Neversong
- May 19, 2020
- Serenity Forge
- 5h median play time
"Neversong" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with an intriguing story, stellar gameplay, and beautiful graphics. Explore six moody levels, battle bosses and monsters, and uncover the truth about your recent coma accompanied by a breathtaking piano-centric soundtrack. Despite some bugs and grinding, the game features plenty of humor and a highly emotional narrative.
Reviews
- The game features stunning artwork and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- The story is engaging and emotionally impactful, with well-developed characters and a unique narrative.
- The gameplay includes enjoyable puzzles and a charming mix of humor and dark themes.
- The game is relatively short, taking only about 3-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Combat can feel simplistic and lacks challenge, with many boss fights being easy and predictable.
- There are several bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with controls and game progression.
- story436 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "Neversong" is a central focus, praised for its emotional depth, beautiful art, and engaging narrative, though opinions vary on its clarity and execution. Many players found the story captivating and poignant, with a mix of dark themes and humor, while others noted it felt disjointed or rushed, particularly towards the end. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate story-driven experiences, despite some critiques regarding its predictability and pacing.
“The story is a memorable one and something that is an extremely strong emotional motivator that manages to maintain that initial impact that it has on the player from start to finish.”
“Neversong is a wonderfully crafted experience that will leave you mesmerized by its captivating story, gorgeous artwork, and beautiful music.”
“The story is deep enough and leaves space for some personal retrospective.”
“The game's narrative never really dives deeper into the meat and bones of the story, which also only ends up making it a frustratingly surface-level experience.”
“The story is lackluster and simple; the puzzles are more annoying than fun, the ending isn't satisfying, and the boss combats are so boring.”
“The story didn't feel fleshed out enough while attempting to portray some big narrative.”
- music178 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is not only captivating but also complements the game's visuals and themes, creating a memorable experience. Overall, the music stands out as a high point, with some calling it among the best they've encountered in gaming.
“The music is among the best I've heard in any game, and it ties in so well with the game itself.”
“Neversong is a wonderfully crafted experience that will leave you mesmerized by its captivating story, gorgeous artwork, and beautiful music.”
“The art style, music, storyline, and overall vibe of the game is amazing.”
“I think I got the impression it was more musical than it was from the trailer and ended up with a quirky edgy puzzle platformer about childhood traumas.”
“Don't get me wrong, the original coma was charming, but Neversong feels like an overproduced song or movie that doesn't have a soul at the middle as Pinstripe did.”
“I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but it seemed like the songs you learn and play on the piano were sometimes in a different key than the song playing in the background music.”
- gameplay164 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while it features simple mechanics and enjoyable puzzles, it often lacks depth and can feel linear or tedious. Some mechanics, such as swinging and combat, have been criticized for being poorly executed or frustrating, while others appreciated the casual and relaxed nature of the gameplay. Overall, the game is seen more as a narrative experience with beautiful art and music rather than a challenging gameplay-focused title.
“The gameplay loop is simple, straightforward, and above all else the art and story are beautiful and work together in a seriously good harmony.”
“The gameplay is engaging and the puzzles are generally well balanced and enjoyable.”
“Beautiful visuals and soundtrack, as well as an intriguing story and gameplay.”
“The gameplay isn't very fluid, but it mostly works.”
“If you are thinking of buying this game for the gameplay, don't.”
“The biggest problem, though, isn't in the gameplay mechanics and level design; it's in the story.”
- graphics140 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines beautiful visuals with a captivating atmosphere that enhances the storytelling. Many reviewers noted the impressive attention to detail in the artwork and the effective use of color palettes, contributing to an emotional and immersive experience. However, some users mentioned technical issues and a few instances of graphics that felt less polished compared to other titles, but overall, the aesthetic quality remains a highlight of the game.
“The artwork in this game is absolutely phenomenal.”
“The graphics are stunningly beautiful, the soundtrack sets the mood perfectly, sound effects bind well with player actions and world immersion, and the voice acting is spot on.”
“Neversong is a wonderfully crafted experience that will leave you mesmerized by its captivating story, gorgeous artwork, and beautiful music.”
“Warning, this game contains cleverly disguised and disgusting visuals and sounds relating to current real-world issues that are becoming popular in many games right now.”
“Then you proceed in the game and you find more sickeningly disgusting things that have zero to do with the story except for the perverted visuals and sounds they make.”
“The story is a cliché already exploited in tons of indie games, the graphics felt like a step back compared to Pinstripe, the combat feels wonky, and with an excessive and annoying amount of screen-shaking, the hitboxes are really imprecise, and on top of that, the game is extremely short for the price and full of bugs.”
- atmosphere87 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, beautiful music, and emotional storytelling, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Many players appreciate the blend of eerie and nostalgic elements, with some noting that the atmosphere is the game's strongest aspect, even if other gameplay elements feel underdeveloped. Overall, the game's art direction and sound design significantly enhance its mood, making it a memorable journey for those who enjoy atmospheric storytelling.
“The art style and music create a beautifully melancholy, yet somehow nostalgic atmosphere that I could honestly sit and listen to/look at for hours.”
“The game's atmosphere is stunning; the sound design and art are superb.”
“It's a fantastic game with a unique yet familiar atmosphere.”
