Obduction

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

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Obduction is a single-player mystery game with an intriguing story and ingenious mechanics, offering amazing visuals and music. However, it can be grinding, is poorly optimized, full of bugs, and may not run smoothly on lower-end systems. Despite its flaws, Obduction delivers a dense atmosphere and a wholesome, timeless adventure experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,541 reviews

story709 positive mentions

optimization155 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and immersive environments that enhance the exploration experience.
Challenging puzzles that require critical thinking and attention to detail, providing a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
Engaging story and lore that unfolds gradually, encouraging players to piece together the narrative.

Excessive backtracking and long loading times between worlds can make gameplay feel tedious and frustrating.
Some puzzles are overly complex or obscure, leading to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
Limited character interaction and vague guidance from NPCs can leave players feeling lost and unsure of their objectives.

story
1,955 mentions
36 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of *Obduction* is a complex and intriguing narrative that unfolds through exploration, environmental storytelling, and scattered notes, reminiscent of the classic *Myst* series. While many players appreciate the depth and originality of the plot, some find it convoluted and difficult to follow, with unresolved plot points and a somewhat abrupt ending. Overall, the game offers a rich narrative experience, but it requires players to actively engage with the story to fully appreciate its nuances.
- “Obduction manages to capture what made myst and riven such great adventure games with an amazing atmosphere, mysterious story and challenging puzzles that engage players from the very beginning.”
- “The story is intriguing and very well thought out.”
- “The story reveals itself as you find and solve the various puzzles and roadblocks, learn codes (and maybe do a little math) and read the scattered letters and journal entries left behind by its missing inhabitants.”
- “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 writing and story were really uninspired.”
- “The story makes little to no sense, even after you complete the game.”
graphics
1,214 mentions
54 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Obduction" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, often compared favorably to the classic "Myst" series. Many players highlight the breathtaking scenery and attention to detail, although some report performance issues and graphical glitches, particularly in VR. Overall, while the game showcases impressive artistic design, it may require a powerful system to fully appreciate its graphical fidelity.
- “At 'epic' graphics settings, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking!”
- “The graphics are fantastic and the plot is creative.”
- “The graphics are stunning, the design is pleasing, the story is intriguing.”
- “The art and the overall graphics were surprisingly low quality.”
- “The graphics are very poor.”
- “The graphics look worse, relative to 2016 standards, than the graphics in Myst did relative to 1993 standards.”
gameplay
781 mentions
22 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Obduction* features a unique mechanic centered around swapping between worlds, which offers intriguing puzzle-solving opportunities but is hampered by long loading times that disrupt immersion and pacing. While the game showcases beautiful environments and creative mechanics reminiscent of the *Myst* series, many players find the execution flawed, with tedious backtracking and repetitive tasks detracting from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the gameplay often feels inconsistent, leading to a mixed reception among players who appreciate its innovative ideas but are frustrated by its technical shortcomings.
- “There are a few really cool puzzle mechanics in this game that would've been nearly impossible to achieve in their earlier titles due to technical limitations in the late 90s.”
- “Developed by Cyan, the makers of the classic Myst series, Obduction is a perfect blend of stunning visuals, intriguing storyline, and challenging gameplay.”
- “The mechanics were interesting and the story was definitely fresh and felt original, even for a Myst-like from the makers of Myst.”
- “It does have some issues: the swapping mechanic can lead to a lot of waiting and made one puzzle I otherwise found pretty clever feel very tedious.”
- “Movement speed can make cross-world travel tedious at times, and the ending half-hour is a bit weak, providing some baffling gameplay decisions and leaving the story a bit more incomplete than I'd have liked.”
- “Unfathomably tedious even on machines with faster drives (regardless of whether it's HDDs, SSDs, or M.2) because of the number of times this mechanic must be invoked to solve some of the later puzzles.”
optimization
375 mentions
13 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
41 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization remains a significant issue, with many players reporting persistent stuttering, long load times, and inconsistent performance across various hardware setups, including high-end PCs. While some improvements have been noted since its initial release, particularly for SSD users, the experience can still be frustrating, especially in VR, where performance is often described as abysmal. Players recommend waiting for further updates or ensuring robust hardware to mitigate these issues.
- “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 incredibly well optimized and beautiful.”
- “Once you manage to get it to run smoothly, it does a very good job of scratching that Myst itch I've had for decades.”
- “The performance is abysmal with a HTC Vive (2016) and a 3060 Ti.”
- “Poorly optimized into a VR game, moving around is painful and you didn't even put hands in a VR game.”
- “The game is simply not optimized.”
grinding
322 mentions
2 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its tedious backtracking and excessive loading screens, which detract from the overall experience. Many players find that while the puzzles can be engaging, the repetitive nature of traversing large areas and the slow movement speed make the gameplay feel laborious and frustrating, especially in the latter half of the game. Overall, the enjoyment of the game's atmosphere and narrative is often overshadowed by the tedious mechanics that require players to repeatedly navigate between locations.
- “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.”
- “Don't read the reviews about backtracking - even the infamous maze puzzle is actually not tedious, with about 5 connections back and forth, and very close by portals.”
