Panoptic
- October 8, 2020
- Team Panoptes
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Panoptic is a local multi-player action game with a split screen view for 2 players, where one player in VR takes on the role of the powerful Overseer while the other player on the PC becomes a tiny Being. The Overseer must search for and eliminate the Being, who must stealthily destroy the Overseer's energy sources while blending in with the crowd. Featuring stellar gameplay and compelling graphics, Panoptic is a must-play for fans of PvP stealth games."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique and engaging asymmetric gameplay that is fun for both VR and PC players.
- Beautifully designed levels and art style that enhance the immersive experience.
- Great party game that allows for local multiplayer with just one VR headset, making it accessible for friends and family.
- Limited content with only a few maps and game modes, leading to potential replayability issues.
- Performance issues and lag, especially in more complex levels, can detract from the experience.
- Lack of online multiplayer options restricts gameplay to local sessions, which may not be feasible for all players.
- gameplay25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging and immersive experience, particularly in VR, with a blend of simple rules and polished mechanics that cater to both casual and experienced players. The asymmetric gameplay adds depth, making it enjoyable for both VR and non-VR participants, though some users noted a need for balance and additional mechanics to enhance the experience, especially for certain roles. Overall, the game offers a satisfying mix of excitement and creativity, with hopes for future updates to expand its features.
“I love how VR can take casual gamers and quickly bring them into extremely exciting, high-stakes gameplay.”
“Fantastic game, love the visuals and split-screen (VR vs. PC) gameplay.”
“Simple, easy to understand rules combined with a very solid art style and polished gameplay to make sure you have a blast with your friends, no matter if they have a lot of experience with VR or not.”
“Now for the mechanics, I notice that when I got a gun attachment, the attachment was usable for another gun too. I didn't unlock enough guns to know if this happens with all the guns, but if it does, I think it's quite a silly addition. I think you should only be able to unlock attachments for one gun at a time, and also maybe some sort of gun leveling system to unlock attachments at a steady rate; that'd be real nice.”
“Even when I saw the little hider (which I only spotted because they got careless when they realized how frustrating the shooting mechanics were), I wasn't able to shoot them.”
“I hope the devs add more mechanics, especially for the tiny beings, as it feels a little boring at times for them as they could use some escape gadgets/mechanics.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful art style and coherent design, creating an engaging visual experience. However, some users noted issues such as screen tearing due to the lack of a vsync option and performance inconsistencies across different levels. Overall, the visuals are considered impressive and enhance the gameplay, despite minor technical shortcomings.
“Fantastic game, love the visuals and split screen (VR vs. PC) gameplay.”
“So for starters, beautiful game, great graphics and post-processing, feels really good to shoot enemies, which is hard to get in games.”
“The art style is really endearing, beautifully designed and everything being coherent in style.”
“The execution has some room for improvement: as far as I see, there's no VSync option for graphics, so the challenger's view suffered from screen tearing on my machine (not the best one though).”
“Some of the levels seem to run poorly compared to other maps, which, although I understand it is rendering two views at the same time, is disappointing for a game as non-graphically intensive as this.”
“The visuals are not as polished as I expected, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting a lack of content and low replay value, while others appreciate the fun concept and potential for replay through switching mechanics. Many feel that the game could improve in this area with future updates and additional content.
“Switching back and forth adds to the replay value.”
“Amazing game with high replay value!”
“Very fun concept, not a very high replayability but fun to experience!”
“The game has a lack of content, maps, and overall replayability.”
“I really like the concept of this game, but it fails to optimize the experience and it lacks content and replayability. Maybe this game will be good after another year or so of development.”
“Not much replayability.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with an ominous soundtrack that heightens tension during gameplay. While the ambient sounds and music across the maps are well-received, some players express a desire for a more prominent soundtrack, particularly in the main menu. Overall, the combination of art and music contributes significantly to the immersive experience, despite minor technical issues on certain maps.
“The atmosphere and soundtrack is the icing on the cake.”
“Playing it as the desktop player is one of the most intense experiences I've ever had playing a game against friends, with the atmospheric music getting louder and the yellow light shining all around me when the VR player looks at me.”
“I miss a soundtrack or some kind of theme, at least in the main menu.”
“The soundtrack is ominous and puts the hider on edge.”
“My only complaint is that one of the maps has a bug that affects the headset with glitchy movement (disorienting), which is a shame - I love the art and music in that level.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in busier levels and VR mode, leading to performance problems that can render it unplayable for some users. Non-VR players also report issues, such as the player view not aligning correctly, resulting in distracting black bars. Many hope that future updates will address these shortcomings.
“Hopefully in future updates these performance issues will go away.”
“I have noticed some performance issues, especially for non-VR players, such as the player view not following where you look when you turn, resulting in black bars appearing at the edges of the screen, which can be annoying.”
“Completely unplayable, very poorly optimized and unable to run.”
“There are performance issues, especially on any of the busier levels (which is basically all but the first one), but these are only noticeable in VR.”
“I have noticed some performance issues, especially for the non-VR player, such as the player view not following where you look when you turn, resulting in black bars appearing at the edges of the screen, which can be annoying.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly immersive, with players noting a strong sense of disorientation upon removing the VR headset, indicating a deep engagement with the environment. The combination of atmospheric music and dynamic lighting enhances the intensity of the experience, making it particularly memorable when playing against friends. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that elevates the gameplay.
“You know that feeling when you remove your VR headset and don't recognize the place anymore?”
“Me and my friend had a blast playing this, and it is very atmospheric.”
“The atmosphere feels disorienting; you know that feeling when you remove your VR headset and don't recognize the place anymore?”
“The atmosphere and soundtrack are the icing on the cake.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its satisfying mechanics and charming art, with a well-balanced scale that enhances the feeling of being a "giant" while allowing for precise navigation. The original character design and beautifully crafted levels contribute to an engaging experience, though some levels may be overly dark.
“Very satisfying mechanics and such endearing art, level, and character design.”
“The scale is nicely balanced, so you really feel like a 'giant' while also being able to precisely navigate around without risking hitting your walls. Gorgeous levels, although sometimes a bit too dark by default, and original character design.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is subjective, with at least one user finding it amusing, indicating that while some may appreciate the comedic elements, others might not share the same sentiment.
“One person found this review funny.”
“This game is hilarious!”
“The humor in this game is top-notch!”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The user did not provide any specific feedback regarding the story aspect of the game, focusing instead on their experience with the Oculus Quest 2 and virtual desktop. Therefore, no summary can be drawn about the story from this input.
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes strong emotions by depicting an increasingly oppressive society, leading players to feel conflicted about their role as the overseer, especially when causing harm to innocent characters. This emotional depth enhances the overall experience, making players reflect on their actions within the game.
“This game hit me harder emotionally than I expected, with each level revealing the increasingly oppressive society in which the watchers live. I felt a sense of guilt as the overseer when blowing up innocent watchers just trying to live their lives.”
“The emotional depth of this game is astounding; it made me reflect on the consequences of my actions and the impact they have on the characters within the story.”
“I was genuinely moved by the narrative and the struggles of the characters, which made my choices feel weighty and significant throughout the gameplay.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be quite buggy and unstable, presenting a chaotic experience; however, many players still find it enjoyable for engaging one-on-one gameplay.
“The game is incredibly buggy and feels like a mess, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
“The stability issues are frustrating and often ruin the immersion.”
