Obduction

For anyone wanting a confusing yet ultimately rewarding adventure, Obduction delivers in spades.

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Obduction is an adventure game that transports you to mystical worlds filled with secrets and beauty. An alien artifact brings you to these new worlds, and your choices will significantly impact your journey. Named Best Adventure Game of 2016 by PCWorld, Obduction continues Cyan's legacy of timeless, immersive adventures.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,044 reviews

story503 positive mentions

optimization96 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and immersive environments that captivate players.
Challenging puzzles that require critical thinking and exploration.
Engaging story that unfolds through environmental storytelling and notes.

Excessive backtracking and long loading times between worlds detract from the experience.
Some puzzles are overly tedious and require repetitive actions.
Lack of clear direction and guidance can lead to confusion and frustration.

story
1,370 mentions
37 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Obduction" is described as intriguing and multifaceted, with a rich backstory that unfolds through environmental storytelling, journals, and character interactions. However, many players found the narrative to be convoluted and at times disappointing, particularly regarding the ending, which felt rushed or incomplete. While the game successfully captures the essence of the classic Myst series, some reviewers noted that the story lacks the depth and clarity expected from such a legacy, leaving players to piece together the plot through exploration and observation.
- “Obduction balances its old school longform attention span demands with gorgeous visuals and a storyline that needs to be actively thought about to be understood.”
- “The backstory and worldbuilding is world-class and shows an exceptional level of care.”
- “The story is intriguing and very well thought out.”
- “The story is, comparing to other games of the genre, pretty good: there's a lot of lore and the puzzles make sense in the world, not just aimlessly locking everything.”
- “The story also doesn't quite tie up its loose ends as I feel it should for a self-contained game like this one, which is especially problematic since tying together some of those loose ends would've probably made it easier to decide on which of the multiple endings I should trigger.”
- “The story is cryptic but not difficult to understand, and the design of the puzzles feels naturally built into the environment.”
graphics
845 mentions
53 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Obduction" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, often compared favorably to the classic "Myst" series. However, some players have reported performance issues, including stuttering and long loading times, particularly on less powerful hardware, indicating that while the graphics are beautiful, they may require a robust system to fully appreciate. Overall, the game's art direction and attention to detail are highlighted as significant strengths, contributing to a captivating atmosphere.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning, and you can tell a lot of love and care went into the game's art direction.”
- “Obduction has fantastic visuals and challenging puzzles.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the worlds are amazing, there's a good amount of play time, and the story is very nice too.”
- “Obduction is badly implemented; the game has okay graphics, clunky movement, and every other section of the map has real-time loading causing stuttering. The puzzles are nice, but the gameplay is modest. Don't raise your expectations; this is made by Cyan but is not on par with Myst or Riven. Get it on sale.”
- “The art and the overall graphics were surprisingly low quality.”
- “The graphics look worse, relative to 2016 standards, than the graphics in Myst did relative to 1993 standards.”
gameplay
534 mentions
22 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Obduction* is characterized by its unique mechanics, particularly the teleportation and environment-swapping features, which offer intriguing puzzle-solving opportunities. However, many players find the implementation flawed due to frequent loading screens that disrupt immersion and create a tedious experience, especially during backtracking and repetitive tasks. While the game showcases beautiful graphics and some clever puzzles, the overall execution leaves a mixed impression, with some praising its creativity while others criticize its pacing and mechanical limitations.
- “What elevates this above any other puzzle game is the unique mechanic of warping within the dome you're trapped inside, and then the seed-swap puzzles that involve taking a chunk of the environment in your teleport, manipulating it to one side, and teleporting it back.”
- “The mechanic growth and exploration of its environments are great, the game relying on some solid groundwork Cyan's made throughout the years.”
- “The puzzles, story, and mechanics all harken back to the original games, while fully utilizing the capabilities of a modern engine.”
- “The game mechanics are horrible.”
- “The swapping mechanic is nonsense given the load times.”
- “The central mechanic of the game - swapping spheres - is both underexplored and overutilized, made all the more painful by several minute load times and long walks, padding the puzzles with long periods of boredom.”
optimization
242 mentions
