KURSK

39%
Game Brain Score Based on 105 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • optimization
KURSK Game Cover
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"KURSK is a single-player historical simulation game with good graphics and story, but poorly optimized. As a spy on the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk in 2000, complete your mission while experiencing the real-life dramatic events that unfolded. Immerse in the detailed world of 2000's Moscow, Vidyayevo, and the Oscar II-class submarine."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

39%
Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews
story16 positive mentions
optimization9 negative mentions
  • The game offers a detailed and immersive recreation of the Kursk submarine, allowing players to explore its interior and experience life aboard.
  • The concept of blending historical events with gameplay is intriguing, providing a unique perspective on the Kursk disaster.
  • Some players appreciated the atmosphere and the nostalgic elements, such as the inclusion of classic Soviet video games.
  • The game suffers from poor optimization, resulting in long loading times, low frame rates, and frequent crashes.
  • Movement and controls are clunky and frustrating, with many players reporting issues with character navigation and interactions.
  • The story execution is criticized for being dull and repetitive, with tedious fetch quests and a lack of meaningful character development.
  • story45 mentions

    The story of the game, while based on the real-life tragedy of the Kursk submarine disaster, has received mixed reviews. Some players found it engaging and immersive, appreciating the historical context and setting, while others criticized it for being tedious, poorly executed, and lacking depth, often reduced to repetitive fetch quests. Overall, the narrative's potential is overshadowed by gameplay issues and a lack of compelling storytelling.

    • “The main story is a simple but immersive experience.”
    • “[i]Kursk[/i] is a 'docu-game' that tells the story of the events leading up to, and immediately after, the 2000 disaster which sunk the titular Russian sub with all her crew.”
    • “The main positive, although, is the actual concept of telling a story based on a recent event and it's cool that you walk inside a submarine exploring a story.”
    • “The shame is that the story is rather boring and nonsensical.”
    • “The story consists entirely of going back and forth from point A to point B, grabbing items and talking to the same people over and over again.”
    • “The story is garbage.”
  • graphics28 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the visuals as beautiful and atmospheric, while others criticize them for being poorly optimized and suffering from significant frame rate issues. Many players report that despite having capable hardware, the game runs poorly across all settings, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Overall, while the art style and certain graphical elements are appreciated, the performance problems overshadow the visual quality for many users.

    • “The submarine interior and graphics in general are very well built.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the story is intriguing, but the gameplay is really bad.”
    • “Graphics: (landscapes) 9/10”
    • “Poor and outdated graphics, terrible fps drops.”
    • “The atmosphere is really great, but the horrible fps ruins everything for me; adjusting the graphics settings doesn't do anything for the framerate.”
    • “Very poor optimization - the graphics are dated and even though I'm running it on a GTX 1080 off an SSD using a G-Sync monitor, the framerate is very low and frequently dips into the teens.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting long loading times, high GPU usage, and poor performance across all settings. Many players experience significant stuttering and low frame rates, even on high-end hardware, leading to frustration and disappointment. Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial polish and optimization to meet acceptable performance standards.

    • “Could use a bit of polish and optimizations in a few places, but is fine otherwise as it's not trying to be a FPS.”
    • “The first thing that immediately catches the eye is the optimization.”
    • “Also, the engine is super heavy, so it could've used quite a lot of optimization.”
    • “It is also badly optimized, with long loading times and high GPU usage for what it is.”
    • “A shame, and a waste of money, this game shouldn't have been released in this poor optimization state; it is barely a beta version of a product.”
    • “Very poor optimization - the graphics are dated and even though I'm running it on a GTX 1080 off an SSD using a G-Sync monitor, the framerate is very low and frequently dips into the teens.”
  • gameplay19 mentions

    The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many users citing issues such as buggy controls, poor animations, and a lack of engaging mechanics. While some appreciate the diversity of gameplay elements and the intriguing story, the overall experience is marred by clunky execution and unoptimized performance, leading to a frustrating experience for players.

