Beholder 3

About

Beholder 3 is a single player simulation game with a drama theme. It was developed by Paintbucket Games and was released on March 3, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Beholder 3," play as Frank Schwarz, a government spy and landlord in a totalitarian state, tasked with spying on tenants and Ministry co-workers to climb the Ministry's ladder. Conduct surveillance, search for contraband, and eliminate targets, all while navigating the power struggle among different factions. Balance your undercover work with personal life as you try to provide for your family and regain your lost position.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 328 reviews

story35 positive mentions

optimization8 negative mentions

The game combines the best elements of Beholder 1 and 2, offering a compelling narrative and engaging gameplay.
The characters and dialogue are well-developed, providing intriguing backstories and dynamics that enhance the experience.
The game successfully captures the atmosphere of a totalitarian state, making players feel the weight of their choices.

The game is plagued with numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating to play at times.
Many players feel that the story is linear and lacks the depth and moral complexity of the previous titles.
The gameplay can become repetitive, with limited choices that often lead to the same outcomes, reducing the sense of agency.

story
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
68%
7%
The story in "Beholder 3" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and engagement compared to its predecessors. While some appreciate the intriguing plot and character dynamics, others criticize the linearity, illusory choices, and numerous bugs that hinder progression. Overall, the narrative is seen as a downgrade from the earlier games, lacking the unique humor and complexity that defined the series.
- “The story is fantastic and really keeps me on edge while playing this game.”
- “Great story, fun characters, and overall a very unique experience that is inherent to the Beholder franchise.”
- “The plot of the game is very good; I liked it.”
- “The story is extremely linear, where there are only really 2 endings that are chosen when the story is basically over.”
- “You're railroaded down the story they want to tell, and none of your 'choices' matter.”
- “The depth of the game felt diluted compared to the first two titles, both from a story and quest design perspective.”
gameplay
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
66%
11%
The gameplay in "Beholder 3" is a blend of mechanics from the first two games, offering a nostalgic experience for fans but often criticized for its repetitiveness and lack of innovation. While some players appreciate the return to the original's apartment management style and the engaging choice-and-consequence mechanics, many report significant bugs and a frustrating user interface that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game captures a compelling atmosphere and narrative but struggles with execution, leading to a mixed reception regarding its gameplay quality.
- “The gameplay is a nice mix of the first and second games, with updated visuals.”
- “Its choice and consequence mechanics work really well in tandem with its constantly high-stakes gameplay.”
- “The game effectively captures a sense of tension and stealth as you navigate through the lives of your tenants, waiting for the opportune moment to set up surveillance and uncover any illicit activities.”
- “The gameplay feels 'janky'; the UI of the first one was so good that no matter how they would have changed it, it would have sucked.”
- “The gameplay worked separately for the first two games, but switching it up in order to support both just made it annoying.”
- “Gameplay-wise, sooner or later it will become really boring and repetitive.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming art style and significant enhancements compared to previous titles, describing them as stunning and beautiful. However, some players have reported severe optimization issues and bugs that hinder gameplay, leading to crashes and a frustrating experience. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, technical problems have marred the experience for some users.
- “The graphics are good and the developers are updating it frequently.”
- “Beautiful, artistic graphics.”
- “I am pleased with the graphics, music, and all the design, which have become much better than in the previous parts.”
- “I wanted to complete the series because damn, Beholder 1 and 2 are such good games, but this is literally unplayable. There are tons of bugs and the game is overall terribly optimized. Not even Beholder 2, with far better graphics, was that laggy. Since I started to play this one, I can't even finish the game; it just crashes no matter what I do. Trust me, I never had a game crashing this much. Optimize and fix this thing.”
- “Another flaw is how basic the graphics menu is in the settings section, so it's not easy to adjust how much it will require from your machine.”
- “You make indie games, not AAA ones, so your games need to be the least demanding possible. It's cartoon graphics, not The Last of Us 2.”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
54%
33%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and crashes that hinder gameplay. Despite some updates aimed at improving performance, numerous users still experience stuttering and low frame rates, leading to a general consensus that the game is poorly optimized compared to its predecessors. While a few players noted minor improvements, the overall sentiment remains negative regarding the game's optimization.
- “I highly recommend a controller because the game seems more optimized for it.”
- “As of update 1.0.5, most of the game-breaking updates have been fixed, and I did not have performance issues.”
- “The performance issues were not as distracting as I thought based on the reviews...”
- “Last time I played, the game was so poorly optimized it made me want to tear my eyes out of my sockets.”
- “I wanted to complete the series because damn, Beholder 1 and 2 are such good games, but this is literally unplayable. There are so many bugs and the game is overall terribly optimized. Not even Beholder 2, with far better graphics, was that laggy. Since I started to play this one, I can't even finish the game; it just crashes no matter what I do. Trust me, I never had a game crashing this much. Optimize and fix this thing.”
- “Everybody is commenting on this, but the optimization is horrible and there are numerous bugs that get in the way of the player.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game is plagued by significant stability issues, with frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay, such as getting stuck on stairs and inconsistent interactions. Despite some players enjoying the overall experience, many report that the game feels unfinished and recommend waiting for further patches before purchasing. Overall, the stability concerns overshadow the game's potential, making it difficult to recommend at this time.
