G String

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 615 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
G String Game Cover
Starting at €13.99Buy now
Get on Steam

"G String" is a first-person shooter game with rhythm-based combat mechanics. Players control a character named Eila, who battles against musical enemies using her "Sound Energy Arms." The game features fast-paced action and a variety of weapons, abilities, and costumes to customize the gameplay experience. The story follows Eila's quest to uncover the truth about her past and the mysterious "G String" organization.

Play Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 615 reviews
story51 positive mentions
monetization12 negative mentions
  • Incredible atmosphere and world-building that immerses players in a haunting dystopian cyberpunk setting.
  • Stunning visuals and attention to detail, showcasing the capabilities of the Source engine.
  • Engaging gameplay that combines exploration, environmental storytelling, and challenging combat.
  • Confusing level design that can lead to frustration and disorientation, with unclear paths and objectives.
  • Combat can feel unbalanced, with enemies being bullet sponges and capable of dealing significant damage quickly.
  • The story is often vague and difficult to follow, leaving players with more questions than answers.
  • story264 mentions

    The story of "G String" is a complex and often confusing narrative set in a richly detailed cyberpunk world, heavily relying on environmental storytelling rather than traditional dialogue. While some players appreciate the atmospheric depth and unique themes, many find the plot vague and difficult to follow, with a lack of clear character motivations and narrative cohesion. Overall, the game is seen as a passion project that excels in world-building but struggles to deliver a satisfying and comprehensible story.

    • “A masterpiece of atmosphere and storytelling.”
    • “The game excels at environmental storytelling, with intricate details that make exploration as engaging as the action itself.”
    • “The story of an escaped test subject named Myo Hyori fighting against all odds in a cyberpunk dystopia on the verge of collapse had me hooked from beginning to end, as well as a great soundtrack and just classic mid-2000s FPS action.”
    • “The story is napkin thin and the narrative technique is amateurish and impenetrable.”
    • “The overall story of the game is alright; however, I'm still trying to figure out why some of the events are happening in the game as there is no explanation of what's going on.”
    • “The story is somewhat difficult to parse, with inconsistent voice acting, and the ending is vague and confusing in its meaning and implications.”
  • gameplay179 mentions

    The gameplay of "G-String" is heavily reminiscent of Half-Life 2, featuring familiar mechanics, combat, and level design, but often criticized for its repetitiveness and linearity, particularly due to excessive crawling through vents. While some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and atmospheric world-building, others find the gameplay lacking in innovation and plagued by bugs, leading to frustration. Overall, it offers a mix of engaging exploration and action, but may not satisfy those seeking a more refined or original gameplay experience.

    • “I enjoy how the storytelling is interwoven with gameplay.”
    • “Finding your way through the environment is one of the main gameplay elements.”
    • “The gameplay loop is largely platforming segments and firefights; not unlike Half-Life 2's core gameplay and I certainly don't mind it one bit, but it does begin to overstay its welcome as it nears the end.”
    • “For the gameplay itself, it was a repetitive slog to get through, not helped by some bugginess in the last couple of hours in the game that resulted in corrupted saves.”
    • “The gameplay is literally half-life 2 but with less action, so there should be no problems with it.”
    • “The gameplay can become exhausting from crawling through too many vents.”
  • atmosphere149 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as a standout feature, characterized by its immersive, oppressive, and intricately designed dystopian environments that evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and depth. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a haunting cyberpunk world filled with rich details, atmospheric sound design, and environmental storytelling, making it a memorable experience despite some criticisms regarding level design and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both captivating and artistically impressive, often compared to classic titles in the genre.

    • “The atmosphere is unmatched, drawing you into an oppressive dystopia that feels lived-in and haunting.”
    • “This game manages to achieve Half-Life tier immersion and environmental storytelling with its melancholic, dystopian, dark and gritty atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere and world-building alone make up for the game's flaws.”
    • “The whole game has this gloomy atmosphere and it just makes it kind of hard to enjoy; the game really puts you in a bad mood.”
    • “Unfortunately, for what the game excels in with atmosphere, it falls short with some awful level design.”
    • “The atmosphere is so thick with despair that you can practically feel it weighing on you as you navigate through the levels, each aspect of which is meticulously handcrafted to convey a completely believable cyberpunk metropolis hellscape.”
  • graphics139 mentions

    The graphics of "g string" are widely praised for their immersive and striking cyberpunk aesthetic, effectively capturing a bleak and atmospheric world reminiscent of classic mid-2000s FPS games. While the visuals are often described as stunning and artistically engaging, some players report technical issues such as graphical glitches and performance problems, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, many reviewers appreciate the game's unique art style and the emotional impact of its visuals, making it a noteworthy entry in the genre.

