Perilous Warp
- October 20, 2020
- Crystice Softworks
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Perilous Warp" is a first-person puzzle-platformer set in a surreal, warped reality. Players must navigate through dimensional rifts and manipulate the environment to solve challenging puzzles and uncover the mysteries of the Crystallis Corporation. With fluid movement and a unique warping mechanic, players will need to think creatively and adapt quickly to survive.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Perilous Warp captures the nostalgic feel of classic FPS games like Chasm: The Rift, Quake, and Doom 3, providing a satisfying retro experience.
- The game features enjoyable gunplay with a variety of weapons, including a powerful shotgun and a unique throwable disc that can home in on enemies.
- The level design encourages exploration and secret hunting, with well-hidden areas and a decent atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Enemy variety is limited, with many enemies feeling similar and lacking distinct behaviors, leading to repetitive encounters.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as enemy AI and weapon feedback, can feel unpolished, resulting in frustrating moments during combat.
- graphics59 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the clean, retro-inspired visuals reminiscent of early 2000s shooters like Doom 3 and Quake. While some players appreciate the atmospheric design and custom engine, others criticize the lack of originality and low-quality textures. Overall, the visuals are considered decent for an indie title, effectively capturing the nostalgic aesthetic of classic FPS games, though they may not meet the expectations of all players.
“Aesthetically and atmospherically, this game is a lot like a violent clash of Chasm, Quake, Half-Life, System Shock 2, and other old shooters, but what it really reminded me of visually was Xidia Gold and Operation Napali, which are both great single-player mods from back in the day for Unreal Tournament that also oozed atmosphere.”
“The visuals are very clean, and I love the engine which was custom-made for this game and feels like one of the good early 2000s FPS engines.”
“Unlike a lot of FPS revival style games, it seems to take a lot of its inspiration from the Doom 3 era in its aesthetics, with very sharp and clean textures combined with stark shadows, creating a striking visual style that I really missed.”
“The graphics are pretty low quality and there is a very low enemy variety.”
“But I also find the retro aesthetic visual options to be rather limited and half-baked.”
“The graphics are just a bland mishmash of Quake 2 and a poor man's Half-Life, has a story that you won't be invested in for any time and is just another insulting spit in the face to the consumer and fans of old school FPS games.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its nostalgic 90s FPS feel reminiscent of titles like Doom and Quake, while others criticize it for being slow, poorly balanced, and lacking variety in mechanics and enemy design. Although there are interesting elements such as weapon upgrades and teleportation mechanics, many feel the overall experience is hindered by mediocre level design and repetitive gameplay. Overall, while it offers some fun moments, it often leaves players wanting more depth and polish.
“Overall though, I thought the story, music, and gameplay were pretty good.”
“The weapons feel nice and have cool alt-fires that one can obtain via upgrading weapons at 'upgrade stations' instead of any RPG mechanics.”
“Nice FPS... if you loved Quake or similar FPS from the 90s, this is your game... the only shortcoming I had with this game is that it's kind of short but in terms of gameplay and fun it really got me.”
“One of my biggest gripes is that guns are a lot slower than their Chasm counterparts, which can make gameplay sluggish and add to further frustration during high-paced firefights.”
“For anyone else though, I would recommend staying away unless the developers miraculously come back to rebalance the game, as it just feels unfinished in the gameplay department.”
“The game has some mediocre level design, the enemy design is meh, gun design is meh, gameplay is simple, and the game is short.”
- music46 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and overall experience, with many reviewers noting its nostalgic qualities reminiscent of classic titles like Quake and Half-Life. While some found the soundtrack to be repetitive at times, others highlighted its impressive and moody electronic compositions that effectively set the tone for gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's immersive environment.
“The soundtrack is also very good and definitely lends to the atmosphere and experience.”
“The gunplay, the soundtrack, the atmosphere, everything is perfect and blends in to present a perfect game.”
“The soundtrack to this game is secretly quite good and there are some real bangers on the soundtrack and my favorite has got to be the final level track with the cool electronic drill sounds in the background which gives it this really industrial feeling to it.”
“The music is pretty decent and quite fitting to the theme of the game and the era it emulates, and reminds me of Chaser; however, I did have to tone it down to about 30% as it can start to get repetitive after a while.”
“It's too loud relative to the sound effects, and frankly, the music gets on my nerves.”
“The music, while also quite generic, is pretty good though.”
- story32 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered minimal and often lacks depth, with many players finding it unengaging or detached from the gameplay. It is primarily conveyed through short text logs and cutscenes, which some players appreciate for their brevity, while others criticize them for being generic and uninspired. Overall, while there are elements of intrigue and potential, the narrative does not significantly enhance the experience for most players, who tend to prioritize gameplay over story.
“The story in the game, even though not really a highlight, is a lot of fun to play through.”
