Dry Drowning

  • August 2, 2019
74%
Game Brain Score Based on 157 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Dry Drowning Game Cover
Dry Drowning is a thought-provoking and gripping narrative experience that effectively critiques fascistic tendencies in modern society, blending noir and cyberpunk elements in a unique way.
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"Dry Drowning" is a futuristic, dystopian investigative thriller visual novel set in Nova Polemos. As a tormented detective, you must uncover the truth behind a serial killer, facing moral dilemmas and making choices that impact the story's outcome, with 150+ branches and 3 different endings. Your decisions affect the game's politics, technology, and environment, creating a highly immersive and mature narrative experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews
story64 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack that enhance the overall atmosphere.
  • The story is engaging with moral dilemmas and impactful choices that affect character arcs and endings.
  • Dry Drowning successfully combines elements of a visual novel and detective game, providing a unique narrative experience.
  • The writing suffers from translation issues and clichéd dialogue, which detracts from character development and immersion.
  • Gameplay can be frustrating due to linearity and repetitive dialogue during confrontations, leading to a tedious experience.
  • Some players may find the political themes and heavy moral consequences overwhelming or off-putting.
  • story163 mentions

    The game's story is a complex and engaging cyberpunk/noir narrative that explores themes of oppression and moral dilemmas, with significant player choices that impact character arcs and outcomes. While many players appreciate the depth and atmosphere, some criticize the convoluted plot and weak dialogue, suggesting that the writing could detract from the overall experience. Overall, it offers a rich, thought-provoking storyline that resonates with fans of the genre, despite its flaws.

    • “This is a cyberpunk/noir story that is deeply engaging and will leave you pondering about the story and decisions long after playing it.”
    • “The storyline is excellent, and the choices you make have actual ramifications to the storyline at large, even though the case structure looks relatively locked in place.”
    • “Dry Drowning is a visual novel with an incredible deep narrative system: the plot takes your eyes on murder cases but deceptively whispers in your ear all the societal problems that not only affect Nova Polemos - the polyhedral city theater of the narration - but also directly affect your set of choices, your morality, and even your survivability throughout the game.”
    • “The story is too long and highly convoluted, ending up feeling like filler.”
    • “Dialogues felt unnatural and the story wasn't interesting to me.”
    • “This game was boring; the story didn't make any sense, and the political background could have been interesting if not spoiled by lazy storytelling and long, dull dialogues.”
  • music65 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful piano pieces and the fitting soundtrack that complements the dark storytelling. While some noted a lack of standout tracks, the audio design effectively captures the game's emotional depth and ambiance, contributing significantly to the immersive experience. Overall, the combination of music and art is considered a strong point, elevating the game's narrative and visual elements.

    • “The music and art were very well done and really lets you slip into this dystopian world the devs have created.”
    • “The intriguing 'noir comic' style (which matches perfectly the broody and gloomy storytelling) and the original music soundtrack (capable of increasing further your anxiety in the pivotal scenes while becoming much more 'contemplative' and 'thoughtful' during the investigation phase) greatly enhance your gaming experience.”
    • “I've enjoyed every aspect of it, starting from the characters (you'll end up loving some of them and completely hate some others), the soundtrack (capable of greatly rising up the anxiety levels in the tense scenes and then almost relax you during the less intense parts), the very beautiful art style and design, and of course the story itself.”
    • “The visuals are pretty enough and the soundtrack keeps to the background, but with clumsy writing and translation -- you should stay away.”
    • “The game has three distinct parts that work together; first is the visual novel element itself, which is dark and bleary, accompanied by haunting, depressing music and a fairly solid, if at times twitchy translation.”
    • “The music complements the game well, although there aren't many standout tracks aside from the main title theme.”
  • graphics38 mentions

    The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style as mesmerizing and well-designed, particularly in the context of a graphic-novel format. However, others criticize the character art as amateurish and the overall visuals as unpolished, despite acknowledging the appealing soundtrack and aesthetic choices. While the graphics are generally considered adequate, they are often overshadowed by issues in writing and translation, leading to a divided reception among players.

