Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is a narrative-driven adventure game with a fresh new concept that effortlessly immerses you into its world. If you are more into good storytelling than perfect gameplay, you should check Paradise Lost out

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"Paradise Lost" is a mysterious adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic, nuclear-ravaged Poland. Play as Szymon, a 12-year-old boy searching for a stranger from a cherished photograph amidst the ruins of a massive Nazi bunker. Uncover the secrets of the bunker and the fates of its inhabitants in this atmospheric, story-driven experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 720 reviews

story306 positive mentions

gameplay26 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and environments that create an immersive atmosphere.
Engaging story with interesting themes and emotional depth.
Strong environmental storytelling that encourages exploration.

Game-breaking bugs that can leave the character stuck after loading a checkpoint.
Extremely slow walking speed with no effective running option, making exploration tedious.
Limited interactivity and gameplay mechanics, leading to a lack of engagement.

story
748 mentions
41 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Paradise Lost" is widely praised for its imaginative and engaging narrative, set in a unique post-apocalyptic world that intertwines personal and historical themes. While many players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and emotional depth, some criticize its predictability and the slow pacing of the gameplay, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy narrative-driven experiences, despite its limitations in gameplay mechanics.
- “The story is imaginative and an experience very few games will come close to drawing.”
- “Paradise Lost was truly a masterpiece of storytelling.”
- “The story unfolds slowly and it was a pleasure watching it develop to a surprising conclusion.”
- “The story that the game chose instead to pursue was confusing and, in my opinion, pretty uninteresting.”
- “The storyline was very repetitive, and I got bored after just an hour.”
- “The story is so empty and lifeless, you feel like there's no meaning in everything you do, see and listen to.”
graphics
198 mentions
65 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, intricate details, and immersive atmosphere, often described as breathtaking and comparable to high-end AAA titles. However, some players have reported performance issues, including lag and blurriness, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the game's art direction and environmental design are frequently highlighted as standout features that enhance the storytelling and exploration aspects.
- “The graphics are amazing, atmospheric, and so detailed that I stopped many times to explore rooms and places just to find out how.”
- “Very good game with amazing, if not the best, visuals and graphics I have seen in indie games. Every single item in this game was high detailed and looked amazing.”
- “The graphics are phenomenal, and the visual aesthetic is phenomenal, with plenty of gorgeous sights to see.”
- “The visual imposition and the oppressive atmosphere of this place is marred by the somewhat dusty graphics, the choppy motion sequences, and the limited freedom of movement.”
- “Even though my computer met the minimum specifications to play this game, I had to downgrade the graphics settings to the lowest possible setting in order to move somewhat smoothly through it.”
- “The graphics are also troublesome; it's almost impossible to read anything unless they are set on high or above, but doing so decreases the performance on my machine.”
atmosphere
158 mentions
69 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating visuals, haunting sound design, and immersive environments, effectively creating a rich, post-apocalyptic world that enhances the emotional weight of the story. Many reviewers noted the meticulous attention to detail in the graphics and ambiance, likening it to titles like Bioshock, while also acknowledging that the slow-paced gameplay allows players to fully appreciate the atmospheric depth. However, some critiques mention that technical issues and subpar voice acting can detract from the overall experience, yet the game's strong atmosphere remains a standout feature.
- “The atmosphere captures the emptiness in my heart and soul perfectly.”
- “The world and atmosphere is wonderfully crafted, feeling less like a backdrop, and more like a critical part of the story.”
- “Amazing visuals, dark and intriguing atmosphere, rich history and an unforgettable story that made me play the whole thing in one sitting.”
- “More often than not I was underwhelmed lately by dramatic overscoring, which, you know, can also destroy the atmosphere.”
- “The visual imposition and the oppressive atmosphere of this place is marred by the somewhat dusty graphics, the choppy motion sequences and the limited freedom of movement.”
- “Could've had high potential if the game was a horror game, such a wasted atmosphere...”
gameplay
136 mentions
13 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has been widely criticized for being slow, clunky, and overly simplistic, often described as a walking simulator with minimal interactivity and repetitive mechanics. Many players found the lack of engaging gameplay elements and frustrating controls detracted from the overall experience, despite appreciating the game's atmosphere and story. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a significant weakness, making it less appealing for those seeking a more dynamic gaming experience.
- “I thought the walking speed was just right for the type of gameplay that is being encouraged; you're not meant to get anywhere in a hurry.”
- “Interesting little story game, very nice maps and graphics, gameplay is very straightforward and there are some parts that feel a bit slow but it's not too bad.”
- “The game is pretty awesome and interesting as the story gets more and more interesting, visually the game looks pretty great and the simple gameplay mechanics help the player to focus on the important things in the game.”
- “The slow movement of the character was particularly frustrating, and overall, the gameplay leaves much to be desired.”
- “Gameplay is atrocious as well; it's a walking simulator with tedious door opening and other 'mechanics' like it.”
- “The gameplay consists of just walking around, opening doors, pushing a few buttons, and reading notes.”
music
49 mentions
61 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the story, with many players noting its haunting quality and immersive sound design. The soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting, perfectly complementing the game's visuals and narrative, although some found it to be repetitive at times. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's engaging and immersive experience, making it a standout feature for many players.
- “The music and sound design are well done.”
- “The environments here have been made with meticulous care, the atmospheric audio design really draws you in, and the soundtrack is simply haunting.”
- “The game is beautiful, the narrative is captivating, and the music makes it incredibly immersive.”
