Oxygen: First Breath
- October 7, 2022
- Turquoise Revival Games
Get on SteamSTORYA natural disaster hit us and brought humanity to the verge of extinction. Only a few survived because of "Large Igneous Provinces", these are volcanoes that don't explode but huge cracks open in the Earth's crust and lava just starts bubbling out, oozing across the landscape, releasing tons of toxic gases. The most dangerous thing about an igneous province is that it can keep up th…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging city-building experience with resource management elements, reminiscent of titles like Frostpunk and Banished.
- The graphics and user interface are well-designed, providing a smooth gameplay experience that is easy to navigate.
- The tutorial effectively guides players through the mechanics, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre.
- The game can feel repetitive and lacks depth in its gameplay, with limited story content and a lack of meaningful choices.
- There are issues with AI behavior, where characters may act irrationally, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
- The demo version is limited to 50 days, which may leave players wanting more and feeling like they haven't fully explored the game's potential.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the demo version is generally described as fun and engaging, featuring a mix of city-building and survival mechanics, though it can feel repetitive and lacks depth. Players appreciate the smooth controls, clean user interface, and effective tutorials, but many feel the game needs more content and complexity to fully realize its potential. Overall, while the mechanics are functional and the gameplay loop is entertaining, there is a consensus that the game requires further development to enhance its depth and variety.
“Endless gameplay!”
“Overall the gameplay is compelling, if slightly repetitive, but the tasks help to drive advancement and keep things interesting for the player.”
“The game has a tutorial and 'quests', which work well as an introduction to the mechanics.”
“It's a minimal city builder theme with a minimal survival mechanic poured on top of it that amounts to you basically building the same fish bowl every time and then just watching until a random event kills all of your fish.”
“Gameplay is extremely shallow.”
“Seems lacking in forethought and depth of worldbuilding, which means it's resting solely on the back of its mechanics... which are mobile-game tier.”
- story37 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed feedback, with many players noting a lack of depth and variation in the narrative. While some appreciate the unique premise and initial setup, they express a desire for a more fleshed-out storyline, missions, and lore to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game would benefit significantly from a more engaging and detailed narrative structure.
“Really good game that I played. I liked the intro, sound, graphics, the animation, and the storyline.”
“Interesting story, everything is explained. I like the part where you can use gas for energy.”
“It's a very cool concept, mixing game mechanics of tycoons such as City Skylines and Rollercoaster Tycoon with a dystopian story like Fallout.”
“Sure the story is different, but the ideas have been done.”
“To start with, there's no missions or variations or story depth.”
“The game itself is a neat spin on the genre; however, the story is very light.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the nice 3D visuals and consistent art style, while others find them average or lacking compared to similar titles. Many users express a desire for improvements, particularly in terms of detail and optimization, suggesting that while the graphics are visually appealing, they may not fully meet expectations or enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a positive aspect, but there is room for enhancement before the final release.
“The graphics and art of the game are very beautiful, just the way I like it!”
“I really liked the style and graphics, I highly recommend it!”
“Very interesting to see your people have different actions and this game has stunning graphics.”
“It would be nice if the game graphics and music were improved in the final release.”
“The graphics are not up to the mark; maybe they will be better in the full release.”
“Relatively high GPU load for these low graphics.”
- music15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its relaxing and thematic qualities, while others criticize it for being monotonous or of low sound quality, particularly noting the use of "copyright free" tracks that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the music beautiful and well-suited to the game's atmosphere, others feel it lacks depth and richness. Overall, the sound design is generally considered strong, but there is a desire for improvement in the final release.
“The music is top notch, it's beautiful, it suits the concept of the game perfectly and still fun to listen to despite listening to it for 3 hours.”
“Great game with an easy to follow tutorial and a good atmosphere provided by the music and setting.”
“The sounds and music are good and don't overtake the gameplay.”
“I do wish, however, that the music (violin) was a better performance and richer in sound quality produced by the artist.”
“But the 'copyright free Halloween music' perhaps didn't add much to the experience.”
“The music that kept playing was a bit monotonous, but I guess it's because this is merely a trial with only one track on loop?”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, featuring a well-developed climate system, engaging music, and a calming setting that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the balance of challenge and enjoyment, particularly in a dystopian context where resource management and environmental factors play significant roles. However, some reviews note a lack of atmosphere in certain aspects, indicating a mixed reception.
“Gather resources and rebuild civilization while trying to breathe in the thin atmosphere of a dead Earth. What's not to love!”
“I love the atmosphere of the game and how it can be challenging yet fun.”
“The plot, in short, is this: the climate and atmosphere of the game are very well developed, with season mechanics, resource collection, weather afflictions, eventual disasters, etc. Too many details to write here.”
“Decent idea, but simply lackluster, no atmosphere at all.”
“Set in a dystopian future where nuclear war has made the atmosphere of Earth inhospitable.”
“The gameplay flows well and the atmosphere really is quite calming.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report flawless performance and smooth graphics with no bugs, others criticize the management system as clumsy and poorly designed, impacting the overall experience. The need for improved UI elements for managing settlers is a common concern, suggesting that while the game runs well technically, its design could benefit from further refinement.
“No bugs, graphics optimized, very realistic, I just don't know what bad I can say about this game.”
“The game performance is flawless, the gameplay itself is a tight management of prep and putting out fires; it's quite fun to be able to manage the problems you're getting and solving them.”
“Simple and good controls, the game runs smoothly, no bugs or issues after more than 80 minutes of pure gameplay!”
“Honestly, the game is entertaining; it's just a run-of-the-mill city builder. However, it feels like a crypto miner or is horribly optimized.”
“The management of the settlers needs to be improved through more intelligent design and UI elements. It feels far too clumsy to manage everyone every few seconds for optimized handling; it just makes no sense on this part.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with many expressing a desire for better balance and more engaging activities to reduce the repetitive nature of the gameplay. Despite these criticisms, some still recommend trying the game due to its free-to-play model.
“I found it tedious.”
“One word review: tedious.”
“Tedious and boring... but it's free so give it a shot.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing bugs, such as characters standing idle and the absurdity of sending non-existent people on missions. Players find the quirky mechanics, like the "produce plastic" confusion, to be entertaining, especially with the developer's humorous responses to player feedback. Overall, the game's comedic elements add a lighthearted touch, though some players wish for more engaging combat to enhance the experience.
“It's hilarious that the kids just stand there doing... exactly nothing.”
“Funny bug, you literally send non-existent people to the signal tower mission.”
“You gotta work your population like hoarders gone wild, and it's funny; I just wish there was a combat aspect to the game to make it even more interesting.”
- stability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a stable experience with no significant bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay. The demo is praised for its smooth performance and effective tutorial, suggesting a well-polished product.
“I have really enjoyed this demo; the excellent tutorial and good learning curve make it feel like a modern-day Banished. In the hours I played, I found no glitches.”
“Is it a buggy, unplayable mess like most games released early on Steam?”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Games in this genre typically offer a limited number of main missions or campaigns, supplemented by sandbox modes that enhance replayability through random or custom maps. This combination allows players to revisit the game with varied experiences, though the core content may feel finite.
“Most games in this genre offer a few main missions or campaigns to choose from, along with a sandbox mode for added replay value, featuring either random maps or custom maps.”
“Most games in this genre have a few main missions or campaigns to choose from, and then maybe even a sandbox mode on the side for added replay value, either with random maps or custom maps.”