    • “This game, its animations and its gameplay.”
    • “Having this open world type of gameplay inside of a submarine, at times, can make you feel like a sailor aboard that sub.”
    • “[*] gameplay mechanics diversity [8/10] //quite good for an adventure game”
    • “The setting was promising and I liked the idea of being a spy on a submarine, but the buggy gameplay took all the fun away.”
    • “The controls are jittery and the gameplay is boring.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the story is intriguing, but the gameplay is really bad.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, effectively capturing a cold war vibe and the eerie setting of a submarine in northern Russia. However, some players feel that technical issues, such as poor frame rates, detract from the overall experience, and there are mixed opinions on the emotional depth conveyed in certain scenes. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Atmosphere is excellent, feels very cold war.”
    • “Trapped in a deep, dark and cold ocean, there must be an atmosphere or it would feel like the game misses something.”
    • “Really nice game atmosphere of northern Russia and the submarine.”
    • “No atmosphere of despair was constructed at the end.”
    • “Trapped in a deep, dark, and cold ocean, there must be an atmosphere or it would feel like the game misses something.”
    • “On the other hand, until the boarding scene, it had an atmosphere and the game looked fine.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its relaxing and well-fitted soundtrack, while others criticize its poor integration and overall sound quality. Despite the uneven execution of other game elements, many players acknowledge the effort put into the music, often rating it highly. Overall, while the music enhances the experience, it is overshadowed by other gameplay shortcomings.

    • “Also, the soundtrack is very relaxing; nice music.”
    • “The characters don't look perfect, but I know that 'Kursk' is not 'The Witcher', yet 'Kursk' has many beautiful and epic landscapes, with great music well fitted into the game.”
    • “Music and sound effects: 9/10.”
    • “They've evidently put a considerable amount of resources into this game, but it seems they were a bit too busy licensing music and hiring voice actors than to maintain the overall quality of the game.”
    • “Music, although sometimes poorly integrated, fit perfectly.”
    • “Great graphically, but movement, sound, music, and story are really poor.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with multiple users reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Common issues include clunky movement, freezing during minigames, and characters getting stuck in the environment, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. Despite its promising concept, the pervasive instability hampers enjoyment and functionality.

    • “The setting was promising and I liked the idea of being a spy on a submarine, but the buggy gameplay took all the fun away.”
    • “Main problem is it is buggy and jittery, and that detracts greatly from what would otherwise be a very good game.”
    • “Game is clunky and buggy - doesn't work for me (hanging repeatedly in an early scene on the submarine).”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to repetitive fetch quests and slow animations that disrupt the flow of gameplay. The experience is often described as an exhausting errand run, detracting from overall enjoyment.

    • “But after that, there is a tedious hour of running around the ship to get a birthday present.”
    • “Tedious fetch quests for the 3 hours max that it will take you to complete the game that lead you from one end of the sub to the other having to endure glacial hatch opening animations.”
    • “I understand it's realistic, but it's so damn tedious, especially while you're being an errand boy running from one end of the sub to the other like an idiot.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players report that the game evokes intense emotional reactions, with one user noting it caused physical nausea after just a short play session, a response not experienced with other games. This suggests that the game's emotional impact is both profound and potentially overwhelming.

    • “This is the only game that has ever made me feel nauseous from such a small playtime.”
    • “It made me feel quite sick, and I needed breaks even after playing only 20 minutes at a time.”
    • “Playing any other games, even for long periods, has never made me feel this way.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is described as minimalistic, with interactions typically offering only two options, resulting in a lack of depth in character progression.

    • “The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
    • “The depth of character development really enhances the storytelling, making every interaction feel significant.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong laughter, particularly through amusing character expressions.

    • “Some of the faces made me laugh my ass off.”
    • “The witty dialogue had me chuckling throughout the entire game.”
    • “The absurd situations and clever puns kept me entertained from start to finish.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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