Oracle

About

Oracle is a single player open world simulation game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Watercolor Games and was released on February 28, 2017. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Oracle" is a single-player, open-world mystery game set on a 5 sq mile island with over 30 locations to discover. The game offers a unique story experience with randomly generated audio, an immersive soundtrack, and voice overs from Brynjar Gunnarsson. With Time of Day and weather systems, players can uncover the truth about the island and its relation to the main character's past, while earning achievements and trading cards. However, beware of bugs that may affect the gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

55%

Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews

story31 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game features beautiful environments that showcase the engine's capabilities, making exploration visually appealing.
The narrator has a pleasant voice, and the calming music enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
It's a relaxing experience for those who enjoy walking simulators and open-world exploration, with easy achievements to unlock.

The story is confusing and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
The game suffers from technical issues such as graphical glitches, invisible walls, and a painfully slow movement speed.
There is minimal interaction with the environment, leading to a feeling of emptiness and a lack of meaningful gameplay.

story
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The story in the game is often described as confusing and disjointed, with many players struggling to follow its progression through scattered trigger points. While some appreciate the atmospheric visuals and the potential depth of the narrative, others find it lacking coherence and engagement, leading to a sense of aimlessness during gameplay. Overall, the story seems to be a mixed bag, appealing to those who enjoy exploration and ambiance but disappointing for players seeking a strong, cohesive narrative.
- “There are 24 trigger points or locations (which coincide with an achievement), and as you reach each trigger point you hear a little bit of the story, and the story progresses this way.”
- “It doesn't really matter which route you take, you can go in any direction, the story just flows as you hit each trigger point (location), regardless of what order you come across each location in.”
- “A beautiful storytelling walking simulator.”
- “However, the story is a bit hard to follow, and despite nearly two hours of gameplay, I couldn't find all the locations.”
- “The story doesn't hold together: the prose doesn't even make sense most of the time, even when you exert yourself looking for some metaphor or allegory to hang it from.”
- “The story is non-sensical and a bit pretentious.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the beautiful visuals and atmospheric elements, while others criticize the numerous glitches, clunky textures, and low draw distances that detract from the overall experience. Although there are moments of visual appeal, many users find the graphical quality inconsistent and outdated, leading to a frustrating experience during exploration. Overall, while the graphics have potential, significant improvements are needed to enhance the game's visual integrity.
- “The graphics are visually pleasing.”
- “It's fun to explore for a while, and the graphics are nice, especially for such a cheap game.”
- “The graphics are really beautiful, with the scenery from the countryside at every turn, including different weather patterns and times of day.”
- “The graphics are full of glitches, with textures constantly popping into existence right in front of you.”
- “The graphics look like they were drawn by a child and even some areas have poorly copy/pasted structures.”
- “Along the way you encounter many graphical flaws, misplaced objects, glitches that stop you from moving, invisible walls, terrible draw distance issues.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
29%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and peaceful qualities, often described as lovely and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted that the repetitive nature of certain tracks can lead to monotony, detracting from immersion. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing to a relaxing ambiance that complements the game's visuals and narrative.
- “The music was nice and peaceful.”
- “A good relaxing game with a mellow soundtrack and nice visuals.”
- “I found myself in a meditative state for a while, pondering the mysteries of life while slowly trodding along a sunlit path to the calm and subtle music.”
- “The jumping sound began to really grind after a while as it completely broke any sense of immersion. The soundtrack is nice and calming.”
- “You move very slowly with nothing but music to accompany you for large chunks of this.”
- “Another walking 'game' that, while it looks very nice with very calming music, the narrative is very boring and the story makes no sense.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interaction, leading to a tedious experience for many players. Critics note that the story is hard to follow and lacks engagement, resulting in a slow-paced and often boring journey through the game world. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking depth and failing to captivate players, with many expressing disappointment in its execution.
- “Fine game with good gameplay.”
- “Their graphics and gameplay are surprisingly similar.”
- “A few things I noticed in my brief 20 minutes of gameplay.”
- “This game is basically trying to copy Dear Esther with its writing (and has the same basic 'walking sim' gameplay), but it really fails miserably.”
- “Uninstalled it because it just got boring and pointless, plus you move so slowly, and nowhere near the speed they show in the gameplay video. It ends up being a tedious slog, where you don't even care about the story because it's just not that captivating or interesting after a few 'memories'.”
