Estranged: The Departure

About

Estranged: Act II is a first-person adventure game that continues the story of Alan Edward's survival on a mysterious island. Players will encounter new characters, discover the truth behind the island's inhabitants, and solve intricate puzzles to progress. The game features a rich, immersive environment and a gripping narrative that will keep players engaged.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+11

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,856 reviews

story204 positive mentions

stability28 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and beautiful environments, showcasing the capabilities of the Unreal Engine.
The atmosphere is immersive and effectively builds tension, making for a captivating experience.
The story, while somewhat vague, is intriguing and leaves players wanting to know more about the island and its mysteries.

The gameplay can feel linear and lacks depth, with limited enemy encounters and simplistic puzzles.
Combat mechanics are underwhelming, with AI that feels unresponsive and gunplay that lacks impact.
The game ends abruptly, leaving many plot points unresolved and creating a sense of dissatisfaction.

story
632 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The story of "Estranged: The Departure" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing and atmospheric narrative, while others criticize it for being confusing and lacking depth compared to its predecessor. Many reviewers noted that the plot feels disjointed, with some elements appearing rushed or poorly integrated, leading to a less compelling experience overall. Despite these criticisms, the game is recognized for its beautiful visuals and the potential for further development in future updates.
- “I wholeheartedly enjoyed this game due to the beautiful, fitting and diverse environments, the great slow-burn storytelling, and great production quality.”
- “The story is incredibly immersive and well-written.”
- “Estranged: the departure is a story-driven, first-person survival horror game about a fisherman who wakes up in a mysterious, albeit surprisingly industrialized island after a shipwreck.”
- “The whole game feels like the dev had a bunch of cool ideas and just slapped them all together to try and salvage a congruent story with them.”
- “Who knows...but the plot of this game is very confusing if you did not play part 1 first, even though the dev claims it makes sense without playing that.”
- “But I think the worst aspect of all is the story, and the biggest downgrade from what was essentially the demo back in 2014, is the plot.”
graphics
378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
38%
3%
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their impressive quality, showcasing a significant upgrade from the previous installment, particularly due to the transition to the Unreal Engine. Many players noted the beautiful visuals, detailed textures, and effective lighting effects that contribute to an engaging atmosphere, although some expressed concerns about occasional performance issues and a lack of variety in certain environments. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's appeal despite some criticisms regarding other aspects like story and gameplay mechanics.
- “The original game was already really good, and this... this just upped that goodness by 100x. The graphics look like they're from a proper AAA title from 2021, guns are good, movement and all that stuff is nice. Some parts in the story still somewhat confuse me, but I get the overall point and it's a good story. The shorts are three cool short levels (hence shorts) that aren't all the same, very different, and you get all of this goodness for... 5 euro, not 20, not 15, not 10.”
- “All in all, I enjoyed this a lot; even though it's pretty well linear, it features some great graphics and textures - and frankly fabulous lighting effects - and gives a few hours of fun in a load of different environments.”
- “The graphics have been greatly improved, the voice acting is superb, and just the level design was amazing, making the world feel 'lived in' and realistic rather than a map in a game to follow.”
- “It's clear that the developer only really planned out the mod and the first act of this game because everything else seemed rushed as hell or just poorly implemented; the story goes nowhere, the combat is way too easy, and the visuals remind me of a business email in how lifeless they look.”
- “The graphics are too rubber-like and the gameplay & story are boring.”
- “The graphics in the starting area look incredibly nice but the impression sort of fades as you get bizarre fog, pop-in, LOD changes, Z clipping, lighting coming out random corners, etc.”
gameplay
250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it either boring and insipid or enjoyable yet simplistic. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and fluid mechanics, others criticize it for being overly linear and resembling a walking simulator with minimal combat and trivial puzzles. Overall, the game seems to struggle with balancing engaging gameplay and storytelling, leading to a divided player experience.
- “Great eerie atmosphere, fluid gameplay with no bugs and nice graphics.”
- “The huge leap in graphics and gameplay tweaks are impressive, the arcade modes such as warehouse horde offer addictive detours, and the shorts are profound; but my favorite part is near the end - the shipwrecks and windmill farm, which is shown in one of the screenshots.”
- “I loved every bit of the new system, as they kept the basic fundamentals of gameplay the same, while somehow delivering an entirely new-feeling experience.”
- “The game is exceptionally boring; all the good things it has technically are overshadowed by very boring and insipid gameplay.”
- “There's barely any gameplay left; it's now mostly a walking simulator. After finishing the game, my stats said I killed 16 zombies and 6 human enemies in the entire game.”
- “Gameplay was kind of lacking, especially in Chapter I and the first half of Chapter II, where it's mostly a walking simulator.”
music
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
51%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke strong emotions, providing both adrenaline-pumping moments during action sequences and beautiful, atmospheric melodies during exploration. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's effectiveness in enhancing the game's immersive experience, some note issues with volume balance and occasional overpowering sound effects. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's ambiance and emotional depth.
- “The music and sounds will give you an adrenaline rush at certain points, and at other points, the music is just gorgeous.”
- “The music in the last chapter is fantastic!”
