MURI
- December 6, 2013
- Ludosity
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"MURI" is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer game with a good plot and compelling game mechanics. After the colonization of Mars, a powerful armor suit causes conflict among factions, and when Mars mysteriously vanishes, one woman embarks on a journey to discover humanity's fate. Inspired by '80s games, MURI features PC speaker music, 16-color EGA graphics, and an optional TURBO mode, providing an authentic '80s gaming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- MURI is a perfect homage to classic DOS platformers like Duke Nukem and Commander Keen, capturing the nostalgic feel and gameplay mechanics of that era.
- The game features tight controls, clever level design, and a plethora of secrets to discover, making exploration rewarding and engaging.
- Despite its short length, MURI offers a fun experience with a decent story and varied gameplay that encourages replayability through different difficulty settings.
- The game lacks a save feature, which can be frustrating for players, especially since it can be completed in about 2 hours.
- There is no background music during gameplay, which detracts from the overall atmosphere, leaving only sound effects reminiscent of old PC speakers.
- Some players may find the controls unintuitive, particularly the inability to manually switch weapons, which can lead to wasted ammunition on weaker enemies.
- story124 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and personal, while others describe it as convoluted and difficult to follow. Many appreciate the dark sci-fi elements and the attempt to create a narrative that complements the retro aesthetic, though some criticize it for being poorly told or lacking coherence. Overall, while the story may not be the main draw for everyone, it adds a layer of intrigue and charm to the gameplay experience.
“It's plagued with secrets, and when you start to understand their logic, you can't stop. It is so satisfying getting to uncover all the secrets and unravel its exciting story... I beat it in my first sitting and had a total blast.”
“The story felt personal, yet grand; it's straight-up fiction of the good kind.”
“Muri also features a dark and surprisingly engaging story told through cutscenes and dialogue.”
“The plot goes all over the place soon, and it's hard to tell who's who and what's supposed to be where.”
“The basic plot just does not make much sense and is spoken under the assumption that the player already thoroughly understands the nature of the world and its systems; which is impossible.”
“And the game continues elaborating on the story, without ever actually explaining anything, despite most of the concepts at play being too complicated and unnatural to be comprehensive.”
- graphics118 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Muri" are widely praised for their authentic recreation of the DOS-era aesthetic, effectively capturing the charm of EGA graphics while avoiding common pitfalls like screen scrolling issues. Reviewers appreciate the game's pixel art style, which is reminiscent of classic titles like "Duke Nukem" and "Commander Keen," although some note that certain enemy designs appear a bit stiff. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong homage to retro gaming, enhancing the nostalgic experience despite some criticisms regarding the limited color palette and occasional graphical shortcomings.
“Graphically, it authentically recaptures the lo-fi DOS look without any of the awkward screen scrolling or sprite pop-in, and as a result, it's quite pleasant on the eyes.”
“A fantastic tribute to classic DOS platformers, Muri nails the visuals, audio, and gameplay.”
“The graphics are well drawn and use a fairly restricted color palette, simulating the early DOS games with an EGA graphics card.”
“The graphics are a bit ugly for 'EGA', as if they were trying to make it look retro but went too far.”
“16 frames a second, EGA graphics, almost PC speaker audio--the only things missing are dos4gw, autoexec.”
“I know the graphics and sound are supposed to be like an EGA game with PC speaker, but the music is just a rather dull theme song, then nothing.”
- gameplay99 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Muri is a nostalgic homage to classic DOS platformers, featuring tight controls and straightforward run-and-gun mechanics reminiscent of titles like Duke Nukem and Commander Keen. While the level design is engaging and the retro aesthetics are well-executed, some players feel the game lacks depth and variety, with a few mechanics feeling outdated. Overall, it offers a solid, albeit simple, experience that appeals to fans of the genre, though it may not provide enough innovation for those seeking a more modern gameplay experience.
“Muri is a jump n' shoot platformer with tight controls, well-done gameplay, and level design, and an art style reminiscent of games from the DOS era, like Commander Keen.”
