Distortions

About

Distortions is a single player role playing game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Among Giants and was released on March 2, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Distortions" is a single-player, story-driven Mystery Role Playing game with amazing visuals and a fantastic soundtrack. Embark on a surreal adventure through an imaginary world, uncovering your identity by piecing together past memories. Use the power of music, played on a violin, to alter environments and befriend strange creatures in this 15+ hour open-world experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+26

Skip User Reviews

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

music14 positive mentions

gameplay8 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a beautiful art style that captivates players.
The soundtrack is immersive and well-composed, enhancing the emotional experience of the game.
The story is intriguing and offers a unique narrative that explores themes of memory and self-discovery.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, crashes, and unresponsive controls that hinder gameplay.
Gameplay mechanics are clunky and frustrating, with poor camera angles and awkward character movement.
Many players report that the game is unplayable on certain systems, particularly with AMD graphics cards, leading to a black screen or freezing.

music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
73%
5%
The music in "Distortions" is widely praised for its quality and composition, with many reviewers noting that it significantly enhances the gameplay experience and atmosphere. However, some players express disappointment with the limited musical mechanics, which restrict the player's ability to fully engage with the music, leading to a feeling of missed potential. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered a highlight, its integration into gameplay is seen as flawed, resulting in a mixed reception regarding its effectiveness in enhancing the game's narrative and emotional impact.
- “The biggest strength of the game is its music.”
- “The soundtrack is great; you can tell the musicians are experienced and put a lot of thought and effort into the performances.”
- “You learn early on that there’s power in your music, and that by playing the right sequences of notes on your violin, you can make subtle changes in the world.”
- “However, because of the way the interface for playing music is designed (you can only play 4 notes), the range of music you can play feels very limited and amateur.”
- “Music is essential to create an atmosphere and impact on you in something like this and here it does absolutely nothing; it's being used just for the sake of being used so there is music so you don't play in complete silence.”
- “Not saying the music itself is bad, it's nice to listen to, relaxing, it just doesn't fit anywhere at all.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
32%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning and artistically beautiful visuals that create an immersive environment. However, some players note issues such as frame rate fluctuations, clunky controls, and dated aesthetics that detract from the overall experience. While the artwork is often highlighted as a strong point, technical problems and gameplay implementation have led to disappointment among some users.
- “Absolutely gorgeous graphics and stellar soundtrack.”
- “Aesthetically the game is also wonderful, the surreal elements applied in the nature of mountains, caves, and lots of water give a simply unique aesthetic quality. It is clear that the care with this part was great; each stone floating, each mountain shape, each irregular path was beautifully done. Visually, this game is a rejoice to the eyes.”
- “So the good news is that this game had some of the most artistically beautiful graphics I've ever seen in a game.”
- “However, the graphical effects (especially when using abilities) cause wild fluctuations in the game's frame rate, and in some cases can cause the game to black screen and essentially crash.”
- “Proper lighting and shadows are almost non-existent; they are essential for building a game that relies heavily on visuals.”
- “Another aspect of the visuals that is a huge turn-off is the main character as well; animations are so out-of-place and wacky, but not in a good sense.”
story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and beautifully crafted, particularly appreciating its exploration of memory and music. However, many reviewers criticize the narrative for being confusing, lacking emotional depth, and poorly integrated with gameplay, leading to a sense of detachment from the characters and plot. While the visuals and music enhance the experience, mechanical issues and a lack of clarity in storytelling detract from its overall impact.
- “The story is where this game really shines.”
- “Distortions tells an intriguing story while you explore your way through a surreal and beautifully crafted world.”
- “With powerful intro, the story becomes intriguing as the game lets players learn backstory from the environment and a set of messages as pieces of memories.”
- “The plot revolves around the psychological state of the main character, but there isn't enough immersion or interaction to allow players to become significantly emotionally invested in the character.”
- “Other pieces of the story are introduced through collectible items, but they have no impact on the gameplay and are rarely (or not at all) mentioned, ultimately feeling flat and meaningless.”
- “The story also just comes off as confusing and pretentious, with big dramatic moments and swelling music fishing for totally unearned feelings, leaving me thinking, 'What the hell were they thinking?!'”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing it as clunky, buggy, and poorly implemented, leading to a frustrating experience. While the unique musical mechanics and visual design show potential, technical issues and unintuitive controls significantly detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite some moments of satisfaction, the gameplay is often criticized for being aimless and repetitive, making it the weakest aspect of the game.
- “The gameplay is really unique, interesting, and fun - and the storyline is really intriguing.”
- “Much of the gameplay was very satisfying and fun.”
- “The violin gameplay is interesting; we can get abilities just by playing the violin.”
- “An intriguingly ambitious and unique idea; however, it was unfortunately soured by the gameplay feeling overall aimless and obtuse.”
- “As a lot of other reviews state, there are many aspects of the gameplay that are unintuitive, buggy, or poorly implemented.”
- “The gameplay is the weakest element of the game.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been criticized for frequent bugs, including screen freezes, glitches in character movement, and unintuitive mechanics that disrupt gameplay. While some players did not experience crashes or significant frame rate drops, many reported issues like temporary screen tears and persistent freezing, particularly during specific gameplay scenarios. Overall, the game's stability is seen as a major drawback, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Other than that, the screen just remains blank or freezes.”
- “There are many other aspects of the gameplay that are unintuitive, buggy, or poorly implemented.”
- “For example, the game accidentally drops the player during moving platforms, causing the player to get stuck in a loop animation or movement glitches due to geometry design and stiff animation.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report solid performance even on older hardware, others experience significant frame rate stuttering that detracts from the overall experience.
- “I found the game runs quite solid and optimized on my 7-year-old hardware with max settings.”
- “Another issue I have with the game is performance.”
- “It has major hiccups in performance which also ruins the experience.”
- “Constant frame rate stuttering.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is described as unique and beautiful, contributing significantly to the overall experience, particularly for fans of atmospheric storytelling. However, some players feel that the music fails to enhance the atmosphere effectively and that certain glitches detract from the immersion. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate a strong atmospheric presence in games.
- “Just started playing, but I have to say that the game has a unique atmosphere and I am enjoying it a lot.”
- “One of the most beautiful and atmospheric games I've played in a while.”
- “I was thoroughly impressed with this game, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes atmospheric games with intriguing stories.”
- “Music is essential to create an atmosphere and impact on you in something like this, and here it does absolutely nothing. It's being used just for the sake of having music, so you don't play in complete silence.”
- “The controls are glitchy, and at certain points, it looks as though the protagonist doesn't feel like she is part of the ground or atmosphere.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game's plot focuses on the psychological state of the main character, players feel a lack of immersion and interaction, which hinders their emotional investment in the character's journey.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game elicits mixed reactions, with some players finding it absurdly entertaining while others express confusion, likening it to a surreal experience reminiscent of other titles. Overall, the humor seems to provoke a strong emotional response, ranging from laughter to disbelief.
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch; it had me laughing out loud at the absurdity of some situations.”
- “I love how the game balances serious moments with hilarious dialogue that keeps you engaged and entertained.”
- “The witty one-liners and clever references throughout the game make it a joy to play, and I found myself chuckling at every turn.”