- “This whole game is just an unfinished buggy mess. I played it for barely 3 hours, and I really doubt I'm that unlucky, as I keep all of my software and drivers updated, along with the latest Windows 10 updates.”
- “The game does some things wonderfully, combining the cooler aspects of 1 and 2, but is a horribly buggy mess even after several patches, so I can't recommend a purchase even though it's 'cheap', which I have seen some use as an excuse for the level of bugs.”
- “One big downside is that it's quite buggy at the moment.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its immersive and unique qualities, particularly its tension and thematic depth, while others find it lacking in innovation and design. Many appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of mystery and engagement, especially through stealth mechanics and a compelling narrative, though some criticize it for not fully delivering on its atmospheric potential. Overall, the game is noted for its effective blend of gameplay and ambiance, making it a memorable experience for those who connect with its themes.
- “In this game, I felt like a real one. I am very grateful to the developers for providing such an atmosphere. For a penny these days, such masterpieces should be valued in millions. I found what I was looking for a long time; I fell in love with everything at first sight. I am a connoisseur of such art, and I really like it. I highly recommend everyone to dive into this wonderful world filled with mysteries. Everyone will find what they want for themselves; I am 100% sure of this. Now it is 4 AM, and I continue to play and dive into this unique world.”
- “The game effectively captures a sense of tension and stealth as you navigate through the lives of your tenants, waiting for the opportune moment to set up surveillance and uncover any illicit activities. One of the game's strengths lies in its ability to create a palpable atmosphere, with its creepy undertones and strategic gameplay.”
- “The designs are disappointing, the atmosphere just isn't there, and the gameplay is frustrating.”
- “Things like breaking into rooms while tenants are sleeping is a simple mechanic that could make or break the atmosphere of the game.”
- “I really liked the plot and the gloomy atmosphere and the style of the totalitarian state.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the totalitarian atmosphere and complementing the overall experience, with many players highlighting its high quality and ability to create an engaging ambiance. However, some users have reported a significant bug that causes the game to freeze with only the background music playing, leading to frustrating interruptions. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's appeal, despite the technical issues.
- “The soundtrack fits very well with the totalitarian world, really adds a lot to the experience.”
- “The musical accompaniment in the game is also on a high level; in general, I recommend it for purchase.”
- “I've enjoyed the story, the gameplay, and characters (especially Kim) as well as the background music.”
- “But the great problem for me and some other players (reported at the forum) is a bug consisting of the game getting locked with a black screen and background music after the prologue cutscene. It stays frozen for 5 minutes or more before a loading screen shows up filled with 100%, which also stays frozen, making it impossible to quit the game. This forces you to restart your PC, which is not good for any PC's health, just to exit the broken game.”
- “I have enjoyed the story, the gameplay, and characters (especially Kim), as well as the background music, but it doesn't make up for the issues I faced.”
- “While I appreciate the ambience of the music, the overall experience is marred by technical problems that detract from the enjoyment.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it funny and appreciating the random comedic events, while others feel that the dark humor present in earlier installments has diminished significantly in the sequels, leading to a less engaging experience. Overall, the humor is described as inconsistent, with some elements being amusing but lacking the charm of previous entries.
- “It's a funny game.”
- “The random event you might get when sneaking around is also quite funny.”
- “They aren't just funny or odd visuals either; they are totally game-breaking.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some users noting only about 12 hours of content and minimal incentive to replay. However, a few players mention that the presence of multiple endings and choices offers slight replay value, primarily through save reloading to explore different outcomes.
- “I won't say which ones I went with, but I will note that the choices give it a little replay value, even if that's just reloading your save to see what the other option does.”
- “Inferior to Beholder 1/2 - only 12 hours of content (being very generous); no replayability whatsoever.”
- “I won't say which ones I went with, but I will note that choice gives it a little replay value, even if that's just reloading your save to see what the other option does.”
- “Replayability - I've only unlocked one ending but believe there are at least another three.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, particularly noting that daily tasks become quickly forgettable and the gameplay design lacks excitement, especially as it attempts to mimic the second game.
- “But then it drops off a cliff and starts trying to be like the second game, which I find incredibly tedious.”
- “If I had to choose a couple of things I disliked, I would say that the daily tasks quickly become tedious and easily forgettable.”
- “Gameplay design is so tedious and just not fun.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing hope that it will improve the franchise, while others criticize the dialogues as cheesy despite appreciating the character design. Overall, it seems that character development may not meet expectations compared to other titles like Beholder I and II.
- “The character development in this game is truly impressive, adding depth and complexity to the storyline.”
- “The dialogues may be cheesy, but the character design and growth are exceptional.”
- “I hope this game brings good character development to the franchise.”
- “The dialogues are cheesy, though the character design isn't.”
- “Character development feels shallow and predictable, lacking any real depth.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players praise the game for its impactful dialogues and dramatic moments, which effectively evoke strong emotional connections with the characters.
- “Great dialogues and drama that really made me feel the characters.”
- “The emotional depth of the story left a lasting impact on me.”
- “I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments throughout the game.”