Pendula Swing: The Complete Journey

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"Pendula Swing: The Complete Journey" is an episodic adventure game with a story inspired by swinging 1920s America, but set in a fantasy world. Play as Brialynne, a fallen hero on a quest to retrieve her lost sword, meeting diverse characters and making choices that impact the world. This complete edition includes all 5 episodes, with unique challenges, branching dialogues, and professional voice acting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

story6 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Great worldbuilding and a unique 1920s fantasy atmosphere that effectively explores social issues.
The music and art are well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The game features a diverse cast of characters and allows for meaningful interactions without relying on combat.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including disappearing keys and unresponsive NPCs, which can hinder progress.
Quest lines are often too straightforward and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment.
There is no manual save option, making it difficult to recover from bugs or missed quests.

story
37 mentions
16 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the main quest lines to be overly straightforward, repetitive, and lacking depth, leading to a dull experience. While some appreciate the character development and the inclusive themes, others criticize the numerous bugs that hinder quest progression and dialogue, resulting in frustrating gameplay. Despite these issues, a portion of the player base enjoys the overall narrative and atmosphere, expressing a desire for more content and deeper exploration of character relationships.
- “The game does a pretty great job of letting you shape the main character's personality, and the romances are a cute and completely optional addition that don't interfere with the main story.”
- “This game, put simply, has some of the most heart I have ever encountered in a story-driven game.”
- “If you enjoy a powerful story that explores 'being different' from most games in the genre, then by all means, don't miss this gem.”
- “The quest lines are way too straightforward, repetitive, and plain.”
- “Boring and illogical story with bland characters that have no personality.”
- “There were multiple occasions where I had quests stuck on my list that were already completed, as well as a few times where talking to characters out of the intended order seemed to prematurely close out dialogue lines that were critical to completing side quests.”
music
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its lovely and jazzy qualities that complement the beautiful graphics and world-building. The soundtrack is noted for its ability to immerse players in the story, making the experience enjoyable and evocative. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that enriches the gameplay.
- “The idea here is not difficulty, but soaking in the story and atmosphere - which is helped by a lovely soundtrack.”
- “Visually speaking, the world looks wonderful, cozy, and lushly lit, and the jazzy soundtrack makes the game a joy to listen to as well.”
- “The art looks great, with unique-looking characters and locations, and the music is nice (especially the song at the speakeasy).”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't leave a lasting impression.”
- “While the concept is interesting, the soundtrack fails to enhance the overall experience.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous bugs, including disappearing objects, unresponsive NPCs, and persistent glitches that hinder gameplay and achievement completion. While some players note that certain issues are not game-breaking, the lack of save options and unresolved long-standing bugs significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “This game is very buggy to the point that important objects suddenly disappear, NPCs repeat themselves or do not talk at all, making it impossible to continue and to get all the achievements.”
- “Glitches (some of which have been known about for years without being resolved), and no ability to save your game or have separate saves to protect against glitches.”
- “I like the idea, and I think I would enjoy the game if it weren't for the frequent glitches.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its exceptional worldbuilding, effectively blending 1920s aesthetics with fantasy elements and contemporary themes. Players appreciate the cozy exploration of a fictional town reminiscent of 1920s New York, enhanced by a lovely soundtrack that immerses them in the experience.
- “Great worldbuilding and 1920's atmosphere.”
- “Pendula Swing weaves together three different layers: the basic tropes and stereotypes reflect fantasy, the atmosphere is set in the 20s, whilst the story centers on very current topics and questions.”
- “Great atmosphere in this cozy exploration of the highs and lows of a fictional fantasy town inspired by 1920s New York.”
gameplay
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The gameplay features standard RPG mechanics with a focus on questing, where players frequently interact with various characters who offer errands. While there are minor bugs and typos present, they do not significantly impact the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is standard RPG quests, where every second character you meet has errands for you to run.”
- “Elven flappers, goblin agitators, dwarven mechanics, orc singers, and human tradesmen add a unique flavor to the gameplay.”
- “There are a few minor bugs and typos here and there, but nothing that affects gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is standard RPG quests, where every second character you meet has errands for you to run.”
- “There are a few minor bugs and typos here and there, but nothing that affects gameplay.”
graphics
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics are described as a mix of primitive 2.5D visuals that can be demanding on system resources, yet they are also praised for their beauty, complemented by lovely music and engaging characters.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the music is lovely, and the characters are interesting.”
- “Rather primitive 2.5D graphics that made my computer work harder than some of the newest AAA games.”
- “The graphics look outdated and lack the polish expected from modern titles.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and the textures are low resolution, making everything feel bland.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be genuinely funny, although it is intertwined with some bugs that may affect the experience.
- “It's actually kind of hilarious, but still a bug.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch and keeps you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game blends clever jokes with its gameplay mechanics.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability due to its multiple subplots that can change based on player choices, encouraging players to explore different outcomes.
- “Many subplots can take different turns depending on your choices, so there is a significant level of replayability.”
- “The game offers multiple endings and branching paths, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.”
- “With various character builds and strategies to experiment with, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be inconsistent, as players often encounter characters who are initially engaging but are then abandoned after their quests, leading to a lack of meaningful follow-up or growth in relationships.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character evolving in meaningful ways throughout the story.”
- “I love how the game allows for deep relationships to form, making the character development feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The way characters grow and change based on your choices adds a layer of depth that makes the experience truly immersive.”
- “I've already mentioned the relationship and character development, but frequently, you meet characters and then never revisit them once your quest with them is done.”
- “The character development feels shallow; many characters are introduced but lack meaningful arcs or growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in character relationships; they often feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve as the story progresses.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a heartwarming and uplifting experience, highlighting its wholesome and beautiful qualities that evoke strong emotional responses.
- “This game is wonderful, wholesome, and beautiful.”