Promesa
- February 11, 2018
- Julian Palacios
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Promesa" is a single-player Mystery Simulation game with spectacular graphics and a masterful soundtrack. The game takes you on a contemplative journey through dreams and memories, inspired by Argentinian and Italian cities, in a 45-minute experience that changes with each playthrough. Created by a small team, "Promesa" features a unique visual style and an acoustic soundtrack, offering a personal and introspective adventure.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Promesa features stunning visuals and a beautifully crafted atmosphere that immerses players in a dreamlike experience of memories.
- The soundtrack and sound design are exceptional, enhancing the emotional depth and overall ambiance of the game.
- The game successfully evokes feelings of nostalgia and reflection, making it a poignant exploration of personal and collective memories.
- The walking speed is excessively slow, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and exploration of the environments.
- The narrative feels disjointed and lacks clarity, leaving players unsure of the connections between scenes and the intended message.
- The game is quite short, with a playtime of around 45 minutes, which may not justify the cost for some players.
- graphics24 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning and innovative presentation, combining high-definition modeling with low-resolution textures to create a unique aesthetic. Players appreciate the immersive environments that evoke a strong sense of place, enhanced by a captivating art style and atmospheric audio design. However, some users note performance issues, such as slow movement speeds, which can detract from the overall experience.
“Some of the most stunning graphical presentations possible in Unity create a world that is easy to get immersed in.”
“The art style is gorgeous, but really poor game design.”
“The art style in Promesa is truly stunning, and I enjoyed the scenery and acoustic environment very much.”
“Actually a bit like Paratopic in terms of art style, only with movement about as fast as my old computer.”
“I do see the effort put into the graphical part, but it looks like a slideshow sometimes.”
“Promesa features striking visuals, combining high definition modeling with low resolution textures, creating an aesthetic that I've never seen anywhere else.”
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimal and abstract, often feeling more like a personal exploration of memory and place rather than a traditional narrative. While the atmospheric visuals and sound design enhance the experience, many players find the storytelling lacking in depth and clarity, leading to a disconnection from the emotional impact. Overall, the story is seen as poignant yet vague, requiring players to interpret its meaning for themselves amidst a slow-paced gameplay experience.
“This helps deliver an emotionally powerful and incredibly personal story.”
“To me, it seems like a story about inhabiting places, physically and in memory, about what comes and goes within those places and how they might cease to belong to yourself, or to anyone else, and in so doing become empty space rather than a place.”
“The story does feel 'loose' in places, but it certainly feels poignant; as if exploring memories and the passage of time.”
“I played this a long while ago now, but I don't think that the story so much unfolds or actually goes anywhere particular.”
“Even at 40+ % settings, the 'gliding' speed is nothing but unbearable as there is no exposition, no storytelling, no 'happening', no 'why', no 'if', not even a 'maybe'.”
“The story itself was merely a sketch, with different images and pieces you can fit together however you wish.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its evocative environments, impressive sound design, and immersive music, creating a surreal and dreamlike experience. Players appreciate the slow-paced exploration that enhances the emotional impact and sense of place, although some critique the game's content relative to its price. Overall, the atmosphere is described as beautifully atmospheric, with a strong ability to evoke emotions and draw players into its unique world.
“I think that sometimes, the environments can be structured so interestingly that, in conjunction with the atmosphere and sound effects, certain emotions can be evoked.”
“The atmosphere, music, and style create a sense of place that feels very real.”
“I think the slow movement speed contributes to the atmosphere in this game, as just running through it would utterly destroy its dreamlike scenery and atmosphere.”
“Coupled with additional modern effects, impressive sound design, and a fitting soundtrack, it manages to evoke a remarkable atmosphere.”
- music14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, featuring a mix of striking symphonic pieces and well-captured natural sounds. Reviewers highlight the impressive sound design and ambient soundtrack, which effectively immerse players in the game's environments, creating a captivating and emotionally resonant experience. Overall, the music is described as spine-tingling and perfectly suited to the game's aesthetic, making it a standout element.
“Another element in its favor is the soundtrack, ranging from extremely well-captured sounds of nature to several different but all strikingly beautiful symphonic pieces.”
“Coupled with additional modern effects, impressive sound design, and a fitting soundtrack, it manages to evoke a remarkable atmosphere.”
“Beautiful slow-paced atmosphere, loved the sound design, and the music is absolutely spine-tingling in the best way possible.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both powerful and personal, with a mature portrayal of its themes that resonates deeply with some players. While many appreciate the touching narrative and engaging dialogue that provoke thoughtful reflection, others feel disconnected, citing a lack of meaningful emotional impact and discomfort with the pacing. Overall, the game elicits a range of emotional responses, from profound engagement to detachment.
“This helps deliver an emotionally powerful and incredibly personal story.”
“The short but sweet: this is an intriguing and touching game with a unique art presentation that enhances the experience as opposed to detracting from it due to being distracting.”
“Pairing this with the emotionally engaging, and endlessly relevant, moments of dialogue, Promesa succeeds in painting a rich, multifaceted image of its topic while also prompting your mind to wander into rich thoughts.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a deliberate pace that prioritizes atmospheric narrative over dynamic mechanics, which some players find detracts from immersion. While the environments and art direction are praised, the overall engagement with the story and gameplay is perceived as lacking.
“The environments and art direction show a lot of promise, but the story is not that engaging and gameplay is too slow.”
“This game limits those mechanics and keeps you in its atmospheric narrative.”
“Personally, I always feel taken out of the mood of a game when I can run and jump and do silly things with the mechanics.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding in this game is perceived as tedious and detracts from the overall experience, with players noting that it significantly slows down gameplay to an unenjoyable pace. While some acknowledge the game's low price and experimental nature, the grinding mechanic is criticized for making the short experience feel unnecessarily prolonged.
“I can't be too harsh on it since it's meant to be a short, experimental little thing that's all of five bucks and three on sale, but I found it to be impossibly tedious.”
“The problem is that it's being packaged and sold as a 45-minute experience solely by grinding the playable character's walking speed down to an unenjoyable crawl.”
