Phoning Home

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 312 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Phoning Home Game Cover
I’ve been playing a lot of open world exploration games lately.
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In Phoning Home, players control ION, a crashed exploration unit on an alien planet, tasked with finding a way to contact their home planet for rescue while navigating the planet's dangers and forming a bond with a stranded service unit named ANI. Together, they embark on a challenging journey of survival and exploration in this third-person open world adventure game.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 312 reviews
story80 positive mentions
gameplay16 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and an immersive atmosphere that draws players in.
  • The dialogue is witty and charming, adding depth to the characters and story.
  • The exploration and resource gathering mechanics provide a rewarding experience for players who enjoy survival games.
  • The AI companion, ANI, can be frustrating to manage, often getting stuck and requiring constant attention.
  • The lack of a map and unclear objectives can lead to confusion and aimless wandering.
  • The game can feel repetitive and tedious, especially with the resource gathering and escort mechanics.
  • story205 mentions

    The game's story is generally praised for its intriguing narrative and character interactions, with many players finding it engaging and atmospheric, reminiscent of classic sci-fi. However, some reviewers noted that the story progression can be confusing and hindered by gameplay mechanics, such as escort missions and resource gathering, which detract from the overall experience. While the writing and dialogue are often highlighted as strong points, the linearity and pacing of the story can lead to a sense of repetitiveness and frustration for some players.

    • “The story is great, and I loved the characters and the writing.”
    • “This game has an amazing story, beautiful graphics, and immersive gameplay that you'll simply adore!”
    • “I really enjoyed the story, as well.”
    • “The mechanics were wonky and the story/progression was confusing for me.”
    • “I wasted so much time trying to find my way to the next story trigger.”
    • “The story just isn't that interesting.”
  • gameplay81 mentions

    The gameplay experience is highly polarized, with some players appreciating the crafting and exploration mechanics, while others criticize the clunky controls, repetitive tasks, and lack of depth. Many reviews highlight issues with confusing objectives, tedious resource gathering, and a lack of engaging combat, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the game has potential with its narrative and world design, the execution of its gameplay mechanics leaves much to be desired.

    • “Amazing gameplay, a ton of freedom, and your choices actually have major effects on the plot.”
    • “Phoning Home has an amazing story, beautiful graphics, and immersive gameplay that you'll simply adore!”
    • “I enjoyed the gathering, crafting, and general mechanics of this game.”
    • “The mechanics were wonky and the story/progression was confusing for me.”
    • “It's bug-ridden to the teeth, and often clunky and unclear about objectives and mechanics.”
    • “The crafting mechanics are tedious, the combat is tedious, the exploration is tedious, the escorting of a helpless character is tedious, the story is tedious, the lack of voice acting is tedious, the whole game is tedious.”
  • graphics60 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many users noting that they are well-crafted and visually appealing, even on lower settings. While some players mention minor optimization issues and limited graphical options, the overall consensus is that the visuals enhance the immersive experience of the game. Many reviewers highlight the stunning landscapes and artistic design, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay criticisms.

    • “The artwork is very well done and the open world style makes it interesting.”
    • “Straight up the graphics are so beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are fabulous, from the terrain flora and fauna to the night sky.”
    • “Had to reduce the graphics to cope with the lag from the constantly moving grass and trees plus the rain at the beginning.”
    • “As much as the game is visually pleasing, the graphics just seem too heavy and poorly optimized.”
    • “I've never heard my graphics card trying so hard to 'take off' with graphics as average as this, but mainly because the controls are so overwhelmingly awful.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often feeling bogged down by slow movement, resource collection, and escorting an AI companion. Many reviews highlight that the lack of a detailed map and poor pathfinding contribute to a monotonous experience, making exploration and progression feel unnecessarily prolonged. While some enjoy certain elements, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game suffers from a grind-heavy design that detracts from its enjoyment.

    • “I will be the first to admit that I legitimately enjoyed certain parts of this game, but other parts made me want to tear my hair out as it can be needlessly tedious.”
    • “However, I find this game way too grindy and slow.”
    • “The crafting mechanics are tedious, the combat is tedious, the exploration is tedious, the escorting of a helpless character is tedious, the story is tedious, the lack of voice acting is tedious, the whole game is tedious.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its epic quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beautiful and immersive soundtrack. While some found the repetitive nature of certain tracks less appealing, the majority appreciated the ambient soundscapes and effective integration of sound effects, contributing to a rich auditory experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire to purchase it separately.

