Pid
- October 30, 2012
- Might and Delight
- 4h median play time
Beautiful game, with some nice puzzles, ruined by your character's inability to perform the platforming as well as you need.
Get on Steam"Pid" is a comedic shooter game featuring single-player and local co-op modes for up to 2 players. The game follows a boy named Kurt, who is stranded on a strange planet and must use gravity beams to solve puzzles and defeat enemies to find his way home. With over 12 hours of gameplay, 22 locations, and a memorable soundtrack, "Pid" offers a unique and immersive action-adventure experience.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- Pid features stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- The game offers unique and challenging puzzles that require creative thinking and skillful execution.
- It has a charming story and atmosphere, making it a delightful journey through its beautifully designed world.
- The controls can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The game can be excessively difficult, with punishing checkpoints and sections that may deter casual players.
- Some mechanics and items feel underutilized or poorly integrated, making certain aspects of the gameplay feel tedious.
- gameplay85 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique mechanics, such as the gravity beams, and the engaging level design, while others criticize the clunky controls and slow-paced movement. Many reviewers noted that while the core mechanics have potential, they often feel unpolished and can lead to frustrating experiences, particularly in challenge rooms and during navigation. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing with a captivating atmosphere, but the gameplay may not be enjoyable for everyone due to its inconsistencies and pacing issues.
“Pid introduces a fun mechanic of antigravity beams to the platformer genre, and even if the story is a little obtuse, it's a stunning game that is a lot of fun to navigate.”
“The gameplay was simple, with a few issues that would have probably been resolved had I been using a controller, but even then, it wasn't too hard.”
“Amazing soundtrack, good graphics, and awesome gameplay make this game a complete experience, with high replay value.”
“The gameplay felt clunky and unresponsive.”
“I bought the game when it went on sale because its trailer was superb, but the blended mishmash that is its gameplay almost makes me wish I'd spent my dollar on a candy bar instead.”
“I got about 4 hours of gameplay before getting frustrated to the point where I never want to play again, and not because of difficulty, but rather because of poor checkpoints, poor controls, and annoying enemies.”
- story49 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of Pid is generally praised for its charm and creativity, revolving around a boy named Kurt who becomes stranded on a foreign planet while trying to catch a bus. Reviewers appreciate the unique narrative elements, engaging characters, and beautiful visuals, although some note that the pacing can be slow and the plot may not be gripping enough for all players. Overall, it is considered a heartwarming and enjoyable tale that complements the game's aesthetic and gameplay.
“The story was wonderful and interesting while being built on the simple premise of needing to catch a bus.”
“Pid is a lovely 2D platforming puzzle adventure game with a gorgeous visual aesthetic, and a charming, somewhat extraordinary story about a boy who, on his bus ride home from school, gets lost and trapped on a distant planet where the interplanetary traffic has died down for centuries.”
“The story itself weaves these pleasant moments into a charming tale of a marooned little boy forced to fix the bus schedule of an alien world.”
“However, the story is too easy and the secrets too hard; still, it's pleasant to find a small and nice game like that.”
“It's just another example of how the game likes to grind its gameplay and story to a halt so you're forced to spend more time with it.”
“The story line lags, but the world tells a surrealist fable that's hard not to love.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their gorgeous art style, smooth visuals, and unique character designs, creating an atmospheric experience that enhances the gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful color palettes and well-rendered environments, although some note that the graphics do not compensate for the game's frustrating controls and slow pacing. Overall, the visuals and soundtrack are considered standout features, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“The graphics and music are very nice, the story is unique and the game has a great atmosphere.”
“Pid is a delightful little platformer with, as everyone else who has left a review here has said, beautiful visuals.”
“The art style is simply amazing and continues to excel the whole game through, the music hits a crescendo in the theater, but is original and well done.”
“And once you start playing through these challenge rooms, stripped down to just the mechanics with all the visuals removed, the clunkiness of the character movement and mechanics becomes even more obvious.”
