Calm Waters: A Point & Click Mystery/Thriller
- July 28, 2015
- TayannaStudios
- 2h median play time
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Get on itch.io StorePeter Taylor lost his wife 3 years agoHe decides to take a vacation abroad. He arrives at a small, quiet coastal town where tourists are sparse and everybody knows each other. It's only when he notices people are going missing and all the signs point to a dark, mysterious island out to sea that he decides to team up with local journalist Michelle and terrified-yet-adventure-seeking waiter Glenn to…
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Reviews
- The game features decent voice acting and an intriguing story about disappearances on a mysterious island.
- It runs smoothly and has good ambient sound design, contributing to an atmospheric experience.
- The graphics, while not perfect, have a certain charm and the game is playable without major technical issues.
- The game is very short, lacking depth and meaningful content, which leaves players feeling unsatisfied.
- Gameplay is clunky and tedious, with a lack of hints and a frustrating pixel-hunting mechanic.
- The overall quality feels amateurish, with poor character development and a weak storyline that fails to engage.
- story16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing but ultimately underdeveloped, with many players feeling it lacks depth and resolution. While the initial premise of disappearances on a mysterious island captures interest, the execution is criticized for being rushed and shallow, leading to a disappointing conclusion. Overall, there is a consensus that the story has potential but needs significant expansion and refinement in future installments.
“Intriguing story about disappearances on a mysterious island.”
“This game began quite nicely with its opening narration, leading me to believe the story would be quite detailed and intriguing.”
“Although the game is relatively short (around 3-4 hours), this does not take away from its challenging nature and intriguing storyline.”
“The storyline had so much potential but falls short, as well as the puzzles being slightly odd.”
“The storyline was weak and rushed.”
“The story's resolution is disappointing and shallow, and more than once, reaching dead-ends requires pixel-hunting or, more annoyingly, the repetition of a previously unsuccessful action several times, without indication of a changed response, before you can progress with the game.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing them as poor and amateurish, struggling to identify the intended aesthetic. However, others appreciated the pre-rendered visuals and found them satisfactory, noting that they complemented the gameplay and story well. Overall, while there are notable shortcomings, some players found the graphics acceptable for their gaming experience.
“The graphics were awesome and the storyline was good, but the game was too short.”
“The graphics and gameplay mechanics are great.”
“Music, graphics, interface - all pretty good.”
“The first thing that put me off here was the generally poor graphics.”
“It's hard to tell if they were going for a retro pixel aesthetic, a pre-rendered low poly aesthetic, or trying to make the game look realistic without any ability to do so.”
“This game is very amateurish; crappy character graphics, idiotic puzzle design, rather short, no hint system (and it would've been really necessary here!), pixel hunting, a lot of walking back and forth to find the next trigger, and animations are at bare minimum.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Calm Waters: A Point and Click Adventure" is a nostalgic homage to classic 1980s and 1990s point-and-click games, featuring familiar mechanics that some players find clunky and slow-paced. While the graphics and gameplay mechanics receive praise, the overall experience is described as both enjoyable and occasionally frustrating, with an average playtime of around three hours.
“The graphics and gameplay mechanics are great.”
“This was a fun, albeit frustrating, 2 hours of gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty plodding and clunky.”
“'Calm Waters: A Point and Click Adventure' is just what it says on the box, a point and click adventure game, ripping off the gameplay from ancient 1980s and 1990s point and clicks like 'Day of the Tentacle' and 'The Secret of Monkey Island.'”
“About three hours of gameplay.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its good ambient sound design and atmospheric background tracks, contributing positively to the overall experience alongside the graphics and interface.
“The ambient sound design and atmospheric background music create an immersive experience.”
“The music, graphics, and interface are all quite impressive.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
“While the ambient sound design is decent, the background music fails to create an engaging atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack feels uninspired and doesn't enhance the overall experience of the game.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by effective ambient sound design and a selection of atmospheric background music, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The ambient sound design is exceptional, complemented by atmospheric background music that enhances the overall experience.”
“The game creates a captivating atmosphere with its immersive soundscapes and haunting melodies.”
“Every corner of the game world is filled with rich audio details that draw you deeper into its unique atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
"Calm Waters" is noted for its smooth performance and decent graphics, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
“Calm Waters is a fun and interesting game that runs smoothly with decent graphics.”
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for a seamless experience even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how well the game performs; it maintains a steady frame rate and minimizes loading times.”
