Praesidium

About

Praesidium is a single player platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by ShieldWorkStudios and was released on April 28, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Praesidium is a fast-paced, speedrunner, single player experience in a futuristic setting. Run and jump across city rooftops, while dodging incoming turret fire and launching yourself into the air with your high-tech shield. Provide feedback at the survey below: https://forms.gle/nqskfp6VXLZamxbJ6

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The shield mechanic is a unique and enjoyable feature that adds depth to the gameplay.
The game offers good replay value with multiple routes and hidden areas to explore in its short levels.
It's a free game that provides a fun and casual experience, making it accessible to a wide audience.

The game is extremely short, with only three levels that can be completed in about 10-15 minutes.
Gameplay is marred by bugs and clunky mechanics, such as inconsistent ledge grabbing and slow climbing animations.
Visuals and sound design are lacking, with passable graphics and a soundtrack that fails to enhance the experience.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by entertaining mechanics, particularly the unique shield bounce, but suffers from a lack of depth and balance, leading to a short and unsatisfying experience. While the level design is visually appealing, the core mechanics often render much of the gameplay irrelevant, and the absence of tutorials leaves players confused about certain features. Overall, the game fails to fully realize its potential, resulting in a gameplay experience that feels incomplete and unpolished.
- “Great game with awesome mechanics.”
- “Gameplay: this game can best be described as a runner.”
- “The use of the shield mechanic makes it that it differs from games of this genre.”
- “I guess the devs were trying to go for a Mirror's Edge style mix of platforming and combat, but I have a hard time saying that they achieved that when the combat is not necessary to complete any of the levels, and the fastest way to get around is by using a mechanic that bypasses any of the bare bones, ultra-slow parkour elements this game has.”
- “The visual art carries a large portion of this game, as much of the gameplay feels pointless.”
- “Praesidium lacks any real identity, as its core mechanic breaks it to the point of most of the levels becoming irrelevant.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the decent main menu and in-game soundtracks that enhance the sci-fi atmosphere, others find the music overwhelming and repetitive, suggesting it detracts from the overall experience. Some users recommend turning off the in-game music in favor of personal playlists, indicating a significant divide in enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a positive element by some, but a source of frustration for others.
- “Main menu and in-game soundtracks are pretty decent and fit the mode of the game well.”
- “The futuristic atmosphere in the game is pretty nice, supported by the good soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is nice, and the futuristic environment and character are really cool!”
- “The sound effects, which are set by default to max, are barely audible over the blaring music.”
- “Speaking of the music, well, it's not good.”
- “Maybe it's just a personal thing, but blaring synths over a track that sounds like it loops after 20 seconds is not exactly music to my ears.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics in the game are generally considered passable, lacking in detail and not meeting the expectations for a visually-driven medium. While the art style is appreciated, many players express a desire for options to adjust graphics settings for better performance, especially on lower-end PCs. Overall, the visuals do not significantly enhance the gameplay experience, which is seen as a missed opportunity.
- “Art style at least looks good.”
- “The graphics in this game are passable, but could be better.”
- “If you look around closely, you will discover that there aren't too many visual details.”
- “This game is so good, but I would like options for a low graphics mode to get more frames. My potato PC struggles to run the game well, and I would like to see an update that allows turning off shadows or lowering texture quality.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Praesidium offers good replayability due to its alternative routes and secret areas, encouraging players to explore different paths and experiences in subsequent playthroughs.
- “There is definitely good replay value in Praesidium.”
- “The alternative routes and secret areas provide excellent replay value.”
- “The alternative routes and secret areas provide some replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's atmosphere is effectively supported by a fitting sci-fi soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that complements the gameplay without being distracting. While the futuristic setting is well-executed, it is evident that the production quality reflects a smaller studio's efforts.
- “The futuristic atmosphere in the game is pretty nice, supported by the good soundtrack.”
- “+ Sci-fi atmosphere and fitting soundtrack.”
- “It is enough to support the atmosphere and won't distract you while rushing through the levels.”
- “It is enough to support the atmosphere and won't distract you while rushing through the levels, but you can clearly see that this was not done by a big studio.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits several glitches and visual bugs that detract from its overall stability, suggesting that it could have benefited from further polish before release. Despite these issues, players still find the gameplay enjoyable, particularly for those interested in speedrunning.
- “It's also riddled with weird bugs and visual glitches that I feel like should have been worked out by the time of a full release.”
- “Still has some glitches but still fun!”
- “If you've enjoyed watching speedrunners, but feel you don't have the patience to learn an entire game and all of its skips and glitches, you will enjoy this game as the better times that are being posted for each level are less than a minute.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its monetization model, being completely free with no in-app purchases, making it an excellent value for players.
- “For a game that is free with no in-app purchases or anything like that, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind a paywall, making it difficult to progress without spending real money.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game lacks specific optimization settings, forcing players to rely on default configurations; however, those with capable PCs report smooth performance despite issues like screen tearing. Additionally, the game encourages exploration of optimized routes, adding an enjoyable layer to gameplay.
- “I had no choice but to run this at default settings because there are no optimization settings, but fortunately I have a decent PC that could run this game smoothly, although there was screen tearing galore.”
- “I had no choice but to run this at default settings because there are no optimization settings. Fortunately, I have a decent PC that could run this game smoothly, although there was screen tearing galore.”
- “This game also gives you a general direction, which is enjoyable because it is then up to you to try to find the most optimized routes.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional response to the game's movement mechanics, describing them as janky and unsatisfying, which leads to feelings of frustration and disappointment.