RuneSage
- September 28, 2017
- George Gilbert
- 7h median play time
Get on SteamRuneSage is a single-player Role Playing VR game for HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. After a great storm shattered the crystals that protect the world, you must find and restore them before the next storm. Explore diverse environments, cast spells, solve puzzles, and battle menacing creatures to recover the lost crystals and protect the world. The game offers 10-15 hours of immersive adventuring.
Reviews
- Engaging and enjoyable spellcasting mechanics that allow for creative puzzle-solving.
- Relaxing gameplay with a focus on exploration and non-combat challenges, making it suitable for all ages.
- Decent playtime with a variety of puzzles and a dedicated developer who actively responds to player feedback.
- Controls can be unintuitive and may cause motion sickness for some players due to the lack of smooth turning options.
- Graphics are dated and may not meet the expectations of players accustomed to modern VR visuals.
- The game can feel lifeless and lacks a compelling narrative or immersive world-building.
- graphics16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered mediocre, with low-resolution textures that do not meet the standards of modern VR systems. While some users appreciate specific visual elements, such as the design of environments and mages, others find the overall visuals bland and lifeless. Additionally, performance issues, including jitteriness and optimization problems, detract from the experience, although adjustments can improve playability.
“The graphics are, I think, quite good for the time, but the textures are pretty low-res for today's VR systems.”
“I also would like to give a thumbs up to some visuals I saw – the cave looked great!”
“In terms of visuals, I found the underground and darker parts of the game to be very visually appealing in VR, more than the outside was to me, but the outside does still fit the atmosphere.”
“Graphics are extremely bland and lifeless.”
“I have a GTX 1070 graphics card and this game was *extremely* jittery to the point of being unplayable - much, much more so than any other VR game I've played.”
“Seems as if graphics still need to undergo a lot more optimization before it can be realistically played.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique rune and magic gesture mechanic that adds depth to exploration and puzzle-solving, making it engaging and enjoyable, particularly for younger audiences. While the visuals are described as neutral, the overall experience is relaxing and offers a decent amount of content for its price, though some players may find the lack of challenge leads to boredom. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a casual, kid-friendly gaming experience.
“I like the rune mechanic; the exploration is fun with neutral visuals, and it's engaging enough that it kept me interested.”
“I would say this is a good kid-friendly game as the mechanics are simple and the gameplay is straightforward.”
“Runesage is a great relaxing puzzle game with awesome magic mechanics.”
“I would recommend other narrative games with better gameplay than this.”
“I think it reveals to myself how much 'danger' or 'stress' elevates gameplay to myself while the lack of it quickly makes me feel bored.”
“I had a bit of issue working out the mechanics of the game - teleporting and casting the magic - but once I figured it out (the issues were mine, not the game's) it worked very well.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in Runesage is noted for its dedicated lore and the developer's effort to create a multi-dimensional experience through scrolls and narrative elements. However, many players found the story lacking depth and coherence, leading to a loss of interest due to excessive backtracking and insufficient world-building. Overall, while the foundation is present, the narrative requires further development to enhance player engagement.
“Runesage is a puzzle game with elements of magic and its own dedicated lore upon the story.”
“It is clear that the developer had a lot of interest in trying to make it a multi-dimensional game by taking the effort to put scrolls and story elements throughout the game.”
“I made it through about half of the main story and lost interest as there was a lot of backtracking.”
“No real story.”
“Overall, this game could be very good with more development of the world and the story devices used to teach you the magic, but it's just not there yet.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some praise the ambient tracks for creating a beautiful atmosphere, others find the soundtrack to be mediocre and liken it to "elevator music." Overall, the quality of the music seems to vary significantly among players.
“The ambient music is perfect and the scenes are drawn beautifully.”
“It has a nice atmosphere with a good choice of music.”
“Music is mediocre at best (medieval equivalent of elevator music)”
“Music is mediocre at best (medieval equivalent of elevator music)”
“Soundtrack is lacking.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally considered lackluster compared to more visually striking titles, though it features appealing underground visuals and a fitting outdoor environment. The music contributes positively to the overall ambiance, making it enjoyable despite its shortcomings. Overall, while it may not stand out in terms of atmosphere, it offers a decent experience for its price.
“It has a nice atmosphere with a good choice of music.”
“Overall lackluster atmosphere”
“It doesn’t have the flash of something like Talos Principle or the atmosphere of some of the VR escape room type games, but it does seem to have a lot of content for a game that starts at $9.99 at the time of this review.”
“In terms of visuals, I found the underground and darker parts of the game to be very visually appealing in VR, more than the outside was to me, but the outside does still fit the atmosphere.”
