Noise

About

"Noise" is a narrative-driven game set in 1988 USSR, where you uncover terrifying secrets about a mysterious, uncharted signal. As a radio amateur, the radio is your main tool to navigate the game, choosing waves to contact people, understand what's happening, or listen to USSR radio. The game aims to tell a unique, non-faceless horror story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

35%

Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews

story10 positive mentions

gameplay8 negative mentions

The game has an interesting and enigmatic storyline with unique concepts, such as using radio for detection.
Despite being short, the game offers a decent length and some engaging puzzles.
The atmosphere is reminiscent of classic games like Half Life, providing a nostalgic feel.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and poor execution, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
Voice acting is subpar, especially in English, which detracts from the overall experience.
Graphics and audio quality are lacking, with many players finding them to be below standard.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
10%
The game's story is described as intriguing and filled with interesting concepts, such as using radio waves for detection, reminiscent of a "Soviet Half-Life." However, many players feel that the execution is poor, with issues like bad voice acting and frustrating controls detracting from the experience, leading to a lack of engagement with the plot. Overall, while the storyline has potential, its delivery leaves much to be desired, resulting in a mixed reception.
- “A short game with an interesting story that had a Half-Life-like feel to it (Soviet Half-Life 😊).”
- “The plot is interesting and enigmatic, and it has some interesting concepts like using the radio for detection.”
- “Very interesting story...”
- “I can't say if there are jump scares because, between the horrible voice acting, uncomfortable controls, and impossible to advance plot, I couldn't bear with it for more than a little over 10 minutes.”
- “Overall, the game is a walking simulator with dialogue created to progress the story's core elements, which is noise.”
- “The plot is unfinished (what happened with the employee that you talked with?).”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
36%
57%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its buggy mechanics, poor translation, and broken achievements, leading many players to uninstall the game before completion. The initial chapter serves as a basic introduction, but subsequent gameplay is described as boring, drawn out, and frustrating, particularly with the broken radio mechanics. Overall, the gameplay experience is deemed unsatisfactory and unengaging.
- “First and foremost, the first chapter is going to be like an introduction into the game mechanics.”
- “Mechanics, voicing, and gameplay were so bad that the game became one of the very few I uninstalled before finishing.”
- “Buggy, super annoying mechanics, poor translation, and broken achievements.”
- “The mechanics and gameplay are boring and drawn out.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users describing them as "ugly" and "garbage." Many reviewers noted that the visuals detract from the overall experience, making even potentially scary elements fail to evoke fear. Overall, the graphical quality is considered a significant drawback of the game.
- “A badass game but really messed up graphics.”
- “Horrible, controls don't work, VR is the worst for this game, voice acting made my ears bleed and the game looks like garbage graphically.”
- “The graphics are totally ugly.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, frustrating mechanics, and poor collision detection that can lead to players getting stuck or flying off unexpectedly. Many users report that the game feels abandoned and barely playable due to these persistent problems, which detract from the overall experience.
- “Buggy, super annoying mechanics, poor translation, and broken achievements.”
- “If you bump into any surface like a box or small object, you can fly off or get stuck 90% of the time. Running is also buggy, and you can get stuck in walls and the ground.”
- “This game is another perfect example of a buggy, abandoned game.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some users report no performance issues or game-breaking bugs, others express significant dissatisfaction, citing performance levels that are far below standard and causing frustration.
- “No performance issues, and I didn't encounter any game-breaking bugs (a monster glitched one time... he deserved it).”
- “Performance is much lower than the standard, which actually makes me sick.”
- “Performance is massively subpar, this could actually make me sick.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music in the game primarily features Russian music, which some players appreciate, while others express disappointment over the lack of variety, particularly the absence of jazz. Overall, the soundtrack seems to evoke mixed feelings among users.
- “The sound and music create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “The diverse soundtrack really complements the game's themes and keeps you engaged.”
- “Oh, and you get to listen to Russian music on the radio... yay!”
- “There is no jazz, only old Russian commie music on the radio.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players found the grinding aspect of the game to be initially manageable, likening it to a walking simulator. However, the introduction of a time monster significantly detracted from the experience, turning it into a tedious and frustrating grind that many found unnecessary and annoying.
- “The game started off fine, more like a walking simulator, but then the time monster appeared. It went from barely playable to a horrible and tedious experience. The monster was annoying and unnecessary.”
- “The game started off fine, more like a walking simulator, but then the time monster appeared. It went from barely playable to a horrible and tedious experience. The monster was annoying and unnecessary.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the emotional impact of the game is significantly undermined by technical issues such as bugs and poor voice acting, leading to a lackluster and unengaging narrative experience.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently express a positive sentiment towards the game's atmosphere, highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances their overall experience.