Resonance

About

Resonance is a single player arcade puzzle game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by XII Games and was released on July 25, 2012. It received positive reviews from players.

"Resonance" is a single-player mystery arcade game featuring an intriguing story, excellent gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack. Players race against time to secure a dead scientist's technology, controlling four characters with entangled lives and hidden secrets. With over ten hours of gameplay, the experience is enhanced by a memory system and voiced by Logan Cunningham , offering a rich, decision-based narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 452 reviews

story204 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story with unexpected plot twists.
Innovative gameplay mechanics, including short-term and long-term memory systems that enhance puzzle-solving.
Strong character development and voice acting that bring the narrative to life.

Some puzzles can be overly convoluted and frustrating, requiring frequent use of guides.
Managing multiple characters and their inventories can become tedious and cumbersome.
The game may feel slow-paced at times, particularly during character movement and dialogue sequences.

story
351 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The story of the game is widely praised for its engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and unexpected plot twists, making it a standout feature that captivates players throughout. However, some reviewers noted that convoluted puzzles and gameplay mechanics detract from the storytelling experience, leading to frustration and pacing issues. Overall, while the story is compelling and thought-provoking, the execution can be hampered by gameplay elements that feel disconnected from the narrative.
- “The story is fantastic, the characters are believable and well-written, the music and artwork is wonderful, and there are some tough choices and genuinely shocking twists.”
- “Resonance is a game that pays great tribute to the wonderful adventure games of the late 90s, while providing such a great story and experience that you never really think about that after the first hour.”
- “The story is very mature and the dialogue is intelligently written.”
- “My gripes with this game is with the story, using a lot of tired Hollywood tropes in regards to science, terrorism, and such that are rather flimsy and easily fall apart.”
- “This isn't a bad game in terms of story, but the number of annoying puzzles really ruins the pacing.”
- “For some reason, the story just died out on me, maybe because of the tedious puzzles; they began to wear on my experience and made the whole thing annoying and immersion-breaking.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The gameplay of the game features innovative mechanics such as short-term and long-term memory systems that allow players to interact with characters and objects in unique ways, enhancing the puzzle-solving experience. However, the implementation of these mechanics can be clunky and may complicate gameplay, particularly with the management of multiple characters, leading to mixed reviews on their effectiveness. Overall, while the game introduces interesting ideas and maintains a classic adventure feel, it struggles with execution, resulting in a gameplay experience that can be both engaging and frustrating.
- “I especially love the short-term memory mechanic where you can place 'thoughts' into a sort of 'inventory' and later use it to talk about that thought to another character.”
- “Not only is the jumping between characters an interesting mechanic, but the 'short-term memory' system is a unique way around a common frustration of the genre, letting you ask NPCs about certain objects directly instead of waiting for the relevant prompt to be unlocked in your dialog tree.”
- “The story line is good, but it's ruined by the gameplay and how a lot of the puzzles are done.”
- “While it has a lot going for it -- the graphics, the plot, the voice acting -- it needlessly complicates the gameplay with multiple characters available all at once and a contrived short-term/long-term mechanic that often sucks the joy out of the puzzle-solving.”
- “The gameplay system of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) really did not work for me, I must admit.”
graphics
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel-art style that evokes nostalgia for classic point-and-click adventures from the 90s. While some players appreciate the charm and atmosphere created by the low-resolution visuals, others find them uninspiring or dated. Overall, the graphics effectively complement the engaging story and clever puzzles, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics and animation were top-notch for this type of game and it was interesting to control four different characters.”
- “A great adventure game, low-res graphics bring about the nostalgia of the good old days of gaming, and the addition of timed events and some puzzles keeps it fresh.”
- “Graphics are spot on retro '90s.”
- “The biggest negative to this game is the graphics resolution, about the same as an old-fashioned Sierra title from the early 90's.”
- “Warning: the graphics are rather uninspiring.”
- “The graphics are so low-res that I had trouble finding the key because it looked like a mustard stain on top of the microwave.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive and overpowering, often drowning out dialogue. Despite these criticisms, many players find the soundtrack catchy and fitting for the game's themes, contributing positively to the overall immersion. Overall, the music is seen as a significant element that complements the storytelling and character development, even if it occasionally falls short in execution.
- “The music, voice acting, and art really help in elevating the experience and make it feel alive.”
- “Music enhances the action, even when - especially when - it intentionally doesn’t match the mood of the scene.”
- “Resonance is beautiful an adventure game with great story and music, where you can control up to four characters.”
