Matter
- December 14, 2018
- Concrete Games
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Get on itch.io Store"Matter" is a single-player, sensational platformer game with good visuals and a relaxing, dynamic soundtrack. Explore a mystic and expressive world where matter evolves and lives around you. Created by Concrete Games, "Matter" offers a disorienting and exotic adventure, promoting pleasure without violence, frustration, or competition.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and an engaging, evolving soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Matter offers a unique and surreal journey, providing a trippy and immersive atmosphere that many players found enjoyable.
- Despite its short length, the game is praised for its replayability and the captivating experience it delivers.
- The game is very short, typically completed in around 30-40 minutes, leaving some players wanting more content.
- Some players experienced performance issues, including motion sickness and graphical glitches, which detracted from the experience.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive, with limited mechanics and a lack of clear direction, leading to confusion for some players.
- music62 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its vibrant, immersive quality, often described as "bumpin" and reminiscent of Akira, with each level featuring unique sounds that sync with the gameplay. Players appreciate how the soundtrack evolves with the action, creating a hypnotic atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, making it feel like an interactive music visualizer. While the gameplay may be simplistic, the combination of captivating visuals and a compelling soundtrack makes it a memorable and enjoyable journey.
“The music is fantastic for the game with each level having its own unique sound and feel.”
“The world and soundtrack viscerally react to you as you play.”
“The visuals, sounds, and music are really hypnotic and transport you on an electro-psychedelic journey.”
“Matter is certainly interesting, as it combines zen with intensity well through its vibrant soundtrack, but that's about all, to be honest.”
“It's not a game as much as it's an interactive music visualizer.”
“There's platforming and one or two gameplay quirks, but the core idea is just getting to play music by playing a game, and Matter manages quite well.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, creating an immersive and visually stunning experience that complements the exceptional sound design. However, some users report performance issues, such as stuttering at high settings and a lack of graphical options, which can detract from the overall aesthetic when settings are lowered. Despite these concerns, the game's abstract visuals and captivating soundtrack make it a worthwhile experience for those drawn to its artistic presentation.
“The audio and graphics immerse you into literally the most beautiful universe I've ever seen in a video game.”
“Matter is a short platforming adventure with tons of visuals unlike anything I've ever seen and an equally compelling soundtrack to match it.”
“Wonderful game with unique style and beautiful graphics.”
“Reducing the graphics unfortunately removes a lot of the beauty of the game, which is why I bought it in the first place.”
“Lowering the graphics quality by a lot makes the game run smoother, yes, but other than destroying how the game looks visually, it actually becomes so bright that key objects in the distance become nearly impossible to see.”
“I'm usually ambivalent on this type of feature (I'm usually not a fan of it), but in this game it makes moving around feel very disorienting and turns the crystal clear graphics into mush, and the worst part is there's no way to turn it off.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay features solid controls and simple mechanics, primarily focused on first-person platforming that is enhanced by an engaging musical score that evolves with the action. While the level design is visually appealing and offers a unique atmosphere, many players find the mechanics repetitive and lacking depth, suggesting that the game serves better as a brief distraction rather than a deep experience. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate the combination of music and platforming, but may not satisfy players seeking more varied gameplay or a substantial narrative.
“Its controls are solid, its gameplay isn't too repetitive if you get into the music.”
“There is a definite epochal progression in atmosphere through three pairs of chapters and a denouement, which is reflected in the pacing and complexity of the gameplay challenges.”
“Great game that achieves to do this very hard trick: being an atmosphere game with enough gameplay to keep you busy.”
“A nice quick distraction if you have some spare cash, but the gameplay got a little too repetitive for me.”
“The gameplay is not much, just jump around and clicking, but the visuals and music are very good.”
“If you don't mind paying $4 for just an hour of gameplay (when it's on sale too, otherwise $5), you should do it.”
- story20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of substance and clarity, leaving players confused, especially in the latter parts. While some suggest there may be a story present, it is not conveyed in a traditional narrative format, leading to a perception that there is little to no meaningful storyline. Overall, players express a desire for more depth and coherence in the storytelling aspect.
“There is a story in matter, but not in a common narrative sense.”
“I really wish there was a little more substance in the realm of story, as I got pretty confused in the latter parts of the game.”
“There is no story; the worlds are cutesy, and the end is weirdly still rewarding.”
“If there's some sort of very complicated story behind it, I can't see it.”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, enhanced by catchy music that complements the visual experience. Reviewers note a significant progression in atmosphere throughout the chapters, contributing to a psychologically engaging experience that balances gameplay with a strong atmospheric presence. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric platformers, despite its abstract nature.
“What we have here is an amazing, weird, atmospheric experience...”
“There is a definite epochal progression in atmosphere through three pairs of chapters and a denouement, which is reflected in the pacing and complexity of the gameplay challenges.”
“Great game that achieves to do this very hard trick: being an atmospheric game with enough gameplay to keep you busy.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing noticeable stuttering at high graphical settings, even on systems that exceed the recommended specifications. Despite initial promise, many users report overall poor performance, suggesting that potential players should be cautious if they are drawn in by the visuals and gameplay shown in the trailer.
“Has a very strange, unpleasant stuttering at 'high' graphical settings despite being well above 60fps.”
“It started off promising, but the performance of the game as a whole was abysmal even though my computer more than met the recommended specs.”
“If the visuals and gameplay look interesting to you from the trailer, I would say get it, but I had some issues with it that mostly had to do with performance.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers high replay value due to dynamic changes, others note that its short completion time of 32 minutes limits the incentive to replay.
“The game dynamically changes and its replay value is top notch.”
“Only took 32 minutes to complete, though, with little replay value.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for being clunky and buggy, hindering the execution of its promising ideas. Despite its potential, these technical issues detract from the overall experience.
“There's potential, but the game's ideas are executed through clunky, buggy means.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Matter prioritizes establishing an emotional tone over hindering player progression, allowing for a more immersive and heartfelt experience. This approach enhances the overall emotional engagement without detracting from gameplay flow.
“Matter focuses on creating an emotional tone rather than on obstructing progression.”