“Unlike most of the recently published retro-styled shooters, 'Perilous Warp' is slow and atmospheric, and has some kind of story going on in the background.”
“I liked how a big part of the story was teleportation and how that was also a big part of the gameplay and level design.”
“Storytelling is minimal and has some translation errors here and there.”
“The story is all but optional.”
“I didn't really follow it or care much for it, since it feels very detached from the player's actions: it's mostly told through text logs, which is perhaps nobody's favorite storytelling technique.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Doom 3, Half-Life, and System Shock 2. Reviewers highlight the effective soundtrack and solid visuals that enhance the tense and engaging environment, although some note a lack of depth in environmental storytelling. Overall, the game successfully evokes a nostalgic yet modern atmosphere that resonates well with fans of retro shooters.
“The soundtrack is also very good and definitely lends to the atmosphere and experience.”
“The gunplay, the soundtrack, the atmosphere, everything is perfect and blends in to present a perfect game.”
“The visuals are absolutely solid, the atmosphere is stellar and whilst the gunplay won’t win any awards, this is pure and refined old school retro shooting at its finest.”
“In some ways, it's trying to be like Half-Life 1, but it lacks the atmosphere and lived-in feel, as well as the environmental storytelling.”
“Speaking of the atmosphere, it's hard to describe... it's like the copper-tone fixtures of BioShock mixed with a damp and cold moon rock.”
“The atmosphere is similar to Doom 3; also, there's no reload in this game, so you can shoot without worrying about reloading.”
- stability5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly without glitches or crashes, even at high resolutions like 5k. However, some users have reported issues such as the game resetting resolution settings and a desire for an uncapped framerate option. Despite these minor concerns, the performance is generally praised.
“The game is beautiful and runs great, and even has a nearest-filtering mode for us die-hard classic-texture enthusiasts!”
“Level design is intuitive without being boring, and the whole thing ran smoothly with no glitches or crashes on my end.”
“Well, the game runs great and has dynamic shadows, showcasing the potential of the engine.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable enough to revisit due to secrets and satisfying combat, many criticize its short campaign length of 2-3 hours and lack of substantial content, leading to limited replay value. The current price point is seen as steep given the brevity and minimal enemy variation, prompting some to recommend waiting for future updates before purchasing.
“Great retro-inspired shooter with satisfying combat and level design. The game is very short, with my first playthrough clocking in at 111 minutes, but it's replayable with all the secrets. I just wish there was more!”
“+ good replay value.”
“It's just too short with very little replay value.”
“Sadly, there is very little of actual substance to offer in both enemy variation and replayability at present, so I would personally recommend giving this one a pass for its current price tag. Maybe at least until the level design tools are released to the public, as the campaign is only at most 2 hours long, topped off with an end boss that makes the Icon of Sin from Doom II look good in comparison. This is compounded by the game cheaping you out with pinpoint accuracy laser gun enemies in one of the many corridor-ridden tech base levels, or worse, the arena sections that lock you in, nudoom style, with very little to no cover to duck around to throw off their line of sight.”
“The price is a bit steep for the short campaign length (2-3 hours), and it doesn't have a whole lot of replay value.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, citing frustratingly placed checkpoints before lengthy sections and a lack of effective strategies against nuisance enemies. The level design is criticized for being uninspired, contributing to a sense of monotony during gameplay.
“The checkpoint system is tragically bad, with checkpoints placed before long, tedious sections like slow elevator rides, and then there's none after it.”
“As much as I can praise the sci-fi aesthetic, the level design just comes off as a bit tedious and uninspired in some areas.”
“Being unable to stop the march of what are supposed to be nuisance enemies is just tedious.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is well-optimized, featuring solid performance with no significant bugs or issues reported. Players appreciate the decent graphics and enjoyable gunplay, though there is a desire for additional content to enhance the experience further.
“Solid performance, ran great, never had any bugs or hiccups.”
“Please keep updating, adding levels, etc. It's well optimized, just needs some more content.”
“Decent gunplay, good soundtrack, decent graphics, good performance, and the alien blood/gibs is fun.”
“The graphics are stunning, but the performance is a mess; frequent frame drops ruin the experience.”
“Despite the beautiful visuals, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it frustrating to play.”
“Optimization seems to have been an afterthought, as the game often lags even on high-end systems.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is somewhat unexpected, with some players finding amusement in the ending, even if it wasn't the intended effect.
“I'm not sure this is what they were going for, but the ending made me laugh.”
“The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me chuckling throughout the game.”
“I love how the game uses absurd humor to tackle serious topics in a lighthearted way.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely perceived as lacking, with players reflecting on their experiences as more of a distraction from real-life issues rather than an engaging or enjoyable journey, culminating in frustration rather than meaningful moments.
