Arrest of a stone Buddha

About

"Arrest of a Stone Buddha" is a first-person shooter game set in 1976, where you play as a professional killer balancing action-packed missions with mundane daily activities. With quick reflexes and precision, you can disarm enemies and use any weapon, making escape straightforward. Your character also has an apartment, engages in various leisure activities, and has a lover, adding depth to the story. The game poses a lingering question that seeks an answer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

story9 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of intense gunplay and a melancholic atmosphere, effectively capturing the essence of a hitman's life.
The pixel art style and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall aesthetic and emotional experience of the game.
The gameplay mechanics, while simple, provide a satisfying challenge as players navigate through waves of enemies and manage their ammunition.

The game suffers from a lack of direction and guidance, leaving players confused about objectives and gameplay mechanics.
The slow movement speed of the protagonist can make the game feel tedious, and the repetitive nature of the shooting segments can lead to frustration.
There are significant issues with enemy spawn mechanics and off-screen attacks, which can result in unfair deaths and a lack of enjoyment during gameplay.

story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The game's story is a minimalist yet impactful exploration of a hitman's mundane life, juxtaposing intense action with moments of existential boredom and emotional detachment. While some players appreciate the artistic storytelling and thematic depth, others find the narrative lacking in character development and engagement, leading to mixed feelings about its overall effectiveness. The setting in 1970s Paris adds a unique backdrop, but the gameplay often feels repetitive and disconnected from the story's potential emotional hooks.
- “But the story it wants to tell is about boredom and lack of meaning... and it nails those emotions.”
- “The game switches between fast-paced action and the melancholic mundane with an ending that ties the thematic and story together like poetry.”
- “There were some very interesting ideas and concepts for the slow part here, but it would have been necessary to develop the character and the story.”
- “A story that emotionally connects us to the protagonist would have been really great and could have made the game a hidden gem.”
- “Outside of this, the story is pretty bland and not very involved.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and lack of depth, often leading to repetitive experiences and moments of inactivity. While some players appreciate the artistic elements and unique mechanics, such as the "lucky hit" system in the side-scrolling shooter segments, many find the overall gameplay flawed and unsatisfying, with a disconnect between the narrative and interactive elements. Despite its beautiful aesthetics, the gameplay struggles to engage players consistently, resulting in mixed reviews regarding its enjoyment and challenge.
- “The gameplay mechanics in 'Arrest of a Stone Buddha' are simple yet satisfying.”
- “Beautiful and thrilling, with a unique and fun, but simple gameplay.”
- “The gameplay feels great and the atmosphere and overall aesthetics make it a very enjoyable experience.”
- “The moment-to-moment gameplay is uneventful as you spend literal minutes waiting for the evening before swallowing some sleeping pills.”
- “But the gameplay of 'Arrest of a Stone Buddha' is really bad.”
- “Coupled with the fact that the gameplay gets pretty repetitive as there isn't much enemy variety and it basically ends up just being you mashing the shoot key until all the hordes of enemies are dead.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
30%
15%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful retro aesthetics and stunning pixel art, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some reviews note occasional frustrations with gameplay, the art style and animations are consistently highlighted as top-notch, contributing to a unique blend of noir storytelling and intense action. However, a few critiques mention that despite the appealing visuals, the game may not meet expectations for all players.
- “The game's aesthetics are absolutely top notch, so if you can pass the insane opening battle you won't regret purchasing it.”
- “Short but challenging game with stunning pixel art visuals.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “Tldr: bottom of the barrel visuals.”
- “Lots of games go for that old school pixel graphics nostalgia and gameplay, and the majority of them are unremarkable at best and garbage at worst.”
- “Both have a classic river city-inspired art style.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
32%
16%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a range of melancholic melodies and adrenaline-fueled tracks. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to set the tone for various scenes, contributing significantly to the game's mood and aesthetic. While the music is celebrated, some players express frustration with gameplay issues, which detracts from their overall enjoyment.
- “The moody and atmospheric music enhances the tension and sets the tone for each scene.”
- “From melancholic melodies to adrenaline-fueled tracks during action sequences, the music elevates the overall experience and immerses you deeper into the game's world.”
