Sometimes: Success Requires Sacrifice
- February 27, 2015
- Volens Nolens Games
Get on Steam"Sometimes: Success Requires Sacrifice" is a narrative-driven game where choices matter. Players take on the role of Volens, a young mage who must navigate moral dilemmas and make tough decisions that will impact the world around them. With branching storylines and multiple endings, success may require making sacrifices that haunt you long after the game is over.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features an interesting mechanic where players must die to illuminate their path, adding a unique twist to gameplay.
- It offers multiple game modes, including classic and mini-games, providing diverse gameplay experiences.
- The music and atmosphere are generally well-received, contributing to a calming and enjoyable experience.
- The game is criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many players feeling it doesn't hold their interest for long.
- Controls can feel floaty and unresponsive, making navigation in the dark frustrating.
- In-game achievements are not integrated with Steam, which is seen as a missed opportunity for player engagement.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a mix of classic modes and mini-games, offering some diversity, but is marred by floaty controls and a lack of polish in its core mechanics, particularly the movement in darkness. While some players find the unique mechanics intriguing and the game visually appealing, many feel it lacks depth and staying power, resulting in an overall unsatisfying experience.
“With both a classic mode and engaging mini-games, it offers diverse gameplay.”
“This is a beautiful game with relaxing music and good gameplay.”
“Cute little game with some interesting mechanics (die to light your pathway in front of you).”
“The worst offense though, is that the game's core mechanic - moving around in darkness - is hampered by controls that feel floaty.”
“Heck, one option just takes you to a site to download a totally separate game, and another is a totally unrelated minigame that just completely throws the mechanics of the main section out the window.”
“2/10 - there's *something* there in the gameplay, but it's just not very fun as it's been presented now.”
- music16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and soothing, with some tracks being enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay. However, there are criticisms regarding the repetitiveness of certain loops and the jarring contrast between the music and the loud death sound effects, which disrupt the overall experience. Despite these issues, many players appreciate the music as a positive aspect of the game.
“With pretty great music.”
“Nice background music.”
“This is a beautiful game with relaxing music and good gameplay.”
“The music is a loop of what sounds like a stock piano track.”
“The music is atmospheric, but it's also all over the place from one track to the next, which is totally at odds with the jarring death noise that you'll be hearing a lot, even in just one to two minutes of playtime.”
“The music is a loop of what sounds like a stock piano track.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are described as competent but unremarkable, with a simple aesthetic that doesn't stand out. While the user has creatively enhanced the experience with additional elements, the overall visual presentation remains basic.
“There are 4-5 simple game modes wrapped in one here, and they all seem competently put together even if the graphics are nothing special.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by atmospheric music that varies significantly between tracks, creating a disjointed experience. However, the frequent and overly loud death sound effects detract from the overall enjoyment, interrupting the immersive quality of the music.
“The splash sound that it makes when you 'die' is way too loud, so if I'm playing and want to enjoy the music and atmosphere, the 'death' sound is ruining the experience.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a significant absence of a story in the game, with multiple users expressing disappointment and suggesting that the lack of narrative detracts from the overall gaming experience.
“No story.”
“If there was some sort of story attached, I'd call this a game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game particularly frustrating, with some specifically mentioning that the death noise is so irritating it forces them to play on mute.
“Unfortunately, I have to play this game on mute because the death noise is extremely teeth-grinding.”