- “There are no subtitles for them, there is no way to raise the volume of just the speech (or lower the music), so often you can't hear a word they're saying because the music is blasting through it.”
- “Atypically for a Wadjet Eye Games product, even voice acting and music are stale.”
- “The music loops too much and becomes annoying to hear at length.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some puzzles being satisfying while others feel tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the inventory management and the need to control multiple characters. The innovative mechanics can lead to enjoyable moments, but often result in excessive backtracking and slow-paced gameplay that detracts from the overall immersion and enjoyment. Ultimately, while the game features well-designed complex puzzles, the repetitive and tedious elements can overshadow the positive aspects.
- “Ultimately, this innovation is great in theory but basically frustrating in execution -- the game ends up behind the player many times, requiring tedious backtracking to gather the necessary and obvious memory 'items' to advance conversations.”
- “When this is coupled with having to individually control four characters and pass items among their inventories, the bread-and-butter aspects of adventure games (moving, collecting and using items, and talking) become extremely tedious.”
- “The rules it plays by (i.e. the gimmicks it uses) make solving puzzles tedious beyond belief, and the frustration is compounded by a lack of good direction (i.e. what the objective puzzle even is) and the clues necessary to solve the puzzles that you know exist.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of insightful developer commentaries, witty dialogues, and clever situations that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the subtle and smart humor woven throughout the narrative, others note that it may not be as abundant as expected, focusing more on dramatic storytelling. Overall, the humor adds a charming layer to the classic adventure game feel, keeping players engaged and entertained.
- “Oh, and there are insightful and funny developer commentaries - consider listening to them on your second playthrough.”
- “The four: a doctor, a mathematician, a detective, and a reporter (who is frequently and humorously reminded that he's just a blogger).”
- “Smart and funny, this 'point and click' adventure game is far more intuitive than most I have played.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its tension and immersive qualities, effectively blending elements of noir and adventure. Reviewers highlight the impactful music, sound effects, and art style, which contribute to a captivating experience reminiscent of classic '80s and '90s games. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the storytelling and character progression, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “Awesome adventure game, interesting story, and a very tense thriller atmosphere!”
- “Loved the game; it's filled with a solid noir detective atmosphere.”
- “I found the story intriguing and the atmosphere was great, particularly at certain points (one chase scene had me jumping and panicking more than most of the horror games I've played).”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game "Resonance" offers a moderate level of replayability, featuring multiple endings and various achievements to pursue. While some players find the game short and lacking in replay value typical of the genre, others appreciate the branching decisions and small details that encourage revisiting the experience.
- “For an adventure game, it has huge replay value.”
- “The game has at least two endings, plus there are many achievements that I did not get the first time around, so there is some replayability here.”
- “Plus, there are some branching decisions - replay value!”
- “Approximately 8 hours to finish the game might be too short for someone, as there is no replay value.”
- “Its one con is like most in this genre -- it lacks a lot of replayability fun.”
- “Even if there is not much replayability to be expected, the game is a solid adventure that is on par with old classics like Beneath a Steel Sky.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional experience, immersing players in a narrative where they witness the characters' struggles and inevitable failures, fostering deep investment in their journeys. With a blend of great storytelling, relatable characters, and a mix of touching and surprising moments, it creates a compelling emotional rollercoaster that resonates with players. Those who appreciate emotionally charged, science-themed narratives will find this game particularly rewarding.
- “It’s heartbreaking to see the characters’ (and yours) ingenuity and flashes of inspiration knowing they will necessarily have to fail to stop the impending doom, whatever combination of puzzle solutions and conversation options you will choose.”
- “Whether you love them or hate them, the fact that you control them through most of the game makes you emotionally invested in the characters, even if any one of them turns out to be not quite who you thought they were.”
- “The four main characters are believably normal and have some genuinely touching, repulsing, and amusing moments.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it generally runs smoothly with a functional UI and control scheme, some users have reported minor bugs, such as dialog glitches and character movement issues, though none are considered game-breaking.
- “Now for the bad, the game was a little buggy. I came across a dialog glitch where everything sped up and dialog was skipped several times, and characters got stuck a few times, but nothing game-breaking.”
- “The game has a lot of stability issues, with frequent crashes and long loading times that disrupt the experience.”
- “I experienced several bugs that affected gameplay, including freezing and unexpected crashes that made it frustrating to continue.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in Wadjet Eye games is highly praised, with reviewers noting that it is one of the strongest aspects of their storytelling, free from confusing plot elements.
- “No moon logic, but I must say that the plot and character development have been one of the strongest attributes of Wadjet Eye.”