Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops
- April 15, 2011
- Viva Media
Get on SteamIn Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops, players control two operatives with unique abilities as they complete missions in a shadowy world of espionage and combat. With a variety of weapons and equipment to choose from, the game offers a blend of stealth and action gameplay. The story follows the duo's efforts to take down a powerful arms dealer, leading to encounters with dangerous enemies and complex moral dilemmas.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features an interesting character-switching dynamic that allows players to utilize different skill sets for various missions.
- Some players found the gameplay mechanics, particularly the stealth elements, to be enjoyable and rewarding when executed correctly.
- Despite its flaws, a few players appreciated the story and found it engaging enough to keep them invested.
- The game suffers from poor graphics and performance issues, including low frame rates and excessive bloom effects that hinder visibility.
- Many players criticized the controls as being unresponsive and frustrating, making gameplay difficult and unenjoyable.
- The checkpoint system is inconsistent, often forcing players to replay long sections of the game after dying due to unfair mechanics.
- story43 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it above-average and engaging, featuring a variety of settings and an unexpected ending. However, many criticize the writing and voice acting as poor, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the characters and plot. Overall, while some appreciate the story's potential, it often feels rushed and poorly integrated with the gameplay.
“It feels like a game from the PS2 era, but with better graphics and its story is solid enough.”
“I recommend this game, since the story is quite good, the gameplay is okay, and the stealth is also okay.”
“The game is still fun, has a great story and an unexpected ending.”
“The story is okay, but feels like it should have been longer—almost like they just had to get the product out the door and kind of wrapped up all the loose ends in a nice bow rather than finishing it properly.”
“The gameplay has a few good ideas, but everything is executed poorly and you will not care for the story.”
“[repetitive, cheaply designed levels, AI that's simultaneously dumb as dirt and all-powerful, ugly, amateurish presentation and story]”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players criticizing its inconsistent checkpoint system, poor mechanics, and unappealing controls. While some found potential in certain gameplay elements and appreciated the stealth mechanics, the overall execution is deemed lacking, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Additionally, performance issues and basic graphics further detract from the experience, leaving players disappointed despite a decent story.
“There are some interesting gameplay mechanics and it does a very good job of changing the pace up.”
“I recommend this game, since the story is quite good, the gameplay is okay, and the stealth is also okay.”
“Both have their uses in each mission, but the stealth character is by far the more fun of the two for gameplay.”
“The gameplay is poor, the graphics are bad, the game is unoptimized, but the story is above average.”
“I will admit that due to how bad the game is performance and gameplay-wise, I did not finish the campaign.”
“The mechanics include running into cover to go into the cover system, which is annoying, the AI is odd, and the choice of weapons in the game is poor.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many players describing them as outdated and poorly optimized, reminiscent of PS2-era visuals despite some modern enhancements. Common complaints include excessive bloom effects, dark filters, and issues with frame rates, leading to a frustrating visual experience that can be hard on the eyes. While some users noted that the graphics are "okay" or "basic," the overall consensus is that they detract significantly from the gameplay experience.
“It feels like a game from the PS2 era, but with better graphics and its story is solid enough.”
“Graphics are still nice, even when it has over-the-top bloom or being brownish when you turn bloom off.”
“I also had some graphical problems at the beginning, with my framerate jumping between 30 and 60 (and this on a 4790k and GTX 970), but after some tweaking in NVIDIA's control panel, it sat at 60 all the way through.”
“The graphics are nothing to write home about, but the biggest offender is its lighting and bloom; luckily the game is short, otherwise prepare for some intense cataracts.”
“The gameplay is poor, the graphics are bad, the game is unoptimized, but the story is above average.”
“Just about everything about this game is frustrating: the jerky movement, blurry graphics that are constantly in and out of focus and give you a massive headache (seriously hard on the eyes), no indication you have been hit, laughable voice acting, stupid controls.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues even on high-end systems like an i7 and GTX 1080. Complaints include poor graphics, problematic UI, and a lack of enjoyment due to unresponsive gameplay mechanics, making the overall experience frustrating and unenjoyable.
“The game's optimization is meh and the bloom effect (or maybe the lighting) is a little bit off-putting.”
“So mainly, the graphics, performance, and gameplay were a major turn-off for me.”
“It has a myriad of problems too numerous and painful to justify buying, from performance issues, save/load checkpoints, health and ammo, and a useless bullet-time mode which was not introduced or known about until 3 hours into the game when miss-clicking during a fight. So much more...”
“The game's optimization is mediocre, and the bloom effect (or maybe the lighting) is a little bit off-putting.”
“The main issue is the UI and graphics, performance, and the gameplay.”
- music6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are criticized for being bland and uninspired, with poor volume balancing and a lack of separate controls for different audio elements. Additionally, players are unable to turn off the music, further detracting from the overall experience.
“The sound department is on a very low budget; at least I hope that was the reason. Music, voice acting, and sounds are all bland and uninspired and at different volumes from one another.”
“Stuff like separate volume controls for voices, background, and music don't exist.”
“And you can't turn the music off.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily derived from the exaggerated ragdoll physics of characters when shot, which many players find amusing. Additionally, the ease with which enemies can be defeated and the ability to shoot through walls contribute to a comedic experience, although some players express frustration with these mechanics. Overall, the humor is a mix of slapstick and absurdity, appealing to those who enjoy a lighthearted approach to gameplay.
“The ragdolls upon getting shot are pretty funny, and enemies die super easily, which adds to the humor of the game.”
“Some people complain about hilarious things like the over-the-top reactions of characters.”
“The humor in the game is enhanced by the absurdity of the situations and the exaggerated physics.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have numerous glitches, indicating stability issues that may affect the overall gameplay experience.
“The game has its fair share of glitches.”
“The game has its fair share of glitches.”