- “It is beautiful, the music is great and the atmosphere is very strong.”
- “While I really appreciated the lonely atmosphere, the melancholic music and the visual style references to sixties/seventies French noir movies (Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Delon...), especially during the dusk-to-dawn sequences, the gun shooting parts - which should be the core of the game - are too buggy and unpredictable to grant it a full recommendation.”
- “Great atmosphere, soundtrack, and mood but also repetitive and frustrating. I can't really recommend it, which is a shame because I am a huge fan of The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa, but Stone Buddha does not have even a small percentage of the same depth.”
- “Said shooting segments are broken up by wandering the town you live in as melancholy music plays.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
13%
20%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its strong melancholic and moody qualities, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack that evokes feelings of loneliness and existential crisis. While many appreciate the unique aesthetic and emotional depth reminiscent of classic French noir films, some players find the gameplay elements detract from fully enjoying the atmospheric experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its dark themes and challenging nature.
- “It's a pretty unusual game in its structure, a fresh and very atmospheric experience, not for everyone's tastes.”
- “The moody and atmospheric music enhances the tension and sets the tone for each scene.”
- “It has a beautiful and dark atmosphere, though I can see how it's not for everyone.”
- “It is about feelings, about emotions, about the depressing atmosphere of one fading fall, about existential crisis.”
- “While I really appreciated the lonely atmosphere, the melancholic music and the visual style references to sixties/seventies French noir movies (Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Delon...), especially during the dusk-to-dawn sequences, the gun shooting parts - which should be the core of the game - are too buggy and unpredictable to grant it a full recommendation.”
- “I haven't given this game enough thought to really analyze it, but it's definitely got a strong melancholic atmosphere, and I think that's enough.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players feeling a strong connection to the protagonist's life, while others lament the lack of depth in the story and character interactions. Comparisons to previous titles highlight a shift from poignant explorations of youth and existential themes to a more mundane portrayal of daily life, which some find less impactful. Overall, while there are moments of emotional resonance, the game may not fully engage players seeking a deeper narrative experience.
- “A story that emotionally connects us to the protagonist would have been really great and could have made the game a hidden gem.”
- “You really feel like you live his life and you emotionally get into it.”
- “Where Ringo Ishikawa was a melancholic treatise on growing up, Arrest of a Stone Buddha is the next logical step in that emotional journey - the existential and monotonous routine of day-to-day life, where sometimes those days seem to run together, and you find yourself just passing time until the next thing you have to do, never really engaging with anything in the present moment - just drifting, the world whirling by with your feet barely on the ground.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is not fundamentally buggy, but it suffers from significant issues with stability during key gameplay elements, particularly the shooting mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience. While the atmosphere and visual style are praised, the lack of reliability in core gameplay aspects prevents a full recommendation.
- “This isn't a case of a buggy game, but the lamentable case of a thoughtless game with a terrible sense of direction.”
- “While I really appreciated the lonely atmosphere, the melancholic music, and the visual style references to sixties/seventies French noir movies (Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Delon...), especially during the dusk-to-dawn sequences, the gun shooting parts - which should be the core of the game - are too buggy and unpredictable to grant it a full recommendation.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the slow character movement and similar enemy types. However, the satisfaction derived from combat helps mitigate some of the monotony.
- “The slow parts feel tedious, and the shooting segments become repetitive; everything feels a bit too random, and the enemies are too similar.”
- “It can feel tedious due to the slow walking speed of your character, but the killing does feel satisfying so far.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is minimal, with players noting that interactions between missions consist of repetitive conversations with the same character, providing little depth or insight into their personalities or growth.
- “Between missions, there is only a single conversation with the same person that offers little insight or character development.”
- “The character arcs feel rushed and lack depth, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
- “I expected more growth from the characters, but they remain static throughout the game.”