Bright Lights of Svetlov
- September 14, 2021
- Vladimir Cholokyan
Get on Steam"Bright Lights of Svetlov" is a narrative-driven adventure game set in a fictional Soviet-era city. Players uncover the town's secrets and decide its fate through their choices and interactions with citizens. The game features a distinct art style, immersive soundtrack, and multiple endings based on player decisions.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game offers an immersive experience that effectively captures the atmosphere of 1980s Soviet life, making players feel nostalgic.
- The story is gripping and features an unexpected twist at the end, which enhances the overall experience and emotional impact.
- Despite some technical issues, the game is well-priced for its length and provides a unique perspective on a true historical event.
- The gameplay can be tedious and slow, with pixel hunting and mundane tasks that may frustrate players.
- There are several technical issues, including bugs and inconsistent visual quality, which detract from the overall experience.
- Some translations are missing, and the game defaults to Russian, making it difficult for non-Russian speakers to fully engage with the content.
- story57 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Bright Lights of Svetlov" is a poignant and immersive narrative set in the USSR, based on true events that explore the lives of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. While the gameplay may be simplistic and at times tedious, the emotional depth and unexpected twists of the story, combined with its atmospheric setting, create a compelling experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers highlight the touching and heart-wrenching nature of the narrative, making it a standout aspect of the game.
“The narrative takes a while to reveal itself, but the payoff is very worth it, especially knowing this is based on a true story.”
“I`m crying, this game breaks my heart for the second time... but I still love it ♡ because this is the best game with the atmosphere of the USSR and with an interesting, and touching story.”
“Just finished playing this game and I gotta say it is remarkable, what an amazing story it really touched my heart... the ending was incredible.”
“The story seemed a little confusing and strange for the sake of being strange at first, but the ending is unexpected and interesting.”
“I liked the atmosphere a lot and it looks good but I think filling the entire game with tedious tasks between the story was a bad move.”
“For a moment, I really expected the story could lead to something like 'Burnt by the Sun' or a more significant historical event but it turned out to be pretty straightforward in the end.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 87 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, effectively capturing the essence of a long-gone era, particularly the Soviet setting. While some players note technical shortcomings and tedious gameplay elements, the overall ambiance, detailed graphics, and emotional storytelling create a compelling experience that resonates with many. The combination of surreal imagery and a tense, engaging plot further enhances the game's atmospheric appeal.
“While it may be kind of bad on the technical side, its story and immersive atmosphere more than make up for it.”
“I really love the atmosphere, the graphics are beautiful and it was very nostalgic :) too bad the game was very short, I would play it for hours if I could :)”
“Atmospheric game with great attention to details that comes from models to texts and sounds!”
“To be honest, I didn't expect this game to be more than just a few minutes of Soviet apartment atmosphere, like some of the cheap doomer simulators.”
“Very accurate reconstruction of the Soviet atmosphere of that time.”
“Oh boy, the atmosphere of this game brought back some memories.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as an immersive first-person adventure focused on item interaction and story progression, though it is described as slow-paced and somewhat mundane, primarily involving seek-and-click mechanics. While the atmosphere and voice acting are praised, some players find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally hindered by bugs, with a disconnect between the narrative and gameplay elements. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy story-driven experiences, despite its limitations.
“Immersive gameplay.”
“Gameplay-wise, it’s a first-person adventure, where you pick different items and use them in order to progress.”
“I like the gameplay, and the voice acting is actually great.”
“Gameplay is basically a Soviet family routine.”
“The gameplay was slow-paced; a bit of a slice-of-life adventure.”
“Gameplay is mostly seek and click, so it's mundane after a couple of chapters.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and atmospheric quality, with notable lighting effects that enhance the overall experience. While some reviewers mention the technical aspects as being simple, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's nostalgic and immersive feel, complementing its engaging narrative. Overall, the combination of stunning graphics and a compelling storyline creates a captivating experience for players.
“It's a graphically beautiful game with very nice lighting, and a great walking sim with native voice acting.”
“Great graphics and interesting storyline.”
“I really love the atmosphere, the graphics are beautiful and it was very nostalgic :) too bad the game was very short, I would play it for hours if I could :)”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently highlight the emotional depth of these games, often expressing profound feelings such as heartbreak and nostalgia. The combination of touching narratives, atmospheric settings reminiscent of the USSR, and the exploration of familial tragedies creates a powerful emotional experience that resonates deeply with players.
“I'm crying, this game breaks my heart for the second time... but I still love it ♡ because this is the best game with the atmosphere of the USSR and with an interesting, and touching story.”
“This game was very well made, emotional, and scary at times.”
“[b]Bright Lights of Svetlov[/b] is a touching, short and sweet walking sim that places you in a 1:1 recreation of the typical provincial small-town khrushchyovka, and in the role of an observer of a familial tragedy.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music and voice acting in the game are highly praised, contributing positively to the storytelling experience. However, a bug related to the gramophone can disrupt gameplay, requiring a restart.
“The background sounds and soundtrack are great.”
“Both voice acting and music are quite good, and I liked the way the story was told.”
“The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
“I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which detracted from the overall experience.”
“The audio mixing is poor; sometimes the music drowns out important sound effects, making it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is criticized for lacking notable performances, which may be attributed to the reliance on post-it notes for delivering key lines, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
“There are no notable performances, possibly because the most impactful lines are delivered through post-it notes.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and clunky, detracting from the overall experience despite an appealing atmosphere and interesting story. The repetitive tasks between story elements are seen as a poor design choice that hampers engagement.
“I liked the atmosphere a lot and it looks good, but I think filling the entire game with tedious tasks between the story was a bad move.”
“The story might be interesting, but the gameplay is so clunky and tedious that I couldn't get into it.”