“Even on the lowest graphical settings, the performance is mildly laggy.”
“And this game on low graphics has 20 fps.”
- music44 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning quality, with many reviewers highlighting its jazzy and bluesy elements that create a cozy and atmospheric experience. While some found the soundtrack to be soothing and well-complemented by the visuals, others noted that it could become repetitive during challenging gameplay sections. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, enhancing the game's unique aesthetic and emotional tone.
“The music has a certain 'cozy' aspect which can change enough to set the tone.”
“This here has quite the nostalgic flair to it, a dreamlike atmosphere and a killer soundtrack if you like jazzy tunes.”
“The music is great with soothing melodies to keep you from getting frustrated during more complex levels, but picking up the pace during boss fights to make it feel more dramatic and give you a rush.”
“Gorgeous graphics and music don't offset how relentlessly tedious this game can be.”
“I also found the music, although well polished, to be quite boring.”
“The music is okay in itself and definitely sports a colorful variety, but it gets fairly annoying in die-a-lot sections.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a nostalgic, dreamlike quality enhanced by a smooth, jazzy soundtrack that complements its unique art style and lighting. Reviewers appreciate the balance between atmospheric elements and gameplay mechanics, noting that the visuals and sound create an engaging experience, though some feel it doesn't reach extraordinary heights. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its charm and effectiveness in immersing players in the game world.
“This here has quite the nostalgic flair to it, a dreamlike atmosphere and a killer soundtrack if you like jazzy tunes.”
“You know what to expect, really catchy tunes mixed with more atmospheric, non-intrusive themes, clean sounds for every instrument, etc... it can feel somehow ominous at some points too, which fits perfectly with the nightly atmosphere of some levels.”
“The graphics and music are very nice, the story is unique and the game has a great atmosphere.”
“The style of the graphics, or the focus, I say, is the lighting and atmosphere. They have very noise-free textures and focus more on the models and the edges. I have to say that most of the time I loved it, although it never reached a crazy level of amazement.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and relentless, with repetitive exploration and backtracking detracting from the experience. While the graphics and music are praised, they do not sufficiently alleviate the monotony, although some moments, like the soft saxophone music during a maze level, provide brief relief from the grind.
“Gorgeous graphics and music don't offset how relentlessly tedious this game can be.”
“This makes replaying even short sections quickly feel tedious.”
“Also, some sections require exploration and a lot of backtracking, which I normally don't mind for something like a metroidvania game, but with this game, it's just tedious.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely absent, with players noting that while the visuals, character design, and overall aesthetics are impressive, the lack of depth in character progression detracts from the experience. Despite this, the game is still considered enjoyable due to its solid gameplay and engaging story.
“The graphics are enjoyable and beautifully rendered; the style is great, and the character design is fantastic.”
“Great game - beautiful to look at, with lovely character designs and wonderful music.”
“There is no character development.”
“The game lacks any meaningful character development.”
“Character development is virtually non-existent.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game is visually appealing and features a heartwarming story, reviewers feel it falls short in fostering emotional investment in the characters' growth and challenges, which detracts from the overall experience.
“I admire games that can emotionally invest me in the characters as they grow stronger and overcome obstacles; sadly, I didn't see that in this game.”
“If I had done such a thing, my experience with this game would have been much more profound and emotional.”
“It is a beautiful game with a simple but heartwarming story and is one of the greatest indie games you can get.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, as players report experiencing mild lag even when running it on the lowest graphical settings.
“Even on the lowest graphical settings, the performance is mildly laggy.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even with minimal graphical demands.”
“Optimization seems to be an afterthought, as the game frequently stutters during gameplay.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's amazing soundtrack, impressive graphics, and engaging gameplay, contributing to a high replay value that enhances the overall experience.
“Amazing soundtrack, good graphics (they are better than you imagine!) and awesome gameplay make this game a complete experience, with high replay value.”
