Once Alive

About

Once Alive is a single player action game. It was developed by Cem Boray Yıldırım and was released on November 18, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Part I: THE LAST SURVIVOR Sixteen years have passed since humanity's extinction due to a global virus outbreak. You play as James, who, along with his brother, believes they are the last survivors. However, this changes when he discovers an invitation to a survivors' base, HaustVille. Part II: WHATEVER IT TAKES Determined to find others, the brothers leave everything behind. After a few da…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 76 reviews

story32 positive mentions

optimization5 negative mentions

Once Alive features a captivating and emotional story that resonates with players, exploring themes of loss and humanity in a beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic world.
The game showcases impressive graphics and atmospheric sound design, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to create immersive environments that enhance the storytelling experience.
As a solo development effort, Once Alive demonstrates remarkable ambition and creativity, offering a unique narrative experience that invites players to reflect on their journey.

The game suffers from technical issues such as stuttering, texture pop-ins, and occasional crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
Some players found the pacing to be too slow, with minimal interactivity and a lack of engaging gameplay mechanics, making it feel more like a passive experience.
The voice acting and character animations received criticism for being inconsistent and at times jarring, which can break immersion during key narrative moments.

story
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The story of "Once Alive" is a deeply atmospheric and emotional narrative experience that unfolds through exploration and observation, reminiscent of classic walking simulators. Players piece together the tale of a settlement's dark past through environmental clues and ghostly reenactments, creating an intimate and introspective journey that resonates with themes of longing and hope. While the narrative is engaging and well-crafted, some reviewers noted a rushed conclusion and a reliance on the protagonist's internal dialogue, which could detract from immersion.
- “The story of Haustville is pieced together from clues left behind by its inhabitants—letters, graffiti, discarded belongings—and as James delves deeper, it becomes clear that the settlement’s promise of salvation was not what it seemed.”
- “The story resonates long after the credits roll, not because of plot twists or spectacle, but because of the universal feeling it captures—the ache of emptiness, the longing for connection, and the fragile persistence of hope even when the world has ended.”
- “Once Alive is an excellent story.”
- “The story was so rushed in my opinion... and with the protagonist basically giving you all of the information instead of you trying to unpack the story for yourself through the notes and messages you were finding... really pulls you out of the immersion in the story.”
- “The entire rest of the 'game' is just a walking simulator where you don't really uncover the story... you just listen to the main character's internal dialogue as they tell you what is going on.”
- “Towards the end of the story, you get the sense that it was rushed, which betrays the splash screen's claim that the development of the game took 3 years.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
35%
11%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their impressive quality and atmospheric design, showcasing a high level of detail that enhances the overall experience, especially for an indie title built on Unreal Engine 5. However, some players have reported issues with optimization, including graphical glitches, stuttering, and slow texture loading, which can detract from the visual experience. Overall, while the visuals are often described as beautiful and engaging, technical performance may vary.
- “Built using Unreal Engine 5, the game exhibits a level of graphical fidelity that belies its indie origins.”
- “The graphics are truly remarkable; the attention to detail makes exploring the world a pleasure.”
- “A nice walking simulator probably 2-3 hours long on average, the graphics were really nice and had a great atmosphere throughout the game.”
- “The game can feel a little rough around the edges in places with some graphical stuttering and frame drops here and there and a cumbersome inventory slot.”
- “My graphics card burned my leg because the graphics are so unoptimized.”
- “I have a 6GB graphics card and even at medium settings the textures can't all load in at once and have to stream at lower resolutions.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The atmosphere of "once alive" is widely praised for its deep emotional resonance and immersive design, characterized by beautiful visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a sense of solitude that enhances the narrative experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke melancholy and curiosity through its environmental storytelling, although some note a decline in quality towards the end. Overall, the atmospheric elements are deemed crucial to the game's impact, making it a standout walking simulator.
