project BLARI

About

project BLARI is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by MaxEstLa and was released on October 20, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Project BLARI" is a horror-inspired survival game with PS1-style graphics, where you play as an investigative journalist, Terence Lebrun, uncovering a mysterious disaster at the Local Tax Administration and Regulation building. With a large open map and multiple zones, you must escape the entity's grip, choose your allies and enemies, and find the entity's weak point to survive. The game offers a choose-your-own-ending approach, allowing you to decide who to help and who to kill in this original and open independent survival game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the nostalgic PS1 aesthetic and atmosphere, reminiscent of classic survival horror titles.
It features multiple endings and side quests that add depth to the gameplay, allowing for varied experiences.
The gameplay includes engaging mechanics like stealth and a responsive combat system, which can create intense moments.

The game suffers from poor translation, with many key elements remaining in French, making it difficult for non-French speakers to fully understand the story.
Gameplay mechanics are often confusing and poorly designed, leading to frustrating experiences, such as unintuitive controls and level design.
The overall execution feels lackluster, with bland gameplay and a lack of polish that detracts from the potential of its interesting premise.

story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that while the main narrative is straightforward and atmospheric, the execution of side quests often feels lackluster and repetitive. Many expressed disappointment over the lack of translation for key documents, which hinders comprehension and engagement with the plot. However, some players appreciated the potential for multiple endings and the depth of lore, suggesting that the game has a complex story that could be further explored in a sequel.
- “I feel like more could have been done with the story, but it left room for a sequel.”
- “The lore of the game only adds up on it; the small details can tell you a lot about the complex story this game has!”
- “Atmosphere, sound, a story that isn't convoluted from the get-go, better translation.”
- “The few side quests given by NPCs are basically just 'bring me x item from y place' with practically nothing in the way that could challenge you to get said item.”
- “These 'innocent' mistakes affect the storytelling, which in turn diminishes one’s comprehension and eliminates any chance of swaying interest, let alone attention span.”
- “Despite this title being marked as full English for the interface and subtitles, most of the interface options remain in French, there are several interactions that are not translated, and none of the notes (which are the key to making any sort of sense out of the story at all) are translated.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and lacking depth compared to classic PS1 horror games, while others appreciate its linear structure and the inclusion of missable quests and multiple endings. However, criticisms highlight issues such as sparse mechanics, large empty areas, and a lack of atmosphere, leading to a generally underwhelming experience. Overall, while there are elements that some players enjoy, many feel the gameplay fails to deliver an engaging experience.
- “The gameplay is a bit of a trump card; once your head is set on it being a linear world, it startles you with a missable quest (and therefore rewards), a survivor to tag along with you, and even steps that pave the way to different endings!”
- “There’s more to it; the gameplay has its means of shaking things up and fuddling your sense of direction.”
- “I love that mechanic of spamming a button to run instead of just pressing it; it's kind of more stressful in a way, which fits the situation.”
- “Sadly, this game executes that, and all of its mechanics, in an awfully boring and lackluster way, when games from the PS1 era it tries to homage handled those things much better.”
- “Furthermore, a number of crucial mechanics were either misappropriated or absent altogether.”
- “For what it's worth, Project Blari seems to be a basic and boring simulated PS1 horror game with areas that are far too large and empty, no manual save system, no atmosphere, and bland gameplay.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its unique and surrealistic elements, effectively evoking a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of PS1 graphics, despite some criticisms regarding its execution and potential emptiness in certain areas. While many players appreciate the charm and immersion it offers, others feel that inconsistencies in gameplay and sound can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and impact on gameplay.
- “The atmosphere of the game is amazing despite its limited graphical prowess.”
- “The game has a unique atmosphere due to its surrealistic elements, which is a hard thing to achieve considering the stylized PS1 B-horror games are getting a bit saturated by now.”
- “Games good - for a one-man team, he should be very happy with himself; the atmosphere is there.”
- “There is a void in the atmosphere, when played in the wrong way, that encroaches into 'unfinished game' territory.”
- “For what it's worth, Project Blari seems to be a basic and boring simulated PS1 horror game with areas that are far too large and empty, no manual save system, no atmosphere, and bland gameplay.”
- “The game did give me a good spook but at the same time some of the music choices take you right out of the atmosphere.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The game's graphics evoke a nostalgic PS1 aesthetic, successfully creating an immersive atmosphere that complements its horror elements. While some players initially struggle with the dated visuals and tank controls, many appreciate the attention to detail and environmental storytelling that enhance the overall experience. Despite minor issues like missing subtitles and language settings, the graphics effectively contribute to the game's genre without feeling overly gimmicky.
- “At the surface, its premise and PS1 aesthetic look interesting; a third-person horror with a semi-open world to explore...”
- “Tank controls straight from the 90s, a true PS1 aesthetic, great attention to detail, environmental storytelling, dark questions, choices to be made...”
- “The atmosphere of the game is amazing despite its limited graphical prowess.”
- “Some titles nail the PS1 visuals, but not the stiff feeling of the movements.”
- “It gets worse too… like there not being subtitles for the voiced lines or how the graphic settings were left in French!?”
- “I really enjoyed the game; the first 2-3 minutes I got annoyed by the graphics, but after that, I became used to them.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some praise its ability to enhance the atmosphere and contribute to the overall experience, others find it lacking in variety and occasionally disruptive to the game's ambiance. Despite its potential to create tension, certain music choices can detract from the intended horror experience.
- “Combine that with some cool camera work, nice PS1 look, and fantastic music, and you have a hidden gem of a game.”
- “The same goes for the soundtrack, which habitually lacks range, until a complete reversal of the present ambiance comes blaring in.”
- “The game did give me a good spook but at the same time some of the music choices take you right out of the atmosphere.”
- “Being an indie game doesn't justify bland gameplay that has almost nothing interesting to offer and gets boring extremely quick, not when there are amazing old school horror-themed games like Signalis, Tormented Souls, and Song of Horror out there.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
While the game features multiple endings that could enhance replayability, many players find the short playtime of 60-80 minutes and the anticlimactic nature of these endings significantly diminish the incentive to replay. As a result, the overall replay value is considered lacking.
- “The multiple endings significantly enhance the replay value, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough offers a unique experience, making it hard to resist diving back in for another round.”
- “The variety of paths and decisions keeps the game fresh, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel the same.”
- “As for criticism, there's a lack of replay value; it's a short game (about 60-80 minutes) but has multiple endings.”
- “Those multiple endings would add to the replay value, but they are seriously so anticlimactic that it makes it just not enough. I've finished two of them; I do plan on doing the others, but who knows when.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the initial confusion caused by camera controls, button mapping for sprinting, and inconsistent language translations, which detracts from the emotional immersion of the game. This disorientation may hinder players' ability to connect with the narrative and characters effectively.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches, which contribute to a frustrating experience, especially with the presence of one-hit killer enemies and an unclear campaign.
- “The enemies are one-hit killers, and the game is riddled with bugs and glitches galore, which only adds annoyance to the already infuriatingly vague campaign.”