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"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.

Oracle screenshot
Oracle screenshot
Oracle screenshot
Oracle screenshot
Oracle screenshot
Oracle screenshot

56%
Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews
story31 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions

  • The game features beautiful environments that showcase the engine's capabilities, making exploration visually appealing.
  • The calming soundtrack and pleasant narration create a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for players looking to unwind.
  • At its low price point, the game offers a decent experience for fans of walking simulators, with easy achievements to unlock.
  • The story is often confusing and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
  • Gameplay is hindered by slow movement speed and numerous invisible walls, which can lead to frustration during exploration.
  • The graphics, while decent, are marred by glitches and pop-ins, detracting from the overall immersion of the experience.
  • story
    121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this 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 prioritize exploration and ambiance over 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 is strange and doesn't really come together, and also sounds like the first read-through for the voice actor, but there are some interesting ideas and I didn't hate it.”
    • “I spent so much time trying to understand what the story was trying to tell me that it wasn't enjoyable at all, and after completing it, I still didn't understand what I was supposed to have gained or thought about the whole time; it just felt like I legitimately wasted time wandering in some weird fantasy realm.”
  • graphics
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 note that the graphical quality is inconsistent and often feels outdated or poorly executed. Overall, while the game has potential in its aesthetics, significant graphical issues hinder its effectiveness.

    • “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
    43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 repetitive tracks can become monotonous over time, detracting from immersion. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing to a relaxing and meditative gameplay atmosphere.

    • “The music was nice and peaceful.”
    • “A game which perfectly captures and resembles a Hayao Miyazaki movie-like atmosphere, accompanied with such wonderful music.”
    • “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

    The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interaction, leading to a tedious experience for many players. Critics note that the slow movement speed and lack of engaging mechanics contribute to a boring and unfulfilling experience, making it difficult to connect with the story. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking depth and excitement, often resulting in frustration rather than enjoyment.

    • “Fine game with good gameplay.”
    • “Their graphics and gameplay are surprisingly similar.”
    • “If you are looking for anything more from a game than that simple principal mechanic, then this most certainly will not be the game for you.”
    • “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

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of both minor and major graphical glitches, including texture pop-ins, invisible walls, and clipping issues. Players describe the experience as frustrating due to the frequent bugs that disrupt exploration and immersion, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. Despite some appealing visuals, the pervasive instability significantly undermines the gameplay experience.

    • “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
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the beautiful landscapes and calming 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.”
    • “A game which perfectly captures and resembles a Hayao Miyazaki movie-like atmosphere, accompanied with such wonderful music.”
    • “It has such a beautiful atmosphere.”
    • “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 has a lacking atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 altogether, feeling that it requires an unrealistic investment of time.

    • “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

    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

    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 acknowledge the presence of bugs but emphasize that these do not contribute to the game's limited replay value.

    • “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

    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

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be focused on improving the initial advertising and narration to enhance the story's clarity, suggesting that the graphics and core storyline may not need significant changes.

Buy Oracle

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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