M.E.A.T.
- February 14, 2021
- Trippin Bears
- 16h median play time
Get on SteamM.E.A.T. is a single-player Horror Role Playing game presented in pixel-art style, set in a sci-fi horror climate of 1800's Canada. As Civil War veteran Sir Culligan, players must confront the mysterious substance, Telestarion, threatening their town and its inhabitants, while unraveling the mystery of its origin. With an estimated 16 hours of gameplay, players will experience a chilling, immersive adventure in the vein of 90's classic RPGs.
Mac OS
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Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The pixel art graphics and atmospheric music are well-crafted, creating an engaging visual and auditory experience.
- The game features a unique storyline set in a horror sci-fi environment, which offers hours of exploration and discovery.
- The developers show dedication to improving the game, with frequent updates and a commitment to addressing bugs and adding content.
- The game is plagued by significant technical issues, including a failure to run at resolutions higher than 1920x1080 and a lack of sound effects.
- Gameplay mechanics are poorly designed, with no auto-save feature, confusing quest directions, and a combat system that feels simplistic and unbalanced.
- The game lacks a proper ending, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and frustrated with unresolved storylines and gameplay elements.
- story51 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of the game is criticized for being poorly structured and forgettable, with many players finding the quest design frustrating and lacking clarity. While some appreciate the unique premise and potential of the narrative, issues such as clunky gameplay, weak character development, and subpar translations detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, a few players noted that the story had moments of intrigue that kept them engaged, albeit hindered by repetitive and tedious quest mechanics.
“The story is very good too, but I will say that the translation can be rough in spots. Nothing that will keep you from understanding and enjoying the very unique and different characters and story though.”
“After 11 hours in the game, I can say it has an amazing, original storyline and soundtrack which makes me want to do a campfire and dance around.”
“Finally, the story is slow but is set up in a way that made me want to know what was going on and what was going to happen next. It was a small factor that made me continue in the game even though so much frustrated me.”
“I am seriously getting really tired of dilettantism in the video game industry. No matter if we're talking about AAA or indie production, I can in no way recommend this game - a clunky, ancient gameplay, confusing quest system, bad translation, and weak story (despite good direction and a nice idea behind it) only support this opinion of mine.”
“The plot itself is so by-the-numbers and forgettable that I have trouble recalling its details having finished it the day before writing this review.”
“The fact that narration and dialogues are written in subpar and occasionally downright broken English further pummels the already subpar story into oblivion.”
- music20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and unique Canadian-themed soundtrack, with many reviewers noting its atmospheric and enjoyable nature. However, some critics point out that while the music is excellent, the lack of sound effects and ambient noises detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that the game would benefit from a more comprehensive audio design. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as a highlight, but its integration within the game leaves room for improvement.
“The soundtrack is a banger, and it's a real shame it is attached to this title.”
“Great, atmospheric music, beautiful pixel art graphics, and a decent plot.”
“One of the most unique music sets that I have encountered in an indie title in a long while.”
“At least the soundtrack is a banger, and it's a real shame it is attached to this title.”
“However, no matter how good the music, the way it’s used is not that great.”
“A huge point to make --- there appears to be no sound effects in the game, meaning there is a soundtrack playing and no attack sounds, enemy attack sounds, damage response sounds, weapon sounds - any kind of ambient sounds like footsteps, doors opening, opening chests or anything like that.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with players criticizing its clunky mechanics, confusing quest system, and lack of depth, such as missing class specializations and attribute mechanics. Many reviewers expressed frustration over the absence of a clear conclusion to the game, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players found redeeming qualities, the consensus leans towards a disappointing and uninspired gameplay experience.
“After 16 hours of gameplay with my story finished, and almost every side quest completed, I can say this.”
“I like this game a lot and really wanted to get more hours before I reviewed it, but I feel like it would be better to get my review out there to help counter some of the bad reviews I have read, because most of the negative reviews I feel are terribly faulty and wrong, written by people who obviously haven't played the game very long and thus haven't seen many of the mechanics or content.”
“Gameplay and combat-wise, I have some thoughts.”
“The gameplay is terrible.”
“I ain't against free-roam gameplay once the game finishes, but nothing tells you that the game is finished at this point - no cutscene, no credits, no nothing!”
“I can in no way recommend this game - a clunky, ancient gameplay, confusing quest system, bad translation, and a weak story (despite good direction and a nice idea behind it) only support this opinion of mine.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a commendable pixel art style that effectively captures diverse environments, from rural settings to intricate landscapes. While some players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and detailed art, there are concerns that reliance on pixel art may mask limitations in more realistic graphics. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience, despite some critiques regarding animation fluidity and the absence of sound effects.
“Great, atmospheric music, beautiful pixel art graphics and decent plot.”
“Let's start off with the good really quick, graphically the world is beautiful, the pixel art is well detailed and I love the world that this is based in.”
“All the animations were slow and sluggish, but the intensity of each fight and the overall visuals of the game kept me distracted enough to ignore those minor issues.”
“Features a vast, complicated pixelated world that goes to great lengths to feature its diverse landscape and visuals, from dark creepy mines to long stretches of railway networks.”
“Meat RPG is certainly commendable for its art style: it recreates very well the rural Canada setting of the gold rush era, along with Indian villages, far-west style cities, and most of all, nature yet untouched by man.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its great music and beautiful pixel art graphics, creating an engaging aesthetic. However, some users feel that the addition of sound effects and ambient background sounds could further enhance the overall experience.
“Great, atmospheric music, beautiful pixel art graphics, and a decent plot.”
“The music is very cool, but I think sound effects and ambient background sounds would add so much to the game experience. The game already has a great atmosphere and aesthetic, but it would really be elevated with sound effects.”
“The art style and atmosphere, as mentioned before, is really rad and up my alley.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the initial grinding in the game to be tedious and frustrating, though it becomes more manageable in later stages as resources become available. The early difficulty may deter some, but the experience improves as players progress.
“I kept playing it because I thought I would get past the initial difficulty of grinding in a game like this.”
“It became easier in later stages when you had money to use the rail, but in the beginning, it was tedious and borderline abhorrent.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to be buggy, indicating significant stability issues that may affect the overall gameplay experience.
“The game is incredibly buggy, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that severely impacted my gaming experience.”
“The stability issues are frustrating; I often find myself crashing mid-game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users noted that while some animations appeared slow and repetitive, they contributed to a sense of immersion and emotional connection to the game world, enhancing the overall experience.
“The animations were fluid, and even though some, like the snake, were easily repeated and had a floating movement, they still made me feel grounded in this world.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me, making their struggles feel personal and relatable.”
“I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it evoked a range of emotions that lingered long after I finished playing.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting that they encounter no performance issues.
“I have no issues with performance.”
“The game runs smoothly on my system, even at high settings.”
“I appreciate how well-optimized the gameplay is; it feels responsive and fluid.”