- “The music is consistently excellent.”
- “The music for certain events is either too loud or goes on even when the event is already over.”
- “Also, the music is way too overpowering and loud.”
- “In addition, most areas lack any particular background music and feel dull.”
atmosphere
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience with well-executed sound design and visuals. While some players appreciate the focus on exploration and atmosphere over constant action, others feel that the non-combat sections can drag on, leading to moments of diminished engagement. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating ambiance that resonates with fans of atmospheric horror and mystery genres, though opinions vary on its effectiveness compared to its predecessor.
- “Great eerie atmosphere, fluid gameplay with no bugs and nice graphics.”
- “The writing was great, the world was beautiful, and the mystery and atmosphere kept us on the edge of our seats for the entire game.”
- “The atmosphere, level design, sound composition, and graphics are really polished and well done.”
- “As at times the non-combat sections where you're breathing in the atmosphere do stretch on for a bit too long to the point where it starts to lose your attention, and the reveal of the zombies was a decidedly lackluster affair.”
- “The atmosphere isn't scary at all, the gunplay is somehow worse, and beyond that it's just boring to play.”
- “I do love the fact that the creator continues making Estranged and I decided to try out Act II but sadly it wasn't as good as Act I and I really wish the developers stuck with the source engine; I love Half-Life atmospheres.”
optimization
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
16%
7%
Overall, the game is praised for its impressive graphics and strong optimization, allowing for smooth performance even on varied hardware. While the technical aspects are well-executed, some players find the gameplay elements, such as navigation and combat, lacking in enjoyment. Minor bugs exist, but they do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “Not only is it very pretty, it's also very well optimized.”
- “Using a lot of things from the source engine, the single person behind this stand-alone game did an extremely good job at making the game fun, optimized, beautiful, and immersive.”
- “Graphics options allow windowed and borderless full screen modes with adjustable resolutions with many advanced detail settings to tune if needed to adjust quality/performance based on the hardware capabilities of one's computer.”
- “Part 2 is not quite finished yet, and has some performance and crashing issues.”
- “The engine itself seemingly affects the game's performance and gameplay overall.”
- “Insufficient experience, I would add, especially concerning optimization (if that's even possible in Unreal).”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively incorporates humor to alleviate tension and horror, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the witty voice acting, amusing puzzles, and funny achievements, which contribute to a fun atmosphere. This blend of humor with engaging gameplay elements makes it a standout title, appealing to those seeking both thrills and laughs.
- “Funny enough, one of the first puzzles in the game is the opposite.”
- “This one was even better than the first one; once again, it didn't overstay its welcome. The voice acting was really good and sometimes hilarious, and the game was overall really fun. I'm glad I took the time to try these games, and I hope that a third is on the way. This one is a 10 in my books.”
- “I highly recommend it to everyone who looks for a game with a good ambiance, atmosphere, and some funny achievements with great plot twists throughout it!”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly towards the end, including crashes and issues with enemy encounters. While some minor glitches are present, many players find the game largely playable and enjoyable, especially considering its early access status. Overall, despite the stability concerns, the game is still recommended for its polished experience and engaging content.
- “The end of the game is totally buggy.”
- “Now to the negatives, I have encountered some glitches and bugs in the game where I had to reload to the nearest checkpoint, which can be a bit annoying for some. At one stage, a bunch of enemies should have come out shooting me, but nothing happened—just the dramatic fighting music and nothing else.”
- “Then it just crashes or freezes again.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; many players report deeply touching and nostalgic moments that evoke strong feelings, while others criticize the storytelling and voice acting as lacking depth and professionalism, leading to a less engaging experience. Overall, it appears to resonate profoundly with some, while leaving others feeling disconnected.
- “This game is very special and I had some of the most emotional and touching moments ever in a game.”
- “I cried.”
- “A very wholesome experience.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
42%
50%
Players consistently express frustration with the excessive grinding required in the game, describing it as tedious and sleep-inducing. Many feel that the mechanics, particularly for item collection, are unreliable and contribute to an overall tedious experience.
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Sleep-inducing gameplay and tedious puzzles.”
- “It's tedious to pick up stuff when this mechanic does not work half the time.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the inclusion of achievements and arcade modes that offer some replay value, others feel that the game lacks significant replayability beyond completing these objectives. The low price point is seen as appropriate given the limited replay options available.
- “Nice to see quality sound and some interesting achievements for replayability.”
- “Infinitely replayable/multiplayer.”
- “The low price tag does feel right, given that there is no replay value (unless going for 100% achievements).”
- “Although I got this for free (through early access, I think), I will say it's worth its full price, with great support in language, very up-to-date graphics, and a very polished experience with little bugs or game-breaking glitches. It is a bit short, but it has some replay value with the achievements and the two arcade modes.”
- “The low price tag does feel right, given that there is no replay value (unless going for 100% achievements).”

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Estranged: The Departure
€4.99
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5h Median play time

16h Average play time

4-40h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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