    • “The beautiful scenery is one of its best features, complemented by lovely music that creates a great background ambience.”
    • “First things first, I absolutely love the soundtrack and now I understand why there's an option to download it separately — definitely worth a buy!”
    • “The soundtrack is so perfect, it literally gives me goosebumps.”
    • “The music doesn't help calm you down; it freaked me out more than once.”
    • “The soundtrack is like 1 song on repeat, and the 'audio of the game' adds more or less nothing to the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is like 1 song on repeat, and the 'audio of the game' adds more or less nothing to the game.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The game is praised for its charming characters and witty dialogue, with many players finding the humor to be a standout feature. The interactions, particularly between the AI companions, are noted for their comedic value, reminiscent of beloved titles like Portal. Overall, the humor enhances the engaging story and character dynamics, making the experience enjoyable and memorable.

    • “Charming characters and humorous dialogue.”
    • “The banter between the ships is hilarious and the conflicting views between the ships adds a really interesting aspect that I didn't expect.”
    • “Funny, witty dialogue.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    "Phoning Home" is praised for its emotional depth, featuring heartwarming interactions and lovable characters that foster a strong connection with players. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to evoke tears and a sense of purpose, despite some feeling that the emotional impact of the ending varied among players. Overall, the blend of adventure and survival mechanics enhances the game's wholesome narrative, making it a memorable experience.

    • “I really enjoyed playing this game; it's so heartwarming, and the interactions really make you feel close to these characters.”
    • “The main characters, Ion and Ani, are sweet and likable, which encourages players to become emotionally invested in their survival and personal development.”
    • “Heart-wrenching story, and lovable characters.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and mysterious qualities, effectively combining beautiful graphics, sound design, and a quirky charm. Players appreciate the sense of loneliness and exploration, enhanced by well-executed voice acting and calming music, which contribute to a captivating and atmospheric experience. Overall, the developers have successfully created a rich environment that draws players into the game's narrative and world.

    • “Though it has a few rough edges, I can tell the developers wanted to make an atmospheric game with a mysterious story that unfolds slowly, and I felt all that.”
    • “Beautiful and atmospheric yet quirky and fun.”
    • “Phoning Home is a highly atmospheric, survival, crafting, and exploration game.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance on high settings and no stuttering, many others criticize the game for poor optimization, experiencing low frame rates even on lower settings and noting that the graphics feel overly demanding. This inconsistency in performance has led to frustration among users, with several recommending against the game due to these issues.

    • “I felt the voice acting was done well and there were no hiccups with performance.”
    • “Pros - I didn't see much before requesting a refund but the environment is pretty, the lighting is good, the game runs smoothly on max settings and the sound effects are good.”
    • “There's no stuttering that I've seen and I'd consider this more a puzzle game than anything resembling survival.”
    • “Optimization is poor.”
    • “I think it's a little bit unoptimized; I don't have a bad PC and still I couldn't get more than 60 FPS even on low settings. And this flying thing was not what I expected.”
    • “As much as the game is visually pleasing, the graphics just seem too heavy and poorly optimized.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including rare map-breaking issues that require restarts. Despite these technical problems, many players still find the game enjoyable and addictive, even if they occasionally need to rely on external help to navigate challenging areas.

    • “The whole game feels incomplete, bug-ridden, and half-baked.”
    • “Good game but with a lot of bugs and glitches.”
    • “Rare map-breaking glitches, fixed with a restart.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability due to its linear story, with players estimating around 8 hours of gameplay, making it a worthwhile purchase at a low price point.

    • “I have a feeling it won't last over 8 hours of gameplay, but it's well worth $5 or $10 since the linear story eliminates much replay value.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The game features unique and engaging character designs that blend elements reminiscent of Wall-E, Star Wars, and E.T., contributing to its distinct personality. However, the reviews do not provide in-depth insights into the depth of character development throughout the gameplay.

    • “The game certainly has personality; the character designs are pretty neat, a cross between Wall-E, Star Wars, and E.T. most of the time.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them on any meaningful level.”
    • “I was disappointed by how little the characters evolved throughout the game; their arcs felt predictable and uninspired.”
    • “Despite the interesting designs, the characters don't have much growth or change, leaving their stories feeling flat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

Buy Phoning Home

Play time

10hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
8-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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