Beyond Mankind: The Awakening
- August 31, 2021
- Brytenwalda
- 3h median play time
High concept horrible execution.
Get on Steam"Beyond Mankind: The Awakening" is a sci-fi first-person shooter set in a sprawling open world. As a member of the Galactic Security Force, players must uncover a mysterious conspiracy while battling alien species and exploring distant planets. The game features deep RPG elements, including skill trees, weapon customization, and base-building.
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Reviews
- The game has an interesting story concept and world-building that engages players.
- Voice acting is decent, adding some charm to the overall experience.
- There are opportunities for exploration and choices that impact the story.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, poor optimization, and janky controls that hinder gameplay.
- Graphics are outdated and inconsistent, making it feel like a low-quality title from years past.
- The gameplay mechanics, including inventory and crafting systems, are poorly implemented and often frustrating.
- story52 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story has been described as muddled and generic, with a mix of engaging moments and cliché elements, but ultimately lacks depth and coherence. While some players found the world-building interesting, many criticized the short campaign length and jarring cutscenes that detracted from the narrative experience. Overall, the game appears to have potential but suffers from execution issues, leaving players wanting a more polished and complete story.
“The story had me engaged, and I wanted to learn more about Hope and the character I played as.”
“Although the plot is somewhat predictable, there are several entertaining moments in it.”
“It is worth the price it is paid for and has an interesting story.”
“Nonsense cutscenes entirely lacking context, story depth as deep as a spit puddle on a hot day, with all the narrative coherence of a tweaker trying to explain the Fast & Furious saga.”
“The story is also pretty short and is clearly intended to be a prologue to a larger game, which may never happen, so that's a bit of a bummer.”
“The story is also all over the place, but the actual world and world building are done well for what I could get to play.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being rough, outdated, and poorly implemented, leading to a bland experience despite the presence of various mechanics like crafting, RPG elements, and survival features. Many players found the combat mediocre and the overall mechanics convoluted, detracting from the engaging storyline. While some unique aspects and world-building were appreciated, the game suffers from numerous bugs and a lack of coherence, making it feel more like a prototype than a polished product.
“There was no chance that the Fallout-type gameplay, when combined with a rich storyline, was not going to work if it was implemented properly.”
“It has everything, from crafting mechanics to rich RPG elements, exploration, and good combat mechanics.”
“The decisions you make during conversations are a crucial component of the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is rough and outdated, and the graphics make it look like a bad custom map on Half-Life.”
“Simply put, the way they are implemented into the game makes the gameplay boring and detracts from its pleasure.”
“It's got some major issues with railroading, a really bad inventory system, a minimal skill system that just doesn't work, and survival mechanics that are nothing but annoying.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their outdated appearance, often likened to titles from over a decade ago, with many reviewers noting that they resemble low-quality custom maps or early 3D models. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and find it sufficient for the game's price point, the overall consensus is that the visuals detract significantly from the experience, with complaints about poor animations and a lack of polish. Despite a few positive remarks about the atmosphere, the graphics are generally seen as a major drawback.
“I loved the idea, the aesthetic, even if a bit old school, but it's intended and well made (from what I've seen) so I don't really care.”
“Graphics are what you expect for £15, better even.”
“Like the return of pixel games, or horror games emulating the PS1 aesthetic, this game is a delightful return to a strange hybrid FPS/RPG era, and I'm loving every minute of it.”
“The gameplay is rough and outdated, and the graphics make it look like a bad custom map on Half-Life.”
“Graphically, it looks like 15 years ago, starting with 3D models that somehow look familiar to the same textures over and over again.”
“Having to punch boxes into submission so they open up to a can of food or a beer is just weird, the gunplay in general is incredibly lacking, voice acting is awkward and stiff, graphics look a decade out of date... there's a lot not to like.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some users report poor optimization and a need for significant improvements, others have experienced satisfactory performance without major issues on capable hardware.
“I've not encountered anything game-breaking or anything that impacts performance (running Ryzen 5 3600X, RTX 2060 Super, and 32 GB RAM).”
“Performance was fine.”
“No graphic/performance issues.”
“The game clearly needs a lot of optimization if this wasn't enough.”
“Poor optimization.”
“Poor optimization.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally well-received, with players appreciating its immersive qualities despite some criticism of the graphics. Many find the overall ambiance of the levels enjoyable, indicating that the atmosphere effectively enhances the gaming experience.
“I did love several aspects of the game's atmosphere overall.”
“The bad graphics don't really bother me; I actually enjoyed the atmosphere of the levels.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that significantly impact gameplay. Many reviewers express hesitation in giving a positive rating due to these ongoing issues.
“I'm not ready to assign stars yet; this game is a buggy mess.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined my experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by well-voiced characters and witty, relatable dialogue options that enhance the overall experience.
“The characters are well voice-acted, and the dialogue options are funny and relatable.”
“The humor in this game is spot-on, with clever jokes that keep you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game balances humor with the storyline, making every moment enjoyable.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the emotional impact of the game is significantly diminished due to subpar voice acting, which often comes across as flat and unengaging, undermining key moments intended to evoke strong feelings.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to frequent "stuck" doors and a hit-to-open mechanic, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The constant 'stuck' doors and hit-to-open mechanic are just tedious and silly.”
“Grinding feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
