Pendula Swing: The Complete Journey
- March 7, 2020
- Valiant Game Studio
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great worldbuilding and atmosphere inspired by the 1920s, blending fantasy elements with social issues.
- The game features a diverse cast of characters and addresses relevant topics like class disparity and queerness in a thoughtful manner.
- The music and art are well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience and immersion in the game.
- 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 during gameplay.
- There is no manual save option, making it difficult to recover from bugs or missed quests, which can be frustrating for completionists.
- story74 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it straightforward, repetitive, and lacking depth, often leading to frustration with quest bugs and missed dialogue opportunities. While some appreciate the emotional resonance and inclusivity of the narrative, others criticize the bland characters and simplistic quest design, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, there are moments of enjoyment and potential for character development, leaving some players wishing for a more expansive and engaging storyline.
“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.”
“Since there are no combat dialogues and the story should be the main focus, dialogues are extremely short, and there is often only one allowed path. Why have multiple choices if you are ultimately forced to go with only one of them?”
- music16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting the lovely soundtrack and its ability to enhance the atmosphere and world-building. The jazzy tunes, particularly noted in scenes like the speakeasy, contribute to a cozy and immersive experience, making the game enjoyable to listen to. Overall, while some aspects of the game may fall short, the music stands out as a strong point.
“The graphics are beautiful, the music is lovely, the characters are interesting.”
“The idea here is not difficulty, but soaking the story and atmosphere - which is helped by a lovely soundtrack.”
“Visually speaking, the world looks wonderful, cozy and lighted lushly, and the jazzy soundtrack makes the game a joy to listen to as well.”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs that cause important objects to disappear, NPCs to malfunction, and quests to become uncompletable. Many players report persistent glitches, some unresolved for years, and a lack of save options exacerbates the problem. While some minor issues do not hinder gameplay, the overall experience is marred by these technical shortcomings.
“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.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Pendula Swing is highly praised for its immersive 1920s setting, enhanced by excellent worldbuilding and a captivating soundtrack. The game effectively blends fantasy elements with contemporary themes, creating a cozy exploration of a fictional town reminiscent of 1920s New York. Players are encouraged to fully engage with the story and atmosphere rather than focus on difficulty.
“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.”
“The idea here is not difficulty, but soaking in the story and atmosphere - which is helped by a lovely soundtrack.”
“Great atmosphere in this cozy exploration of the highs and lows of a fictional fantasy town inspired by 1920s New York.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by standard RPG mechanics, featuring numerous quests and errands from a diverse cast of characters, including elves, goblins, dwarves, orcs, and humans. While there are minor bugs and typos present, they do not significantly impact the overall gameplay experience.
“Elven flappers, goblin agitators, dwarven mechanics, orc singers, and human tradesmen add a unique flavor to the 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.”
“Elven flappers, goblin agitators, dwarven mechanics, orc singers, and human tradesmen.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game features primitive 2.5D graphics that surprisingly demand significant system resources, even more than some modern AAA titles. However, many players appreciate the beauty of the visuals, complemented by lovely music and engaging characters.
“The graphics are beautiful, the music is lovely, the characters are interesting.”
“Rather primitive 2.5D graphics that made my computer work harder than some of the newest AAA games.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be quite amusing, even if it stems from a bug, suggesting that players find the unintended comedic moments entertaining.
“It's actually kind of hilarious, but still a bug.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers a notable level of 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.”
“Many subplots can take different turns depending on your choices, so there is some level of replayability there.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be inconsistent, as players often encounter characters during quests but find that these relationships are not revisited or further explored afterward, leading to a sense of missed potential in character arcs.
“I've already mentioned the relationship and character development, but frequently, you meet characters and then never go back to them once your quest with them is done.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently highlight the game as a wonderful, wholesome, and beautiful experience, emphasizing its strong emotional impact.
“This game is wonderful, wholesome, and beautiful.”
