Ice Caves of Europa
- July 9, 2018
- Io Normal
Get on SteamIce Caves of Europa will challenge your reflexes and your mind, blending free-flowing precision flight with confronting science fiction ideas about the nature of humanity. An inquisitive flying robot exploring the hazardous caves beneath Europa stumbles upon a sinister interplanetary conspiracy.
Reviews
- Surprisingly fun and engaging gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- Atmospheric graphics and a sense of exploration in the ice caves of Europa.
- Challenging drone control adds depth to the gameplay experience.
- Difficult and frustrating drone controls, especially without a dedicated controller.
- Underwhelming story with shallow character development and excessive dialogue.
- Lack of sound effects and ambient noise makes the game feel empty and less immersive.
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being short and underwhelming, with some players finding it overly reliant on dialogue and lacking engaging mechanics. The narrative is described as uninspired, with frequent interruptions for tutorials that detract from the overall experience. While some players hope for future content to expand the story, the current execution leaves much to be desired.
“Took me 8 hours to complete the game story.”
“Hope there will be some future DLC or follow-on story.”
“It's short (just over 2 hours for me for the story mode).”
“The negative review is due to an underwhelming story and difficult/borderline impossible drone control if you don't use a dedicated controller.”
“Every few seconds the game wrenches control from the player to give them more boring, uninspired dialogue about some random thing, and every mission or two when a new mechanic needs to be introduced (don't get your hopes up, there's only about three), the game breaks from the actual events to run the player through a no-risk 'simulation' filled with, yep, you guessed it.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay involves controlling a drone in the ice caves of Europa, focusing on gathering mineral samples and melting ice barriers, interspersed with cutscenes. However, players criticize the frequent interruptions for dialogue and tutorial simulations, which detract from the overall experience and limit the variety of mechanics.
“The gameplay involves controlling a drone flying through narrow passages, specifically in the ice caves of Europa, gathering mineral samples, melting ice barriers, and watching cutscenes.”
“I saw this game at PAX AUS 2018 and wanted to give it a try since I enjoy fine-control vehicular gameplay and aircraft.”
“Good games will show the player what to do through the gameplay.”
“Every few seconds, the game wrenches control from the player to give them more boring, uninspired dialogue about some random thing. Additionally, every mission or two, when a new mechanic needs to be introduced (don't get your hopes up, there's only about three), the game breaks from the actual events to run the player through a no-risk 'simulation' filled with, yep, you guessed it.”
“The gameplay consists of you controlling a drone flying through narrow passages (specifically, the ice caves of Europa), gathering mineral samples, melting ice barriers, and watching cutscenes.”
“That is the entirety of the gameplay.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's soundtrack is generally considered decent, but it often fails to match the intensity of the gameplay, with serene and spacey music playing during high-stakes moments, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The soundtrack is not only enjoyable on its own, but it also enhances the overall experience of the game.”
“You're flying for your life to get out of the caves, and there's just some serene, spacey music playing.”
“The music feels completely out of place, failing to match the intensity of the gameplay.”
“I expected a thrilling soundtrack, but instead, it was just bland and forgettable.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are highly praised for their quality, complementing the game's overall aesthetic, while the inclusion of a dry sense of humor adds a unique charm to the visual experience.
“The graphics are stunning and truly immersive.”
“The visual design is breathtaking, with incredible attention to detail.”
“The art style is unique and beautifully executed, making every scene a visual delight.”
