P.A.M.E.L.A

About

P.A.M.E.L.A is a single player open world role playing game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by NVYVE® Studios and was released on June 18, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

"P.A.M.E.L.A. is a single-player, open-world horror game set in the decaying utopian city of Eden. As a Sleeper, scavenge for resources, build and upgrade equipment, and navigate relationships with various factions to survive. Experience a dense atmosphere, stunning graphics, and a good plot, but be prepared for numerous bugs, grinding, and subpar optimization."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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58%

Audience ScoreBased on 716 reviews

story62 positive mentions

optimization40 negative mentions

Promising concept with a great setting and intriguing story.
Unique crafting and base-building mechanics that enhance gameplay.
Atmospheric visuals and immersive world design.

Game feels unfinished with numerous bugs and performance issues.
Awkward combat mechanics and poor AI pathfinding detract from the experience.
Lack of clear direction and guidance for players, making it easy to get lost.

story
297 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The game's story is described as having great potential and an intriguing setting, but it often feels unfinished and lacks clear direction, leading to a disjointed experience. While some players appreciate the lore conveyed through environmental storytelling and audio logs, many criticize the main narrative for being simplistic, filled with fetch quests, and lacking emotional impact. Overall, the story is seen as a missed opportunity, with players expressing a desire for more depth, clearer objectives, and engaging character interactions.
- “The story itself, found through the various recordings and such, offers a lovely glimpse into a controlled utopia turned calamity.”
- “The atmosphere, lore, and storytelling (visual and not) are intriguing and it'd be a sad waste to not share that.”
- “The story is very well fleshed out, lots of lore and deeper details within the game, it was very interesting to explore.”
- “The story, while not detailed or present in every aspect of the game, was emotive and interesting.”
- “The main questline is horribly put together as from the first mission you'll be stuck hiding/running from some of the worst mobs available.”
- “The finishing touch to this half-baked story is the lazy and uninspiring ending which will leave anyone disappointed on what the game could have been.”
gameplay
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the innovative mechanics and exploration aspects, while others criticize it for being clunky, poorly optimized, and filled with bugs. Many appreciate the survival elements and base-building features, but find the combat and overall mechanics lacking depth and polish. Overall, while the game shows potential with its unique ideas and beautiful graphics, it struggles with execution and stability, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.
- “Hugely fun to play, gorgeous, smooth gameplay, 10/10 would recommend.”
- “The gameplay is innovative, with layouts and controls I've never seen but really enjoyed.”
- “The gameplay is solid, and the graphics are stunning.”
- “This is a fine example of a game that looks decent, but its gameplay is a dumpster fire.”
- “The game mechanics are poor and frustrating - it looks beautiful but you end up wandering around aimlessly and occasionally fighting some pretty poor enemies in the dark and in a fairly clunky way.”
- “The gameplay is not very fluid or responsive.”
graphics
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals, immersive atmosphere, and detailed art style, particularly in terms of lighting and design. However, several users report performance issues, including graphical glitches, stuttering, and poor optimization, which detract from the overall experience. While the game showcases impressive aesthetics, it often struggles to run smoothly on various hardware configurations, leading to frustration among players.
- “Graphically beautiful, the horror is on point, from the shadows to the skulking enemies that appear around corners out of nowhere, to hearing their warped voices beam out from the dark.”
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous (just ensure you have a decent computer, as you'll have a hard time running this otherwise), and the 'no-loading screens' concept of loading the whole city, which is massive and detailed, is brilliant.”
- “This game is a work of art with incredible visuals and immersion.”
- “The graphics optimization is the lowest I've seen for any early access game.”
- “I straight up can't play the game; the graphics are so buggy.”
- “The game needs 4K optimization badly; you can't play on high resolutions; it keeps lagging and stuttering.”
optimization
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
63%
31%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent crashes, significant frame rate drops, and memory leaks that worsen over time. Despite some updates aimed at improving performance, many users feel the game remains poorly optimized, making it difficult to recommend until substantial fixes are implemented. Overall, while the game shows potential, its current state is marred by frustrating technical problems that detract from the experience.
- “The optimization could be better, but updates are constant, and the developers are very responsive to the community's feedback.”
- “This game is/has the potential to be something amazing; the biggest issue is optimization. I know for a fact that my computer can run better than this game is letting it, so I hope optimization is a big part on the dev's list!”
- “Buyer beware: at present state it's a bit buggy, but when it does work, it works well, and the devs are hard at work on optimization and bug fixes.”
- “The optimization is terrible to put it nicely; it crashes every time I play at different times.”
- “This game has so much potential, but is unfortunately riddled with crashes and bugs, has absolutely abysmal performance that gets worse the longer the game is open, and it seems to have just been abandoned in this state.”
- “Very bad optimization: uses 99% CPU and 99% GPU.”
atmosphere
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively combining beautiful graphics, eerie sound design, and a compelling sense of exploration. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke tension and intrigue, often comparing it to other atmospheric titles like Dead Space and Dead Island. Despite some technical flaws and a lack of intuitive guidance, the overall ambiance and world-building create a captivating experience that many find worth the investment.
- “The atmosphere, lore, and storytelling (visual and not) are intriguing and it'd be a sad waste to not share that.”
- “The atmosphere is perfect to set the mood for a horror survival game.”
- “The effort that the developers have put into immersion and atmosphere really shines through, by a combination of all that I've said so far, as well as the environment, ambience, sound, and general attention to detail.”
- “Lack of music and sound undermines the atmosphere on the opening level.”
- “I had high hopes for this game; I really hope that they fix and optimize this game and pull a No Man's Sky out of this because the premise and atmosphere of the game is the only part of this game that feels like they put any work into.”
