Get on Steam"Bottle" is a single-player Adventure game with good graphics and stellar atmosphere, featuring ingenious music and sound effects that create a melancholic winter setting. As a solitary man, you follow a woman's trail by uncovering notes she leaves behind, solving puzzles to reach her, and exploring the environment. Completing the game unlocks "Noir" mode, offering a different atmospheric experience with a black and white filter and surprising changes.
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and serene atmosphere create a relaxing experience.
- The music is hauntingly beautiful and enhances the overall ambiance.
- The game is inexpensive and offers easy achievements for completionists.
- The walking speed is excessively slow, making the experience tedious.
- The story is thin and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more.
- Invisible walls and limited interaction reduce the sense of exploration.
- story124 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely criticized for being extremely thin and lacking depth, with many players finding it confusing or unengaging. While some appreciate the open-ended nature that allows for personal interpretation, the overall consensus is that the narrative is minimal, often reduced to scattered notes that fail to provide a coherent or compelling storyline. Despite its scenic environment, the lack of substantial storytelling leaves many players feeling bored and disconnected from the experience.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“The environment, music, weather, scattered notes--they tell fragments of a story that's open-ended, then the player completes it with fragments from their own experiences.”
“Bottle is a first-person walking simulator, where you follow the path in a snowy landscape and with the help of a mysterious person you will find letters that make you familiar with the story.”
“The issue was that the story was flat and did not really make sense unless you fill in a bunch of stuff on your own.”
“The story is practically non-existent.”
“Story is basically non-existent and all the assets are pre-downloaded packs, so even the visuals get repetitive and boring fast.”
- music90 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to create a relaxing atmosphere, with many players describing it as hauntingly beautiful and perfectly complementing the visuals. However, some reviewers noted issues with awkward silences between tracks and a lack of variation, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, making the game enjoyable for those seeking a serene and contemplative experience.
“I really loved this game, both the music and the atmosphere.”
“The best part of the game, however, is undoubtedly the music, which is truly remarkable.”
“The music especially is hauntingly beautiful and yet it is a sad melody but I often find myself absorbed in its beauty.”
“What annoyed me the most was running into invisible walls, but I guess you know you are off the path when the music stops.”
“It still has its moments, but I felt that they were too rare, and even when the snowy landscapes and ambient piano music combined were exciting at the beginning, they both keep repeating themselves and lack variation.”
“Seeing as there is no gameplay whatsoever, only a single piece of music repeating itself the whole game long, the controls feel clunky and the movement feels extremely slow (probably to make the game seem longer than its content's worth), I fail to see where the devs actually put their time.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and atmospheric effects created by the Unreal Engine 4, while others criticize graphical glitches, low-resolution textures, and an overall outdated appearance. Although the art style and environment can be visually appealing, many feel that the graphics do not compensate for a lack of engaging content, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, while there are moments of stunning imagery, technical issues and inconsistencies detract from the overall graphical quality.
“The imagery and graphics in the game are really cool, and that's what makes this game bearable as a game.”
“The graphic effects are really gorgeous; the atmosphere, the clouds, they are all part of the fairy tale.”
“What we have here is an indie game with extraordinarily good graphics.”
“Graphical glitches, especially in normal mode.”
“Even with everything on ultra, the graphics seem outdated at best.”
“I tried to enjoy the world, and the game for that matter, I really did, but the horrible graphics coupled with the bad performance destroyed it for me, and a beautiful world is one of the most important things in a walking simulator.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing and mystical qualities, enhanced by beautiful snowy landscapes and soothing music. While some players noted that the graphics and lighting could be improved, the overall ambiance effectively creates a contemplative and immersive experience. However, a few critiques mention that the atmosphere could have been developed further, particularly in terms of narrative depth and engagement.
“I like the peaceful atmosphere, the pink skies and snowy landscapes.”
“An atmospheric, relaxing and mystical world set in a snowy landscape.”
“A relaxing meditative experience coupling beautiful imagery with a ponderous atmosphere.”
“It is boring and long... wish the atmosphere had been built better.”
“The whole point of a walking simulator is to get totally lost in the atmosphere and environment.”
“Overall, Bottle is still at least two leagues below Dear Esther in terms of quality, attention to detail, length, writing, emotional impact, raw atmosphere.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interaction, consisting mainly of traversing environments and reading notes, which many reviewers found lacking in depth and engagement. Players noted that the controls felt clunky and the pacing slow, leading to a sense of frustration due to the limited gameplay mechanics and overall lack of meaningful content. For those seeking a more dynamic experience, alternatives like 'Valley' were recommended for their richer gameplay elements.
“Not gimmicky games that sell you on fancy gameplay, graphics, or excessive gore/violence, but games of story and experience.”
“If you want a game that has pretty scenery and nice music, and actual gameplay, check out 'Valley'; it has a similar feel but you actually get to do things.”
“Since 'Bottle' is close to a pure walking simulator, you should know that if you wish for interesting gameplay, there's almost none of that here.”
“Seeing as there is no gameplay whatsoever, only a single piece of music repeating itself the whole game long, the controls feel clunky and the movement feels extremely slow (probably to make the game seem longer than its content's worth). I fail to see where the devs actually put their time.”
“If you're in the market for an abundance of either gameplay or story, this probably isn't the product for you.”
“The gameplay consists of one main thing: walking!”
- optimization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with users reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and stuttering, even on the lowest settings. While some players appreciate the low price, many recommend waiting for improvements before purchasing, especially for fans of walking simulators who value visual quality and smooth gameplay.
“If you really like walking simulators, you could check it out and buy it, although I would recommend waiting until the game is more optimized.”
“I tried to enjoy the world and the game for that matter; I really did, but the horrible graphics coupled with the bad performance destroyed it for me. A beautiful world is one of the most important things in a walking simulator.”
“Neutral vote for low price and decent performance.”
“It's not very optimized but did run at 30fps with tweaks in settings on the Steam Deck.”
“I enjoy almost all walking simulators but not this one; the biggest reason why is because the game is ugly and the performance (lag) is horrible.”
“I turned almost everything to the lowest quality and the frame rate was horrible, and the game was stuttering.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to the excessively slow walking speed, which detracts from the overall experience. While there are achievements to pursue, the slow pace discourages players from engaging with them.
“It's very pretty but soooo tedious, mainly because you walk sooooo slow. The only time you walk faster is when you walk into those little colorful lights. I guess there are achievements, but to be honest, I didn't care to try and search them out because of how sloooooow you walk.”
“Very, very tedious.”
“First of all, the walking speed is tediously slow.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mix of emotional experiences, with some praising the pleasant scenery and interesting narrative, while others criticize the game for lacking depth and emotional impact compared to titles like "Dear Esther." Players express disappointment, feeling that the ending left them with a sense of hopelessness rather than fulfillment.
“Pleasant scenery and an interesting, emotional narrative are usually what people say.”
“Overall, Bottle is still at least two leagues below Dear Esther in terms of quality, attention to detail, length, writing, emotional impact, and raw atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report frequent graphical glitches, particularly in normal mode, indicating stability issues that may affect the overall gaming experience.
“There are frequent graphical glitches, especially in normal mode.”
“The game crashes unexpectedly, making it frustrating to play.”
“I experience constant lag and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered limited, with users noting that the experience may not offer enough variation or incentive to play through multiple times. Many feel that once the game is completed, there is little motivation to return.
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized for including excessive self-referential advertising, which detracts from the overall experience and depth of the content.
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by ads.”
“It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, forcing players to spend money to fully experience the game.”
“The in-game purchases are poorly balanced, giving paying players a significant advantage over those who choose not to spend.”