    • “The visuals are excellent, I love the music, and I find the world itself fascinating.”
    • “Aesthetics alone in this game are pure art and an absolute trip to a world that makes you wonder, makes you think, makes you terrified.”
    • “Incredible atmosphere, stunning visuals, and a fantastic soundtrack, packed within a classic Half-Life framework.”
    • “It has many graphical issues, such as materials not loading or breaking, which makes everything glow white, and random low FPS issues that require a restart or two.”
    • “This has a tedious and irritating game underpinning ugly basic graphics, with no controller support in a 2020 release, so that for me is a massive no-no even before taking into account just how dull this is.”
    • “The old source engine graphics are really showing their age.”
  • music129 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience. While many players appreciate the original soundtrack's fitting blend of electronic and synthwave elements, some note that certain tracks can feel out of place in specific contexts. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's dystopian ambiance and emotional depth.

    • “The music fits even though some of it's pretty upbeat.”
    • “The world is well crafted and a joy to explore, the music is top notch and fits the mood perfectly, and the story is intriguing with a deeper philosophy at the heart of it all.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic, and the sound/music is very futuristic.”
    • “The main flaw in this instance is the music.”
    • “Don’t get me wrong, most of the music enhances the experience tenfold, although I found that a lot of the songs which play during cutscenes or memorable moments seem far too upbeat for the dreary setting they’re meant to be conveying the emotion of.”
    • “The sounds in this game are great, apart from the OST, which in some chapters really fits the theme; however, in a lot of other chapters, it ruins the atmosphere and it leads me to muting the game's music because of how obnoxious and out of place it is.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its deep connection to the protagonist's struggles, enhanced by intricate environments and a haunting soundtrack that evoke feelings of despair and nostalgia. Players report a powerful emotional journey, despite frustrations with the narrative and a disappointing ending that left them feeling manipulated. Overall, the game's stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere create a memorable, albeit sometimes heartbreaking, experience.

    • “Even as a silent protagonist, you feel deeply connected to her struggle, and the game uses subtle cues—such as her reactions and the way she navigates environments—to make her emotional journey palpable.”
    • “The level of detail and focus on emotional tone makes for a stunning experience, especially impressive when you remember it's one person's passion project and on the Source engine no less.”
    • “I honestly got depressed several times playing the game just because of how the locations made me feel in their dilapidated setting.”
  • monetization12 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is heavily integrated into its world-building, featuring pervasive advertisements and billboards that enhance the immersive experience. Players encounter a satirical and darkly humorous portrayal of consumerism through the constant presence of ads, graffiti, and radio announcements, which contribute to the game's lore and atmosphere. This approach not only reflects the game's themes but also engages players in exploring the environment for deeper narrative insights.

    • “The constant billboards, writing on walls, and background advertisements really give the world a background lore you want to find out, making you read every bit of text and listen to every single announcement hoping to discover more about the crazy world this game takes place in.”
    • “Every now and then, myo seemingly intercepts radio signals and PSAs/advertisements play through your headset, which further develop the dark and grim world of the game.”
    • “The in-world advertising is super comical (in a dark way), highlighting the absurdity of the game's setting.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, crashes, and graphical glitches that detract from the experience. While some players appreciate the "janky" charm and find enjoyment despite these issues, others express frustration over persistent problems that hinder gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as rough around the edges, with a need for further polish to improve stability.

    • “I loved it; it's janky but in a good way—definitely not buggy or glitchy.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any major issues, making for a stable experience.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay feels; it allows me to focus on enjoying the story.”
    • “Edit 2: still broken, missing audio, missing textures, buggy as hell, it's been a year, come on.”
    • “But buggy as hell, it crashes before I even get to play the game.”
    • “As a game on its own, it is rough around the edges with hard to navigate level design at times, some glitches, physics issues, etc.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, requiring extensive tweaks such as disabling various effects, applying performance patches, and using modding tools to fix audio issues. Players report inconsistent performance across different hardware setups, with some experiencing significant frame drops despite attempts to optimize settings. Overall, while the game has its charm, the optimization challenges detract from the experience.

