Spate
- March 28, 2014
- Ayyo Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Spate" is a single-player platformer game with a splendid story centered around a struggling addict's dark and brooding journey into madness, created by former Disney & Jim Henson artist Eric Provan. The game delivers an eerie adventure filled with absinthe-fueled hallucinations and haunting memories, as the main character grapples with the tragic loss of his daughter, all set against a backdrop of exceptional atmosphere, awesome visuals, and spectacular music.
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Reviews
- Stunning visuals and a beautifully constructed atmosphere that captivates players.
- Engaging narrative with a strong emotional core, exploring themes of loss and addiction.
- Well-composed music and voice acting that enhance the overall experience.
- Gameplay is overly simplistic and often consists of just walking to the right with minimal challenge.
- The game is short, lasting around 1.5 to 2 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
- Frequent bugs and glitches can disrupt the experience, making it feel unpolished.
- story214 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Spate" is a central element, focusing on themes of addiction and personal struggle, conveyed through the protagonist's narration and atmospheric visuals. While some players found the narrative engaging and emotionally resonant, others criticized it for being muddled, clichéd, or lacking depth, with gameplay often taking a backseat to storytelling. Overall, the game is described as an artistic experience that prioritizes ambiance over complex gameplay, appealing to those who appreciate narrative-driven content.
“The story is gripping.”
“Beautifully written story and music to accompany it.”
“Overall I liked Spate, it's a little flawed, but it's got a beautiful and interesting style, and a good story about overcoming loss and addiction.”
“The dialog and story generally are pretty heavy-handed, and there's no real depth to most of the characters, such as they are.”
“As an addict, I was rather disappointed in the story/dialogue; it was obviously not written by or guided by someone who has struggled with addiction.”
“The story as it stands has as much to say about addiction as a potato has to say about geopolitics.”
- gameplay132 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Spate" is generally described as simplistic and lacking depth, with light platforming elements and minimal challenges that may leave players feeling apathetic. While the unique mechanic of drinking absinthe adds some variety, it is often deemed underutilized and does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the game prioritizes atmosphere and storytelling over engaging mechanics, resulting in a more artistic experience than a traditional gaming challenge.
“The gameplay is casual but careful because you get easily distracted by the amazing graphics.”
“The story is decent, and the gameplay is fun, but it's the setting and the presentation of that setting that really take your breath away.”
“Fantastic visuals, wonderful music, well-crafted gameplay, and a heartbreaking story... highly recommended!”
“But there is no gameplay to speak of.”
“It just wasn't that memorable, and the monotonous gameplay did not help my opinion of this game at all.”
“While the visuals are entrancing, the gameplay is bland, and you'll find yourself guzzling absinthe while you run through the game.”
- graphics125 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Spate" are widely praised for their stunning, surreal aesthetic and vibrant colors, often compared to stop-motion animation and other artistic influences. Many players found the visuals to be a highlight of the game, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience, despite some criticism regarding character animations and technical issues. Overall, the game's art style and visual presentation are considered exceptional, contributing significantly to its appeal, even if the gameplay itself is seen as simplistic.
“Spate has stunning visuals, great atmosphere, a pretty good story, and an adorable robot NPC to boot!”
“The graphics are surreal and fantastic; there are no games like it!”
“The art style is breathtaking.”
“The character animations are below N64 standards, and I don't even want to get into the frame skipping and limited graphics options.”
“While the visuals are entrancing, the gameplay is bland, and you'll find yourself guzzling absinthe while you run through the game.”
“For a game with an amazing soundtrack and visuals, it is disappointing for me to have to say this but having beaten it in a little over 2 hours and with little replayability, it is not really worth the MSRP of $10.”
- music71 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, beautifully complementing the visuals and enhancing the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the orchestral soundtrack and moody string instruments as standout features that effectively convey the game's surreal and emotional tones. However, some players noted inconsistencies in music volume and moments where the soundtrack faded, impacting immersion during gameplay.
“Beautifully written story and music to accompany it.”
“The soundtracks are perfectly suiting all atmospheres and kind of give you the effect of being there how it would feel.”
“Fantastic visuals, wonderful music, well-crafted gameplay, and a heartbreaking story.. highly recommended!”
“My very minor complaints for this title are some collision glitches and an uneventful soundtrack that was just a smattering of sounds you might hear in any token thriller.”
“The music volume, on the other hand, varies wildly, and I kept having to adjust my volume.”
“But then I died and got sent back a ways and the little music that was playing had stopped, the immersion broke, and then I got to spend five minutes getting past rolling pinballs because the platforming response time and just general movement is slow.”
