FORM

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 742 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
FORM Game Cover
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"FORM is a single-player adventure game with exceptional mechanics, visuals, and soundtrack, set in the human mind. As Dr. Devin Eli, a physicist with superhuman powers, follow a mysterious signal from the Obelisk and unlock puzzles within dream-like memories. Despite its low replayability and grind, FORM offers a beautiful, highly emotional atmosphere."

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Virtual Reality
  • Windows
  • Oculus VR
  • Play​Station
  • Play​Station VR
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 742 reviews
graphics160 positive mentions
replayability8 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning with great sound design, creating an immersive experience.
  • Puzzles are engaging and intuitive, making good use of VR mechanics.
  • A unique and surreal atmosphere that captivates players throughout the experience.
  • Very short gameplay, typically around an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Puzzles can be overly simplistic and lack challenge, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
  • The story is vague and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more narrative depth.
  • graphics229 mentions

    The graphics in this game are widely praised for their stunning quality and immersive design, often described as breathtaking and top-notch. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful art style, fluid animations, and atmospheric soundscapes that enhance the overall experience, making it a standout title in the VR genre. However, some players note that while the visuals are impressive, the gameplay can feel short and the puzzles may not be particularly challenging.

    • “The visuals in this game are nothing short of breathtaking, and the puzzles are among the most fun I've played with in VR yet.”
    • “The graphics are stunning and the whole atmosphere is incredible.”
    • “Absolutely gorgeous artwork and sound design that makes you believe you are there.”
    • “The visuals or audio left no lasting impression on me.”
    • “Even with a reasonably powerful PC (one that can run Half-Life: Alyx with no issue), it was extremely laggy on all but the lowest graphics setting, which are all presets with no advanced fiddling of individual settings.”
    • “Everybody praises the visuals, but they didn't impress me at all.”
  • story151 mentions

    The story in this game is widely criticized for being minimal, vague, and underdeveloped, often feeling like an afterthought to the gameplay. Many players noted that while there are attempts to create a narrative, it lacks depth and resolution, leaving them unsatisfied and wanting more. Overall, the consensus is that the game is more focused on puzzles than storytelling, with the narrative serving merely as a loose framework rather than a compelling element.

    • “The story is decent and the visuals/soundscape are good for a game that was published 3 years ago.”
    • “The music, the visuals, and the storytelling... my god, top notch.”
    • “The puzzles and story are fairly simplistic, but this game packs a punch with eye candy and atmosphere.”
    • “The story felt shallow and unnecessary.”
    • “The story is almost non-existent, puzzles are either too easy, more tedious than they have to be, or it's a game of Simon Says.”
    • “They start off making it seem like some kind of story game, but it really doesn't have a story, just puzzles with trippy but good graphics.”
  • gameplay88 mentions

    The gameplay in this VR puzzle game is characterized by simple yet satisfying mechanics that are engaging and visually appealing, though many players find the puzzles to be relatively easy and the overall experience short, typically lasting around one to two hours. While the interaction and graphics are praised for their quality and immersion, some reviewers express a desire for more challenging content and a longer playtime to fully explore the innovative mechanics presented. Overall, the game offers a polished and enjoyable experience, particularly for newcomers to VR, but may leave seasoned players wanting more depth and complexity.

    • “Puzzles are simple but very satisfying to complete - some nice mechanics that I've not seen in other VR games to date.”
    • “The game is very well put together; you feel like you are there, and they use all of the VR mechanics to their fullest extent.”
    • “The gameplay is intuitive and engaging, and progressing through each section instilled a feeling of feverish enlightenment.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it really goes nowhere and that's such a shame.”
    • “The core gameplay involves using tracked motion controls to move knick-knacks and wotsits about to achieve some arbitrary goal, usually color and shape matching.”
    • “Gameplay is like 'The Room' in VR, but where the puzzles in 'The Room' always feel rewarding and exciting, the puzzles in this game generally just give you the answer and the 'challenge' is inputting it into the puzzle, looking back and forth between the solution and the puzzle.”
  • music71 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its perfect fit for the sci-fi setting. While some found the interactive music elements enjoyable, others felt that the audio puzzles could be challenging for those less musically inclined. Overall, the soundtrack is described as beautiful and immersive, complementing the stunning visuals and contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact.

