Shelter 3

42%
Game Brain Score Based on 214 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Shelter 3 Game Cover
Shelter 3's environment may be pretty, but it's not enough to forgive a game that ultimately feels unfinished.
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In Shelter 3, you are a new elephant mother, responsible for protecting your calf and leading your herd to safety. Navigate treacherous landscapes, forage for food, and avoid predators while making wise decisions for your herd's survival. As the matriarch, use ancient knowledge to guide your elephants through a journey of wisdom and leadership.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

42%
Audience ScoreBased on 214 reviews
story38 positive mentions
replayability4 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a stunning art style, consistent with the Shelter series.
  • The soundtrack is captivating and enhances the emotional experience of the game.
  • The story, while short, has moments of emotional depth and explores themes of motherhood and loss.
  • The gameplay is slow and repetitive, primarily consisting of walking from point A to point B with little engagement.
  • There is a lack of emotional attachment to the herd members, making their deaths feel insignificant.
  • The game is short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leading to a lack of replayability.
  • story139 mentions

    The story in "Shelter 3" is described as beautiful yet disappointingly short, lacking the emotional depth and engagement found in its predecessors. While some players appreciate the branching paths and the game's artistic presentation, many feel that the narrative is underdeveloped and fails to create a strong connection with the characters. Overall, the game is seen as more of an interactive storybook than a fully realized gaming experience, leaving players wanting more in terms of length and emotional impact.

    • “In a 40-60 minute run, Shelter 3 is capable of telling a stronger, deeper, and more dramatically meaningful story than other games in 40-60 hours.”
    • “The beautiful music, gorgeous art style, and the story are all on point... most of the time.”
    • “I love the music, story, and gameplay so much.”
    • “The story line at the start feels extremely misleading, making it sound like you are on a journey to find the rest of your herd where instead you just find their remains and basically bring one of your herd to die with no sense of really why you need to do this or what the point of it was.”
    • “It feels like they wanted to write a novel, but had to fit a game in around it, and so ended up having to miss everything but the important plot points, but because we didn't get all the stuff in between the scenes came out dry and meaningless.”
    • “This was not at all what happened, shelter 3 is a game devoid of any emotional story, or any engaging gameplay whatsoever, it is a walking simulator that is stretched out to just two hours of gameplay because of how slow the elephants move, not because the world is big.”
  • gameplay79 mentions

    Gameplay in this title has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it slow, repetitive, and lacking depth compared to previous entries in the series. The mechanics primarily revolve around walking and eating, which can lead to frustration due to the sluggish movement of the elephants and limited interactive elements. While some appreciate the artistic presentation and new interactions, the overall consensus is that the gameplay feels empty and fails to deliver the engaging experience fans expected.

    • “All in all, I definitely think most shelter fans will like this game, especially if they like new challenges and game mechanics.”
    • “While the game mechanics are somewhat light and vaguely presented, the perfect blend of visual style, soundtrack, and level design made the game feel mysterious, profound, and captivating.”
    • “M&D have done an amazing job with this one... give it time and enjoy it for what it is: a peaceful stroll through a beautifully crafted world.”
    • “However, the elephants do walk slow, like any elephant, which makes for a frustrating gameplay experience if you've made a wrong turn, leading to long treks across the desert due to unclear paths.”
    • “Starting with the gameplay, there's a painful lack of it, and the only reason I'm coming to such a quick conclusion just after an hour of gameplay is because I know what it was like to play the previous games.”
    • “The gameplay consists of mainly two things: walking and eating, and while walking from point A to B already takes forever, it gets further interrupted by your little calf wanting to nurse every few minutes, stopping your entire herd for several seconds.”
  • music75 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beauty and emotional depth, often describing it as stunning and a highlight of the experience. While the soundtrack complements the visuals effectively, some players noted that the music's cues for danger felt inconsistent, leading to moments of confusion. Overall, the music is consistently regarded as a strong point, enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling.

    • “The music is gorgeous and the story it tells is moving.”
    • “The music, as always, underlines your journey beautifully, whether it be a peaceful landscape or danger might be lurking around.”
    • “It's still very pretty, the music basically carries literally every emotion and story beat, and I must admit, I did get attached to my herd.”
    • “While the pretty graphics and music are present, the game follows a different theme and simply doesn't feel like a shelter game.”
    • “However, the visuals are ruined by the other animals that almost look static for how lifeless they are (and you can just walk through them anyways); and because there was no sense of danger or relief, the music contributed nothing to the mood.”
    • “Nothing's worse than, by the end of the game, hearing music indicative of danger, and just ignoring it knowing that nothing will happen.”
  • graphics51 mentions

    The graphics in Shelter 3 are widely praised for their stunning art style and beautiful environments, maintaining the signature aesthetic of the series. However, some players feel that the visuals are less optimized compared to previous installments, with certain animations appearing lifeless and the overall detail feeling muddled at times. Despite these criticisms, the game's visuals and soundtrack are generally regarded as top-tier, contributing to a captivating atmosphere.

    • “Shelter 3 is an absolutely beautiful game, it has amazing graphics and a unique style.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, and I love how you can interact and bond with your herd.”
    • “The beautiful music, gorgeous art style, and the story are all on point... most of the time.”
    • “Graphics - may be personal but it's cold and also the worst from the three Shelter games.”
    • “Graphics look worse than in Shelter 2 or Meadow; they are also less optimized.”
    • “However, the visuals are ruined by the other animals that almost look static for how lifeless they are, and because there was no sense of danger or relief, the music contributed nothing to the mood.”
  • emotional49 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of attachment to characters compared to previous installments in the Shelter series. While some found the ending to be beautiful and touching, evoking tears, others felt that the emotional depth was diminished due to a less engaging story and character development. Overall, the game is appreciated for its visuals and concept, but it struggles to evoke the same level of emotional investment as its predecessors.