- atmosphere71 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Spate is widely praised for its stunning visuals, unique psychedelic style, and immersive sound design, creating a dark and surreal experience that enhances the narrative. While many reviewers appreciate the game's focus on ambiance and storytelling, some criticize the level design and gameplay mechanics as lacking depth, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, Spate is recognized as a visually captivating title that excels in atmosphere, appealing to players who prioritize artistic expression over traditional gameplay elements.
“Spate has stunning visuals, great atmosphere, a pretty good story, and an adorable robot NPC to boot!”
“The game is fairly short, and the controls can be a bit clunky in places, making the platforming frustrating at times, but overall Spate is wonderfully atmospheric, has a unique look, and good voice acting that all make for an interesting, psychedelic noir experience.”
“The visuals are beautifully complemented by an atmospheric soundtrack that blurs in and out, a soundscape both musical and representative of the sounds of the world.”
“This is a sheer abomination with laughable gameplay, trying-too-hard atmosphere and poor dialogue.”
“Unfortunately, we had to close the game short at an hour and a half, as the game's depressing atmosphere was weighing too heavily on my friend (and me as well).”
“Lacks the atmosphere of Limbo, the solid story of Gone Home, and the gameplay is pretty boring.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely criticized for being ineffective and poorly executed, with references to a bad Christopher Walken impersonator and unfunny jokes that fail to enhance the narrative. While some players found amusement in quirky elements like drinking mechanics and a comedic relief robot, the overall comedic tone feels out of place against the game's darker themes, leaving many feeling that the humor detracts rather than adds to the experience.
“That said, any potential dramatic weight is completely deflated anyway by the hilariously bad Christopher Walken impersonator charged with the narration and the bootleg frozen clip-art used to evoke memories of your daughter.”
“You are held in harrowing hallucinations as much as the protagonist, but this captivation spirals down the drain faster than a slick steamer in a Taco Bell toilet whenever you speak with the main NPC, a comedic relief robot that passes for funny only in abrupt contrast with the otherwise somber environment.”
“Loved how you can just drink endlessly and the weird funny effects that it has on the game can really trip you for a loop!”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, making it feel nearly unplayable at times. Players report frequent collision problems and frustrating glitches, particularly during jumping sequences, which detract from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the game's technical shortcomings overshadow its design and fun factor.
“I really want to like this game, and I can tell the spirit is there, but it's so buggy it's practically unplayable.”
“In the first 36 minutes of play, I had already died from glitches twice and had to restart the game once because I mysteriously lost the ability to focus on a submenu, and could only control the main menu so the submenu was seemingly impossible to get rid of.”
“The game is very easy, but also can get caught up in some glitches (especially when jumping) that can make the game difficult at times.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game provides an emotional journey that resonates deeply with players, despite some criticisms of the writing quality. Many reviewers highlight the touching narrative, stunning visuals, and evocative music, with some noting that the ending is particularly impactful and nearly brought them to tears. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a heartfelt experience.
“While the story is not especially well-written, it does offer an emotional journey if the player wishes to be so engrossed.”
“(P.S. The ending very nearly made me cry. The b*stards!)”
“Fantastic visuals, wonderful music, well-crafted gameplay, and a heartbreaking story... highly recommended!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with clunky mechanics that detract from the overall experience. The lack of focus on fun makes typical gameplay elements feel out of place and contributes to a boring narrative.
“As a game, it is tedious; as a narrative, it is boring as hell.”
“You see, I don't think the game really focuses on the 'fun', making the typical game tropes of platforming, dodging traps, and such feel really out of place, not to mention that they are clunky, buggy, and tedious.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with players noting that it can be completed in just over two hours, which diminishes its value despite its impressive soundtrack and visuals. Overall, many reviewers feel that the lack of challenge and content makes it hard to justify the price.
“For a game with an amazing soundtrack and visuals, it is disappointing for me to have to say this, but having beaten it in a little over 2 hours and with little replayability, it is not really worth the MSRP of $10.”
“7/10*, -1 controls, -1 cut scenes, -1 no challenge, -1 replayability, +1 just because the visuals and soundtrack were so amazing!”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant frame rate drops despite having capable hardware, such as a GTX 980. While it may run well for some, the inconsistency in performance suggests that the game is not well-optimized overall.
“The game isn't optimized very well; it ran good for me, but I have a GTX 980. I would go from 220 FPS down to the 40s without much going on with my GPU/CPU or much happening on the screen.”