- “It's another game that would deserve a 'meh' vote - doesn't look great, doesn't look bad, there isn't gameplay as such, just a walking simulator and backstory that is hard to understand and about a 1-hour long walk around the island, where you don't interact with surroundings in any way.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is severely compromised by numerous graphical glitches, including texture pop-ins, clipping issues, and invisible walls, which detract from the overall experience. Players report a frustratingly buggy environment that hampers exploration and immersion, making it difficult to enjoy the game's atmosphere. Despite its potential, the frequent technical issues leave a negative impression on users.
- “The graphics are full of glitches, with textures constantly popping into existence right in front of you.”
- “Along the way you encounter many graphical flaws, misplaced objects, glitches that stop you from moving, invisible walls, terrible draw distance issues.”
- “There are plenty of glitches and invisible walls that add to this unpleasant experience.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the beautiful landscapes and music reminiscent of a Hayao Miyazaki film, while others criticize glitches, awkward graphics, and a disjointed storyline that detracts from immersion. Although the environment is visually appealing, many feel that the lack of engaging elements, such as wildlife and improved draw distance, undermines the overall atmospheric experience. Ultimately, while there are moments of charm, the game's atmosphere is often hindered by technical issues and gameplay choices.
- “However, the lovely landscapes and dreamy atmosphere are worth at least one playthrough.”
- “It is a cool world and strange atmosphere.”
- “A game which perfectly captures and resembles a Hayao Miyazaki movie-like atmosphere, accompanied with such wonderful music.”
- “The atmosphere is hard to define; at times it could be considered good. However, the glitches in the terrain, awkward graphics, and strange storyline really made it hard to be enveloped by the game.”
- “I might also add that jump buttons are often inadvisable in games that aim to be relaxing and dream-like, as the player must struggle with the constant temptation to bunny-hop through much of the game, especially when not much is happening. It doesn't exactly add to the atmosphere, I'm afraid.”
- “The game is a walking simulator with an alright story and a beautiful environment, but it lacks a compelling atmosphere.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often describing it as a boring slog that detracts from the overall experience. The slow movement speed and lack of engaging content lead many to abandon the game before completion.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Basically, I found the game tedious and eventually retired with it only half finished, if that.”
- “Uninstalled it because it just got boring and pointless, plus you move so slowly, and nowhere near the speed they show in the gameplay video. It ends up being a tedious slog, where you don't even care about the story because it's just not that captivating or interesting after a few 'memories'.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as it combines a slow-paced exploration with impactful storytelling that resonates deeply. The emotional graphics enhance the experience, allowing players to connect with the character's journey and decisions, ultimately leading to a sense of relief and understanding. Overall, the heartfelt effort put into the game's emotional narrative is appreciated, making it difficult for players to dismiss it negatively.
- “The emotional graphics continue to draw players in.”
- “As the character, you walk through a world where you cannot be killed or hurt, but as you come to understand the player character's decisions at each checkpoint, your emotional burden is lessened.”
- “I can't bring myself to give this a thumbs-down; there was a lot of heartfelt work put into this game.”
- “Wandering around at a slow pace, looking for things to trigger a part of a boring story.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally considered to have low replayability, with users noting that it lacks significant reasons to revisit it despite being a worthwhile experience. Some players express that they do not regret their time spent with the game, even if they wouldn't play it again.
- “Even though it has no replay value, I do not regret spending a bit of my time experiencing it.”
- “Replay value: bad - no real replay value.”
- “I'm ignoring the strange Unity-related bugs; they are not why this game isn't replayable, even as a walking simulator.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with players reporting it as unfinished and unplayable due to numerous issues, including slow walking speed and graphical problems. Many users express hope that the developer will address these key issues to improve the overall experience.
- “If the developer can fix a few key issues (such as the terribly slow walking speed, various graphical issues, optimization), I could recommend the game with a clear conscience.”
- “I have a beefy computer, so I'm not sure if maybe there is an optimization issue or what's going on.”
- “The game is unfinished, unoptimized, and since there are plenty of issues, it is unplayable for more than half an hour because it gets boring.”
- “If the developer can fix a few key issues (such as the terribly slow walking speed, various graphical issues, and optimization), I could recommend the game with a clear conscience.”
- “I have a beefy computer, so I'm not sure if there is an optimization issue or what's going on.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is perceived as needing minimal adjustments, primarily focusing on improving the narration and initial advertising to enhance the storyline's clarity.