NYKRA: Before

About

"NYKRA: Before" is a narrative platformer game with pixel art graphics, puzzle and RPG elements. As you travel through 7 planets with the help of a being named Keu, you'll unravel a complex story about a mysterious "dark virus" while engaging in alien literature and language deciphering. The game was developed by a single person, EDG, over the course of 8 years, making for a unique and personal gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 200 reviews

story42 positive mentions

stability14 negative mentions

The pixel graphics are stunning and showcase a lot of artistic talent, making the game visually appealing.
The story is engaging and thought-provoking, with deep themes and interesting lore that encourages exploration.
As a free game, it offers a unique experience that feels like a labor of love from a dedicated developer.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including a broken save system that can lead to lost progress and crashes.
The user interface and controls are poorly designed, making navigation and gameplay frustrating.
Despite its potential, the game feels unfinished and lacks polish, leading to a disjointed experience that can be hard to follow.

story
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The story of "Nykra" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intriguing themes and rich world-building, while others criticize its cryptic dialogue and rushed pacing that hinder comprehension. Many appreciate the personal touch of the developer's journey reflected in the narrative, but technical issues and inconsistent storytelling detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a visually appealing and thought-provoking adventure that resonates with some players, making it worth exploring for those who enjoy narrative-driven experiences.
- “The story is great and interesting and makes me want to explore with the main character.”
- “This is a story of existence, not our own, but not unlike our own.”
- “I've been really enjoying it so far, it's a beautiful game and has a very rich story.”
- “So, I had high hopes for this one in particular which seemed to put an emphasis on world-building and cinematic storytelling, but unfortunately my hopes were dashed in this instance.”
- “The story is half worldbuilding pieces of text that basically say nothing because of how cryptic they are, and half cutscenes with equally cryptic dialogue and inconsistent tones that make the characters kind of a mess.”
- “The mystery was intriguing, but the pacing feels rushed and the story never really coalesces into anything that makes sense.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its dynamic and ambient qualities that align with the narrative. The soundtrack, described as smooth and cohesive, complements the impressive pixel art and worldbuilding, creating an engaging experience. However, some players noted moments of silence during gameplay, which detracted from the overall musical experience.
- “Gorgeous music, fantastic worldbuilding, and impressive pixel art.”
- “There is a dynamic ambient soundtrack which ebbs and flows along with the narrative.”
- “All the while, the music helps to create a rich sense of cohesion.”
- “Serviceable sci-fi effects and diet disasterpeace music is what you will be hearing here.”
- “There are a lot of sequences where you just run from left to the right, have a nice picture in the background, some background noises (no music) and that's it.”
- “This is extremely sad, since the music, art and visual appeal is incredibly good and promising.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a range of bugs that disrupt the experience, including crashes and data loss. While some appreciate the basic mechanics and find them easy to grasp, others criticize the gameplay for being overly linear and on-rails, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite its appealing visuals and compelling story elements, the numerous technical issues and lack of depth in gameplay mechanics have led to a frustrating experience for many players.
- “Love the gameplay and the mechanics are simple and easy.”
- “This game has so many different ideas, systems, core mechanics, and more jammed into it, as if it has something to prove.”
- “There are certainly positive components to Nykra: the overall gameplay mechanics are well-rounded, the vistas (especially for it being a pixel-art game) are impressively appealing, the story/dialog can be very compelling at times, and there's a few fun areas to explore.”
- “The game itself seems fantastic, but the problem with controls, saving, and other gameplay decisions made it feel like work to me.”
- “Gameplay-wise, these two hours have been really linear and the focus is on the storytelling, or... what you make out of it.”
- “All in all, Nykra is really impressive in many different ways, but falls flat when it comes to its ability to tell a captivating story and have meaningful gameplay.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their beautiful pixel art and impressive visual effects, making it a standout for a free title. While many players appreciate the art style and presentation, some have noted technical issues and personal preferences regarding the lighting effects and grid adherence. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm and storytelling, despite some minor frustrations.
- “For a free game, the pixel graphics are awesome, the story is fun, and it's totally worth playing for all the love that went into this little game.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and I enjoyed the storyline thoroughly.”
- “It lures you in with beautiful graphics, a story ready to set up, great presentation.”
- “Like Monika has jack shit on this guy, no fake glitch aesthetic, no funny gifs, no fun values, it just actually does not work at all.”
- “When I reloaded, my EO relic had changed and I am not sure whether this will impede my future progress or if it is merely a graphical glitch.”
- “Graphics:”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely reported to be quite buggy, with issues such as corrupted saves and a lack of controller support. Despite these stability problems, many players still find the experience enjoyable. The last patch was released in December 2021, and users acknowledge that the game's long development history may contribute to its ongoing issues.
- “The last patch was in December 2021 and the game is still buggy.”
- “The game is pretty buggy and my saves have been corrupted multiple times.”
- “In the end, Nykra came out after delays as a bit of a buggy mess.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent and often falls flat, with self-referential elements that feel forced rather than genuinely funny. Players note that while there are attempts at humor, such as unexpected game mechanics and self-insertion, these moments can lead to confusion rather than laughter, ultimately detracting from the overall experience. The game's glitches and unexpected outcomes are seen as more frustrating than amusing, leaving players wanting a more cohesive comedic approach.
- “The game 'crashes' after trying to get to the next part, but here's the funny part: the game doesn't crash.”
- “Any reload attempt of mine resulted in only the background loading and that’s it (funny enough one can 'parallax around' via the WASD keys… these are keys not reserved in the actual game, mind you).”
- “And dude, I get that self-inserting yourself into the game to talk about its development can be a funny bit, but it actually turns out to be a central part of the ending to the point that EDG comes out as kind of a savior for KEU, and it does so so out of nowhere that I didn't know what to feel.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty, intriguing design, and immersive music, contributing to a rich universe filled with lore. However, some players have reported significant bugs that detract from the overall experience, hindering their ability to fully enjoy the atmospheric elements.
- “I'm three chapters in so far and absolutely loving this - very atmospheric and intriguing.”
- “This game is absolutely gorgeous, has amazing atmosphere and music, and an interesting universe with a ton of lore scattered about!”
- “Well, the game is unfortunately broken. The atmosphere is there, and the gameplay is also not bad, but when I cannot even finish the game due to many bugs, it just is not fun to play.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is criticized, with users noting that it lacks the polish and engaging content found in other early access titles at a similar price point, suggesting limited incentive to replay.

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NYKRA: Before

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