Fariwalk: The Prelude
- November 23, 2017
- AIHASTO
Get on Steam"Fariwalk: The Prelude" is a short prologue game set in a gloomy, withering world filled with monsters and resilient humans. The game offers diverse quests, a lively world, and atmospheric puzzles with hints. With original assets and soundtrack, players can explore the yard and engage in dialogs with multiple options, all while being watched by unseen entities. The game encourages players to find happiness in the darkness and question the impact of their choices.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique and surreal horror atmosphere that many players found enjoyable.
- Some players appreciated the music and ambient sound, contributing to the overall experience.
- Despite its flaws, the game left a good memory for some players, and they expressed hope for future updates or sequels.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can corrupt save files and hinder progress.
- Many players criticized the lack of texture and overall poor graphics, making it feel like an incomplete product.
- There is confusion regarding the game's status, as it is perceived more as a demo or advertisement for a non-existent game rather than a fully developed title.
- monetization28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "Fariwalk: the Prelude" has been heavily criticized for charging players $1 for what is essentially an advertisement for a non-existent game, rather than a legitimate product. This misleading practice not only takes up valuable marketing space on Steam but also undermines the integrity of the platform by presenting a low-effort demo as a full game, which is seen as exploitative and harmful to gamers. Overall, the monetization strategy is viewed as a blatant abuse of the system, prioritizing profit over quality and transparency.
“In this case, it's obviously more sinister, because the developers here are charging money for an advertisement for a non-existent game.”
“I can't begin to describe how disgusting it is to see Steam being abused like this, with an expectation that gamers should pay money for advertising... even worse, advertising for non-existent products.”
“Fariwalk: The Prelude is an advertisement, but the developer wants you to pay them $1 to experience this advertisement for a game that isn't even available.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been criticized for being subpar, with many reviewers noting a lack of textures and a reliance on monochrome shading that resembles the art style of "Limbo." While some appreciate the horror atmosphere and world design, others view the visual choices as a cover for poor development quality, likening it to a low-effort asset flip. Overall, the graphics may not impress, but they contribute to a fittingly eerie ambiance for the horror genre.
“Besides the art style, I really liked the music and atmosphere of the game.”
“Nevertheless, with technical issues aside, I do like the art style, the world design, the atmosphere, the ambient sound, and the occasional spookiness of Fariwalk, and I'm looking forward to the future works by Aihasto.”
“But if you are less into horror, it's also got the story, visuals, and simulation aspects of a well-made game.”
“To disguise the asset flip nature of the game, the developer stripped textures and tried to use monochrome shading instead, basically a ripoff of the art style of Microsoft's successful puzzle platformer, 'Limbo'.”
“The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
“Not excellent graphics, but apt horror atmosphere.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its effective horror elements, complemented by a fitting art style and ambient sound design. While the graphics may not be top-notch, the spooky ambiance and music contribute significantly to the overall experience, making it particularly appealing for fans of atmospheric walking simulators. However, some users recommend waiting for updates to address technical issues before diving in.
“Besides the art style, I really liked the music and atmosphere of the game.”
“Spooky atmosphere, okay puzzles - wish I could recommend.”
“Not excellent graphics, but apt horror atmosphere.”
“Spooky atmosphere, ok puzzles - wish I could recommend.”
“Nevertheless, with technical issues aside, I do like the art style, the world design, the atmosphere, the ambient sound, and the occasional spookiness of Fariwalk, and I'm looking forward to the future works by Aihasto.”
- story10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is intriguing but lacks cohesion, with some players finding it counterintuitive and buggy, particularly when failing missions. Despite these issues, the cast of characters is engaging, and the overall narrative, while not perfect, contributes to the game's unique atmosphere. Players hope for further development of the story in future chapters.
“A bit counterintuitive side quests introduce us to an intriguing cast of characters, and I hope we'll get to know more about them in the next chapter.”
“But if you are less into horror, it's also got the story, visuals, and simulation aspects of a well-made game.”
“While it might not have the most cohesive story, that doesn’t hurt this experience too much as what is given is enough to at least give the player some concept of what they’re doing while not killing the strange vibe.”
“Well, the game was interesting to play, but there is no guide at all, and if you fail on some missions, there is a bug that prevents you from progressing.”
“But if you are less into horror, it also has the story, visuals, and simulation aspects of a well-made game.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for enhancing the atmosphere, contributing to an immersive experience with its effective use of ambience and unexpected shifts that can startle players. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack complements the exploration of the game's visually appealing world.
“Besides the art style, I really liked the music and atmosphere of the game.”
“There were a few instances where I found myself startled since I was not expecting things to jump out at me or the music to shift when certain characters appeared.”
“The world of the game is interesting to explore, finding nice scenery and good ambience/music.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has faced significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and a problematic saving mechanism, which detracted from the overall experience. While some glitches have been addressed through patches, these ongoing stability concerns have left a negative impression on players.
“With that said, this is a short game, which I have no problem with considering it was developed by a small team and it's reasonably priced, but the regular crashing and the buggy saving mechanism just made the whole experience excessively tedious and completely ruined my positive first impression of it.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to frequent crashes and a buggy saving mechanism, which detracts from the overall experience despite the game's short length and reasonable price.
