Automaton Lung

About

Automaton Lung is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Luke Vincent and was released on December 16, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Automaton Lung" is an experimental third-person exploration game where players skate, shoot, and fly through over 40 unique locations. As you explore this strange land, you must be resourceful and questioning to uncover the mysteries of your surroundings. With each step, mile, and doorway, more secrets are revealed in this intriguing and atmospheric game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 68 reviews

music12 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and surreal exploration experience, reminiscent of classic 3D platformers, with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and discovery.
The soundtrack is highly praised, enhancing the overall vibe and immersion of the game, making it a joy to explore its dreamlike landscapes.
Players appreciate the minimalistic design and lack of dialogue, which encourages exploration and personal interpretation of the game's world.

The game suffers from janky controls and a lack of polish, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially during platforming sections.
Many players feel that the game is too short, with a completion time of around 4 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
The level design can be inconsistent, with some areas feeling empty or tedious to navigate, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the exploration.

music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke nostalgia and enhance the atmospheric experience, with many reviewers highlighting its excellent fit with the game's art and environments. While the soundtrack is generally considered amazing, some users noted inconsistencies in specific tracks. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's dreamy exploration and immersive quality.
- “Vibez for dayz, the music and art are all spot on for the early 32/64 bit games nostalgia sweet-spot.”
- “S-tier dreamy exploration, and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and environments all hit harder now that it has released on PC, and it now feels like a fully fledged experience, more than a novelty, where the art style can truly shine.”
- “The only real downside I had with the game was the inconsistent soundtrack.”
- “The music was serviceable for the game's aesthetic, but nothing noteworthy by itself.”
- “Right now I'd say its most compelling aspects are the surreal vistas and unusual music.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its surreal, low-fidelity graphics and open-ended level design, which foster a sense of exploration in a mysterious, abandoned world. Players appreciate the unique ambiance created by eerie locations and a captivating soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience, especially in the PC version. While some find the gameplay can become repetitive, the rich atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players into its dreamlike environment.
- “Its abandoned world and open structure create a unique atmosphere that makes the player explore each level and building in search of meaning or something familiar, just to find weird creatures patrolling through ancient structures that seem to make no sense.”
- “The extremely low-fidelity graphics (made for the 3DS' 400x240 screen) give the game a very surreal atmosphere, working with the open-ended level design to make the game feel like you're always exploring out of bounds of a different game, with no plot or explicit end goal driving you forward, just your own sense of exploration.”
- “The atmosphere of its worlds was so dense I couldn't help but be sucked in; the world outside the game faded away as I ventured through a world reminiscent of the levels of empty multiplayer video games once filled with players.”
- “They also had some of the best ambiance, combining a liminal space feel with the vibe of a forgotten 90s game to create an atmosphere that made me feel something truly unique.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a low-fidelity, retro aesthetic reminiscent of N64 and PS1 titles, creating a surreal and mysterious atmosphere that enhances the exploration experience. Users appreciate the unique art style and dreamy visuals, which contribute to the game's charm despite its rudimentary graphics. The recent PC release has improved the visual quality, allowing the art to shine even more, with a smooth 60 frames per second performance.
- “Nothing is explained, from the beginning you're dropped right into this surreal, desolate world full of dreamy visuals, mysterious architecture, and seemingly abandoned buildings, monuments, and cities with the occasional angry critter or weird polygon thing to deal with as you collect what are presumably computer chips.”
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and environments all hit harder now that it has released on PC, and it now feels like a fully fledged experience, more than a novelty, where the art style can truly shine.”
- “The extremely low-fidelity graphics (made for the 3DS' 400x240 screen) give the game a very surreal atmosphere, working with the open-ended level design to make the game feel like you're always exploring out of bounds of a different game, with no plot or explicit end goal driving you forward, just your own sense of exploration.”
- “The graphical style is reminiscent of something from the N64 or PS1's libraries, but the scope of the game is much larger than what would have been possible in any 3D title back then.”
- “Gameplay is pretty simple and graphics are rudimentary, but that's part of the charm!”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simplicity and charm, featuring smooth movement despite a janky appearance. Players can expect a unique blend of mechanics reminiscent of classic titles, with a focus on easy-to-pick-up gameplay that suits short sessions. While the graphics are rudimentary and the combat simplistic, the atmospheric levels and engaging soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
- “With controls that dare to ask 'what if Ocarina of Time was Mega Man X?' and a gameplay loop that dares to ask, 'what if Breath of the Wild was Super Mario 64?' Automaton Lung is a low-poly, liminal, and downright aesthetic experience that feels both more and less than what it is.”
- “Gameplay is pretty simple and graphics are rudimentary, but that's part of the charm!”
- “I highly suggest this if you enjoy easy to pick and play games with an old school style and unique gameplay.”
- “The gameplay footage looks janky and clunky, but movement is actually surprisingly smooth.”
- “It was originally a 3DS title, so while the environments aren't super detailed and the gameplay is minimal, each level is very rich with atmosphere because of the banging soundtrack and eerie locations.”
- “For sure an obscure game, giving any information on the gameplay would feel like spoiling it, so let's just say it's a janky collectathon with very simplistic combat set in a strange world with little to no story.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game features an ambiguous and minimalistic story, often described as non-existent, with players encouraged to explore a surreal, forgotten world without a clear plot or end goal. The open-ended design and low-fidelity graphics contribute to a sense of discovery, while the captivating soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making the lack of a traditional narrative less significant for many players.
- “A bit like finding a forgotten, dying world to explore, or logging on to an old multiplayer game with no sign that anyone else has logged on in years and piecing together what's going on in the story.”
- “The OST is amazing and the story is weird.”
- “The game has no story.”
- “The extremely low-fidelity graphics (made for the 3DS' 400x240 screen) give the game a very surreal atmosphere, working with the open-ended level design to make the game feel like you're always exploring out of bounds of a different game, with no plot or explicit end goal driving you forward, just your own sense of exploration.”
- “For sure an obscure game, giving any information on the gameplay would feel like spoiling it, so let's just say it's a janky collectathon with very simplistic combat set in a strange world with little to no story.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed that the game evokes strong feelings of nostalgia, reminiscent of long-forgotten titles from the past, enhanced by its unique ambiance that blends liminal space aesthetics with a 90s gaming vibe. This combination creates a distinctive emotional experience that resonates deeply with players.
- “It's incredible how this game made me feel nostalgia for games I had not thought about for literal decades.”
- “They also had some of the best ambiance, combining a liminal space feel with the vibe of a forgotten 90s game to create an atmosphere that made me feel something truly unique.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization as a PC port of a 3DS title, with users noting that it runs smoothly throughout.
- “This is a very good and optimized PC port of a 3DS game.”
- “The entire game runs smoothly.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is considered relatively short with limited replayability, making the sale price of $10 feel appropriate to many users.
- “It's relatively short and there isn't much replayability, so I'd say the sale price I got it at ($10) is totally fair.”