Atma
- July 10, 2019
- Team Atma
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamIn a world where spirits and humans coexist, Shaya, guardian of the unseen, keeps the safe balance between the living and it's spiritual entities. She once was Atma’s eternal lover, but as he passed away, she became the next Guardian. As she communes with herself at her beloved's tomb, Atma tries to reach out to her through her powers. He never met the spirit world, and has been oscillating betwee…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning pixel art and beautiful visuals that create an immersive atmosphere.
- The unique gameplay mechanic of drawing mantras to interact with the environment and combat adds an interesting twist to the gameplay.
- The story, inspired by Indian mythology, is engaging and thought-provoking, with choices that impact the narrative.
- The game is very short, taking only about 30-60 minutes to complete, leaving players wanting more content.
- Movement speed is painfully slow, making exploration tedious and frustrating, especially since there is no run option outside of combat.
- There are several bugs and glitches, including issues with saving progress and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
- story140 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its engaging and original narrative, where players embody Shaya, a guardian navigating between the living and spirit worlds, with choices that impact the storyline. However, many reviewers note that the focus on the central plot leads to minimal exploration and side quests, resulting in a short experience that leaves players wanting more depth and expansion. While the art and atmosphere are highlighted as beautiful, the execution of the story sometimes feels simplistic or underdeveloped, suggesting potential for a richer narrative if further developed.
“The story is mystical and poignant, and discussing it would be a disservice.”
“The potential of this game is huge, since its universe and story is so fresh, picturesque, and mystifying.”
“The story is enjoyable and was a lot of fun when it introduced that you could make your own decisions in-game, changing the ending.”
“The story is oversimplified, the characters unendearing.”
“Story is ok-ish at the core but chaotic and uneven in execution, at multiple points feeling extremely cheap/cliché (e.g. the initial choice to mourn or not to mourn feels like 'press F to pay respects').”
“Great for the scenery, not so much for the gameplay and story progression.”
- gameplay128 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique mechanic that allows players to interact with the environment and combat enemies through drawing mantras, which adds a creative twist to the experience. While the mechanics are inventive and the puzzles are engaging, many players noted issues with the game's pacing, such as slow character movement and sensitivity in controls, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay shows potential for expansion and improvement, particularly in balancing mechanics and enhancing the story.
“The gameplay is really relaxing, and the music is nice. The story is good; it's short and incredible.”
“The puzzles are interesting without being too challenging, and the gameplay is smooth and easy to understand.”
“The drawing mechanics are really great and leave you wishing the game was longer in order to capitalize on this system a bit more.”
“The gameplay is awful.”
“But the gameplay is so lackluster.”
“The gameplay just doesn't work for me, sorry.”
- graphics110 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the beautiful and vibrant pixel art style, detailed animations, and captivating aesthetics. While some critiques mention a lack of depth in gameplay and story, the visuals are consistently highlighted as a standout feature, often compared favorably to other well-regarded titles like *Hyper Light Drifter*. Overall, the game's graphics are described as stunning and a major draw for players, despite some technical issues and a short experience.
“The graphics are stunning and the music is beautiful.”
“Atma is a beautiful game; I don't think I've ever seen such lively, detailed, vibrant pixel graphics.”
“The artwork is truly beautiful and so is the music.”
“This feature is really godawful, lazy pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
“It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
“Graphics looking 30 years old.”
- music58 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, perfectly complementing the stunning pixel art and overall aesthetic. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. While some mention occasional sound issues, the general consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and appeal.
“The calm soundtrack is absolutely on point.”
“The music was beautifully done to create an atmosphere and doesn't sound repetitive at all.”
“Combined with the calm soundtrack, a really beautiful and relaxing experience is created here which I wish I could see more of.”
“On the other hand, the design and music are okay, but definitely not enough to make up for the rest.”
“Music was basically not present due to the loud sound effects and ambiance in some areas.”