- “The music did enough to build a bit of an atmosphere.”
- “Music is repetitive.”
- “I love how relaxing narrative-driven 'walking simulators' are, especially with the music, but this becomes too frustrating and miserable that I can't bring myself to continue.”
stability
34 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as getting stuck in the environment and frequent crashes. While some users experienced minimal issues, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish, with numerous critical bugs making the game frustrating for many. Despite its engaging story and aesthetics, the game's stability issues have led to a perception of it being unplayable in its current state.
- “And that's especially because of the second issue, which is much more severe: while I only experienced one actual crash, there are quite a number of collider glitches where you can get stuck in place if you take a step in the wrong direction, with no other option than to load the last save point.”
- “This was an extensive review at first, but after a few minutes of thinking, I have decided to just give you all the gist of it: what a buggy mess.”
- “The game does suffer from some really bad glitches that I'm quite surprised were never fixed or patched in later, and it's not just me that encountered these glitches; many others did as well.”
optimization
28 mentions
14 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent crashes, severe performance issues, and bugs such as getting stuck in the environment. Many users experienced significant frame rate drops even on high-end hardware, and the overall graphical performance was deemed subpar, leading to frustration despite the game's engaging story and sound design. While some players noted occasional smooth performance, the consensus is that the game suffers from poor optimization that detracts from the overall experience.
- “The performance of the game is fine without too many issues.”
- “Otherwise the game runs smoothly and looks great.”
- “Great story, and solid performance.”
- “Pretty interesting story-driven game with nice graphics and sound design, but at the same time, there are very bad performance issues with bugs like getting stuck in geometry after saving the game, loading the game, or loading the last checkpoint.”
- “It is let down by bad optimization; a rig that can play Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra at 70fps at 5k was struggling to keep up with high 50s on medium at 1440p here, but that's a common problem with Unreal Engine 4 and 2080 RTX GPUs.”
- “I haven't finished the game yet, but by chapter 4, the performance is so bad and there are so many bugs that I can't keep playing it.”
emotional
26 mentions
96 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative, which explores themes of loss, survival, and the consequences of power, often resonating deeply with players. While the voice acting has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and others noting inconsistencies, the overall atmosphere and visual presentation significantly enhance the emotional weight of the story. Many players found themselves emotionally invested, particularly in the poignant ending, despite some critiques regarding the story's pacing and conclusion.
- “Some tech issues and voice acting foibles aside, this game has a touching story that is absolutely worth playing through.”
- “The narrative of 'Paradise Lost' is its standout feature, offering a poignant and emotionally charged exploration of loss, survival, and the consequences of unchecked power.”
- “Prepare for an emotional ending that almost brought tears to my eyes.”
- “This is the worst boring story and the worst wasted potential for a game in 2021.”
replayability
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting that once the story is completed, there is little incentive to replay it. While there are multiple endings, the short playtime and issues like slow movement detract from the desire to experience the game again. Some players may find value in exploring different endings, but the consensus leans towards minimal replay value.
- “Once they fix the bugs, I can see a high replay value due to the atmosphere.”
- “While I think the replayability of the game is absent, I'm sure there are some people who want to get all the endings and fully enjoy this creation.”
- “While I don't foresee it will have much replay value, I personally felt very engaged during the first playthrough.”
- “And once you have uncovered the story, the game has about zero replay value to offer.”
- “The game offers minimal replayability considering there are 2 endings that are fairly black and white.”
- “The game lasts about 4 hours from start to finish and does not have any replay value.”
grinding
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its slow-paced and tedious mechanics, such as painfully slow character movement and unnecessarily prolonged animations for simple actions like opening doors. Players find the gameplay experience frustratingly monotonous, with excessive document collection and lackluster story execution contributing to an overall sense of tedium. Despite some appealing environmental design, the gameplay's sluggishness detracts significantly from the enjoyment.
- “The main character walks like a snail; it takes forever to get anywhere, so finding documents in rooms is tedious, not exciting.”
- “Broken checkpoints and tediously long animations bring this slog of a game to an unbearable low.”
- “While the pros of the game are the beauty of the environment and its grandness, the story is lackluster, the gameplay is slow and forced, and it is overall a tedious experience.”
character development
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as weak, with some reviewers noting that while the story is intriguing enough to explore, the depth of character development, particularly for the protagonist Szymon, falls short.
- “The story and character development are engaging and well-crafted.”
- “Paradise Lost is a story worth exploring, especially for the alternative ending that focuses on the character development of Szymon.”
- “The voice acting and character development are really weak.”
- “Paradise Lost is a story worth exploring once, but the alternative ending targeting those who were roped in by the story and the character development of Szymon is lacking.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, particularly highlighted by the frustrating subtitle issues, where some dialogues are missing subtitles while others include untranslated Polish phrases. This inconsistency elicits a mix of amusement and exasperation, leading players to experience a range of emotions akin to the five stages of grief.
- “The humor in this game is so absurd that it makes you question reality itself. It's a wild ride that keeps you laughing through the five stages of grief that the chapters are named after.”
- “I love how the game mixes ridiculous situations with clever dialogue. It’s the kind of humor that catches you off guard and leaves you chuckling long after you’ve put the controller down.”
- “The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions make every moment enjoyable. The game’s humor is a delightful blend of wit and absurdity that keeps you engaged.”