Gordian Rooms 2: A curious island
- June 30, 2023
- Crimsonite Games
- 26h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Gordian Rooms 2: A Curious Island" , players are trapped on the Isle of Lye, a testing ground for the Gordian Society, and must solve puzzles to escape while uncovering secrets about the island's inhabitants, including the Lye family and their associates. The game is a prequel to "Gordian Rooms" and encourages players to search for hidden treasures and uncover mysteries. Exploration and puzzle-solving are key as players aim to become a full-fledged member of the enigmatic organization.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Gordian Rooms 2 offers a massive increase in scope and duration compared to its predecessor, providing a rich and immersive puzzle experience.
- The game features a wide variety of puzzles that are both challenging and engaging, with many collectibles that enhance exploration.
- The graphics and atmosphere are praised for their quality, creating a beautiful environment that players enjoy exploring.
- The game can feel overwhelming due to its large open world, leading to confusion and difficulty in keeping track of numerous puzzles and items.
- Some puzzles are criticized for being illogical or poorly designed, causing frustration and requiring external help to solve.
- The controls and interface have been described as problematic, with issues related to navigation and inventory management that detract from the overall experience.
- story18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game features an in-depth and engaging story complemented by a variety of puzzles, both optional and essential for progression. Players appreciate the balance between narrative and gameplay, with two possible endings that can be experienced in one playthrough. However, some feel that the puzzles lack a meaningful impact on the story or world, which may leave those seeking deeper narrative consequences feeling unsatisfied.
“In-depth story with great choices of optional puzzles and challenging must-solve puzzles to progress in the game experience.”
“Really enjoyed the game - the graphics are good and the story is fun and engaging.”
“There is a decent and amusing story in the various items throughout, and the endings (there are two) can both be experienced in a single playthrough, with a small caveat.”
“But it just didn't feel satisfying to complete the puzzles - it didn't make any difference to the world or the story.”
“That aspect of the game reminded me of the video games I would play when I was a kid (on the NES and SNES, ha!) where you would be completing several missions or quests at once, and finding the necessary items as you journeyed about the map.”
“But it just didn't feel satisfying to complete the puzzles - it didn't make any difference to the world or the story.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game received mixed reviews; while some players praised them as great and engaging, others found them outdated and problematic, particularly in relation to gameplay mechanics. The visual quality was highlighted as a strong point by many, but issues with graphical performance and controls detracted from the experience for some users.
“Really enjoyed the game - the graphics are good and the story fun and engaging.”
“The graphics were great and the sounds, music, and atmosphere were wonderful.”
“Graphically, I can only praise this game.”
“We enjoyed Gordian Room One very much, but this sadly not only seems outdated graphics-wise, but the controls are abysmal. Yes, the puzzles are interesting, but there's too much running around in circles with vague and useless clues.”
“The graphical issues make having to find all these obscure items so much harder.”
“It takes more than just graphics, sounds, and atmosphere to 'create' a game that keeps you engaged.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting the impressive graphics, sound design, and music as key elements that enhance the overall experience. While the atmosphere is noted as wonderful, it is emphasized that engaging gameplay, including a mix of puzzle difficulties, is also essential for maintaining player interest.
“The graphics were great, and the sounds, music, and atmosphere were wonderful.”
“Good puzzles, some easy, some pretty hard, with a good atmosphere.”
“It takes more than just graphics, sounds, and atmosphere to create a game that keeps you engaged.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game is enjoyable, achieving 100% completion requires finding numerous collectibles across a vast island, which can become tedious. However, this grinding aspect is considered less burdensome compared to other puzzle games.
“The only possible downside is that to get 100% of the achievements you will have to find all of the collectibles, which can be a bit tedious since the island you are on is huge.”
“It's a fun game, but as an avid puzzle/escape room player, I have to point out that it can get very tedious.”
“It can be a bit tedious when you decide to go to some remote location to explore an idea, but it is not as bad as other puzzle games.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it performs adequately on lower settings, many players experience issues running it smoothly even on high-end systems. Despite some praise for the developers' efforts, there is a consensus that further optimization is needed to enhance performance across various settings.
“The creators did a good job, but it really could have been optimized more.”
“Performance was fine on the lower settings.”
“I can play most games on max settings, but this game refuses to run smoothly for me, which is wild.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a wide variety of engaging puzzles, including mechanical, logical, numeric, and symbolic challenges that maintain player interest throughout. The item sonar mechanic is essential for locating hidden items, and players must also adapt to specific actions that require crouching, adding an extra layer of complexity to the experience.
“There are a lot of diverse puzzles (mechanical, logical, numeric, symbolic, etc.) which kept my interest throughout the whole game.”
“The item sonar mechanic is a must because some items make absolutely no sense where they are hidden.”
“Also, the item sonar mechanic is a must because some items make absolutely no sense where they are hidden.”
“You just really need to figure out the mechanics and recognize you can only do some actions if you crouch.”
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to create a wonderful atmosphere, enhancing the overall ambiance alongside the graphics and sound design. Players appreciate how the music complements the puzzles and exploration elements, contributing to an engaging experience.
“Great ambiance, music, and puzzles, with dozens of clues, collectibles, and items to find.”
“The graphics were great and the sounds, music, and atmosphere were wonderful.”