    • “The art style is mesmerizing as well as the subtle nuanced animations that help the art come to life.”
    • “But where the game truly shines is in both the graphic and audio compartment.”
    • “An intriguing set of mysteries wrapped up in a gorgeous aesthetic.”
    • “I didn't like the characters, mechanics, story, and graphics.”
    • “The visuals are pretty enough and the soundtrack keeps to the background, but with clumsy writing and translation -- you should stay away.”
    • “It's got that Nintendo DS with updated graphics feel.”
  • gameplay31 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a blend of conversation and investigation mechanics reminiscent of Ace Attorney games, featuring simple and casual interactions alongside some mini-games and puzzles. While the art and music are praised, the mechanics are seen as mediocre and overly complex, lacking the refinement of similar titles. Overall, it caters to fans of narrative-driven experiences but may not satisfy those seeking fast-paced or intricate gameplay.

    • “Beautiful art & music, equally wonderful gameplay & storyline.”
    • “Interesting mechanic with interrogations, interesting story, absolutely amazing music and art style.”
    • “There's also some mini-games and puzzle mechanics thrown in there for variety, although I primarily went in for the narrative experience.”
    • “Overall, it is a chunky story with mediocre mechanics wrapped in a beautiful package.”
    • “The overall complexity of design was a bit too much for me, like an overkill of different mechanics and plot turns.”
    • “The writing is clichéd and the gameplay is linear, but 'Dry Drowning' provides enough quirks for fans of the visual novel genre to warrant a look.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a compelling blend of noir and dystopian elements, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and immersive sound effects. While it leans towards a futuristic vibe rather than pure cyberpunk, the organic integration of story and visuals creates a hauntingly unique experience. Players are drawn into a well-crafted environment that complements the intriguing narrative and character development.

    • “Many elements of this game are very organically combined, and with the music and sound effects creating a strong sense of atmosphere, it offers a unique gaming experience.”
    • “The story and atmosphere are amazing, featuring a nice mix of noir and dystopian settings, with consequences to your choices that make it very interesting.”
    • “The game is not exactly cyberpunk and just has a tinge of futuristic atmosphere, with the story being delivered through static scenes and well-drawn character slides.”
    • “The soundtrack is very fitting of the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “Do buy it if you're looking for a good story, interesting characters, and a hauntingly well-crafted environment and atmosphere.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players find the emotional depth of the game impressive, noting that it effectively evokes strong feelings through well-developed characters and impactful storytelling. The use of facial expressions enhances the emotional experience, making the journey both heart-wrenching and rewarding. Overall, the game successfully resonates with players on an emotional level, leaving a lasting impression.

    • “I am astonished by the way this game made me feel.”
    • “It was heart-wrenching, but so worthwhile staying true to how I saw these strong characters, and it wrapped it all up nicely.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Players note a strong sense of replayability in the game, highlighting its branching paths and multiple endings as key factors that enhance the experience. The engaging writing and deep story further contribute to the game's replay value, making it appealing for multiple playthroughs.

    • “This adds a lot of replay value to the game.”
    • “It’s got a lot going for it – excellent writing, a deep, riveting story, and plenty of replayability with branching paths and multiple endings.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization remains a significant issue over a year after release, with persistent bugs causing crashes and a clunky user interface that hampers performance. Despite these technical shortcomings, players find the plot engaging and compelling.

    • “More than 1 year in, and the game is still buggy, locking up with no way to bypass it, compounded by a clunky UI and performance issues.”
    • “More than 1 year in, and the game is still buggy, locking up with no way to bypass it, compounded by a clunky UI and performance issues.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is often derived from the contrast between the self-serving nature of some characters and the idealistic setting they inhabit, with characters like Freya and Hera providing a more relatable comedic balance. However, some players found certain characters, such as Mordred, less appealing, which may affect the overall comedic experience.

  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often feeling overwhelmed by the excessive back-and-forth clicking required to progress.

    • “You have to click through so much back and forth; it felt really tedious at times.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game continues to suffer from significant stability issues over a year after its release, with persistent bugs that can cause complete lock-ups and a clunky user interface that exacerbates performance problems.

    • “More than 1 year in, and the game is still buggy, locking up with no way to bypass it, along with a clunky UI and performance issues.”
    • “More than 1 year in, and the game is still buggy, locking up with no way to bypass it, along with a clunky UI and performance issues.”
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Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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