- “It's still just so boring...the whole game; the atmosphere, the combat, the crafting, and material collection.”
stability
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent glitches, bugs, and performance issues that can hinder gameplay. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these problems, others describe it as nearly unplayable due to crashes and clunky mechanics. Overall, the game is viewed as a buggy experience that requires further development and optimization, particularly given its early access status.
- “It is so buggy that it's kind of unplayable.”
- “A buggy, unfinished and unpolished mess that was quickly 'released' in order to abandon the game in its current state with all of its animation clipping, poor world layout, and sloppy mechanics tacked in simply to make the game feel more interesting.”
- “When this game first released it was a buggy, unplayable mess that was deservedly review bombed.”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is often perceived as tedious and overly time-consuming, with players frequently expressing frustration over resource scarcity and repetitive tasks such as looting and crafting. Many find the combat mechanics buggy and unengaging, contributing to a sense of monotony, while the lack of save points exacerbates the grind. Overall, the game may appeal to those who enjoy extensive farming and upgrading, but it risks alienating players who prefer a more streamlined experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Difficult to find some key resources; feels super grindy at times.”
- “If you're not into games where you will spend 3-4 hours farming for loot and upgrading your equipment/base, then it's probably best that you avoid this game.”
- “Grinding for loot, running from or killing the same enemies, permadeath, rinse and repeat.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the solid sound design and atmospheric tracks that enhance the experience, while others criticize the limited soundtrack and repetitive looping of a few tracks. Although the ambient sounds contribute to the game's tension, many feel that a more diverse musical selection could improve the overall atmosphere. Overall, while the sound design is generally praised, the lack of a robust soundtrack is a common point of contention.
- “As for sound design, I thought it was pretty decent in that the sounds were solid and the music was pretty good.”
- “Not only is the game visually stunning, but the sound design is superlative; the background music reminds me of Deus Ex: Human Revolution or Blade Runner, and does not intrude on the player's experience, and the voice acting is top notch.”
- “Atmosphere, another thing that this game gets 100% on the button; whether walking through tight corridors or exploring the larger and more open areas of the game, the ambient sounds and music that play in the background are enough to keep anyone on the edge of their seat.”
- “There is also barely any music playing, so the game is quiet at times.”
- “Not much in music; it's the same couple of tracks on a loop, some random ambient noise, and monsters moaning.”
- “Lack of music and sound undermines the atmosphere on the opening level.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd situations, such as the comically poor AI pathfinding and the bizarre behavior of zombies, which often leads to unintentionally funny encounters. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter amidst its flaws, with some finding the story engaging despite mixed reviews on its depth. Overall, the humor serves as a notable aspect that enhances the gaming experience, even when the combat system is criticized.
- “It's funny that I'm here admiring the architecture and interior designs while others are out there slaying the infected and surviving.”
- “Ai pathfinding is hilariously bad.”
- “When you have a zombie walking sideways almost towards you, it’s a weird fear of 'are they actually coming towards me, looking at something else, or just walking funny?'”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is highlighted by random loot, skill trees, and various difficulty settings, which encourage players to revisit the experience. However, some users express concerns about the lack of a clear endgame, which may affect long-term engagement. The resurrection mechanic and permadeath mode also add layers of replay value, making the game appealing for those seeking to learn and improve.
- “The concept of resurrection makes for an interesting chance to learn the game, and it is immensely replayable in that regard.”
- “Tons of skill trees and upgrades make this game highly replayable.”
- “No replayability!”
- “The lack of an apparent endgame is also concerning for me. I am currently 14 hours in and I expect I have another 20-30 hours of 'first time' experience left in this game, along with a form of replayability with the permadeath mode. However, I feel like the 'endgame' needs to be clearer or dismissed altogether.”
- “There's decent replay value with the style variance or difficulty settings.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find the protagonist's inconsistent emotional portrayal frustrating, others appreciate the profound sense of loneliness evoked by the game's environment. The narrative's ability to elicit feelings of nostalgia and melancholy is noted, particularly in comparison to other titles that explore complex AI-human dynamics. Overall, the emotional depth is seen as a double-edged sword, enhancing the experience for some while detracting from it for others.
- “Never has a game made me feel so lonely; walking around the once beautiful city with only hints of its glory remaining just tugs on the heartstrings.”
- “I want to be overly careful about comparing this game to System Shock, but I think it's worth noting that SHODAN, and AI in general, carry increased emotional impact when their human qualities and morality are nebulous, alien, and possibly threatening.”
- “Simply put, the storyline is incredibly boring.”
- “The core gameplay is cool, but the story is boring.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game features a complex and well-integrated character development system that enhances the overall experience, allowing for meaningful upgrades and customization. Players appreciate the RPG mechanics that contribute to a rich exploration and survival gameplay, making character progression feel rewarding.
- “A true exploration game with a big and well-designed world, lots of mysteries to uncover, a complex system of character development and upgrades, base building, and survival... and it all works together pretty well, summing up to a very good experience.”
- “The game does some things right in terms of the RPG mechanics of character development.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact the gameplay.”
- “I found the character progression to be uninspired and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the character development system is poorly implemented and fails to offer a sense of growth.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization model is viewed positively, as the developers have consistently provided updates and fixes over nearly two years, demonstrating a commitment to the game rather than exploiting early access for quick profits.
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on in-game purchases.”
- “It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
- “The game is fun, but the aggressive monetization tactics really detract from the overall experience.”