    • “Also, cfg edits like mat_parallaxmap 1 or gstring_volumetrics_enabled 1 that the autoconfig warns will drop frames, but I didn't see it impacting performance really at all (60fps 90% of the time; some dotted places drop it to 40fps, but those have been rare).”
    • “To play, you need to disable many effects (film grain, etc.), disable the Steam overlay, apply many performance patches in the autostart file (guide in community hub), and apply many startup commands. Worse of all, you need to fix the audio files with a modding tool, something the devs should really fix and release as a hotfix!”
    • “To play, you need to disable many effects (film grain, etc.), disable the Steam overlay, apply many performance patches in the autostart file (guide in community hub), and apply many, and I mean many, startup commands. Worse of all, you need to fix the audio files with a modding tool—something the devs should really fix and release as a hotfix!”
    • “Horribly optimized game.”
    • “In regards to technical performance, this software required a small amount of tweaking through the Steam client to get running, as everyone seems to be having different performance issues across various varieties of hardware.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and frustrating, with repetitive levels and combat encounters that detract from the overall experience. Players express dissatisfaction with the lack of variety and the cumbersome mechanics, such as frequent backtracking and inefficient weapon swapping, which contribute to a sense of monotony. While some find moments of fun, the general consensus is that the grinding elements significantly hinder enjoyment.

    • “But it's just so tedious and frustrating.”
    • “The combat encounters are tedious.”
    • “I cannot count the amount of times that the game threw me back into cramped apartments and sludge-filled sewage canals; crawling through vents became tedious after the 15th time the game forces you into them.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and dark comedy, with moments like being shot at while listening to light EDM and the use of a comically poor voice filter for character dialogue. While some elements, such as unskippable cutscenes and mediocre voice acting, detract from the experience, the overall atmosphere and humorous contrasts within a dystopian setting provide a unique comedic touch. However, the humor can sometimes feel overshadowed by the game's serious themes and execution.

    • “It's funny being shot at while listening to light EDM.”
    • “The HL2 HEV suit voice was replaced by the Japanese Google Translate voice, which is both hilarious and occasionally difficult to understand.”
    • “And if you took away all of the uninspired and poorly acted exposition, including a humorously long list of presently unfolding catastrophes presented in the opening on a Star Wars-style scroll, you would be left with a world that communicates a brutal and dystopian future.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its intricate and detailed environments, which provide a cyberpunk aesthetic and complex level design. Players can explore multiple routes through cleverly designed mazes, enhancing the experience with varied gameplay options. Additionally, the satisfying weapon mechanics contribute to the overall enjoyment of replaying the game.

    • “This game has one of the coolest aesthetics and most detailed maps and environments I have seen in a Half-Life 2 modification. It's like walking through a man-made polluted urban jungle/maze with how complex and overwhelming the levels can be. It definitely has that cyberpunk kind of feeling to it, and I also read that there are multiple ways you can go through the levels, adding extra replayability to the game.”
    • “Clever mazes that are often replayable for different route choices.”
    • “This game has one of the coolest aesthetics and most detailed maps and environments I have seen in a Half-Life 2 modification. It's like walking through a man-made polluted urban jungle/maze with how complex and overwhelming the levels can be. It definitely has that cyberpunk kind of feeling to it, and I also read that there are multiple ways you can go through the levels, adding some extra replayability to the game.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development in the game is criticized for being shallow, with players expressing a lack of emotional investment in the story due to the minimal depth provided for each character. This lack of development detracts from the overall experience, leaving players questioning the significance of the narrative.

    • “Looking at this game in retrospect, it's a combination of interesting ideas and bad level design. Even now, I still don't understand why I'm supposed to care about anything in the story; every character is given barely any depth or character development.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game. It's hard to invest in their journeys when they don't evolve in any meaningful way.”
    • “Despite the game's attempts at storytelling, the character development is severely lacking. I found myself disconnected from the characters, as they don't seem to change or learn from their experiences.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy G String

Play time

10hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
6-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News