Rendezvous
- March 12, 2020
- Sapines
"Rendezvous" is a 2.5D cyber-noir pixel art action-puzzle adventure game set in Bay City and Neo-Surabaya. The story follows Setyo, a former criminal agent, who must return to his dangerous past to save his sister from a Cyberrunner group. As Setyo, players will face sins of the past while attempting to rescue his sister and find redemption.
Reviews
- The visual design is impressive, featuring vibrant backgrounds and expressive pixelated characters that effectively capture a cyberpunk atmosphere.
- The story is engaging with well-written dialogue that incorporates elements of Indonesian culture, making it relatable and immersive.
- The game shows potential with its unique setting in Neo-Surabaya and varied puzzle mechanics, appealing to fans of narrative-driven experiences.
- The combat mechanics are poorly designed, feeling sluggish and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including problems with controller functionality and slow map transitions.
- The sound design is lacking, with repetitive music and unintelligible voice acting that can detract from the narrative immersion.
- story60 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring an engaging cyberpunk narrative set in a detailed environment that captures the essence of neo-Surabaya. While some players appreciate the interesting characters and plot twists, others feel the story is too short and leaves unresolved conflicts, hinting at a potential continuation. Overall, the storytelling strikes a balance between simplicity and intrigue, though some critiques point to a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics.
“The story and characters are pretty interesting; the characters are enjoyable, and the story has a bit of conspiracy and a surprising but welcomed plot twist in the end.”
“The story hits the sweet spot between not-too-long sci-fi over-the-top conspiracy and too-short indie stories that make no sense.”
“So, from the story aspect, I could say this game has a great plot, is not rushed, and features well-written dialogue.”
“The worst part of it is the story is too short; I thought it was only the end of act one because it ends with the start of the main conflict. I really hope the story is continued because it leaves a really big cliffhanger.”
“The story feels rushed and unfinished.”
“Even if the ending is kind of 'to be continued', I get the idea of how the corporations think in cyberpunk-style storytelling.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the solid base mechanics, particularly in puzzles and stealth, but criticizing the combat system as poorly executed and distracting from the overall immersion. While the game's environment and cyberpunk theme are well-detailed, many feel that the gameplay requires further polishing to enhance the overall experience. Overall, it is recommended for those who prefer story-driven games with minimal combat.
“The cyberpunk world theme is very interesting, but with better gameplay adjustment/improvement, it can be way better.”
“The most important value delivered by the developers to this game is in the puzzle and combat mechanics.”
“Base gameplay includes a solid stealth mechanism, but it is not optimized well.”
“The only downside for me is the combat mechanic.”
“And about the combat, it's very bad mechanics.”
“Gameplay can also be better in terms of combat/movement.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are highly praised for their 2.5D design, which combines modern lighting effects with a believable cyberpunk aesthetic that enhances the game's futuristic vibe. Reviewers consistently highlight the beauty and coherence of the visuals, rating them around 8 to 8.5 out of 10, and appreciate the balance between sci-fi elements and a down-to-earth feel. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the immersive experience of the game.
“The cyberpunk is there without being shoved in our face, the graphics are gorgeous and the world makes sense. There is a touch of down-to-earth that is appreciated for a sci-fi story; not too much, but still 'believable', I would say.”
“Great graphics that capture perfectly a future vibe.”
“The graphics are lovely jubbly.”
- music14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized as simple and repetitive, often relying on short loops that can become tedious. While some players appreciate the futuristic feel and the ability of the background music to enhance tension and atmosphere, others feel it lacks variation and can even be disorienting during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack effectively sets the mood but could benefit from more diversity to maintain player engagement.
“The background music is well delivered in any situation, so the tension is properly built up while playing the game.”
“When we need to be relaxed, stressed, or pressured, it's all depicted well by the presence of a cyberpunk-themed music.”
“+ The audio, BGM, and SFX feel futuristic; however, it could use more variation. Sometimes, the low bass music made me dizzy while solving puzzles.”
“Music was simple and repetitive with nice ideas driven into the ground by short music loops.”
“Another minigame had me pressing buttons in time to my character's heartbeat in order to lie to another NPC - this was incredibly tedious, irritatingly not in time with the music, and only rarely requiring input - I drifted off a few times and I guess missed an input.”
“- the flashback music moment feels lacking.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious, with some minigames described as broken or frustratingly unengaging. Specific minigames, such as one requiring timed button presses to match a character's heartbeat, are criticized for their lack of synchronization with music and infrequent input requirements, leading to a disengaging experience.
“Some minigames ranged between tedious and broken.”
“Another minigame had me pressing buttons in time to my character's heartbeat in order to lie to another NPC - this was incredibly tedious, irritatingly not in time with music, and only rarely requiring input - I drifted off a few times and I guess missed an input?”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive depiction of a cyberpunk city set in Southeast Asia, effectively capturing the unique aesthetic and vibe of the region. Players find the overall ambiance to be engaging and evocative, enhancing their gaming experience.
“I played this game to see the concept of a cyberpunk city atmosphere in Southeast Asia, and I really love it.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has received a moderate rating of 7.5/10, indicating that while the character design is visually appealing, it may lack depth or complexity in terms of narrative growth and personal arcs.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have stability issues, particularly with bugs that cause it to get stuck during loading screens, often related to the Steam overlay.
“The game is still buggy and gets stuck at loading due to the Steam overlay.”
“The game is still buggy and gets stuck at loading due to the Steam overlay.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users are expressing a strong desire for improved optimization in the game, indicating that current performance issues need to be addressed.