Drizzlepath: Deja Vu
- May 25, 2018
- Tonguç Bodur
In Drizzlepath: Deja Vu, a man ponders life's mysteries on a journey to a mountain's peak to uncover truths about his existence. This atmospheric "walking simulator" offers professional voice narration and a meditative exploration experience, with bonus in-references for fans of the developer's earlier works. It's not a remake or sequel, but a spiritual revisitation of the developer's very first game, now enhanced with new meaning and depth.
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and beautiful landscapes that create an immersive experience.
- The calming soundtrack and soothing narration enhance the relaxing atmosphere of the game.
- It's a great choice for fans of walking simulators, offering easy achievements and a short, pleasant journey.
- Gameplay is very limited, with little to no interaction or meaningful objectives beyond walking a linear path.
- The game is quite short, lasting only about an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
- The philosophical narration can feel pretentious and may not resonate with everyone, leading to a lack of engagement.
- graphics32 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Drizzlepath: Deja Vu" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and beautiful landscapes, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the walking simulator experience. However, some players noted inconsistencies in graphical quality and performance issues, which detracted from the overall appeal. While the visuals are a highlight, many reviewers felt that the gameplay and narrative did not match the high standard set by the graphics.
“Not a particularly interesting game in terms of gameplay as all that can really be done is getting from one place to another, however it does offer some noteworthy and stunning visuals.”
“The graphics are amazing and very realistic with wind moving flowers and clouds, and variations of environments.”
“Pros: the main appeal and strongest component of drizzle path are the gorgeous and occasionally breathtaking visuals.”
“Really bad game.. you can't jump or interact with anything. I started the game and then I ran in one direction for 30 minutes and watched the 1999 graphics. Maybe the game begins later, but the first impression I got in 30 minutes of playing is just awful. It's even the laziest game I ever played.”
“I can run the latest AAA games just fine and my system far exceeds the recommended settings, but Drizzlepath: Deja Vu turns my PC into a wind turbine. Turning the graphical settings down takes away from the appeal of this game, in which all there is to do is walk around and look at things.”
“The game also suffers from being way too inconsistent with the graphics, to the point that having them all the way down is better because the consistency and overall less cluttered feel is much better on the eyes.”
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its motivational exploration and poetic elements, while others criticize it for lacking coherence and depth. Many describe it as a visually stunning experience that ultimately falls short in narrative engagement, often feeling vague or pretentious. Overall, the story is seen as an introspective journey rather than a traditional plot-driven experience, leaving some players wanting more substance.
“Awesome game with an awesome story and motivational exploration.”
“The story... as usual you just have to think and connect the dots.”
“While Dear Esther was exactly the same play-wise, the story you listened to as you progressed kept you wanting to hear more.”
“There's no storyline or gameplay.”
“The game itself is really boring, no objects to interact with and no story.”
“If there is a story to this game, I have no idea what it is.”
- music23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the visually stunning landscapes. While some players find the soundtrack memorable and fitting for the introspective nature of the experience, others feel it becomes less impactful over time. Overall, the combination of soothing music and a pleasant narrator contributes to a chill and reflective gaming experience, despite some critiques of the philosophical content.
“Gorgeous music accompanies a philosophical and poetic narrative.”
“A gorgeous walking simulator with a calming atmospheric soundtrack, and mildly philosophical commentary.”
“Drizzlepath: deja vu is a pure walking simulator with exceptionally beautiful scenery and a pleasing soundtrack, instead of a character-based story, it is an introspective (and at times, surreal) journey with visual metaphors and some thoughtful reflections on this adventure we call life.”
“If you're looking at this then you've probably played some of Tonguç Bodur's other games and know what to expect: simple walking simulators using many 3rd-party 3D assets, sounds, and music, with some god-awful and poorly written pseudo-philosophical ramblings narrated on top.”
“I would recommend muting it though and playing chill music of your own (I recommend 'The Pearl' by Harold Budd and Brian Eno).”
“I'm not sure if I got used to the music after a while and started to notice it much less, or if the music changed after the first zone and became less memorable, but my first impression of the score was definitely a positive one.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, calming soundtrack, and immersive environments that create a profound experience. While some players appreciate the mild horror elements and philosophical commentary, others feel that certain scripted sequences and overt narration detract from the overall ambiance. Overall, the game is described as a lovely and atmospheric journey, ideal for those who enjoy exploring serene landscapes.
“I didn't expect this game to have such a profound narration while experiencing this masterpiece along with beautiful atmospheric scenery.”
“A gorgeous walking simulator with a calming atmospheric soundtrack, and mildly philosophical commentary.”
“But I was enthralled the entire time, especially impressed with how the atmosphere of the game can change so quickly yet so naturally.”
“The main appeal here to me is atmosphere, yet certain elements almost get in the way of that for this game: namely the narration and stiff execution of scripted events.”
“Not a real atmosphere like Dear Esther.”
“I do believe the narration is also better as the voice acting here is more applicable to the atmosphere.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and walking, with minimal mechanics such as item collection and puzzle-solving. While the visuals and audio are praised for their beauty, many reviewers find the lack of engaging gameplay and storyline disappointing, suggesting that it may appeal more to fans of walking simulators than to those seeking a more interactive experience. Overall, the game is characterized as visually stunning but lacking in depth and variety in gameplay.
“Sometimes you had to find your way through the branching game world, sometimes you had to collect items to be able to proceed, sometimes you had to solve puzzles, sometimes some form of survival mechanics were implemented, and so on.”
“I won't play this again because I like games with gameplay, but it is pretty enough that a pure walking sim fan might like it.”
“Not a particularly interesting game in terms of gameplay as all that can really be done is getting from one place to another, however it does offer some noteworthy & stunning visuals.”
“There's no storyline or gameplay.”
“Absolutely beautiful visuals, but the gameplay as well as story is lacking.”
“There's not any gameplay except for, well, walking.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of unintentional comedic moments and dry, meta commentary that reflects on the game's self-awareness and its evolution from the first installment. While some players found the overt narration to detract from the experience, others appreciated the cleverness of the humor, particularly in its ability to engage players in a thoughtful manner. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
“Also, the narration had some very meta moments, and within that, dry humor was used to drive home some points about Tonguc's self-awareness and reflection on the differences between the first game and this one.”
“I think the 8GB file is pretty hefty for this title, but outside of that one complaint, I thought this was a stellar way to spend an hour, and the meta humor was something I particularly enjoyed about this experience.”
“Some of the scripted sequences were unintentionally humorous, especially with the narration making overt and pedantic references to them; it would be much more meaningful and atmospheric to let the player ponder these occurrences on their own.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding for minimal rewards.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers a strong initial experience, but its short playtime of 30 minutes to 1 hour and lack of additional features limit its replayability compared to other titles.
“Great first playthrough experience for an indie game, although it lacks the replayability of other games as it's only 30 minutes to 1 hour long and has no features other than its story.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play again since the story doesn't change and there are no alternate endings.”
“The game is fun, but after completing it once, I found no reason to revisit it since the gameplay remains the same.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the predecessor suffered from performance issues related to its CryEngine foundation, indicating concerns about optimization in that title.
“I had performance issues with the predecessor due to its CryEngine background.”
“The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware, making it frustrating to play.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, even on high-end systems.”