    • “This is the only shelter game that made me cry.”
    • “The ending was emotional and sad, something I did not see coming.”
    • “The shelter series takes you through an emotional journey of a specific animal - in shelter 1 it was the badger mother leading her cubs to safety in a linear storyline.”
  • replayability19 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it falls short compared to its predecessor, Shelter 2. While some players found limited replay value in exploring different paths or planning journeys, the consensus is that the game is too linear and short, offering little incentive to replay once achievements are unlocked. Many feel that it had the potential for greater replayability but ultimately fails to deliver.

    • “I was not bothered by the length, since the options to plan your journey offer good replayability.”
    • “Shelter 2 completely blew it out of the water, with a vast world you can explore with your cubs, dangers you have to be aware of, collectibles and some replayability with the different skins you can unlock by continuing your family tree -- so when Shelter 3 was announced, I was very hyped and expected yet another gem.”
    • “Implement these changes and I believe this could be as immersive and replayable as Shelter 2.”
    • “It's also linear like Shelter 1 but without the charm, so if you are expecting replay value like Shelter 2, prepare to be disappointed.”
    • “I usually don’t judge too hard on short playtimes, but I managed to 100% the game in 40 minutes, and there’s not much replayability, even if you try to get the other ending.”
    • “The replayability dies the moment you get all your achievements or see every alternative path, of which there are few.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs and glitches that significantly impact gameplay, such as AI issues and visual anomalies. While some users noted that certain glitches have been patched, many still feel the game feels rushed and unfinished, leading to frustration and a lack of recommendation despite its appealing visuals and music. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from a lack of polish and stability, detracting from the experience.

    • “It's buggy and very short; you can finish it in 30 minutes.”
    • “To have an engine already built so far ahead of time, still be behind schedule and deliver a buggy, unfinished, unpolished game is just laziness.”
    • “This game is very buggy, and it just feels rushed or incomplete in some parts.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its adaptability to different situations and its detailed art style, creating an immersive experience. However, some players feel that the environments can feel reused and less atmospheric compared to other titles, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite this, many recommend the game for its beautiful ambiance and engaging family dynamics, making it suitable for those seeking a more casual, story-driven experience.

    • “What I liked most was that the atmosphere was adapted to the situation.”
    • “However, it felt like they improved on certain aspects, like the art style seemed to look more detailed, and the way they made the atmospheres of different areas feel was also amazing.”
    • “It is not particularly fast-paced; instead, it focuses on immersing you in the beautiful atmosphere and family dynamic of your herd.”
    • “It's more of a walking and eating elephant simulator, with atmosphere and a few anticlimactic dangers sprinkled in there.”
    • “However, it's a beautiful game and I will likely play it one or two more times just for atmosphere, and to get the last achievement.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting that it runs poorly even on the lowest settings, leading to significant frame drops and high fan activity on their systems. Many noted that the graphics are inferior to previous titles in the series, such as Shelter 1 and 2, indicating a lack of polish and performance issues that detract from the overall experience.

    • “I do have a few issues though, regarding performance and conveyance, which I will explain.”
    • “Sometimes it would run smoothly, but it drops frames significantly and constantly.”
    • “It is poorly optimized and I had to run it on the lowest settings, while I can normally run games on pretty high settings.”
    • “I had the game on the lowest possible resolution and performance settings and my iMac's fans were running at almost 4000 RPM when entering the second loading screen/section of the game, just past the introduction, so I had to stop playing.”
    • “The game (at the time of this review, may change in the future) runs worse performance-wise than Shelter 1, Shelter 2, and Meadow.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, likening it to a walking simulator that detracts from engagement with the story. The slow movement of the character, particularly as an elephant, exacerbates the feeling of monotony, making the gameplay feel less rewarding and more of a chore. Overall, the grinding experience is viewed as a significant drawback, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.

    • “Essentially, it's a tedious walking simulator that's pricier than what it's worth.”
    • “Thanks to the slow, tedious gameplay mixed with the text-based story, it's rather hard to either get invested in this story or listen to other things while you aren't fully engaged, causing a weird middle-ground issue.”
    • “So it turns out elephants move very slowly, and without the screen shake that usually accompanies huge animals stomping around (which would have been absolutely nauseating in this case), this rate of movement gets awfully tedious in a hurry.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is a mix of funny and disturbing moments, which adds a unique flavor without detracting from gameplay quality. Players find humor in quirky animations, such as crocodiles awkwardly squirming during encounters, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “It's been both funny and disturbing on different occasions, but it doesn't significantly reduce gameplay quality.”
    • “Not to mention the crocodiles on land sometimes look a bit funny as they squirm in place in the water during the two delta crossings and crocodile encounters you can put yourself into during the game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for feeling rushed and lacking depth, leading players to perceive it as a quick cash grab rather than a thoughtfully developed experience. Fans believe they deserve better treatment and more value for their investment.

    • “The game seems rushed; not much love went into it, and that's where the fanbase deserves better than a quick cash grab.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It’s frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, forcing players to spend more to fully experience the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

Buy Shelter 3

Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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