“Where Neversong earns points is with the game's atmosphere, but even this aspect of the game feels somewhat underdeveloped, given the nature of the story.”
“A disturbing villain, a dark and gothic atmosphere that evokes a sort of creepy Americana vibe, and some really great puzzle solving that manages to hit the sweet spot between challenging without being too obtuse or hard.”
“A bit of a missed opportunity in my opinion to really tie the gameplay into building the atmosphere.”
- emotional36 mentions
- 97 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its profound impact, blending somber and heartwarming themes with a quirky aesthetic. Players describe the story as deeply engaging and capable of evoking a range of feelings, from nostalgia to fear, supported by beautiful visuals and a haunting soundtrack. While some found the ending confusing or underwhelming, the overall experience is characterized as a powerful emotional journey that resonates long after playing.
“Because of how close to home this game hit me emotionally, it left a profound impact and was an amazing experience for me.”
“Beneath the game's quirky and outlandish exterior lies a very grounded and emotional story, and it's one that admittedly hit me a bit harder than I expected it to.”
“This game is absolutely beautiful, and the story is so heartfelt and amazing!”
“I literally just finished this game less than an hour ago, in one go, and I have to say... holy crap was that a psychological and emotional trip.”
- humor31 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "neversong" is a blend of dark and immature elements, often eliciting laughter through witty dialogue, funny animations, and quirky character interactions. While some players appreciate the mix of creepy visuals and light-hearted moments, others find the humor too edgy or inconsistent with the game's serious themes. Overall, the game successfully balances its emotional depth with comedic relief, creating a unique and engaging experience.
“I loved this game with its creepy vibe, mixing eerie visuals and goofy immature humor that made me laugh.”
“The story is good, tragic in itself yet sprinkled with humorous moments, in the end leaving lots of room for interpretations.”
“The dialog is not boring or repetitive, the characters are also very funny and interesting.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting clunky controls and various bugs that can lead to frustrating experiences, such as getting stuck or encountering game-breaking glitches. While some players found the issues manageable and enjoyed the gameplay, others felt that the frequent glitches detracted significantly from their experience. Overall, the game runs well at times but suffers from stability problems that can hinder progress and enjoyment.
“But it's clunky, buggy, and frustrating.”
“It's buggy when fighting the first bad guy; I got stuck swinging on nothing after they died, and later in the pharmacy, the door wouldn't open, so I had to give up on the game.”
“Glitches, clunky controls, softlocks... I locked myself in a room like three times already, and I didn't even play for an hour so far.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is rated poorly, with many reviewers noting its streamlined story progression and lack of engaging gameplay elements that would encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players may find limited replay value in pursuing achievements like speedruns, the presence of game-breaking bugs and inconsistent mechanics further detracts from the experience.
“Even when you've finished it, you'll want to revisit the world a second time; and there's some replay value when you do.”
“Unfortunately, there isn't much replayability due to its streamlined story progression.”
“If I was grading solely based on gameplay, replayability, and the story, this game would get a 3/10 at best.”
“No replayability at all, except for those who seek some achievements like speedrun, hitless, etc. However, despite being an absurdly easy game in every aspect (not only combat, but puzzles too), I don't recommend trying because of the game-breaking bugs and the inconsistency of the hitboxes.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with cumbersome controls and excessive backtracking detracting from the overall experience. The gameplay is often described as shallow, with puzzles and navigation leading to moments of annoyance rather than engagement. Overall, the lack of direct guidance and minor control glitches contribute to a sense of monotony in the gameplay.
“The 'song' elements that I thought would be more integrated given the title and advertising were more like keys than anything actually impacting gameplay, and there is just so much slow and tedious backtracking even in a minimum percentage playthrough.”
“If you are buying this, I don't recommend it for gameplay; in my opinion, it's kind of shallow and even tedious at times.”
“There's a lot of walking back and forth which can be a bit tedious, there's no direct hints as to what to do next so you may get stuck at a few places, and some minor control glitches occur.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a lack of significant optimization in the game, with only basic options for adjusting game and music volume. While some users experienced minimal performance issues and bugs, such as a bomb not detonating correctly, others noted that the game's inconsistent performance affected certain achievements negatively.
“I didn't encounter any issues with the game, performance-wise, when I initially played.”
“I never had any performance issues and only experienced one bug when a bomb didn't blow up a block the first two times.”
“The game isn't hard to beat, but this performance inconsistency makes the 'beat the game without getting hit' achievement the literal worst thing I've ever seen in a video game.”
“There are no game optimizations whatsoever except for the game and music volume.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with designs being described as cute but not particularly memorable. While the animations and game mechanics are praised, there is a consensus that the characters do not undergo significant growth or change throughout the experience.
“The character design was cute, along with the voices and messages.”
“I like the character designs; the game mechanics are fun, and the animations are very smooth.”
“Character designs were alright, but not very memorable.”
“No real character development in her either.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express disappointment with the monetization aspect, noting that the game's advertised features feel underutilized and more like superficial elements rather than integral to gameplay. Additionally, the slow and tedious backtracking detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that monetization may not enhance player engagement as intended.
“The monetization model feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on items that should be earnable through gameplay.”
“It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
“The game is riddled with microtransactions that disrupt the experience, turning what could be a fun adventure into a money-grabbing scheme.”