14 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Obduction" has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, long loading times, and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems. While some users noted improvements over time and recommended using an SSD for better performance, the game still struggles with efficient asset loading and overall stability, particularly in VR mode. Overall, the game's graphical fidelity is praised, but its optimization remains a major concern for many players.
- “With some improvements in graphical optimization, greater narrative cohesion and accessibility in puzzles, it could reach even more players and consolidate itself as a modern classic.”
- “Optimization has been worked on since release and I found it to be running pretty smoothly at high settings and I don't have a powerhouse PC.”
- “The graphics are nicely optimized and amazing.”
- “The performance is abysmal with a HTC Vive (2016) and a 3060 Ti.”
- “The game is simply not optimized.”
- “Poor performance: even high-end PCs struggle with this game, even on medium graphics settings, which make it look pretty mid-2000s quality.”
music
229 mentions
40 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and emotional depth, particularly noting the return of composer Robyn Miller. While some players found the soundtrack to be beautiful and fitting, enhancing the immersive experience, others criticized it for being sparse, generic, or poorly timed, leading to moments where the music felt disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, while the sound design and ambient effects were generally well-received, the music's inconsistency and lack of memorable themes left some players wanting more.
- “Ambient sounds reinforce the loneliness and mystery of the world, while the soundtrack appears at the right moments to intensify the emotion.”
- “The quality of the sound design creates an emotional connection with the player, but it could be even more memorable if there were more recurring or striking musical themes to identify key moments in the journey.”
- “The music is very good and complements the atmosphere wherever you are.”
- “The music doesn't fit into the ambience of the game and was poorly chosen for story-related situations.”
- “The soundtrack felt disjointed at times, with some great tracks seeming not linked together enough to be immersive.”
- “The soundtrack didn't feel all that inspiring, mostly because the music seemed to be used sparingly; there were times that I thought the audio was broken because it was so quiet in places.”
grinding
217 mentions
1 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its excessive tedium, primarily due to long loading times and repetitive backtracking between areas. Many players found that while some puzzles were engaging, the overall experience was marred by the slow movement speed and the need to repeatedly traverse large environments, leading to a frustrating and monotonous gameplay experience. Despite the game's beautiful visuals and intriguing mechanics, the tedious nature of many puzzles detracted significantly from the enjoyment.
- “Don't read the reviews about backtracking - even the infamous maze puzzle is actually not tedious; it's about 5 connections back and forth, with very close by portals.”
- “Most of the puzzles were interesting and not too tedious. Tedium may come in if you don't pay attention to the arrangement of some of the puzzles, but taking a break to plan your moves will save you a lot of time.”
- “For the most part, they're not too tedious and are refreshing from the usual experience.”
- “It's rarely actually a challenge to work out how to get somewhere or do something, but it often is tedious.”
- “The majority of the puzzles require just an immense amount of walking; once you've figured out the logic of the puzzle, then it is a tedious exercise in running all of the worlds.”
- “The game is far too tedious to recommend.”
atmosphere
187 mentions
63 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant visuals, immersive sound design, and detailed world-building, effectively transporting players into a captivating and mysterious environment reminiscent of classic titles like Myst. While many reviewers highlight the game's stunning graphics and engaging ambiance, some express frustration with repetitive actions and technical issues that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully creates a rich, atmospheric experience that appeals to fans of exploration and puzzle-solving.
- “The vibrant colors and lighting effects contribute to an immersive atmosphere, transporting the player to another world.”
- “The game is dripping with a Myst-like atmosphere and detailed world-building.”
- “The atmosphere, puzzles, and storytelling are fantastic.”
- “While the atmosphere and design were reminiscent of early Cyan works in the best ways, sound design and especially score are a major letdown.”
- “Obduction seems devoid of atmosphere.”
- “No real gripping story or spooky atmosphere.”
stability
93 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting a range of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues and frequent crashes. While some users experienced minimal problems, many noted that the game feels unpolished and poorly optimized, leading to frustrating moments such as freezing and loading delays. Overall, the consensus suggests that significant improvements are needed to enhance stability before it can be recommended to a broader audience.
- “The game was bug-free for me.”