- “Once Alive is a deeply atmospheric first-person narrative experience that trades action and complexity for quiet introspection and emotional storytelling.”
- “The soundtrack complements this design beautifully, blending sparse piano notes with atmospheric drones that heighten both the sorrow and serenity of the experience.”
- “The environmental design and lighting significantly enhance the atmosphere, delivering a more immersive experience.”
- “The game’s impact lies not in its replayability but in the atmosphere it creates and the lingering questions it leaves behind.”
- “This is a walking simulator, so the atmosphere is crucial.”
- “Even in a short time, the story and atmosphere managed to pull me in.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay of "once alive" is characterized by its minimalist and slow-paced design, focusing on atmosphere and storytelling rather than complex mechanics. While it features light puzzles and walking as core activities, some players find the gameplay lacking in depth and problem-solving challenges. However, the game's strong visuals, music, and thematic cohesion contribute to an engaging experience, despite its brevity of around two hours.
- “The mechanics are simple yet smooth, allowing the game to maintain its pacing seamlessly.”
- “You've got good graphics, simple and effective music for the mood, and light gameplay to move the story along.”
- “The core gameplay of Once Alive is minimalist and deliberately slow-paced.”
- “Some of them feel underdeveloped, hinting at a larger gameplay system that never fully materializes.”
- “Gameplay consists of walking and very light puzzles.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, featuring a soothing original score that blends well with the visuals and atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the relaxing and immersive qualities of the soundtrack, which effectively supports the game's narrative and mood. Despite some technical issues reported by players, the music remains a standout aspect that many found enjoyable and worth the price.
- “The soundtrack complements this design beautifully, blending sparse piano notes with atmospheric drones that heighten both the sorrow and serenity of the experience.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and I loved the voice overs.”
- “The music is very immersive and the graphics are very well-polished.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply atmospheric narrative that prioritizes emotional storytelling over action, utilizing innovative elements like "speech echoes" to convey human presence in a lifeless world. Its dynamic lighting enhances the emotional tone, while the linear structure delivers a concentrated emotional impact. Overall, players find it to be a moving experience that effectively explores themes of love and family, leaving a lasting emotional impression.
- “This is a deeply atmospheric first-person narrative experience that trades action and complexity for quiet introspection and emotional storytelling.”
- “These ghostly traces, known as 'speech echoes,' are used to reveal the emotional texture of the world—a creative way to communicate human presence in a space now devoid of life.”
- “A short but emotional story about brotherly love and the importance of family.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting technical imperfections such as stuttering during cutscenes, texture pop-ins, and frame drops, particularly in certain areas like near the river. While these issues can detract from the experience, they are often seen as minor distractions in an otherwise immersive world. Overall, the performance is considered subpar, leading to questions about whether the game is poorly optimized or overly demanding on hardware.
- “Sadly, the performance is not good.”
- “The game can feel a little rough around the edges in places with some graphical stuttering and frame drops here and there, and a cumbersome inventory slot.”
- “Poorly optimized and drops frames in some areas, particularly around the river.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Once Alive" is a short game, typically completed in a few hours, and is noted for its limited replay value. Its strength lies more in the atmospheric experience and thought-provoking questions it raises rather than encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “Once Alive is not a long game, often taking just a few hours to complete, and it offers little in the way of replay value.”
- “The game’s impact lies not in its replayability but in the atmosphere it creates and the lingering questions it leaves behind.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent crashes leading to the blue screen of death, despite some positive feedback on its graphics and sound. While players are willing to overlook minor bugs and glitches, the severe stability issues have led to requests for refunds and negative reviews.
- “The game looked good, the soundtrack was okay, but after a few restarts, it kept crashing my PC and going to the blue screen of death. I asked for a refund. I know only one person made the game and he did a good job for the part of the game I could play, but for now, I have to give it a thumbs down. I can roll with bugs and glitches, but the blue screen of death is a no-go for me. Sorry, I wish the game worked; it looked good from what I could play.”
- “It looks good in-game as well, apart from graphical glitches.”