Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel
- January 18, 2022
- Cyan Worlds
In "Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel," players explore a series of seven quirky planets as an alien creature called an Osmo. This game emphasizes exploration and discovery over competition or challenges, featuring whimsical worlds full of strange creatures and unexpected surprises. Players can wander through different environments, interact with the environment, and enjoy a relaxing, stress-free experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- A nostalgic and artistic exploration game that captures the charm of classic B&W Mac gaming.
- Great for both kids and adults, offering a whimsical experience filled with surprises and humor.
- Encourages creativity and exploration without the pressure of goals or objectives, making it a relaxing experience.
- The game feels dated and lacks modern gameplay elements, which may not appeal to everyone.
- Many players find it confusing and lacking in direction, with no clear objectives or storyline.
- Technical issues such as glitches and poor audio quality can detract from the overall experience.
- story10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional storyline, puzzles, or villains, focusing instead on random exploration without a clear mission. While it draws inspiration from the Myst series, it fails to deliver a coherent plot or engaging narrative, leaving players with a disjointed experience that oscillates between boredom and confusion.
“It's a non-story point and click adventure by Cyan Studios, who also made Manhole, Spelunx, and later the Myst games.”
“Cosmic uses the same concept as Myst does, except there is no plot for this game.”
“If you're looking for those Myst games with more detail and a coherent storyline as well as exploration, then this one is not exactly what you want.”
“The storyline makes no sense, and the bizarre world wavers back and forth across the line between boring and creepy (and not in a good way).”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, characterized by a striking black-and-white aesthetic, have aged well and are appreciated for their historical significance and unique visual style. While some players find the 1-bit color scheme limiting, many praise its simplicity and charm, noting that it remains visually appealing even on modern systems. Overall, the graphics evoke nostalgia and respect for the game's design, despite being dated.
“As a fan of the black and white Mac look, I think the graphics have aged very well too.”
“Beautiful monochrome graphics that almost look like they have shades of grey among them.”
“The graphics were definitely a good idea as, even though they look dated, the black and white simplified style makes sure they still work perfectly and look decent on modern systems.”
“I see others played it long ago, and still enjoy it, which is fine, but I just can't get past the one-bit graphics.”
“The visual art style with 1-bit color (that is black and white alone, no grays) is simply gorgeous.”
“It has a speedy Gonzales chili pepper and a man living in a fish-shaped spaceship, and I have mad respect for the graphics and level design, especially since it was made in 1990.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its whimsical and surreal elements, appealing to both children and adults with its memorable, quotable moments. Players appreciate the amusing interactions, particularly with the osmos, and the light-hearted nature of the experience, which fosters a sense of nostalgia and joy. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with exploration, making it a delightful experience for all ages.
“So many funny things, so many ways to get turned around, plenty of ways to seamlessly travel between planets, and the osmos are amusing!”
“"Hello, alien!" A timeless classic, full of moments of quotable humor that will lodge in your memory for decades to come.”
“At its time it was targeted to kids, but I can say for sure grown-ups will find a really magical, surreal, and funny experience too.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate it, others find it distracting to the point of making the game unplayable. There is a desire among users for the soundtrack to be made available as downloadable content. Additionally, the game is noted for its historical significance as one of the first to ship on CD-ROM, featuring a substantial amount of audio content.
“If anyone from Cyan is reading this, please make the soundtrack available as DLC or something.”
“I could be wrong about this, but I believe this is one of the first games to ever ship on a CD-ROM, weighing in at something like 80MB of 1-bit content, plus the soundtrack.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and interaction through clicking, offering a simple yet amusing experience, particularly for young children learning mouse control. However, technical issues such as broken animations and unresponsive clicks can hinder the overall experience.
“The art is simple, but effective; the gameplay is amusing, and it's very good for teaching young children (~3) mouse control.”
“There isn't much to the gameplay, aside from clicking around to different places, exploring little worlds, and watching a bunch of weird things happen.”
“Animations and audio are broken all over the place, and in some situations, this can impede gameplay as certain clicks won't register while a broken sound effect is attempting to play.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game experiences significant stability issues, including frequent glitches and freezes, as well as improper quitting. Despite these problems, players find the nostalgic value and adventure worth the frustration.
“This game is incredibly glitchy and freezes constantly, making it frustrating to play.”
“The game crashes frequently and doesn't close properly, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“I experienced numerous stability issues, including random freezes and crashes that interrupted my gameplay.”
