing on fiery cracks.”
“There is a mechanic where you use up your 'light energy' but as far as I can tell, no puzzle in the entire game requires actually using your energy efficiently or optimally; they just force you to occasionally spend time looking for a light refill bottle for no reason.”
“Every minute of the first 2 hours of gameplay, I wondered where this introduction would end, only to realize this is everything there is.”
- optimization32 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting constant crashes, performance issues, and visual artifacts. While some appreciate the game's aesthetics and gameplay, many express frustration over the poor optimization that leads to loud PC noises and instability, particularly in specific chapters. Overall, there is a strong desire for improvements in optimization to enhance the gaming experience.
“A big thank you, devs, I truly love this game and hope to see similar from you in the future (with better optimization!).”
“Some slight optimization issues, but other than that, it's a really beautiful fun game with tons of interesting puzzles.”
“If they can iron out the crashes and some optimization, the game would be perfect.”
“The optimization of this game is horrible.”
“Nice game, but the buggy achievements and poor game optimization cause my PC to whir loudly every few minutes, which is beyond annoying (yet I don't have this problem with other games).”
“Yes, we all know by now, this game is poorly optimized.”
- stability16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- -6 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting a range of minor graphical glitches and occasional crashes or freezes, particularly in 4K resolution. While some players experienced no significant issues, others noted poor optimization and buggy achievements that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game is visually appealing but lacks the polish needed for a seamless experience.
“The game world is open and explorable, with stunning graphics and no glitches.”
“I love how the game is open and explorable, featuring great graphics and absolutely no glitches.”
“The stability of the game is impressive, with a vast open world, beautiful graphics, and a glitch-free experience.”
“Asides, there are constant buggy graphics which is annoying.”
“Nice game, only problem is the buggy achievements and poor game optimization which causes my PC to whir loudly every few minutes, which is beyond annoying (yet I don't have this problem with other games).”
“Sadly not fully polished as you may experience a few crashes and freezes every now and then, as well as objects floating in the air, and Aporia didn't work for me in 4K as it caused textures to flicker like crazy.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious, particularly regarding repetitive tasks and achievement hunting that requires extensive exploration. While some appreciate the challenge and rewards of thorough item collection, others feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, especially in a game that is otherwise engaging due to its atmosphere and storytelling.
“If you're an achievement hunter, there's a lot to like here, but some of the achievements are pretty grindy or require a lot of extremely thorough exploration.”
“This on the other hand is just another tedious walking sim.”
“The optional quest of finding a group of items got a little tedious but it still felt rewarding finding them all.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking after the initial playthrough, others appreciate the added value from achievements that encourage exploration and a more deliberate play style.
“It also has great replay value since some of the achievements force you to slow your play style and actually explore in order to unlock them.”
“I loved the game but sadly there is no replayability after the first time.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its heartwarming narrative filled with surprises, culminating in a heartbreaking conclusion that maintains a balance between emotional depth and a stern, epic tone. Overall, it is regarded as an awesome and emotionally resonant experience.
“Full of surprise and a heartwarming story.”
“Towards the end, the story even gets downright heartbreaking, yet manages to avoid getting excessively emotional, and to retain its tragic, stern epic feel.”
“Awesome and emotional game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the game's original soundtrack, particularly due to its association with the credits, which adds a lighthearted and amusing touch to the overall experience.
