External Visions

About

External Visions is a single player action game. It was developed by team BitClub and was released on November 15, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

An artistic metroidvania with a classic NES era gameplay, taking the player through the life of an average man escaping his depression in a partly imaginary world he created around him. Fight more than 60 enemy types and 5 bosses, uncover more than 160 areas and unlock all powers and items.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 39 reviews

story4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features charming retro pixel art and a melancholic soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
Gameplay includes interesting puzzles and exploration, with a unique weapon system that requires players to think strategically about their choices.
Despite some challenges, the game offers a rewarding experience, especially for fans of the Metroidvania genre, and is available for free.

The weapon system can lead to excessive backtracking, as players can only carry one weapon at a time, which disrupts the flow of gameplay.
Some puzzles are cryptic and poorly explained, making it frustrating for players who prefer clearer guidance.
The story and character development lack depth, with awkward dialogue that detracts from the overall experience.

story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The game's story revolves around the protagonist's mental struggles, set in a world that reflects his inner psyche, which some reviewers found to be an intriguing artistic choice. While the narrative offers unique concepts and potential for deeper exploration of themes like mind control and personal demons, it suffers from awkward storytelling and poorly executed dialogue, leading to mixed reactions among players. Overall, the story may resonate with those who appreciate its psychological themes, but it may disappoint those seeking a more traditional or polished narrative experience.
- “The game's story revolves around the protagonist's mental issues; in fact, the entire adventure takes place in a world that exists in his mind.”
- “I got the impression the story was inspired by the developer's personal experiences and real-life struggles, which I must say is pretty interesting in terms of artistic expression.”
- “This game offers a story about mind control and brainwashing versus the protagonist's control of his own mind; it includes themes of his 'demons' he has to 'dance with', his beliefs, and stress relief, making for a great game full of possibilities to explore and solve puzzles.”
- “The control scheme, interface, and story are all whack.”
- “The story is something that made me cringe, however.”
- “Every facet of the level design could have alluded toward something deeper, with enemies representing his fears in a more explained way and dialog that doesn’t just 'tell, don’t show.' Instead, the story is something that really bogs down the game for me.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by classic metroidvania elements such as exploration, puzzle-solving, and backtracking, which some players find charming despite occasional execution flaws and a lack of clear guidance. While the game offers nonlinear gameplay and intriguing themes related to mind control, it suffers from core gameplay deficiencies that can hinder player engagement. Overall, it presents an interesting mix of mechanics and storytelling, though not without its challenges.
- “The metroidvania style, with the simple aesthetic and mechanics, is also charming. The execution of the in-game elements and some puzzles feels reminiscent of older games where players had to buy a guide along with the game.”
- “This game offers nonlinear gameplay, similar to Fez, and features a story about mind control versus the protagonist's control of his own mind. It creates a great game full of possibilities to explore and solve puzzles, mostly fair ones.”
- “The metroidvania style, with the simple aesthetic and mechanics, is charming, but the execution of the in-game elements, some puzzles, and the way some things are not indicated at all feel very much like the cheap developers of old had been doing with games: buy the game and the guide too.”
- “The core themes are not as fleshed out as they need to be, and the core gameplay has serious deficiencies that make it hard to stick with.”
- “In terms of gameplay, this has more or less all the core features of a metroidvania: exploration, puzzle-solving, finding secrets, and, of course, backtracking.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of 'external visions' are characterized by a retro pixel art style reminiscent of NES games, which some players find charming and nostalgic. While the artwork and visual effort are appreciated, there are mixed feelings about the overall execution, with some users noting issues that detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Its pixel-art style immediately caught my attention, which led to me giving it a try.”
- “I love the artwork and the effort that you can visually see that has been put into the game, I love the setting of this game and I feel like many people are able to relate with the character and the world he creates.”
- “'external visions' is a retro-styled metroidvania with pixel art graphics.”
- “I had to reload the game after every change in graphics, and there are margins every time.”
- “Very very NES-style game; graphics, sound, controller, story... so don't expect highly advanced 4D layers of lore or involvement. See it as a NES game, and it just fits into place.”
- “---{graphics}---”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game features a blend of 8-bit chiptune elements that complement its visual style, with a soundtrack described as melancholic and soothing. While many players appreciate the nostalgic NES aesthetic and the enjoyable sound effects, some find the overall experience too abstract to fully appreciate the music.
- “The 8-bit chiptune music and sound effects match the visual style.”
- “Nice soundtrack.”
- “The game's soundtrack can be described as melancholic and soothing.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the game's atmosphere for its detailed tilesets and backgrounds, highlighting the rich textures that enhance the immersive quality of the game world.
- “The tilesets and backgrounds are detailed, with rich textures that add to the atmosphere of the game's world.”
- “The ambient sounds and music create an immersive experience that truly pulls you into the game's environment.”
- “The lighting effects and color palette work together beautifully to enhance the overall mood and atmosphere.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, as there is minimal growth or context provided for characters outside of the protagonist's internal thoughts, resulting in a diminished emotional investment in the story.
- “There’s also no significant character development outside your character’s mind, which gives less context and less reason to care about whatever happens inside it.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely criticized, with users noting a lack of engaging story and unappealing visuals that detract from the overall experience, resulting in gameplay that many found unfunny.