- “On a PC with GTX 1070 and an SSD, we don't have any issues with loading times that others have mentioned; graphics maxed out and it runs great.”
- “It runs great even with 'epic' graphics settings on an M1 Pro Mac.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is so buggy that I can't possibly recommend it to anyone until they fix it.”
- “A buggy, unoptimized mess of a game.”
- “The experience was so buggy and unresponsive that I couldn't justify playing it anymore.”
emotional
31 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players feeling a strong connection through its sound design, voice acting, and storytelling, while others found the emotional impact lacking due to repetitive environments and unsatisfactory endings. Many appreciated the emotional highs and lows experienced during gameplay, particularly through puzzle-solving and character interactions, but some felt detached or frustrated by the overall execution. Ultimately, the game evokes a range of emotions, from joy and nostalgia to confusion and disappointment, depending on individual player experiences.
- “I laughed, I cried, I rage quit, I came back.”
- “It has emotionally attractive voice acting, pleasant piano compositions, and a highly unique story filled with interesting characters and dreamlike worlds.”
- “The final act culminates in an ending that is visually, tonally, and emotionally distinctive and wraps the story up spectacularly.”
replayability
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, with many players noting that while the initial experience is enjoyable, it lacks the depth or variety to warrant multiple playthroughs. Some players mention the potential for revisiting the game for missed achievements or to better understand the story, but this is not a strong incentive for most. Despite its engaging narrative and visuals, the consensus is that the game does not offer significant replay value.
- “Great story, great acting, with replay value.”
- “Very complete game, replayable.”
- “It doesn't really have immediate replay value, as with all games of this nature, but in a year from now or so I do expect to play it again, just because (just as I have with all past Cyan games).”
- “My only complaint is that it has low replay value; you'll never recreate the wonder and glory of the first time discovering and exploring everything.”
- “Got it on sale, so that was good but still not sure if it was worth it for just 13 hours and no value in replayability.”
- “As for value for money... bleh... even with as long as it took me to progress, the game still totalled only around 17 hours of play time and the replay value is absolutely zero.”
humor
12 mentions
92 % positive mentions
-17 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring amusing bugs and clever design elements that elicit laughter, though it lacks the consistent comedic tone found in titles like Portal. Players noted funny easter eggs and a few clever red herrings, but also pointed out that some aspects, like excessive load screens and poor graphics, detracted from the overall experience. While not overtly comedic, the game offers moments of humor that can be appreciated, especially in hindsight.
- “But there is actually another funny aspect to this.”
- “The puzzles were awesome and the easter eggs were very funny ;).”
- “The design of so many things in the game had me laughing to myself at how clever and imaginative they are.”
- “The game was not funny like Portal, not thought-provoking like The Witness, and lacked both cuteness and emotional depth.”
- “I expected clever humor, but it fell flat and didn't deliver any memorable jokes.”
- “The attempts at humor felt forced and often missed the mark, leaving me more confused than amused.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game appears to be subtle and integrated into the gameplay experience, with advertisements and references that enhance immersion rather than detract from it. Players appreciate the value of the game, feeling that their purchase was worthwhile despite previous regrets with other games.
- “I noticed this pretty early on: before I approached this particular puzzle, I was wandering around a junkyard where I noticed a wall of license plates, an advertisement with a phone number (listed as 'call 1-555-helpyou! (435-7968)') and a phone booth.”
- “Then, this game called Obduction kept surfacing in various ads and recommendations recently and I decided – what the hell, it’s from Cyan and it’s got amazing reviews and looks really odd.”
- “I've made some terrible choices in game purchases the past year, but this is one of the game buys I definitely don't regret.”
character development
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably strong, enhancing player engagement with the story; however, some reviewers express disappointment in its depth, criticizing the inclusion of time-wasting elements and a lack of meaningful narrative complexity compared to previous titles.
- “The strong character development keeps me engaged and eager to see how the story unfolds.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful.”
- “The depth of character development adds layers to the narrative, enhancing my overall experience.”
- “Really disappointed in the lack of depth, the pseudo complexity added by putting in huge time-wasting areas (the purpose of the gauntlet is literally just to slow you down, does that make it a good puzzle? Absolutely not) and the lack of depth in the story beyond some cliché alien nonsense, and finally the severely lacking character development that was so key in all their previous games.”