Faraday Protocol

Faraday Protocol's puzzle mechanics are a perfect match for fans of its spiritual ancestors like Portal, but a rushed story and minimal campaign length make it a tougher sell to anyone who's not an established fan of the genre..

81%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

gameplay, stability

81% User Score Based on 58 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Faraday Protocol" is a first-person puzzle adventure game set in a mysterious abandoned space station. As the remote maintenance worker of the station, you'll need to solve puzzles using a device called the "Faraday Disc" to harness the station's energy and uncover its secrets. With challenging puzzles and an intriguing story, "Faraday Protocol" offers a unique and engaging gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

story13 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features interesting puzzles that provide a decent challenge without being overly difficult, making it enjoyable for puzzle fans.
The art style and aesthetics are striking, creating an engaging atmosphere that draws players into the game world.
The game is relatively short, which allows for a quick and satisfying playthrough without overstaying its welcome.

The puzzles can become repetitive and overly simplistic, lacking the depth and variety found in other notable puzzle games.
The story is underwhelming and not particularly memorable, with much of the lore revealed too late in the game.
There are technical issues and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including problems with energy transfer mechanics and platforming sequences.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
52%
9%
The story in this game is generally considered unremarkable and lacking depth, often described as straightforward and delivered through minimal dialogue and journal entries. While some players appreciate the intriguing premise and voice acting, many feel the narrative falls flat, especially towards the end, leaving it feeling rushed and tacked on. Overall, the game is more focused on its puzzles, which are enjoyable on their own, making the story feel secondary and nonessential.
- “Amazing mysterious story, amazing voices, characters, story, graphics, level design of every puzzle.”
- “The story is also very interesting and very well executed until the very end!”
- “The storyline takes a while to come in, but woah does it fire on all cylinders when it finally does!”
- “The story is a little scanty; such as it is revealed through journal recordings your character makes as you make your way further into the game, and some later interactions with an AI.”
- “The story is fine, if unremarkable - enough to keep you moving forward even if it's not very emotionally engaging.”
- “However, the ending looks too rushed in both the story and the cutscene department.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay in "Faraday Protocol" features a blend of familiar puzzle mechanics reminiscent of titles like "Portal," utilizing a gun that manipulates red and blue energy to solve challenges. While the game introduces unique mechanics and varied puzzles, some players feel it could benefit from greater diversity in gameplay elements, as certain mechanics can be frustrating or less engaging. Overall, the game effectively teaches players its mechanics through intuitive design, though it occasionally shifts focus to simpler puzzle types.
- “The bia-tool mechanic offers a familiar-yet-new spin on using special tools to solve puzzles and control your environment.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's pretty similar to room-based puzzle titles such as Turing Test, Spectrum Retreat, and most famously, Portal.”
- “Much like Portal, gameplay revolves around solving a series of progressively 'harder' aptitude tests with the help of an iconic tool.”
- “The game could benefit from more variety of mechanics.”
- “Some puzzles I solved by accident; one or two were frustrating because of an unexplained mechanic I didn't stumble into after a half-hour of poking at things.”
- “However, I don't like the 'rotating symbol' mechanic that is introduced in chapter 4.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics are generally praised for their unique aesthetic, drawing inspiration from sci-fi and ancient Egyptian themes, with striking visuals that captivate initially. However, many reviewers note that the environments can become monotonous, particularly in later levels, where essential and decorative elements blend together, diminishing visual impact. Overall, while the art style is appreciated, it lacks sustained variety and depth throughout the game.
- “Great little 3D puzzle platformer, with a cool aesthetic inspired by sci-fi, space travel, and ancient Egypt.”
- “The aesthetics are pretty unique, featuring black-gold ancient Egyptian style rooms and statues.”
- “Amazing mysterious story, amazing voices, characters, story, graphics, and level design of every puzzle.”
- “The visuals - for the most part, it's okay.”
- “The visuals are alright.”
- “There are a few that stand out, such as a certain tower or the outside of the first ziggurat, but beyond that not much aesthetic appeal until much, much later on.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report significant stability issues, highlighting frequent glitches and bugs, particularly with energy transfer mechanics and certain puzzles. While some puzzles are straightforward, others are frustratingly difficult and prone to technical problems, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Energy transfer being buggy is bad enough, especially with the weirdly hard timed puzzle (5 seconds? Really?).”
- “Tldr: buggy and often poorly designed, with most puzzles being either quite easy or stupidly hard and glitchy.”
- “X the red fireball energy glitches out in a never-ending loop until intervened!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The emotional aspect of the game is generally perceived as lacking, with a story that feels unremarkable and primarily driven by dialogue delivered through AI-generated voices. While it may be sufficient to progress through the game, it fails to evoke strong emotional engagement from players.
- “The story is boring and consists only of dialogues fed to you by what sounds like AI-generated voices.”
- “The emotional depth is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I felt no real emotional engagement; the narrative felt flat and uninspired.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is tedious and unengaging, likening it to a lackluster version of Portal without compelling story or interesting puzzles. Players express frustration with the grindy achievements, suggesting they detract from the overall experience.
- “It's like Portal if Portal wasn't interesting, had no story, had simple yet tedious puzzles, and was completely boring and lifeless.”
- “[b]Grindy achievement(s):[/b] no.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is described as foreign and unique, though opinions vary significantly, with some finding it lacking in quality. While it offers a different experience reminiscent of other titles, it may not meet everyone's expectations.
- “Maybe it’s the different atmosphere and gravity leanings, but it’s really bad regardless.”
- “If you’d like an arguably easier, more modest version of Nemezis III while still exuding the feeling of stepping into a foreign atmosphere.”