“I was honestly surprised by the pixel art and music; it felt like a demo for a bigger game.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Atma is widely praised for its stunning art and immersive sound design, creating a captivating experience that encourages players to explore at a leisurely pace. Reviewers highlight the game's unique mechanics and depth, noting that the intentional limitation on movement enhances the overall aesthetic and emotional impact. Overall, Atma is celebrated as one of the most beautiful games, drawing comparisons to other atmospheric titles like Journey and Ori.
“The atmosphere is amazing; it's so wonderful to walk around.”
“Atma is an amazingly atmospheric puzzle-based narrative.”
“At first, I thought it was intentional to make you go slower and admire the atmosphere and the view, but now I think it was made that way so you won't finish it within 15 minutes.”
“The atmosphere of this game, from the music and the graphics, was by far breathtaking.”
“Games limit speed for different reasons; first person, RPG, RTS, platformer games so that you can react (or so that enemies have a chance of hitting you); puzzles and point-and-click for aesthetics; then there is atmosphere, which is not so much a type as a design choice, horror or drama.”
- character development12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game excels in character development through its stunning and unique designs inspired by Asian folklore, featuring creatively crafted characters that evoke an ancient, mystical vibe reminiscent of Aztec and Mayan cultures. The beautiful pixel art and well-matched color palette enhance the overall aesthetic, contributing to an immersive experience, although some players feel the story and gameplay could be improved. Overall, the character designs and visuals are highly praised, making them a standout aspect of the game.
“The character designs are all very creative and beautiful.”
“The art is gorgeous and the character design is so unique.”
“Really beautiful game with great visuals and character design.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a personal level.”
“While the visuals are stunning, the characters themselves are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
“I found the character arcs predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity and growth.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marked by a mix of occasional glitches and bugs, particularly during combat and with mouse controls, which can detract from the experience. While some players encountered significant issues, others found them manageable and noted that the game's artistic design and story were strong points. Despite the stability concerns, many users felt the game was well-executed for a free title.
“The environment looked good, but the gameplay and story weren't worth the troubleshooting.”
“For a free game, it is well-executed and well thought out; however, bear in mind that it does have its glitches, especially in combat.”
“I didn't deal with many of the glitches myself (only about 3), and those I did were easily resolved. From what I hear, though, they leave the game in either a playable or non-playable state.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a touching and introspective story that explores the conflict between personal emotions and the greater good, enhanced by beautiful pixel art. While some players find the narrative heartwarming and impactful, others feel it lacks dramatic tension and depth, leading to mixed feelings about character engagement and story development. Overall, the game evokes a range of emotions, from warmth to disappointment, depending on individual player experiences.
“A heart touching introspection on the potential for emotions to conflict with the 'greater good'.”
“Amazing pixel art and a touching story.”
“Although short, Atma managed to be a cute and heartwarming game with a twist on mythology (which I am very passionate about).”
“Good concept, great art, cool looking characters, but boring characters and a boring story. It all balances out, so it's fine; it's got a yin-yang thing of balance going on here.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, players express mixed feelings about replayability; while the card-based system and premade characters offer some variety, many feel that the game has limited replayability. However, a few users highlight the potential for infinite replayability, suggesting that there may be aspects that can keep players engaged over time.
“Replayability is a key feature of this game, offering countless opportunities for new experiences.”
“The game is infinitely replayable, ensuring that players can always find something new to enjoy.”
“With its diverse mechanics and character options, the replayability keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
“Limited replayability: while the premade characters and card-based system provide variety, some players may find the replayability factor limited.”
“Limited replayability: while the premade characters and card-based system provide variety, some players may find the replayability factor limited.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the slow walking speed during exploration, which detracts from the enjoyment. The clunky combat and subsequent setbacks, such as puzzle resets upon death, further exacerbate the frustration, leading some to abandon the game altogether.
“You can only walk when exploring, padding game time and making it tedious, which makes exploring not fun.”
“It made exploring seem more tedious than it should be. I was able to bear with it until I was killed in the clunky combat, which reset the puzzle I was in. Though small, that was just enough of a setback to make me uninstall.”
