NYKRA: Before

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 100 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
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"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.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews
story21 positive mentions
stability7 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 lore and interesting character interactions that encourage exploration.
  • As a free game, it offers a unique experience with a lot of love and effort put into its development, making it a hidden gem worth trying.
  • The game is plagued with numerous bugs, including a broken save system that can lead to lost progress and crashes, making it frustrating to play.
  • The user interface and controls are poorly designed, leading to confusion and difficulty in navigating the game.
  • Despite its potential, the game feels incomplete and rushed, with many players reporting that it lacks polish and coherence in its narrative.
  • story58 mentions

    The story of the game 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 and emotional depth behind the narrative, but technical issues and inconsistent storytelling detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the game has potential with its artistic presentation and compelling ideas, its execution leaves much to be desired.

    • “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.”
    • “The story is immersive, the characters interesting, and the puzzles challenging enough to make me take my time, but one of the most amazing things about this game is the language Endesga created for it.”
    • “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.”
    • “It's just the same kind of cryptic dialogues that only have a meaning (I guess?) if you study every bit of lore for hours trying to piece out a story that doesn't know how to tell itself.”
    • “Overall, what we've been offered so far is not a fulfilling science fiction story.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its smoothness and dynamic nature that complements the narrative. The soundtrack, alongside impressive pixel art and worldbuilding, creates a rich and immersive experience, although some players noted moments of silence that detracted from the overall engagement. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and emotional depth.

    • “Amazing pixel art, music, and creativity from this dev.”
    • “Gorgeous music, fantastic worldbuilding, and impressive pixel art.”
    • “This game is absolutely gorgeous, has amazing atmosphere and music, and an interesting universe with a ton of lore scattered about!”
    • “Serviceable sci-fi effects and diet disasterpiece 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.”
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting basic mechanics and a linear structure that prioritizes storytelling over player agency. While some appreciate the well-rounded mechanics and appealing visuals, many report significant bugs that disrupt the experience, including crashes and data loss. Overall, the gameplay is seen as potentially enjoyable but hampered by technical issues and a lack of depth in its execution.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Twice it booted me up on gameplay without playing the intro, once the game crashed and erased my data because I tried to access the books in my inventory, and then the game broke on a cutscene and erased my data.”
    • “The game itself seems fantastic, but the problem with controls, saving, among 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.”
  • graphics14 mentions

    Overall, the graphics of the game receive high praise for their beautiful pixel art and impressive visual effects, contributing to an engaging presentation and storyline. However, some players express frustration with technical issues and specific artistic choices, such as lighting effects and grid-breaking pixel art. Despite these criticisms, many players find the visuals to be a standout feature of the game.

    • “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.”
    • “From a visuals standpoint, it is amazing.”
    • “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:”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting numerous bugs, corrupted saves, and a lack of recent updates since December 2021. Despite these issues, many players still find the overall experience enjoyable, though the persistent bugs detract from its quality.

    • “The last patch was in December 2021 and the game is still buggy.”
    • “In the end, Nykra came out after delays as a bit of a buggy mess.”
    • “The game is pretty buggy and my saves have been corrupted multiple times.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as inconsistent and often confusing, with self-referential elements that can feel out of place, particularly in the ending. While some moments attempt to be funny, such as unexpected interactions and glitches, they often fall flat, leaving players unsure of how to react. Overall, the humor lacks the engaging charm found in similar games, resulting in a disjointed experience.

    • “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.”
    • “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).”
    • “The game 'crashes' after trying to get to the next part, but here's the funny part: the game doesn't crash.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beauty, intriguing setting, and immersive music, creating a captivating experience for players. However, some users have noted that technical issues and bugs can detract from the overall enjoyment, hindering their ability to fully engage with 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!”
    • “The game is unfortunately broken; the atmosphere is there and the gameplay is not bad, but when I cannot even finish the game due to many bugs, it just is not fun to play.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Reviewers express disappointment in the game's replayability, noting that it feels less polished and engaging compared to other early access titles available at a similar price. This lack of depth and content diminishes the incentive to replay the game.

    • “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
    • “The game offers no new content or variations in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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