Need to Know
- August 28, 2018
- Monomyth Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Need to Know is a single-player simulation game with an intriguing story, set in a modern intelligence agency. Players must spy on civilians, make moral choices, and can choose to aid underground groups or use classified information for personal gain. However, the game is reported to have lots of grinding and bugs, affecting the overall gameplay experience."
Mac OS
PC
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Linux
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story that engages players and raises moral questions about surveillance and privacy.
- The soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, adding intensity and urgency to missions.
- Some missions are enjoyable and memorable, particularly those that involve higher clearance levels.
- The user interface (UI) is cluttered and buggy, making navigation frustrating and often obscuring important information.
- The game lacks a clear tutorial, leading to confusion about mechanics and objectives, which can result in unnecessary game overs.
- Despite presenting itself as a game of choices, the game often forces players into specific paths, limiting true decision-making.
- story132 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally engaging and well-written, featuring a compelling narrative centered around themes of surveillance and moral choices. However, players note that the story is largely linear, with limited meaningful choices and filler missions that can detract from the overall experience. While some missions are enjoyable and thought-provoking, the repetitive gameplay and confusing mechanics can hinder immersion and enjoyment.
“The story is very engaging, and you see your character delve down a path they thought they never would.”
“The ground premise of the story and the first hours of gameplay were really good and kept me going.”
“I cared about the characters, and the story had me hooked instantly.”
“The storyline is pretty linear so far, which also does not match my expectation of the game and I've been following its development from way back.”
“Presents itself as a game with choices but railroads you, doesn't allow you to choose your stance in the story and ultimately doesn't give you real freedom.”
“But I don't like it when games offer choices and branching story paths when really there isn't much deviation offered at all.”
- gameplay55 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the core mechanics and the investigative aspects, while others find it repetitive and frustrating due to confusing mechanics and limited choices. Many appreciate the thought put into the game's design and narrative, but issues like bugs, tediousness, and a lack of meaningful gameplay variation detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the game has potential and offers engaging elements, it struggles with execution and pacing, leaving some players wanting more depth and clarity.
“The narrative is compelling and the gameplay is wonderful.”
“Great gameplay concept and the profiling aspects are really interesting - a lot of thought has been put into these elements and I enjoyed seeing what I'd get access to next.”
“You'll be challenged with fast-paced, exciting gameplay that forces you to make a large variety of choices that will ultimately have a large impact on the outcome of the game.”
“It could've been a fun game if it weren't for buggy and confusing mechanics.”
“I had to restart multiple levels because the data I was pulling wasn’t right, and this is already a very lengthy game where there isn’t a meaningful change in mechanics, so it was feeling really tedious by this point.”
“But when the core gameplay is 'spot the difference between two letters or numbers' or 'try to remember this ridiculously complex flow chart of rules and protocols', it gets exhausting.”
- music14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the excellent soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gaming experience, particularly in creating an immersive atmosphere. However, some players noted that certain repetitive sound effects can be jarring, and there are moments where the music may become annoying during specific missions. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, it has its inconsistencies.
“Excellent soundtrack.”
“Monomyth games have presented a strong stylized experience with some of the best music I have heard in an indie production for a long time!”
“The quality writing and soundtrack combined with a good formula make this a fun and immersive game.”
“Play it with other background music; the repetitive sound effects are rough.”
“This game could be frustrating, especially missions that require the player to match suspect profiles or match suspects with their travel destinations, but generally is a good game, maybe with the exception of the soundtrack that could be annoying in some missions.”
“Music isn't as great, though.”
- stability13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern, with users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly with the user interface. While many acknowledge that these issues have improved over time due to developer updates, some minor glitches still persist, occasionally requiring a game restart. Overall, while the game shows potential and is enjoyable, its stability remains a notable drawback.
“The UI elements are buggy and in the way almost every day.”
“I'd love to recommend this game, but the UI is beyond buggy and non-functional in some areas.”
“The game had some issues at launch with glitches and bugs, and an all-around poor game interface.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when managing multiple sellers and dealing with lengthy missions. Many reviewers express frustration with the lack of meaningful gameplay changes and frequent restarts due to data issues, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall. The combination of lag, boring dialogue, and monotonous gameplay contributes to a reluctance to engage in extended play sessions.
“The after work missions get extremely tedious.”
“I had to restart multiple levels because the data I was pulling wasn’t right, and this is already a very lengthy game where there isn’t a meaningful change in mechanics, so it was feeling really tedious by this point.”
“The game is too tedious and boring for me to recommend.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful art style and clean visuals, while others criticize the odd style choices and technical issues, such as screen bouncing. Although the interface design is well-received, some players feel that the graphics lack depth and variety, often resembling typical mobile game aesthetics. Overall, while the visuals are generally decent, they may not fully support the game's narrative ambitions.
“They did a really good job on the graphics and interface design... moral dilemmas in stories are awesome, but you can't propose a moral dilemma to the player and then force a game over state if they choose to follow federal law.”
“The game is beautiful - I loved the interface and the art style.”
“The visuals are clean, it's reasonably easy to move on and I loved the first few missions.”
“Seems like a weird style choice along with half-hiding the graphics for home/office/etc. There are a couple of missions where I had to write down data or take pictures of the screen to correlate data between people because there wasn’t a good way of doing this in-game.”
“Also had some graphics issues where the screen would bounce around randomly.”
“Number 2 is an nearly endless loop of the same basic idea with nothing more than graphical changes (aka the way most mobile games work).”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its comedic moments, such as the amusing character name mix-up. However, some feel that the game's short length detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that a more concise format could have overshadowed its flaws.
“Good humor makes for a rewarding experience!”
“It's pretty funny when a woman with long blonde hair comes up with the name Rick (or something to that effect).”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, contributing significantly to its overall computerized feel and enhancing the enjoyment of both the environment and storyline. Reviewers find it immersive and engaging, adding depth to the gaming experience.
“The game contributes well to the overall computerized atmosphere.”
“It has a wonderful atmosphere.”
“I'm really enjoying the atmosphere and storyline.”
“The atmosphere feels overly sterile and lacks any real emotional depth.”
“Despite the game's setting, the atmosphere is surprisingly bland and uninspired.”
“The ambient sounds are repetitive and do little to enhance the overall atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users noted that the optimization in the game allows for quick approvals without significantly impacting performance, suggesting a streamlined and efficient system.
“I noticed that in several instances, I could quickly approve everyone, and my performance would still remain strong.”
“The optimization features in the game allow for seamless management of resources, making it easy to maximize efficiency.”
“I appreciate how the game encourages strategic thinking, enabling players to optimize their actions for the best outcomes.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its low replayability value, suggesting that players may not find sufficient incentive to revisit it after completing the main content.
“The game has a low replayability value, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to go back and experience it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes and choices significantly reduces the replayability.”