- “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 (e.g. unlock a door from one place then go all the way back around the long way to be able to go through said door).”
- “What starts out as enticingly enigmatic becomes the opposite from the interaction between the story, environment, and puzzle mechanics that results in gameplay that feels less immersive, less rewarding, and more tedious the more you play.”
- “The game is far too tedious to recommend.”
music
308 mentions
42 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising Robyn Miller's soundtrack for its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance immersion, while others feel it lacks the memorable impact of previous titles in the Myst series. Some players noted that the music is sparse and only plays during key moments, which can detract from the overall experience, while others appreciated its calming and fitting nature. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as pleasant but not groundbreaking, with a desire for more frequent musical cues throughout the gameplay.
- “The music is very good and compliments the atmosphere wherever you are.”
- “The soundtrack simultaneously catalyzes a non-stop pulsing disquieted feeling and all the rapture about this marvelous universe.”
- “Just like Myst and Riven, Robyn Miller brings a very calm and soothing music score to the game.”
- “There's also unamusing music, zero story and several technical issues.”
- “The only music in the game is depressing.”
- “The soundtrack felt disjointed at times, with some great tracks seeming not linked together enough to be immersive.”
atmosphere
237 mentions
67 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like Myst, featuring detailed world-building, stunning graphics, and atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the sense of exploration and mystery, although some note that repetitive actions and tedious loading screens can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the game successfully creates a rich, engaging environment that draws players in, making it a standout aspect of the gameplay.
- “The game is dripping with a Myst-like atmosphere and detailed world-building.”
- “It's lonely and atmospheric while still being bright and colorful; there is a lot to explore, and the puzzle-solving is engaging and challenging.”
- “Obduction manages to capture what made Myst and Riven such great adventure games with an amazing atmosphere, mysterious story, and challenging puzzles that engage players from the very beginning.”
- “You cannot sell this to me as 'taking your time', 'appreciating the environment and atmosphere' or any other such half-assed, non-gameplay related reason.”
- “Obduction seems devoid of atmosphere.”
- “Beautiful setting and atmosphere, but horribly tedious and unsatisfying progression.”
stability
160 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly detract from the experience. While some users experienced smooth gameplay without issues, the consensus leans towards it being a "buggy mess," with frequent freezes and game-breaking glitches that hinder progress. Overall, the game appears to require substantial patches and optimizations to improve its stability for a better user experience.
- “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.”
- “The game was bug-free for me.”
- “The game was bug-free for me.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is so buggy that I can't possibly recommend it to anyone until they fix it.”
- “It's a buggy mess for me even several months after launch.”
- “I've paid for 3 hours so far of a game that doesn't load, crashes, and when you're actually able to play the game, constant screen freezes.”
emotional
44 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mixed response from players, with some experiencing deep connections through its lore, voice acting, and unique story, while others feel detached and uninvested, particularly due to repetitive environments and unsatisfactory endings. Many players report moments of joy, frustration, and nostalgia, highlighting the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, though some wish for more engaging puzzles and clearer narrative progression. Overall, the game succeeds in creating an emotionally affecting atmosphere, but its impact varies significantly among players.
- “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
40 mentions
15 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many players noting that while it offers a great story and engaging gameplay, there is little incentive to replay it after the initial experience. Some users mention the possibility of revisiting the game for missed achievements, but the consensus is that the lack of varied outcomes or significant changes in gameplay diminishes its replay value. Despite its visual appeal and immersive narrative, most players feel that the game does not warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “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).”
- “Being a game that tells a story, it's unlikely to have much replayability for most, but it's a worthwhile experience nonetheless.”
- “I really enjoyed all of it; however, there is little to no replay value.”
- “As for value for money... bleh... even with as long as it took me to progress, the game still totaled only around 17 hours of play time, and the replay value is absolutely zero.”
humor
20 mentions
90 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag, featuring amusing bugs and quirky easter eggs that add levity, though it lacks the cleverness of titles like Portal or The Witness. Players found certain elements, such as the absence of an inventory and a specific red herring tied to Russian language jokes, to be unintentionally funny. Overall, while the game has its humorous moments, it doesn't consistently deliver a strong comedic experience.
- “For all of the puzzles, there was one thing in the game that was a red herring which can be identified if you know Russian (and apparently, this thing was only included to add a bonus for backers when this was being funded on Kickstarter. Looking up its English name results in some hilarious jokes unrelated to the game).”
- “You have no inventory (pockets); funny, that as you started from a campsite (where pockets are really useful).”
- “The puzzles were awesome and the easter eggs were very funny ;).”
- “The game was not funny like Portal, not thought-provoking like The Witness, not cute, not sad.”
monetization
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game appears to be effective, as players are drawn in by engaging advertisements and recommendations, leading to positive purchasing decisions. Users express satisfaction with their investment, indicating that the game's value justifies its cost. Overall, the monetization approach seems to resonate well with the audience, enhancing their gaming experience.
character development
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is notably strong, effectively engaging players and motivating them to progress through the storyline.
- “Strong character development that drives interest in advancing through the story.”