    • “Visual feast for the eyes with a mind-blowing soundtrack.”
    • “The music is just perfect for the sci-fi setting, and the level design fits equally.”
    • “The visuals and soundtrack tie perfectly together and will send chills down your spine.”
    • “Some might find the audio puzzles near the end hard if you're not musically inclined.”
    • “The soundtrack made me feel a bit strange though.”
    • “There's not even anything else beyond being able to play with the game's interactive soundtrack, compounding my issues with the game's style over substance.”
  • atmosphere63 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and captivating environments, creating a unique and otherworldly experience. Many players highlight the combination of graphics and atmospheric soundtracks as key elements that enhance the gameplay, despite some criticism regarding the simplicity of the puzzles. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as a major strength, making it a worthwhile experience even if the gameplay is relatively short.

    • “The atmosphere and the sound effects will transport you inside this abstract reality like no other game.”
    • “Skillful use of light, darkness, and grand scale masterfully create an atmosphere of cosmic mystery.”
    • “It's intensely atmospheric, visually stunning, and polished in a way I've never seen before from such a small indie team.”
    • “The game has amazing environments and atmosphere, but the puzzles felt lackluster sometimes.”
    • “Although it's really short, the atmosphere is extremely well done and extremely immersive.”
    • “It does atmosphere really well, but the puzzles are a little simple to be called a puzzle game.”
  • replayability23 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with most players noting that it can be completed in about an hour and offers little incentive to play again. While the visuals and sound design are praised, the linear gameplay and lack of meaningful choices or challenges contribute to the consensus that it is not worth the full price for such a brief experience. Many recommend waiting for a sale, as the primary value lies in its aesthetic appeal rather than replay potential.

    • “It's a short game (30 mins or so?) and might not have much replay value, but it's very slick and I really haven't seen any games similar to this.”
    • “This is a visually stunning game, absolutely beautiful with amazing sound, but not much depth unfortunately, at most an hour long with little replay value other than letting someone else play it. With that being said, I loved it; it's amazing to see a developer try to tackle the 4th dimension and do it so well.”
    • “Form is a puzzler VR experience of about an hour and with almost zero replayability.”
    • “Beautifully produced, nice visuals and sound, but as others have said it's 1 hour long with no replayability.”
    • “The puzzles are simple, the whole game only takes an hour at most to complete, and there's no replay value at all, but my god is it beautiful.”
    • “I cannot recommend paying this sort of money for a 1 hour experience with no real replayability.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players reporting moments of deep sadness and beauty that left them in tears. While the aesthetics and ambiance contribute to its emotional weight, some reviewers noted inconsistencies in the storytelling and emotional impact throughout the game. Overall, it resonates with players who appreciate its meditative qualities and the emotional maturity required to fully engage with its themes.

    • “This game made me cry in my VR headset, 10/10.”
    • “So beautiful it made me cry.”
    • “Form is a beautiful, meditative sci-fi puzzle game with outstanding aesthetics and emotional weight.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Overall, reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the puzzles unchallenging and lacking in engaging story elements. While some appreciate the visual appeal and unique use of VR, the general consensus is that the gameplay becomes monotonous, leading to boredom rather than enjoyment.

    • “Most of the longer ones were just tedious and it was a struggle to complete the game because I was so bored with it.”
    • “Game play is simple, tedious, and repetitive.”
    • “By the end of the (less than one hour!) game, it began to feel tedious, since every puzzle involves making things match up.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with smooth performance reported at high settings for most users. However, some players noted higher VRAM usage, leading to the need for resolution adjustments to avoid stuttering. The use of reprojection on lower-end hardware also helped maintain performance without significantly impacting the experience.

    • “Performance -- the game ran smoothly with max settings on the Index at 120Hz.”
    • “Strange transforming environments, great audio and visuals, and smooth performance.”
    • “Visuals, sound, music, and performance are all superb.”
    • “At a side note, it seems to use more VRAM than my usual games, so I had to reduce the resolution a bit to get rid of the resulting stuttering.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with minimal hitches or glitches, though some users have reported occasional bugs. While it runs smoothly, the simplicity of the puzzle elements and an unfinished story detract from the overall experience.

    • “Some glitches and bugs at the time of writing, but I highly recommend it.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its effective blend with drama, providing a unique tone that grounds the abstract elements in a relatable context. While some reviewers feel that the humor may not resonate as strongly as it would have a decade ago, the voice acting enhances the comedic experience.

    • “It's well-voiced and has a nice mix of humor and drama, setting the stage for all the abstract elements while still feeling relatable to Earth.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The game features minimal character development and a lackluster story, with players noting that the short playtime and easy puzzles contribute to an overall unsatisfying experience.

    • “Under an hour of playtime, easy puzzles, no character development, and the story is lackluster.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
    • “I was disappointed by the shallow character arcs; they didn't evolve or resonate with me at all.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy FORM

Play time

3hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
1-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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