Flat Eye
- November 13, 2022
- Monkey Moon
Flat Eye is not without its ideas or charms, but in trying so hard to be provocative, the devs may have overplayed their hand.
"Flat Eye" is a quirky, first-person simulation game where you play as a robotic vacuum cleaner named Flat Eye. Your job is to clean and maintain a variety of strange, surreal environments while avoiding obstacles and challenges. Along the way, you'll encounter eccentric characters and uncover a weird, humorous story. With unique gameplay mechanics and a distinctive art style, "Flat Eye" offers a fresh take on the simulation genre.
Reviews
- The game features great graphics and a well-designed user interface, enhancing the overall experience.
- It has an interesting premise that combines management simulation with narrative elements, providing a unique gameplay experience.
- The writing and character dialogues are engaging, with some players appreciating the satirical commentary on modern technology and corporate culture.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a grindy experience that can become boring over time.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and broken mechanics, which detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The story progression is slow and often feels disconnected, with many players finding the dialogues uninteresting or overly verbose.
- story46 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and well-integrated into the gameplay, while others criticize it for being slow-paced, confusing, and lacking depth. Many users feel that the narrative struggles to maintain interest, often feeling like a tedious grind that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its dystopian themes and potential for engaging storytelling, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a disconnect between the story and the gameplay mechanics.
“It's a nice game if you're looking for a dystopian story.”
“The real brilliance shines in how Flat Eye uses the mechanics to convey the story’s themes.”
“I haven't seen everything just yet, but so far the story is super interesting and intriguing.”
“For all the bluster of tackling real, modern issues with citations to back it up, the storylines are very underwhelming and too silly for it to stick with me, and the gameplay itself is, again, an experiment that culminates into being a very boring management sim after it starts playing itself.”
“There were no surprises or novel twists in the story.”
“But the gameplay and story do not evolve much, and a few hours in I found this game extremely repetitive, slow-paced, and, to be frank, boring.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often comparing it to a boring management sim that plays itself. While some appreciate the engaging mechanics and the connection to the overarching story, others criticize the lack of stakes and the slow pace, leading to a loss of interest. Overall, the game features great graphics and writing, but the gameplay experience is marred by balance issues and a shallow loop that fails to maintain excitement.
“Gameplay-wise, the management sim mechanics are great and engaging, the tie to the overarching story is a key part of the gameplay loop, where unlocking new items to build unlocks new story elements and 'premium customers.'”
“A very refreshing management game that includes narration segments that blend in really well with the gameplay.”
“Great story and dialogues, beautiful game, fun and slightly addictive gameplay, curious characters and an intriguing universe: I really enjoy managing this gas station so far!”
“Certain mechanics are broken.”
“The gameplay loop gets boring very fast.”
“But the gameplay and story do not evolve much, and a few hours in I found this game extremely repetitive, slow-paced, and, to be frank, boring.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their quality and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive design of modules and items. However, some users noted that despite the strong visual appeal, the overall gameplay experience is marred by issues such as repetitiveness and balance problems. Additionally, there are reports of random crashes, which may affect the experience for some players.
“I personally like the art style, the music, and that you can opt to skip dialogue.”
“The art style and design is quite good, and that's what convinced me to click the 'buy' button.”
“The graphics and generally the design of the modules and items are top-notch.”
“It felt like just farming XP on a Facebook game with fancy graphics and dialogues, but without catchy gameplay.”
“Very, very sad for the writers, the graphic designers, and the UI designers... but that game really lacks balanced gameplay.”
“The graphics and general design of the modules and items are top-notch.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some users noting persistent bugs and glitches despite a lack of patches for nearly a year. While many find the issues manageable and not game-breaking, others express frustration over the game's ongoing instability. Overall, the developers have been responsive in addressing problems as they arise.
“Not bug-free, but nothing game-breaking.”
“The game runs smoothly with minimal issues.”
“I experienced very few crashes, making for a stable gaming experience.”
“Almost a year without patches despite how buggy it remains.”
“So either the game is buggy as hell or it is trying to be way more 'artsy' than necessary.”
“If this were a 5-star rating system, I would give it 4.5 stars... only because it's still a little bit buggy.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its quality, but some players find that a repetitive background track can become irritating over time.
“I personally like the art style, the music, and that you can opt to skip dialogue.”
“The art is well done, but there is one background song that plays over and over, and it becomes annoying.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its visually appealing style and immersive setting, complemented by effective resource management mechanics. Players appreciate the intriguing story that unfolds organically, allowing them to piece together the narrative rather than being spoon-fed information. Additionally, the developers' commitment to quick bug fixes enhances the overall experience.
“I like the visual style, the atmosphere and setting, and the fast bug fix updates from the developers.”
“Resource management, atmospheric, cool graphics, interesting story (does a good job of letting you figure out the story instead of outright telling you what it is).”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players feel that the grinding in the game resembles the repetitive experience of farming XP in a Facebook game, characterized by appealing graphics and dialogues but lacking engaging gameplay.
“It felt like just farming XP on a Facebook game with fancy graphics and dialogues, but without any engaging gameplay.”
“The grinding is tedious and feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the experience incredibly monotonous.”