“This game beautifully captures the early DOS-style platforming gameplay.”
“I grew up on DOS platformers from Apogee (like Commander Keen and the original Duke Nukem) and this game not only perfectly recaptures the look and sound of those games, but also reproduces the gameplay feel and difficulty curve that made those games so endearing.”
“Good retro-clones add something to the genre, like better gameplay or plot, but this one doesn't.”
“The game in general is a one-time experience with nods to retro appeal, whose gameplay has its moments indeed, and yet peaks too soon at the level of 'okay', and with a disorganized plot without a meaningful payoff.”
“The game itself is incredibly retro - so retro, that you can't select what key does what action, so there's a very strange way to move, shoot, etc. which does not really make sense to me and kind of kills the gameplay.”
- music72 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's music is largely criticized for its minimalism, featuring only a simple title screen theme and no background music during gameplay, which many players find detracts from the overall atmosphere and experience. While the sound effects are described as fitting the retro aesthetic, the absence of a more engaging soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity, especially given the game's homage to classic titles that did incorporate music. Overall, the lack of a soundtrack is a common point of disappointment among reviewers, despite their appreciation for the game's nostalgic design.
“But Duke Nukem 2 did have a soundtrack and it was actually pretty good (as did Metroid, later ports of Turrican, Commander Keen's past episode 3, etc). Given that this game is merely an homage and not something actually bound to the technical restrictions of the late 80s, it seems like a big spot of wasted potential to just forego having any tunes, especially when this developer has a bunch of other games with downright fantastic soundtracks.”
“Muri is a special game that does everything right. The MS-DOS feel and aesthetic is beyond perfect, the story is original, and the sound effects and what little music there is, is spot on.”
“The lack of music also just diminishes the experience and cuts out most of the potential for atmosphere, even if that is authentic to the times.”
“Yes, I know the games it's based off didn't have background music, but I still find a game without music unnerving.”
“While I do like the DOS sound effects, I’m disappointed that there’s no music besides the main menu.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability, particularly for players who enjoy tackling higher difficulty levels and aiming for top scores, despite its short playtime of about an hour. While some reviewers noted a lack of online leaderboards and audio design issues, the exploration elements and variety of challenges contribute to its overall replay value, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans of retro platformers.
“As short as its price suggests, but never dull for a moment, and Remar's usual array of secrets and souped-up bosses on higher difficulties gives it a bit of replay value.”
“It definitely has replay value, especially with higher difficulties and 100% playthroughs, so if you're into that kind of thing, this game will certainly be worth the $4.”
“You may also find some replay value in the more crippling difficulty levels or gunning for the optimal score per level with a system that rewards both complete enemy destruction and minimum time elapsed.”
“It's pretty short, and lacks replay value, but it's an excellent game nonetheless.”
“The audio design is meh (doesn't have any music either) and I find the lack of online integration for leaderboards to be a strange decision, seeing how it would've helped grow the community and given the game more replay value, but it's nothing too bad.”
“However, with a score system, it does receive some mild replayability, albeit not as much as could be done.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, effectively capturing the essence of the DOS era with retro graphics and sound effects. However, some players feel that the absence of music diminishes the overall experience, suggesting that it could have enhanced the atmosphere further. Despite this, the game's authenticity to its time period is appreciated, making it a nostalgic experience for fans of old-school gaming.
“The game evokes the atmosphere of the DOS era very well and is very faithful to the limitations of the platform.”
“Atmosphere is pretty good.”
“The game evokes the atmosphere of the DOS era very well, and is very faithful to the limitations of the platform.”
“Fun old school side-scrolling DOS gameplay, great music, sound effects, retro graphics, atmosphere, and just overall quality for what it is.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find that the grinding aspect of the game can lead to tedious puzzle-solving and back-and-forth segments, although the intricate level design encourages exploration without becoming overly labyrinthine.
“The levels are intricate enough to foster exploration, while not being tedious labyrinths.”
“This can make doing the puzzle-solving and other back-and-forth segments of the game tedious.”
