KURSK

39%
Game Brain Score Based on 210 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 210 reviews
story32 positive mentions
optimization18 negative mentions
  • The game features 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 found the atmosphere and graphics appealing, noting that the game captures the essence of the submarine environment well.
  • The game suffers from severe optimization issues, resulting in poor performance, long loading times, and frequent crashes.
  • Movement and controls are clunky and frustrating, with many players reporting motion sickness due to the awkward animations and camera stutters.
  • The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and tedious, primarily consisting of fetch quests and long animations for opening doors and hatches.
  • story90 mentions

    The story of the game, set against the backdrop of the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster, is described as both engaging and immersive, though opinions vary widely on its execution. While some players appreciate the intriguing premise and the opportunity to explore a submarine, many criticize the narrative for being tedious, repetitive, and lacking depth, often reduced to fetch quests and clunky interactions. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with potential that is undermined by gameplay issues and a lack of optimization.

    • “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 three hours I played it was really interesting and fascinating, as I loved the story and the premise a lot.”
    • “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 game can be clunky in controls and completely lacking in the story aspect.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the visuals as beautiful and atmospheric, particularly in the submarine interiors, while others criticize the overall quality as outdated and poorly optimized. Many players report severe performance issues, including significant frame rate drops and glitches, regardless of the graphics settings used. Overall, while the art style and scenery are appreciated, the technical execution leaves much to be desired, making the game difficult to enjoy 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.”
    • “I like the game; the graphics are good, nice story, a strong Russian feel to the game.”
    • “Poor and outdated graphics, terrible fps drops.”
    • “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.”
    • “The main problems are the game runs horribly on any graphical settings, and 90% of your time in game is spent waiting 10-15 seconds for your character to go through a laggy animation for going through a hatch or down some stairs.”
  • optimization38 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 before it can be considered a worthwhile investment.

    • “Could use a bit of polish and optimizations in a few places, but is fine otherwise as it's not trying to be an 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.”
  • gameplay38 mentions

    The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players citing buggy controls, clunky mechanics, and poor animations that detract from the overall experience. While the game features a promising setting and some engaging details, the core gameplay is described as boring and poorly optimized, leading to frustration. Despite some diversity in gameplay mechanics, the lack of smoothness and clarity in execution significantly undermines the enjoyment of the game.

    • “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”
    • “[*] gameplay smoothness [6/10] //not bad”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere22 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, effectively capturing a Cold War vibe and the chilling environment 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 feelings about the emotional depth conveyed in certain scenes. Overall, while the atmosphere is a standout feature, it is not without its flaws.

    • “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.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its relaxing and well-fitted soundtrack, while others noted that it was sometimes poorly integrated into the gameplay. Despite some criticisms regarding overall execution and quality, the music stands out as a highlight, with several reviewers rating it highly. Overall, while the game has its flaws, the music is often described as a strong point that enhances the experience.

    • “Also, the soundtrack is very relaxing; nice music.”
    • “The characters don't look perfect, but I know that 'Kursk' is not 'The Witcher'; however, in 'Kursk' there are 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.”
    • “Great graphically, but movement, sound, music, and story are really poor.”
    • “Music was playing in the background while I was looking at a 'screensaver' to move to the next level.”
  • stability18 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay and enjoyment. Players report clunky movement, frequent freezing, and getting stuck in the environment, which detracts from the otherwise promising submarine spy setting. Overall, the buggy experience has led to frustration, overshadowing the game's potential.

    • “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).”
    • “This makes it especially difficult to escape the numerous glitches in the floor and walls that get your character stuck in place.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, characterized by repetitive fetch quests that require extensive back-and-forth travel within the ship. The slow hatch opening animations further contribute to the frustration, making the experience feel unnecessarily prolonged and monotonous.

    • “Tedious fetch quests for the 3 hours max that it will take you to complete the game, leading you from one end of the sub to the other while enduring 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.”
    • “But after that, there is a tedious hour of running around the ship to get a birthday present.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional response to the game, with one user noting it induced feelings of nausea after just 20 minutes of play, a reaction they had never experienced with other games. This intense emotional impact suggests the game effectively engages players on a visceral level, though it may also lead to discomfort.

    • “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 of time, never made me feel this way.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is described as minimalistic, with interactions typically offering only two options on average, which limits the depth of character growth and engagement.

  • humor2 mentions

    Players find the humor in the game particularly effective, with many noting that certain character faces elicited strong laughter. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the gaming experience.

    • “Some faces made me laugh my ass off.”
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 4 analyzed playthroughs

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