Filcher
- August 24, 2021
- Johan Hjärpe
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Get on itch.io Store"Filcher is a single-player simulation game with an intriguing story and smart, immersive gameplay. As a freelance thief in a noir-style 2.5D world, players must use stealth and cunning to avoid detection and settle an old debt. With outstanding graphics and a dense atmosphere, Filcher offers a top-notch stealth experience, despite some minor flaws."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Filcher captures the essence of classic Thief games with its refined stealth mechanics and atmospheric design, making it a must-play for fans of the genre.
- The game features a unique noir aesthetic and engaging level design, providing a satisfying challenge that encourages players to master each mission.
- Despite the lack of a save system, the compact mission sizes keep the gameplay intense and rewarding, allowing players to learn from their mistakes.
- The absence of a save or checkpoint system can lead to frustration, as players may have to replay lengthy missions after a single mistake.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the auto-closing doors and limited verticality, can detract from the overall experience and make navigation cumbersome.
- The lack of voice acting and some repetitive sound design may leave the game feeling less immersive compared to its inspirations.
- story145 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Filcher" is described as engaging and well-integrated into the gameplay, featuring a simple yet intriguing narrative presented through comic-book-style cutscenes and environmental storytelling. While the missions are compact and offer replayability, the lack of mid-mission saves can lead to frustration, as players must restart entire missions upon failure, which detracts from the exploration and discovery aspects of the game. Overall, the narrative is appreciated for its noir aesthetic and character development, but the execution can feel punishing due to the absence of save options.
“The story is engaging, but short.”
“The plot is nice to follow, and is explained throughout logs you read in the levels as well as nicely drawn comic strips between missions, and the main character certainly is an interesting one.”
“Filcher is an absolute triumph that also manages to stand on its own with a fun story and deeply appealing art-deco/noir aesthetic.”
“The story is relatively anemic and ends on a severe anticlimax, and there is no voice acting of any kind (except for guards' lo-fi grunts and yawns), undeniably hurting the personality that would have otherwise been provided by Steven Russell's gravely goodness.”
“The lack of quicksave is really a double-edged sword: yeah, when you die 30 minutes into a mission it's annoying as heck, but on the other hand, it also makes the whole thing much more dangerous and thrilling, and at least you do learn something new on each attempt, making subsequent runs more focused.”
“At its best, Filcher is fun and engaging, but at worst, this type of gameplay loop can become a chore, imbue minute-to-minute play with stress and anxiety (not the fun kind), and make finishing a mission feel like more of a relief than an accomplishment.”
- gameplay64 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Filcher" is heavily inspired by the classic "Thief" series, featuring solid stealth mechanics centered around light and sound, which create a tense and immersive atmosphere. While the game introduces enjoyable elements like a silent sliding mechanic, it lacks some flexibility and features found in its predecessor, such as mid-mission saving and more complex movement options. Overall, players find the gameplay engaging and challenging, though some aspects may frustrate those accustomed to more forgiving save systems.
“Filcher nails the sound and light-based stealth mechanics that Thief: The Dark Project did so well, pairing it with retro-noir styling that fits its moody atmosphere and tense gameplay like a glove.”
“The mechanics of the game, particularly its use of the classic light and sound systems, are solid, making up a fundamental part of the minimalist first-person stealth gameplay that defined Thief: TDP/Gold and TMA and which has been inherited by Filcher.”
“Combine the ageless gameplay of the original Thief games with the art style of Batman: The Animated Series and an exciting take on 1950's crime noir, and you get Filcher, a unique stealth game that is challenging and fun!”
“But Filcher misses many of the nuances that make Thief more flexible in gameplay, lacking features like mantling, water/rope arrow equivalents, or even a map or mid-mission saving.”
“At its best, Filcher is fun and engaging, but at worst, this type of gameplay loop can become a chore, imbue minute-to-minute play with stress and anxiety (not the fun kind), and make finishing a mission feel like more of a relief than an accomplishment.”
“Also, the lack of saving mid-level is not an issue in the start of the game, but near the end it is quite frustrating when most of a level is very easy and then there is one very hard part, meaning that you need to redo ~10 minutes of gameplay until you can reattempt the hard part.”
- graphics37 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Filcher" are characterized by a distinctive noir aesthetic that evokes classic film styles, blending art-deco elements with a comic-book flair. While some players appreciate the game's unique charm and atmospheric lighting, others criticize the inconsistency in sprite quality and the simplicity of the visuals, which can detract from immersion. Overall, the art style is seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's identity, though it may not meet the expectations set by more graphically advanced titles.
