Emergence

Emergence is an awe-inspiring VR open-world art experience, visualising patterns of human behaviour and exploring the individual and the collective. It immerses the player in a crowd of thousands, against a changing canvas that is at varying points wondrous and intimidating, realistic and fantastical. You control one solitary, glowing avatar amongst a mass of autonomous strangers, each of whose m…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

optimization3 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

A unique and surreal VR experience that offers a trippy and dreamlike atmosphere.
The game showcases impressive crowd animation technology, creating a visually engaging environment.
It's a free experience that is short but interesting, making it worth a try for those who enjoy avant-garde art games.

The controls are minimal and can be confusing, leading to a lack of clear objectives during gameplay.
Many players found the experience to be too strange or shallow, lacking meaningful gameplay or purpose.
The camera perspective can feel distant, making it hard to fully immerse in the chaotic environment.

music
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as intense and varied, with each section featuring different tracks that enhance the overall experience. While some players found the trance elements and lighting changes enjoyable, others felt that the music could become overwhelming over time. Overall, the unique and dynamic soundtrack contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere of the game.
- “I mixed in some trance music for a looser atmosphere.”
- “The trance soundtrack and lighting changes are nice, but it would take an altered state to find them mesmerizing for long.”
- “Weird music.”
- “Music was really intense though.”
- “The music changes for each section of the experience.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, particularly in VR, where it maintains flawless performance even with a large number of moving characters on screen simultaneously.
- “VR performance is flawless, even with what looks like thousands of moving characters on screen at the same time.”
- “The game's optimization allows for smooth gameplay, even in the most intense scenarios.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game runs on lower-end hardware without sacrificing visual quality.”
gameplay
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for lacking purpose and meaningful mechanics, with some players feeling that its artistic presentation obscures a fundamentally shallow experience.
- “I don't know if I'm just really uncultured or 'just don't get it, man,' but to me there's no purpose to this game or the game mechanics. That fact is cloaked within artsy nonsense that professes depth but is, in fact, as shallow as a thumbnail.”
- “The gameplay feels disjointed and lacks any real direction, making it frustrating to engage with.”
- “I found the mechanics to be overly complicated without adding any meaningful depth to the experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by the incorporation of trance music, creating a more relaxed and immersive experience for players.
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
- “Every corner of the environment feels alive, creating a rich and engaging atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “The combination of ambient sounds and detailed graphics creates a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”