Pneuma: Breath of Life

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 96 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Pneuma: Breath of Life Game Cover
Pneuma: Breath of Life didn't completely rock our world, but it did make for a captivating and satisfying afternoon in front of the television. If puzzle adventures are your thing and you don't mind linear progression, there's a lot to like here. From clever challenges to sleek visuals, playful humor to a stimulating theme, as long as you can stomach the thought of your hand not being held, it's a pretty entertaining ride from start to finish. But it should be clearly stated that this isn't the type of game that will appeal to everyone, so be sure that you've read our review thoroughly before spending your money.
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"Pneuma: Breath of Life" is a first-person puzzle game that explores themes of consciousness and existence. You play as a god-like being, Pneuma, who must solve increasingly complex puzzles to uncover the truth about their own creation. The game features stunning visuals and a thought-provoking narrative that challenges players to question their perception of reality.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 96 reviews
story12 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • Clever and fun puzzles that are visually engaging and thought-provoking.
  • Interesting story with a unique perspective on self-discovery and existence.
  • Beautiful graphics and environments that enhance the overall experience.
  • The game is very short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which many feel is not worth the price.
  • The puzzles can be overly simplistic and lack depth, leading to a lack of challenge.
  • The narration is often considered annoying and self-indulgent, detracting from the gameplay experience.
  • story32 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its interesting premise and sympathetic character development, while others find it overly philosophical and self-indulgent, detracting from the puzzle-solving experience. The narration is often praised for its entertainment value, but many feel it can become tedious and distract from the gameplay. Overall, while the story has its moments, it is frequently criticized for being short, lacking depth, and not living up to the standards set by similar narrative-driven games.

    • “Good entertaining narrator and nice plot idea.”
    • “Not to mention the very interesting story, and a (metaphorically) explosive ending!”
    • “It's a sad story about self-discovery.”
    • “Extremely short, simple puzzles, unpolished graphics, and a story that has been told better in other games.”
    • “The game's world looks great and the narration is very well done, but the story isn't interesting and sometimes comes across as a bit pretentious with its constant attempts at being philosophical.”
    • “As the story progressed, it became so extremely self-referential that I couldn't help but roll my eyes.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive art style and realistic lighting. However, some users noted issues such as graphical glitches, a lack of options to adjust settings, and occasional performance problems, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the visuals are often described as a standout feature, making the game visually appealing, especially for an indie title.

    • “Beautiful graphics, bug free, solid puzzles.”
    • “The graphics are awesome and puzzles are really unique and fun to solve.”
    • “Great looking graphics, tight controls and puzzles are just hard enough to give you a little surge of pride as you make your way through the game.”
    • “The graphics look fine for an indie puzzle game, although they do look very sterile at the same time.”
    • “There are a lot of graphical glitches, though.”
    • “Extremely short, simple puzzles, unpolished graphics and a story that has been told better in other games.”
  • gameplay30 mentions

    The gameplay features unique mechanics centered around sight and movement, requiring players to interact with the environment by looking at specific objects to solve puzzles. While some players appreciate the cleverness of these mechanics, others find them poorly defined or frustrating, leading to a mix of simple and confusing puzzles. Overall, the game offers an interesting concept but suffers from inconsistent execution and a short playtime.

    • “Other than a few buttons, almost everything is controlled by the direction you are facing, which is a clever mechanic.”
    • “The game is very fun, the puzzles are well made, and the changing mechanics keep you on your toes throughout the game.”
    • “The mechanic for solving puzzles is very unique.”
    • “If there are any that are difficult, it's because their mechanics are poorly defined or poorly communicated, and that's literally the only source of difficulty.”
    • “However, the puzzles generally fall into two categories: incredibly simple or confusing because it isn't entirely clear what the puzzle even is (or how, exactly, the mechanics work).”
    • “The game is very short, and the puzzles are very easy, with the occasional one having such obscure mechanics that it becomes more of an annoyance than a challenge.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally atmospheric and complements its themes, with some tracks featuring deep, rumbling notes that may require volume adjustments. While the music is often subtle and not overly distracting, it effectively enhances the gameplay experience with a varied soundtrack that ranges from creepy to majestic. Overall, the sound design, including sound effects, is well-received and contributes positively to the game's ambiance.

    • “When there is music playing, it's demure and atmospheric - even spheric, which fits the game's theme of 'I am (a) god'.”
    • “Great music (some of it Blade Runner #1-esque).”
    • “The soundtrack was varied and always set a good tone.”
    • “The music is often absent.”
    • “When there is music playing, it's demure and atmospheric - even spheric, which does fit the game's theme of 'I am (a) god'.”
    • “At least one of the tunes contains some long, low notes that made my speakers rumble, so I had to turn down the music volume through the game menu.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted by witty narration and clever remarks about society, making for an entertaining experience. While the soliloquies and character interactions are amusing, some players found the presentation to be awkward at times. Overall, the blend of playful humor and engaging challenges contributes to a memorable gameplay experience.

    • “Very nice and funny soliloquies, but it's a short puzzle game. I completed it twice without a guide and achieved all the achievements.”
    • “Listening to the narrator is hilarious and includes humorous remarks about society and us as people.”
    • “From clever challenges to sleek visuals, playful humor to a stimulating theme, as long as you can stomach the thought of your hand not being held, it's a pretty entertaining ride from start to finish.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its demure and atmospheric music that complements its theme, creating an immersive experience. However, some players feel that excessive dialogue detracts from the potential for a relaxing ambiance. Overall, the visuals and puzzle design contribute positively to the game's atmospheric quality.

    • “When there is music playing, it's demure and atmospheric - spheric even, which does fit the game's theme of 'I am (a) god'.”
    • “Buy it on sale if you like atmospheric puzzle games.”
    • “Good looking game with enjoyable puzzles and atmosphere.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers some replayability for achievement hunters and speedrunners, but many players feel its short length and lack of challenge diminish its overall value, making it less appealing to revisit unless specifically pursuing completionist goals.

    • “It was also good that there was a significant amount of replayability if you want to go back and get all the achievements.”
    • “Its lack of challenge or replayability, as well as its very short length, makes it absolutely not worth its full price.”
    • “There is some replay value for speedrunners; apparently, I missed two puzzles and all of the secrets. I'm not sure I'd consider it worth going back if I didn't intend to run it.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting beautiful graphics and solid puzzles, while others experience frequent graphical glitches, including lighting issues and persistent black panels. Overall, the game appears to have notable stability concerns that detract from the experience.

    • “Beautiful graphics, bug-free, solid puzzles.”
    • “There are a lot of graphical glitches.”
    • “There are lighting glitches and black panels that might go away, or not.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game runs smoothly and visually impresses, particularly when anti-aliasing is disabled. However, players note that further optimization is needed to improve frame rates and reduce judder.

    • “For the most part, it runs smoothly (especially if you turn off anti-aliasing) and always looks amazing.”
    • “Needs optimization for better FPS so the judder isn't so bad.”
    • “The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware; optimization is desperately needed.”
    • “Frequent frame drops and stuttering indicate a lack of proper optimization.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional impact of the game fell flat for some players, with key moments failing to resonate and leading to disengagement, despite the presence of interesting mechanics.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players found the grinding in the last section of the game to be tedious, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “It made the last section of the game tedious.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which became incredibly boring.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

50% average critic score

Buy Pneuma: Breath of Life

Play time

4hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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