Mu Complex
- October 23, 2015
- studiocime
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Mu Complex" is a single-player hacking simulation game that teaches Linux terminal commands as you infiltrate a corporate complex to save Lya. Experience a fulfilling storyline, solve challenging puzzles and riddles, and uncover the complex's secrets across two episodes. With hundreds of emails to read and an immersive background, test your problem-solving skills and become a skilled hacker.
Reviews
- The game features clever puzzles that require critical thinking and real-world knowledge, making it engaging for players who enjoy challenges.
- The atmosphere and storyline are intriguing, with a unique premise that combines hacking with puzzle-solving elements.
- Players appreciate the use of external resources, such as Google, to solve puzzles, which adds an interactive and immersive layer to the gameplay.
- Many puzzles rely on outdated or inaccessible external resources, leading to frustration when players cannot find the necessary information to progress.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and a lack of resolution options, making it difficult to read text and navigate the interface.
- Some players feel that the game is not a true hacking simulator, as it simplifies Linux commands and often requires repetitive actions that detract from the overall experience.
- story22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it predictable and lacking depth, while others appreciate its intriguing elements and hidden details. Many agree that the narrative is not the main focus, often overshadowed by the puzzle-solving gameplay, but some still find it engaging enough to warrant interest in future episodes. Overall, the story is described as straightforward yet atmospheric, with a few players expressing a desire for more content and resolution.
“I love that it tries to emulate a shell, it has a pretty decent story, and some of the puzzles are almost ARG-level difficulty.”
“Good storyline, and I can't wait to see if they release another episode!”
“The story is also intriguing and quite fascinating, but above all, you use real-world knowledge and it encourages you to learn new things using the internet.”
“But don't bother to purchase if you want to know more about the story.”
“If you are mildly curious about the story, go look up a speed run for each episode and you'll get to see the entire 10 minutes of game content and the slightly interesting (and easily predictable) ending.”
“I would have liked to know how the story ends, but in its current state, I am not willing to put more time into it to find out.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around a command line interface that simulates hacking, requiring players to read through in-game files for clues and solve puzzles, which can feel limited and linear. While it offers a "geeky" atmosphere reminiscent of titles like Hacknet and Her Story, the reliance on sudoku-like puzzles and the occasional frustration of missing files can detract from the experience. Overall, players can expect around 4-5 hours of gameplay with minimal replayability.
“The mechanic of looking through a computer's files in-game to obtain background information, clues, and solutions does follow through with the notion that you're 'becoming a hacker'.”
“The whole gameplay is about reading through files, finding hints, and solving puzzles.”
“The command line-based gameplay provides a 'geeky' feel to the experience.”
“The 'hacking' usually boils down to obscuring the game's mechanics behind a severely dumbed down, limited and frustrating command line interface, then forcing you to solve what boils down to sudoku puzzles and anagrams as the meat of the game.”
“Sometimes, files appear out of nowhere on allegedly abandoned computers after certain events, requiring you to double check all your steps to avoid missing anything, even when locking them until that point could have been incorporated into the existing game mechanics.”
“With that said, it does suck that it is mostly linear gameplay, so not much room for replayability once you've gone through it.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the ambient soundtrack that complements the visuals, while others find it unremarkable or even unpleasant. Many describe it as minimal and unobtrusive, creating a tense atmosphere, but some recommend muting it due to its repetitive nature. Overall, it seems to serve its purpose without standing out significantly.
“The music was one thing I started to appreciate as I got older; it's nice ambient music in the background that quite fits the tech startup company graphics, which I also liked.”
“Overall, using only minimal interface and unobtrusive music, my complex creates an appropriately tense atmosphere as you dig through the sins of the past.”
“All while you have really sweet electronic music playing as part of the game's soundtrack.”
“To make it worse, that background noise (I think they want to call it music/ambience) is awful.”
“The soundtrack basically consists of long tones followed by more long tones, so I recommend muting it.”
“I don't really like the soundtrack, but it can be muted.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Mu Complex is praised for its rich and immersive atmosphere, enhanced by a minimal interface and subtle music that contribute to a tense experience. The game's storyline and hidden details create an intriguing environment, while additional emails provide depth and insight into the game's world, enriching the overall atmosphere.
“Overall, using only minimal interface and unobtrusive music, Mu Complex creates an appropriately tense atmosphere as you dig through the sins of the past.”
“Great storyline, some interesting hidden details or clues (I probably have missed a lot of them, but then again, they are hidden) give the game a very interesting atmosphere.”
“There are a lot of emails that are not necessary for puzzle solving; they add a nice atmosphere to the game and let you look into the workings of the Mu Complex.”
“Overall, using only a minimal interface and unobtrusive music, my complex creates an appropriately tense atmosphere as you dig through the sins of the past.”
“Everything from the story and atmosphere perspective was very solid.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low due to its mostly linear gameplay, which offers limited opportunities for players to revisit and experience different outcomes or paths after completing it.
“With that said, it does suck that it is mostly linear gameplay, so not much room for replayability once you've gone through it.”
“Not sure that this game has any replayability value.”
“I'd consider the replayability rather low.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be mediocre and often tedious, especially when it becomes the primary interaction. While the story may not be deeply engaging, the game can still be worth purchasing if found on sale.
“It's mediocre once, and it's tedious if this is the main interaction with the game repeatedly.”
“The solution was easy, but extremely tedious to enter.”
“The story is not super involved and some of the commands get tedious.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized as clean, minimalist, and sharp, effectively complementing the ambient music and the tech startup theme of the game. Users appreciate the simplicity and clarity of the visual design.
“The music was one thing I started to appreciate as I got older; it's nice ambient music in the background that quite fits the tech startup company graphics, which I also liked.”
“Graphics are minimal.”
“The graphics are clean, minimalist, and sharp.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, providing a comedic touch that enhances the experience, although some players find the puzzles to be challenging and occasionally frustrating.
“The humor in this game is spot on, making even the toughest puzzles enjoyable.”
“I love how the witty dialogue keeps me laughing while I solve the challenges.”
“The comedic elements are perfectly timed, adding a delightful twist to the gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
