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ENCODE

49%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
49% User Score Based on 82 reviews

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PCWindows
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About

ENCODE is a single-player, story-driven Role Playing game set in a dystopian, open-world cyberpunk atmosphere. In the fictional country of Nira, a state security force uses advanced technology to monitor and control citizens, assigning numerical scores based on loyalty. As an indie developer's expressive work, ENCODE explores faith, philosophy, and politics while providing an immersive experience with a compelling soundtrack, despite possible shortcomings in production quality.

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ENCODE screenshot
ENCODE screenshot
ENCODE screenshot
ENCODE screenshot
ENCODE screenshot
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49%
Audience ScoreBased on 82 reviews
story26 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • The game has a strong atmosphere and aesthetic, capturing the essence of a dystopian cyberpunk world with beautiful visuals and a fitting soundtrack.
  • The developer shows ambition and responsiveness to feedback, actively working to improve the game and address player concerns.
  • The gunplay and driving mechanics are enjoyable, providing moments of fun despite the game's rough edges.
  • The game is unfinished and feels like abandonware, with numerous bugs, poor optimization, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience.
  • Lighting issues make the game excessively dark, often rendering it unplayable, and navigation is hindered by a confusing map and lack of guidance.
  • The story and gameplay elements are underdeveloped, leading to a linear experience with little incentive to explore the open world.
  • story
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is described as linear and somewhat generic, touching on themes like censorship and false media without deep exploration. While some players found the narrative engaging and atmospheric, they noted significant bugs and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the setting and music received praise, with many players expressing a desire for more side missions and exploration opportunities.

    • “The story is surprisingly good; it impressed me.”
    • “The gunplay is great, the story is interesting, and the atmosphere is 10/10.”
    • “Encode is a very enjoyable atmospheric shooter, with a story that examines some interesting themes which I haven’t seen in other games.”
    • “The story and structure is completely linear as you move from objective to objective, and since this free-roam aspect is so poorly implemented, it just highlights the overall poor quality where levels would have gotten the job done much better.”
    • “You often will just pick a direction and slam the gas... you don't know where you are, and the story was so linear it was kind of painful.”
    • “The game tries to be a high-quality story-driven narrative, but you can't even experience the story without going 'wow, this really is not fun to play at all'.”
  • gameplay
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of creativity and frustration, with many praising the solid shooting and entertaining driving mechanics, while others criticize the lack of depth in major gameplay elements and immersion-breaking NPC models. Players appreciate the developer's responsiveness to bugs and gameplay issues, but some feel that the overall experience is marred by repetitive mini-games and a cookie-cutter story. Overall, the game shows potential, particularly for indie titles, but would benefit from more development resources and a more engaging narrative.

    • “Driving around was not only an entertaining part of the gameplay, it gave me an opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies of a city I had never really seen the likes of before.”
    • “The shooting mechanics feel solid, the driving can be hilarious and satisfying at the same time, the story is fresh and easily enough to hold my attention.”
    • “I appreciate that they're actively taking steps to improve the quality of their product and the gameplay experience, and I don't believe their efforts are futile.”
    • “None of the major gameplay elements feel fleshed out, and some of the models (mainly the NPCs) just rip you out of the immersion entirely.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it was dull, shipping you from one mini-game to the next.”
    • “Figuring out the mechanics and navigating the city without a map or distance references was tough.”
  • music
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received high praise for its beautiful and atmospheric cyberpunk soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and fits the game's narrative well. While there are some concerns about copyright issues for content creators, players appreciate the option to adjust the music volume in the menu. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's dystopian ambiance.

