Machinika: Atlas

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 91 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • stability
Machinika: Atlas Game Cover
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In Machinika: Atlas, find yourself stranded on Saturn's moon, Atlas, inside a crashed alien ship. As a museum researcher, solve cryptic puzzles to navigate the labyrinth of the mysterious vessel and uncover its secrets, even if you haven't played the preceding game, Machinika: Museum. Engage in a captivating sci-fi adventure that challenges your logic and observation skills.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews
graphics10 positive mentions
stability16 negative mentions
  • The game features complex and enjoyable puzzles that provide a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are visually appealing, creating an immersive experience that enhances the gameplay.
  • The addition of free movement allows for a more engaging exploration of the environment compared to the previous game.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, including soft locks and glitches that disrupt gameplay.
  • The dialogue and story elements are often criticized for being poorly written and lacking depth, detracting from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles are considered nonsensical or poorly designed, leading to confusion and frustration for players.
  • graphics20 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique and pleasing art style, while others criticize the visuals for appearing flat or outdated, reminiscent of early 2000s games. Although there are instances of graphical glitches, many players appreciate the overall aesthetic and find the graphics to be a significant improvement over the original game. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received, they are not without their flaws.

    • “The art style is slick, pleasing, and unique, but I wish they had used more advanced rendering techniques to create it.”
    • “Love this game! It has awesome graphics and the puzzles are great; I would highly recommend.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics, moderately interesting puzzles... not a brain-killer.”
    • “Graphics: so basic it will appeal to those cryogenically unfrozen from the year 2003.”
    • “Despite what the trailers show, even on the highest settings, there are some key visuals that appear flat and even untextured. The tools at your disposal are different in lieu of not being in the same environment as before, but it feels like an afterthought in the face of the prior game.”
    • “The graphics appeared worse; things started to look and feel like you were in some sort of dream or something.”
  • story17 mentions

    The story is generally well-received, with players appreciating its development from the previous game and the inclusion of engaging dialogue and letters that enhance the narrative. However, some critiques highlight a lack of coherence between the puzzles and the story, as well as a less whimsical tone compared to its predecessor, leading to an unsatisfying resolution. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it effectively pulls players in and maintains interest throughout the gameplay.

    • “The story is so interesting too!”
    • “I dig the story, especially how it continues forward from Machinika Museum.”
    • “It's a laid-back game that pulls you into its story without holding your hand too much.”
    • “The plot lost a lot of the whimsy that the first game possessed, instead exchanging it for a wispy visage that's trying to be a 'humanity is inherently barbaric and always shoots first' plotline that resolves extremely unsatisfyingly and with no true sense of stakes, even when the ship is supposed to be actively bombarded by missiles.”
    • “It's not gonna set your world on fire, but it's a fairly competent set of puzzles spread over 8 chapters with some minimal overarching story.”
    • “There is a small story (memories of some dude) sidelined with letters that you can find within the game's progression.”
  • stability16 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is criticized for being quite buggy, with frequent technical glitches such as soft locks, collision issues, and visual anomalies that disrupt gameplay. Many players report needing to restart chapters or the entire game due to these issues, particularly during puzzle segments and chapter transitions. While some users note that the developers are addressing these problems, the current state of stability is deemed insufficient for a positive recommendation.

    • “The game glitches out every chapter or so, mostly during chapter transitioning animations, softlocking your game.”
    • “The last chapter glitched out, wasting 45+ minutes of my life trying to solve the buggy puzzle.”
    • “There are a decent amount of glitches like collisions in puzzles, textures not loading, etc. On two separate occasions, I have had to restart the chapter to reload the puzzle.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay in "Machinika: Atlas" expands on the escape room style introduced in its predecessor, offering a mix of casual and ambitious puzzle-solving experiences. While the introduction of a walking mechanic adds a new dimension, it doesn't significantly alter the core point-and-click gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the challenging puzzles and engaging story, despite some concerns about repetitiveness and minor bugs.

    • “From puzzle boxes to puzzle rooms, The Room 2 and Machinika: Atlas expanded the gameplay to now be an 'escape room' style of puzzle/adventure.”
    • “The casual gameplay is maintained, but the scope is a bit more ambitious.”
    • “If you played Machinika Museum and enjoyed it, buy Atlas; it's a great continuation with the addition of free movement. The game is relatively short but charming, gameplay is interesting, and the puzzles are challenging.”
    • “That's another issue I have with Atlas... the mechanisms are no longer completely indecipherable, and look more like 19th century steampunk technology; lots of gears, pistons, electrical conduits, etc. Why does this hyper-advanced alien spacecraft still use gigantic gears to transfer mechanical energy?”
    • “But besides chapter 7, I do like this game a lot; it's almost like The Room series of games, but you can personally walk around in the area. Now sadly, this doesn't affect the gameplay much, as you're still allowed the usual point-and-click style, which also means that there's nothing that inherently takes advantage of the ability to walk around.”
    • “After the first few levels, I was afraid the gameplay might become repetitive, but the game manages to reinvent itself as you progress.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players noting a lack of creepiness and immersion in certain areas, while others praise its unique and deep atmosphere, enhanced by effective sound design and visual choices. Overall, while some moments may feel forgettable, there are instances where the atmosphere shines, contributing positively to the gaming experience.

    • “The sounds and atmosphere worked and felt perfect.”
    • “I found this game interesting and surprisingly deep in terms of its atmosphere, which is quite unique and a strength for this genre.”
    • “The sound design is immersive without being overwhelming, which complements the atmosphere well.”
    • “The environment is severely lacking in atmosphere.”
    • “The creepy atmosphere and unease from investigating incomprehensible alien devices is completely gone.”
    • “Some rare moments have pretty solid atmosphere too, but overall it feels less engaging and memorable.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some users report fast performance and the ability to run on lower-end hardware, others note various performance issues and a lack of smoothness compared to its predecessor, "Machinika Museum."

    • “Performance is fast, though!”
    • “A more optimized, polished game, which will run on almost any hardware in high quality (the first part itself ran at 30-50 fps due to the lack of a discrete video card), which can not help but please.”
    • “Various performance issues.”
    • “It is not optimized like the first part, 'Machinika Museum.' Even with 144fps, there are some issues with smoothness.”
    • “A more optimized, polished game would run on almost any hardware in high quality. The first part itself ran at 30-50 fps due to the lack of a discrete video card, which is disappointing.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with players reporting only about four hours of gameplay and expressing disappointment in its short length and buggy puzzles. While the first game in the series offered enjoyable replay value, this installment does not meet those expectations, leading to recommendations against its current pricing.

    • “I played the first game several times and enjoyed it for its replay value.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh, thanks to the different paths and strategies available.”
    • “I got about 4 hours of play from this with no replay value.”
    • “As of now, I can't recommend the game for its current pricing. It's short, has no replayability, and while the museum was fun, it seems clunky and poorly thought out. Some puzzles just don't work properly and are bugged, which led me to check an online walkthrough and see that I did exactly what was supposed to be done.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted in the ending script, which, despite feeling rushed, delivers comedic moments that enhance the experience without detracting from gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the humor, finding it amusing even in the game's conclusion.

    • “The ending script of the game felt a bit rushed, but it was funny.”
    • “It stops when the cutscene is supposed to stop, so it's not game-breaking, but I just found it funny.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised, complementing its excellent graphics and enhancing the overall experience.

    • “Excellent riddle game with very good graphics and a captivating soundtrack.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, indicating that it detracts from the overall enjoyment and engagement.

    • “The grinding feels tedious and boring.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
    • “I found the grinding to be excessively time-consuming and lacking in excitement.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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