DUBIUM
- June 14, 2023
- MUMO STUDIO
"DUBIUM is a Horror Stealth game for 2-players, offering both multi-player co-op and PvP modes. As a Frontier, explore a damaged, unstable space station, repair systems, collect oxygen, and find the Energy Cubes to prevent an imminent explosion. But beware, one of you may be a Traitor, secretly working for the hostile Blamane group to seize the Keystones."
Reviews
- The game has a unique spin on social deduction mechanics, allowing for individual missions and the potential for betrayal among players.
- The art style and animations are praised for their quality, bringing life to the game and enhancing the overall experience.
- Playing with friends is highly enjoyable, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere filled with tension and strategy.
- The game suffers from a lack of player base, leading to long matchmaking times and frequent matches filled with bots instead of real players.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and unengaging, with tasks feeling slow and lacking variety, diminishing the overall fun factor.
- The introduction of a battle pass and locked characters has been criticized, as it creates a sense of FOMO and unfairness in a social deduction game.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its fresh mechanics and the engaging tension between collaboration and frustration, while others find it boring and poorly designed. Although the character design is appreciated, many feel that the early access stage lacks a sufficient player base and that the gameplay does not offer enough excitement or depth. Overall, while there are promising elements, significant improvements are needed to enhance the overall experience.
“I love the gameplay; it's super dope.”
“The fact that it forces you to choose between collaboration and frustration is another amazing aspect of the gameplay.”
“The gameplay mechanics are fine, the design of the game works well, and I think this is a good game to play with friends.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay here is just boring and bland.”
“Those kinds of inconsistencies and bad gameplay design are littered throughout the game.”
“If another game with a similar gameplay premise as Dubium ever releases with the issues I previously mentioned having been mitigated or removed, I'd be willing to give it a shot as well.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and animations that add life to the experience. However, some players find the aesthetic too childish for their taste, and there are criticisms regarding minimal visual updates and the introduction of a premium battle pass. Overall, while the graphics are appreciated for their stylization, opinions vary on their appeal and the game's depth.
“The art style and animation definitely brings a lot of life into the game.”
“Great stylized art works and motions.”
“Loving the graphics!”
“Art style is too childish and not really my taste.”
“All they did is tweak the visuals and UI, add a new character that's locked behind a premium battle pass (screw battle passes, especially in paid games), and that's basically it.”
“Hope to see this art style in something else and a more open game than a quick 2 or 3 match play then forget about in your library game.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story presents a balanced prey and predator dynamic, emphasizing individual survival missions rather than traditional cooperative gameplay. Players are rewarded based on personal performance, and the potential for shifting roles adds a layer of unpredictability. However, some find the mission duration and hacking times to be overly lengthy, detracting from the overall experience.
“The idea that everyone has their own separate mission (survive), everyone is rewarded individually for their performance and whether or not they escape with trophies, and the fact that frontiers can become the new traitor if the original dies too early, implies a more 'free-for-all' focused concept rather than a true cooperative social deduction game.”
“Need a cartoonish version of Dead Space ambiance, and the mission and hack time are too long.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features appealing character and ship designs that evoke a nostalgic Pixar aesthetic, which many players appreciate. However, despite these positive elements, the overall character development is perceived as lacking depth and fails to enhance the gameplay experience significantly.
“The ship and character designs give me a nostalgic Pixar feel, which I enjoy dearly.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a sense of excitement regarding the emotional potential of the game, particularly in relation to future expansions and the introduction of new characters and gameplay options. This anticipation contributes to a positive emotional engagement with the game's evolving landscape.
“It made me feel excited about the game's potential for expansion, for example, as more characters are added and different ways to play are explored.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including janky melee combat, poor proximity voice chat, and abysmal balancing, leading to a repetitive experience. The design choices promote a free-for-all dynamic rather than fostering true cooperation, further detracting from gameplay quality.
“Very unoptimized, janky melee combat, horrible proximity voice chat, abysmal balancing, and extremely repetitive.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating art style, which many players find enchanting. However, some users feel that the overall atmosphere does not align with the game's intended themes or mechanics.
“I fell in love with the art and atmosphere of this game.”
“It doesn't seem to correspond with the game's atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a sense of irony regarding the humor in the game, noting that they found it more enjoyable when interacting with bots compared to the current free-to-play experience, which they perceive as lacking in quality.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be excessively grindy, with a repetitive nature that detracts from the overall experience.
“The game feels grindy, and the repetitive nature of it isn't going to help much.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been criticized for being repetitive and dull, contributing to a lack of engagement among players. This monotonous soundtrack detracts from the overall experience, as it fails to enhance the game's atmosphere or encourage teamwork.
“With the repetitive, mind-numbing musical track, and the fact that no one communicates or works together, you've got yourself a game that technically does what it sets out to do... just don't expect it to do it very poorly.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game transitioned to a free-to-play model, but its poor monetization strategy, combined with low visibility, slow updates, and ongoing balancing issues, contributed to its decline in popularity.
“I apparently missed it, but the game did go free-to-play. Unfortunately, the game's lack of visibility, poor monetization, slow updates, and persistent balancing issues likely contributed to its downfall.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“I was disappointed to see that the game relies heavily on microtransactions, which detracts from the overall experience.”