Operation: Pinkeye
- November 1, 2022
- Cobra!
- 1h median play time
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Get on itch.io StoreOperation: Pinkeye is a throwback first-person shooter set in an alternate Universe where the Acts of Union in 1707 never happened. Scotland and England remain independent and tensions between the 2 remain very high.
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Linux
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic N64 shooters like Goldeneye, with a humorous and tongue-in-cheek approach.
- The voice acting and original soundtrack are highlights, adding to the overall charm and enjoyment of the game.
- Despite being developed by a single person, the game offers decent level variety and a fun gameplay experience, making it a commendable effort.
- The gameplay is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with enemy AI, targeting, and mission objectives that can lead to frustration.
- The aiming mechanics can be inconsistent, requiring players to adjust settings to find a comfortable control scheme.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that it lacks content for its price, leading to concerns about its overall value.
- story13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is brief, with the main narrative completed in about two hours, leaving some players feeling disconnected due to unfamiliarity with historical references. While the worldbuilding and lore are praised for their depth and creativity, technical issues such as mission glitches and bugs detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. Despite these challenges, the narrative elements are noted to have been crafted with care, contributing to an intriguing backdrop for the gameplay.
“The worldbuilding is absolute class and I love the lore hidden on PCs throughout the game, which function as portals into the unhinged Pinkeye universe, the story of which has obviously been treated with the same love and care as the throwback gameplay and visual style.”
“Each mission gives you a set of objectives you must complete within a level before you are allowed to leave, no different from how Perfect Dark or GoldenEye did it.”
“2 hours was enough to finish the main story on normal difficulty.”
“Being from the States, I have no idea what the Acts of Union are, so I think I really just made up the story in my head as we played on.”
“And this was not only an every mission occurrence, it was an every minute occurrence, for the entire 2-hour long game.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic tribute to classic titles, featuring a mix of stealth and action with well-executed aiming mechanics and a variety of engaging objectives across diverse stages. While the worldbuilding and hidden lore enhance the experience, players have noted significant bugs and the underutilization of certain mechanics, suggesting that the game may have had more content planned. Overall, it offers a fun shooting experience, albeit with some technical issues.
“This is clearly a labor of love with everything you'd want from a throwback tribute to the era - beautiful-ugly graphics, a cool variety of stages (think military barracks, docklands, evil lairs) and objectives (steal the documents, interrogate the general, bug the secret room), and fun shooting gameplay with a great mix of stealth and machine gun firefighting.”
“The aiming mechanic works really well in every situation thrown at you, and I enjoyed discovering the various weapons, with even the melee attack feeling like a nod to the 'slappers only' shenanigans of GoldenEye.”
“The worldbuilding is absolute class, and I love the lore hidden on PCs throughout the game, which function as portals into the unhinged Pinkeye universe, the story of which has obviously been treated with the same love and care as the throwback gameplay and visual style.”
“However, the gameplay is very buggy.”
“However, I'd guess there was/is more planned, as there are mechanics (specifically a section wearing a guard uniform) that only come up once and then seem to disappear from the game.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their nostalgic art style, reminiscent of classic games, and are described as a charming blend of "beautiful-ugly" visuals. The variety of stages and objectives enhances the overall aesthetic, contributing to a fun and engaging gameplay experience that pays tribute to the era.
“The art style looks pretty nostalgic despite the fact I've never played a single GoldenEye game before.”
“This is clearly a labor of love with everything you'd want from a throwback tribute to the era - beautiful-ugly graphics, a cool variety of stages (think military barracks, docklands, evil lairs) and objectives (steal the documents, interrogate the general, bug the secret room), and fun shooting gameplay with a great mix of stealth and machine gun firefighting.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and look flat, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its quality and encouraging others to find the original soundtrack on Bandcamp. It creatively revitalizes lesser-known languages, infusing them with life and joy, and presents imaginative scenarios where these languages thrive in contemporary culture.
“The music is great; you can find the OST on Bandcamp.”
“Much like the way Aphex Twin played with the Cornish language in dance music, this game breathes life and joy into what can be considered musty or outdated languages, imagining alternative realities where these languages already had mass support and speakers.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for being very buggy, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. This has been particularly highlighted in comparison to other titles, such as "Cultic," which offers a longer, bug-free experience at a lower price point.
“When you have unbelievable games like Cultic, a 10-hour long, bug-free experience for $10, this pricing just seems like a slap in the face.”
“However, the gameplay is very buggy.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant frame drops and stability issues during my sessions.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty Scottish banter and clever writing that enhances the overall experience, encouraging players to explore for more comedic content and world-building elements.
“An easy pick if you fancy some humorous Scottish banter and plenty of action!”
“The writing is extremely funny and makes you want to seek out the terminals in each map for additional world-building.”