    • “The music and atmosphere is top notch, the best I've seen in 2020, and maybe better than anything I've seen in recent memory.”
    • “Its atmospheric, dystopian Tokyo feel is served by an excellent soundtrack and unique narrative.”
    • “It's worth it for the atmosphere and soundtrack alone.”
    • “Yes, it had some lightning issues but it has been patched and it looks better; also, the music is copyright claimable, so if you post content on YouTube like myself, be careful with that!”
    • “But you can always turn down the music in the menu, which is a shame because the music is very fitting to the game and it's pretty cool.”
    • “[i] Good effort at presenting a slice of a dystopian city/society - like the music theme - serviceable mechanics in place - get it if you know what to expect from a B project (I recommend also - The Slater and The Unclearness)!”
  • atmosphere
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning cyberpunk music and immersive dystopian Tokyo setting, which significantly enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers highlight the exceptional soundtrack and vibrant visuals, noting that the atmosphere is a standout feature that elevates the overall gameplay, despite some technical issues. Many agree that the game's atmosphere is worth experiencing, making it a memorable title in recent gaming history.

    • “The music and atmosphere is top notch, the best I've seen in 2020, and maybe better than anything I've seen in recent memory.”
    • “Its atmospheric, dystopian Tokyo feel is served by an excellent soundtrack and unique narrative.”
    • “It's worth it for the atmosphere and soundtrack alone.”
    • “Where the game really shines though is the atmosphere.”
    • “Long version - the game really nails the atmosphere.”
  • graphics
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are visually stunning, featuring beautiful skylines and impressive character artwork, but they suffer from inconsistencies, such as no-clipping issues with vehicles and a confusing aesthetic that blurs the line between dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings. Additionally, players have reported problems with the graphics settings, particularly regarding resolution adjustments that do not seem to take effect. Overall, while the artistic design is commendable, technical flaws detract from the experience.

    • “First off, the game is stunningly gorgeous and for one person, I believe, doing the artwork they truly crafted something to behold.”
    • “The skylines are beautiful, the artwork on characters is nice, and most of all, the car you drive is breathtaking.”
    • “Aesthetics were nice but rough when you look past the 80s neon vibe.”
    • “The graphic settings, especially resolution, seemed to do nothing no matter what you selected from the limited, non-widescreen list.”
    • “- Resolution display in the graphics settings (it does go above 1080p, but in changing the setting it wouldn't reflect the change in the options panel). I verified it was running at 4K via a Greenshot screenshot and checking the file details.”
    • “However, there's one part where the game gets really wack, and that's the graphics.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its absurd glitches and the comically poor AI, such as cars spawning on top of each other and reckless pedestrians. Players find the driving mechanics both hilarious and satisfying, with moments like jumping from high buildings and immediately driving off adding to the comedic experience, despite occasionally detracting from immersion. Overall, the blend of funny scenarios and solid gameplay keeps players entertained.

    • “What I find hilarious is that you get a ride in the car and it rains inside.”
    • “Cars spawning atop one another, cars driving off the road into walls, stairway rails you can clip through, and while I found it funny, you can jump from your apartment window all the way from 30 stories up and simply get into your car and drive off.”
    • “The AI's are comically bad drivers and the pedestrians are extremely reckless, which is funny but can hurt immersion.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs, poor optimization, and placeholder content, leading to a janky experience. While some players find it surprisingly enjoyable for short periods, the driving mechanics are particularly problematic, making navigation difficult.

    • “The game you can play right now is buggy, poorly optimized, and full of early placeholder conversations.”
    • “The driving is horrible and buggy, and finding your destination while driving is really hard to do.”
    • “Super janky, slightly buggy, surprisingly fun for a few hours.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that solo developers often excel in creating indie titles that prioritize gameplay and creativity over high performance, but many of these games suffer from poor optimization. This suggests a trade-off between innovative design and technical efficiency in their projects.

    • “Solo developers are better off with so-called indie titles that have low performance requirements, allowing them to shine with great gameplay and creativity.”
    • “Poorly optimized.”
    • “Solo developers are better off with so-called indie titles with low performance requirements, etc., but where they shine with great gameplay and creativity.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game is perceived positively, with users emphasizing that it does not feel like a cash grab or an asset flip, suggesting a thoughtful approach to revenue generation.

  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the immersive shooting mechanics that evoke a strong sense of engagement, likening the experience to playing a game like Superhot in a cyberpunk setting. However, the lack of depth in enemy characterization detracts from the overall emotional impact of the game.

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6h Median play time
6h Average play time
4-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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