LOCIS
- December 17, 2020
- Francesco D'Auria
Get on SteamLOCIS is a challenging exploration game with procedural generation, creating a unique world and experience each playthrough. The dynamic karma system adapts to your decisions, which affects the story and unlocks different endings. The narrative is told through discovery of scattered papers throughout the game.
Reviews
- LOCIS features a unique and intriguing concept with a procedurally generated world that offers different experiences in each playthrough.
- The game has a rich atmosphere and sound design that effectively creates psychological tension, reminiscent of classic horror titles.
- The developers show dedication and responsiveness to the community, with regular updates and improvements, enhancing the overall experience.
- The gameplay loop can feel repetitive and dull, with long stretches of exploration that may lead to frustration due to lack of engaging content.
- Many rooms and areas lack variety, making exploration feel less rewarding and leading to a sense of randomness that can feel unfair.
- The game currently has limited replay value, with few unlockables and a lack of significant differences in subsequent runs.
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game embrace a retro pixel art style, reminiscent of classic PS1 titles like Silent Hill, which may appeal to fans of nostalgic aesthetics but might not satisfy those seeking photorealism. While the pixelation can be adjusted, some players may still find the graphics unappealing. Overall, the visuals contribute effectively to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the sense of mystery and unease.
“If you enjoy a challenge in pixel graphics, you've found the right game.”
“The graphics are retro style and reminiscent of the old PS1 titles like Silent Hill. Even the soundtrack is very well done and effective, creating a sense of restlessness and mystery for the player.”
“[i]locis[/i] bets on retro graphics and multi-thematic locations, objects, and characters.”
“Still about the graphics, it’s clear that this game’s purpose is not something like a photorealistic reproduction of reality.”
“It's possible to reduce pixelation, but some players might still not appreciate this graphics style; you can see it in the trailers and images.”
“This game is not like the majority of indie horror games that you can find here in the Steam store, which often lack care and attention to detail, using graphic engines that rely on pre-packaged assets.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, players express disappointment in the game's replayability, citing a lack of meaningful content to explore beyond the initial playthrough, with the only notable unlockable being a hardcore difficulty mode. However, there is some optimism as developers have announced plans for an update aimed at enhancing replay value in the future.
“The developers have announced that they are working on a new update that will add replayability to the game; I hope for the best.”
“I'd like to clarify my statement about there being 'virtually no replay value'.”
“The way I see replay value isn't simply the presence of things to see that you didn't see before, but both the quantity and quality of the things that you haven't seen.”
“Cool idea, not the best execution, virtually no replay value.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised for their ability to create psychological tension and an immersive atmosphere, reminiscent of classic titles like Silent Hill. The well-crafted soundtrack effectively enhances the game's retro aesthetic, contributing to a sense of restlessness and mystery that engages players.
“The direction of the sound and the music is simply perfect; it manages to create moments of psychological tension at times (almost like a Silent Hill game), and I really appreciated the care put into this.”
“I forgot to mention the very good soundtrack with some references to Silent Hill.”
“Music and sound effects play an important role in creating the right atmosphere for the game.”
“The music and sound effects contribute significantly to creating the right atmosphere for the game.”
“The graphics are retro style and reminiscent of old PS1 titles like Silent Hill, but the soundtrack is very well done and effective, adding a sense of restlessness and mystery to the player.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story in *locis* starts off weak but evolves into a complex narrative that players can uncover through scattered notes, enhancing the exploration experience. While the game can be completed quickly, it offers rich content and secrets for those willing to delve deeper, making it both engaging and replayable. The unique concept and procedural elements contribute to a dynamic storytelling approach that encourages discovery.
“The plot is weak at the beginning, but I think it is intentional since it leads to discoveries through scraps of paper scattered around. Personally, I find it cool; I loved the character of Ubel. I don't want to spoil too much about it.”
“To summarize: pros: - original game concept; - multi-thematic areas, textures, and models; - complex plot that you can discover by reading the sheets you find… or you can simply ignore them and enjoy the gameplay; - random spawns into this procedural game, which means that every run is almost completely unpredictable and different from the others; - many references, secrets, and random rare events to find and discover.”
“The plot is weak at the beginning, but I think it is intentional since going forward it leads to discoveries through scraps of paper scattered around. Personally, I find it cool; I loved the character of Ubel. I don't want to spoil too much about it.”
“So, the aim of Locis is not to have a long single-player campaign: you can beat the game on Explorer difficulty in less than 20 minutes, but there are still many other contents (like special areas and parts of the story) to discover.”
“To summarize: pros include an original game concept, multi-thematic areas, textures and models, and a complex plot that you can discover by reading the sheets you find… or you can simply ignore them and enjoy the gameplay.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of [i]locis[/i] is highly praised for its engaging references and immersive sound design, with music and sound effects playing a crucial role in enhancing the overall experience.
“I liked the atmosphere; it has a lot of cool references in the levels.”
“The music and sound effects play a crucial role in creating the right atmosphere for the game.”
“The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, failing to immerse players in the game world.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to evoke any real emotional response.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its original concept and diverse thematic areas, complemented by intricate textures and models. Players can engage with a complex plot through collectible sheets or focus solely on the gameplay, which features unpredictable procedural generation and numerous secrets and rare events to discover, enhancing replayability.
“The original game concept really sets it apart from others.”
“The gameplay is enhanced by multi-thematic areas, textures, and models that create a rich environment.”
“Every run feels unique due to the random spawns in this procedural game, making it almost completely unpredictable.”
