Majestic Nights
- October 30, 2014
- Epiphany Games
Get on Steam"Majestic Nights" is an episodic action-adventure-thriller game set in an alternate 1980s where all conspiracy theories are true. Play as an intelligence operative or private investigator, uncovering clues and investigating conspiracy events using wits, stealth, and force. The game offers six chapters, with a free prologue and paid subsequent chapters, providing a complete story or standalone experiences.
Reviews
- The game has a charming 80's aesthetic with a fun atmosphere and engaging soundtrack.
- The writing and humor are enjoyable, providing a quirky narrative experience.
- Despite its flaws, the game offers some replayability and interesting conspiracy-themed content.
- The game is unfinished and has been abandoned by the developers, leaving only two of the planned episodes available.
- Gameplay mechanics are clunky and buggy, with issues in combat and AI behavior that detract from the experience.
- The episodic release model feels exploitative, with players feeling misled about the game's content and future updates.
- story25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its fun and highbrow humor, while others criticize it for being poorly written, shallow, and filled with vague references to conspiracy theories. Many reviewers express frustration over the episodic nature of the release, which requires additional purchases for full access to the narrative, and note that the gameplay often detracts from the story experience. Overall, while the game has a unique vision and appealing aesthetics, its storytelling leaves much to be desired, with convoluted dialogue and a lack of clear context for players.
“Majestic Nights had a great vision, cool music, and a neat storyline that mixed the neon-soaked idealized 80s with a paranoiac nightmare conspiracy world where all wacky theories and legends are secretly true.”
“The music fits, the scenes look just like they should for the storyline and premise.”
“It's a fun game, good storyline, nice animation, and a killer soundtrack.”
“Only the first two chapters in this unfinished release, which makes you pay to play the conclusion to the story, is a terrible way to release a game.”
“The worst part is, even if it worked properly, it would still be nothing but a plot made entirely of vague and uninformative references to conspiracy theories split up by repetitive shooting sequences.”
“You're basically thrust into the plot with absolutely zero lead-up or introduction, no idea who you're playing as, what their motivations are, what's at stake, or who the bad guys are.”
- music17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fitting 80s synthwave revival style, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Players appreciate that the soundtrack is included at no extra cost, with high-quality formats available, which is a refreshing change from many other games that charge separately for the OST. While some reviews note a decline in intensity in certain tracks, the majority find the soundtrack to be a standout feature that complements the game's unique aesthetic and narrative.
“The music is spot-on for the atmosphere of the game (in the style of 80s synthwave revival) and is included with the game at no extra cost, in mp3 and flac - bonus points for a game when so many others sell the OST separately.”
“I love the game's style, humor, 80's flair, and soundtrack.”
“Majestic Nights had a great vision, cool music, and a neat storyline that mixed the neon-soaked idealized 80s with a paranoiac nightmare conspiracy world where all wacky theories and legends are secretly true.”
“While I like the dialogue (what little there is), the art style, and the music, the majority of this game is poorly executed stealth mechanics, frustrating combat, and bugginess.”
“Now unfortunately, the game has a way less intense and way more bland soundtrack, making the experience worse than it could have been.”
“Music's also fine - I have a softness for techno and electronica. To be honest, I'm disappointed so far in what I've seen.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this indie project is characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, but it suffers from various issues such as sketchy mechanics, frustrating combat, and numerous bugs. While some players appreciate its unique approach and nostalgic feel, many criticize the controls and overall execution, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the gameplay experience is marred by flaws that detract from its potential enjoyment.
“Retro gameplay and music add to the overall feel of this niche adventure.”
“There are a few hiccups with the controls and gameplay, but overall I still thought it was a great experience.”
“An off the beaten track gameplay, which can only be a good thing, unless you like playing the same game over and over.”
“The gameplay is shoddy and the writing could use a little improvement.”
“Unless the devs really start putting out more episodes and start polishing up their writing and gameplay, seriously reconsider this purchase.”
“To start with, the gameplay loop is repetitive, boring, and filled with bugs.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players finding them inadequate and reminiscent of tablet games, while others appreciate the bright, bold 80s retro art style. Despite the visuals being described as more than adequate, they are often overshadowed by gameplay issues, leading to an overall low rating of 3/10.
“It has a good 80's retro art style similar to Borderlands.”
“Stylistically, the visuals are bright and bold and oozing with 80s flair.”
“I loved the concept and the art style to pieces.”
“The in-game graphics are so bad that the loading time is practically nonexistent.”
“Technically speaking, the graphics look like something that would be at home on a tablet rather than your desktop PC.”
“Graphics 3/10”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and poor animations that detract from the overall experience. Many describe it as unfinished and shoddy, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience rather than an enjoyable one. Overall, the game's stability issues significantly undermine its potential.
“However, what it really turned out to be was a buggy, underdeveloped, and repetitive mess.”
“The basic premise of an action-adventure game in a setting where all conspiracy theories are true sounds interesting, but this game is too buggy, unfinished, and plain shoddy to even be put up for sale.”
“Now the gameplay isn't perfect; the shooting system is pretty bad, there are game glitches like shooting through walls, AI having very limited behavior, and bugs that cause gameplay errors.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized as quirky and highbrow, often featuring clever references and witty dialogue, appealing to those who appreciate a more sophisticated comedic style. While some players enjoy its 80's flair and overall charm, others find it lacking in depth and occasionally buggy, leading to mixed feelings about its comedic effectiveness.
“Quirky and funny point and click episodic adventure game.”
“I love the game's style, humor, 80's flair, and soundtrack.”
“Yes, the humor and story are highbrow, so if you aren't really good with words and stuff, maybe skip it.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Majestic Nights" is highly praised, characterized by an engaging 80s synthwave soundtrack included at no extra cost, which enhances the game's overall experience. Reviewers note that the atmosphere is a standout feature, combining humor, action, and a compelling overarching conspiracy, reminiscent of "Hotline Miami" while also integrating RPG elements and player choices.
“The music is spot-on for the atmosphere of the game (in the style of 80s synthwave revival) and is included with the game at no extra cost, in mp3 and flac - bonus points for a game when so many others sell the OST separately.”
“For my money, this means Majestic Nights is darned good fun: full of good humor, fun action, great atmosphere, and some fascinating overarching conspiracy stuff to tie it all together.”
“The atmosphere is arguably the strong point of Majestic Nights.”
“The music is spot-on for the atmosphere of the game (in the style of 80s synthwave revival) and is included with the game at no extra cost, in MP3 and FLAC - bonus points for a game when so many others sell the OST separately.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability due to its episodic structure and varied conversational choices that allow players to approach objectives differently. While currently short, the planned six-part format and unique narrative elements encourage players to revisit the experience.
“Speaking about the writing, not only is it great, but there are different conversational ways (not always evident) of accomplishing objectives, which warrants replayability. This is a significant aspect for a game that's not too long at the moment.”
“At this stage, it is short but offers some replayability. Things get a little weird in episode two towards the end, but it's all a part of the overall adventure, which is planned out as a six-part episodic game.”
“Speaking about the writing, not only is it great, but there are different conversational ways (not always evident) of accomplishing objectives, which warrants replayability. This is kind of a big deal for a game that's not too long at the moment.”
