ICARUS.1
- November 17, 2016
- electrolyte
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"ICARUS.1" is a single-player mystery action game that takes around 2 hours to complete. Set in an abandoned space station with a crew missing for decades, the player must uncover the truth while searching for valuable cargo. The game offers a very atmospheric and immersive experience, bringing back feelings of playing classic games like System Shock or Half-Life.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game successfully creates a captivating atmosphere of exploring a derelict spaceship, enhancing the sense of mystery and tension.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a pleasant experience with light puzzles and engaging storytelling through text logs.
- The graphics and sound design are commendable, contributing to an immersive experience that feels polished for an indie title.
- The controls are clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustrating gameplay, especially during jumping puzzles and movement.
- There is a complete lack of save points, forcing players to restart chapters upon death, which can be tedious and immersion-breaking.
- The story feels incomplete and lacks a satisfying conclusion, leaving players with unanswered questions and a sense of abruptness.
- story58 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its sci-fi influences and unconventional narrative delivered through text logs, while others criticize its clunky execution and lack of resolution. Many noted that the game feels short and somewhat cliché, particularly with its use of familiar tropes like rogue AIs, but it still manages to create an engaging atmosphere. Overall, the narrative has potential but suffers from abrupt endings and repetitive level design, leaving players wanting more depth and closure.
“The game had a surprisingly good story for an independent game, although it was very short (I beat the game in just north of two hours). The ending was abrupt, but I didn't mind it too much.”
“I was captivated by the unconventional narrative, which used crew messages to further the story.”
“Pretty good story, not terribly long but many unexpected things.”
“You follow a predetermined story which doesn't have a fully rounded conclusion.”
“The story doesn't really resolve.”
“All those storytelling efforts and the ending, well the ending is no good.”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for effectively capturing the eerie essence of exploring a derelict spaceship, with strong environmental design, atmospheric lighting, and sound contributing to the experience. However, some players find the execution inconsistent, with issues in gameplay mechanics detracting from the immersion. Overall, while the atmosphere is a highlight, opinions vary on its depth and engagement throughout the game.
“What it does achieve is absolutely nailing the atmosphere of boarding a derelict ship to find out what went wrong and why.”
“Mostly, it's the atmosphere and setting that does it -- it's beautiful.”
“The environmental design is effective despite basic texturing, because it's brought alive through atmospheric lighting and sound.”
“Not having played beyond the beginning chapters, it's very linear, unengaging and does a poor job in building the atmosphere of being alone on a deserted spaceship.”
“Complete lack of atmosphere.”
“Once you're out of flares, you get to stumble around in the dark, which I guess adds to the atmosphere, but... aren't I in a spacesuit?”
- music18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as minimalist and primarily composed of royalty-free tracks, with some users finding it mediocre while others appreciate its fitting nature, particularly in creating a sci-fi atmosphere. Notably, the jazz tracks in specific areas enhance the experience, and the overall sound design, including well-composed music and immersive sound effects, contributes positively to the game's ambiance. While the music may not be the standout feature, it effectively supports the game's setting and mood.
“The story was alright, the soundtrack (especially the jazz in the lounge kind of room) was very fitting.”
“Well-composed music is played at ample times, and the sound effects are very immersive.”
“I love the low-poly style and the music.”
“The dev obviously spent some money on the music, but not much else.”
“All music used is just royalty-free tracks by Kevin MacLeod, which sounds so excruciatingly mediocre, at least to me.”
“The audio/music compartment is minimal, but the spaceship atmosphere is preserved.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of engaging mechanics, with interactable objects blending into the environment, leading to tedious exploration and aimless wandering. Jump mechanics are poorly implemented, and the puzzles feel more like filler than meaningful challenges, resulting in an overall uninteresting experience. Players describe the gameplay as story-driven but ultimately lacking in excitement and depth.
“Story-driven gameplay, where you solve simple puzzles as you explore the spaceship and try to find out what happened there.”
“If you want to get a better idea for the game, check out my gameplay below.”
“2 hours of gameplay (where most of it is probably wandering around aimlessly, trying not to puke your guts out).”
“Interactable objects do not stand out at all, leading to mouseovering and clicking through every object in the environment.”
“Jump mechanics are messed up and don't work well.”
“The gameplay was more of a playtime filler with all the 'puzzles'.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's graphics evoke a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of 1970s and early 2000s sci-fi, with a strong influence from artists like Ron Cobb and Syd Mead. While some players appreciate the low-poly art style and the available graphic options that enhance the visuals, others criticize the limited customization features and performance settings. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their unique charm, despite some technical limitations.
“I love the graphics of this game.”
“The Ron Cobb/Syd Mead aesthetic of this game is a hit with me, and this style is done in great taste.”
“There are very nice graphics options that help add flair to an otherwise drab low-poly title.”
“The aesthetic is more 2001 than alien, to be honest.”
“Then you get right into the game and only then you get access to the most basic of graphic options: no sliders for performance, no resolution change.”
“Gotta love these sci-fi adventures, and loving the low poly art style as well.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to clunky controls that make jump puzzles tedious and movement feel slippery, reminiscent of older titles like Quake and Half-Life. This leads to a less enjoyable experience as players struggle with the mechanics.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report frequent glitches that necessitate restarting the game, indicating significant stability issues that detract from the overall experience.
“Glitches requiring a restart.”
“Glitches requiring a restart.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its lack of comprehensive graphic options, offering only basic settings without sliders for performance adjustments or resolution changes, which limits players' ability to tailor the experience to their hardware capabilities.
“You get right into the game and only then do you gain access to the most basic graphic options: no sliders for performance, no resolution change.”
“The lack of optimization options is frustrating; it feels like the game was released without considering different hardware capabilities.”
“There are no advanced settings to tweak performance, which is disappointing for players who want to customize their experience.”