“Filcher is an absolute triumph that also manages to stand on its own with a fun story and deeply appealing art-deco/noir aesthetic.”
“In addition to these strengths, the visuals of Filcher manage, in my opinion, to be stunning in their simplicity, with the game effectively incorporating a noir art style which adds a unique charm to both its missions and the beautifully illustrated comic-panel briefings that evoke memories of the cutscenes of the first two Max Payne games.”
“A modern interpretation of an immersive sim classic with incredible noir artwork and impressive sound design.”
“The art style is not consistent at all; some sprites are way too low detail.”
“However, the graphic for whether NPCs are wearing a hat or a helmet should be a lot clearer.”
“Unfortunately, it can't come even close to copying the aesthetics.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive 1920s noir aesthetic, effectively combining sound design and visual style to create a tense and engaging environment. While some players noted the simplicity of the 2.5D visuals and occasional lack of music, the overall ambiance, level design, and integration of story elements contribute to a captivating experience reminiscent of classic stealth games like Thief. The game's unique identity shines through its atmospheric exploration and charming art direction, making it a standout for fans of the genre.
“Filcher nails the sound and light-based stealth mechanics that Thief: The Dark Project did so well, pairing it with retro-noir styling that fits its moody atmosphere and tense gameplay like a glove.”
“The skeletal and atmospheric soundtrack builds tension while you sneak around the beautiful film noir styled environments.”
“Absolutely perfect atmosphere and more than a fair share of charm, this is a must play for stealth fiends or indie appreciators in general.”
“There's not much in the way of music or sound atmosphere, and most of what is there is quite mediocre.”
“The atmosphere is more akin to Sly Cooper than Thief.”
“Despite the 2.5D visuals making guard vision a bit difficult to gauge and the lack of mid-mission saves, I quite enjoyed Filcher a bunch for its setting, strong atmosphere, and decently presented story and characters.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as atmospheric and fitting for its film noir style, effectively building tension in the environment. However, some users find it lackluster and repetitive, with a limited sound design that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is appreciated for its ability to create a moody ambiance that enhances the gameplay.
“The skeletal and atmospheric soundtrack builds tension while you sneak around the beautiful film noir styled environments.”
“The music, while sparse, is deeply atmospheric and moody.”
“Besides the gameplay, the environments you get to plunder, the excellent world-building and compelling, albeit somewhat derivative, story as well as the tight sound design and music (with the Blackburn House ambient tracks being my favorites in particular) all perfectly support the gameplay, each playing their own crucial parts in forming a 'lived-in' world and a rich soundscape that give Filcher its own distinct identity.”
“There's not much in the way of music or sound atmosphere, and most of what is there is quite mediocre.”
“Where it fails to impress is the music, which is lackluster and repetitive.”
“The soundtrack is drone-like and mainly used only for ambiance, like the first two Thief games.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers decent replayability despite its shorter length, with players drawn back by hidden secrets, mission rankings, and the fun factor. While some feel that once all levels are ghosted, replay potential diminishes, many still find enjoyment in revisiting missions for high scores and exploration. A difficulty option could further enhance replay value.
“I also find the length of the game to be in the sweet spot; it is not too long but not too short, and the missions offer a lot of replayability potential.”
“Even if the game is short, there's plenty of replay value due to the amount of secrets and rankings on the missions based on how well you play.”
“Little replayability after ghosting all the levels, but I might replay them anyway because the game is that fun.”
“Game could be longer - although the replay value is decent thanks to well-hidden loot and secrets.”
“The game is somewhat short, but it has some replayability, especially if you want to get a high score and find all the secrets.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the lack of autosave features, which forces them to restart levels after minor mistakes. This design choice, intended to encourage mastery, often leads to a tedious and stressful experience, especially given the complexity and size of the levels.
“The biggest fault though, and the reason I'm refunding it, is that you cannot autosave; I get it - the developer wants you to master each level and that's perfectly understandable - however, what I think they perhaps failed to understand is how tedious beating a level can become when one minor mistake sets you back to the beginning - the impressive intricacy and progressively larger size of each level only exacerbates this problem.”
“The rough gameplay paired with no quick saves/checkpoints makes for a very stressful and tedious experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is generally praised, but some users feel that the experience could be significantly enhanced with improved voice performances, particularly highlighting the absence of the character Garret's wit as a missed opportunity for greater immersion.
