Storm, for all intents and purposes, isn't a particularly bad game. There are some interesting ideas at play here that, unfortunately, are hampered by poor level design and frustrating gameplay mechanics. While the graphics and sound in Storm are its strong suit, it's gameplay is obviously flawed. Storm uses the mother nature setting to the best of its capabilities but sadly, will only serve to frustrate its players rather than provide them with a relaxing experience.
Get on Steam"Storm" is a serene puzzle game that takes you through the seasons, using natural phenomena to guide a seed to fertile ground. Interact with 49 lush levels, solve puzzles, and create natural paths in three modes. The game features a calming soundtrack by indie developer and musician Terence Lee, enhancing the immersive experience.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- Storm offers a beautiful and peaceful experience with calming music and stunning visuals, making it a great game to unwind after a long day.
- The game features clever and satisfying puzzle mechanics that encourage players to think creatively while using elements of nature to guide the seed.
- Many players appreciate the unique concept and the relaxing atmosphere, finding enjoyment in the slower-paced gameplay despite some challenges.
- The controls are often frustrating and unresponsive, leading to a lack of consistency in gameplay and making puzzles feel arbitrary and difficult.
- Players have reported significant issues with the game's design, including a lack of settings for mouse sensitivity and key rebinding, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Despite its beautiful presentation, many find the gameplay tedious and frustrating, with some levels requiring excessive trial and error due to poor mechanics.
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its calm and peaceful quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the natural sounds of the environment. While some players find the soundtrack enjoyable and a key part of the game's atmosphere, others express frustration with technical issues that detract from their enjoyment. Overall, the music is considered solid and contributes positively to the puzzle-solving experience.
“A calm and peaceful game with a nice soundtrack.”
“Laugh at your mistakes, enjoy the scenario, and listen to the beautiful music – you may find the game to be better than it looks.”
“While I appreciate the music and art style, I have come to be highly irritated by these problems in the game, and I can't but strongly recommend against it.”
“Admittedly, I could have finished it sooner if I wasn’t appreciating the scenario and the soundtrack.”
“Graphics are just okay, music is solid but the real joy comes from solving the puzzles.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it clever and satisfying due to its seasonal mechanics and familiar challenges, while others criticize it for confusing and unresponsive puzzle mechanics, unclear objectives, and frustrating level design. Despite some interesting ideas, many feel that the gameplay falls short of expectations, often leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the execution leaves much to be desired.
“This is a surprisingly clever and satisfying puzzle game with simple mechanics.”
“I'm up to autumn now, and I'm really enjoying the twist on mechanics each season brings.”
“The challenges each stage are familiar (good conveyance of mechanics), without being repetitive.”
“The puzzle mechanics are confusing and unresponsive, the abilities work 40% of the time, the objectives are unclear, and the game never looks as good as the trailers imply it does.”
“In terms of actual gameplay, it is anything but serene, and far beyond what any but the most obsessive-compulsive and patient kids will tolerate.”
“There are some interesting ideas at play here that, unfortunately, are hampered by poor level design and frustrating gameplay mechanics.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while many appreciate the charming, hand-crafted visuals and calming music, others find the quality lacking in fullscreen, describing it as bland and muddy. Despite the appealing art style, some players feel that the overall experience is diminished by gameplay issues. Overall, the graphics are seen as a highlight, but not enough to compensate for other shortcomings in the game.
“And, as hinted above, the hand-crafted visuals are a definite hit.”
“Graphics are great, music is calm and controls are good enough to end the puzzles easily when you have the right solution.”
“Sometimes the puzzles are difficult to complete but your mind will be much clearer after seeing these great graphics and music.”
“While I appreciate the music and art style, I have come to be highly irritated by these problems in the game, and I can't help but strongly recommend against it.”
“I love the charming graphics, but beyond that, there isn't much in this game for me.”
“While the graphics and sound in this game are its strong suit, its gameplay is obviously flawed.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the game's replay value to be good; however, some express frustration with repetitive mechanics, such as waiting for cooldown timers, which detracts from the overall replayability experience.
“The replay value is excellent, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“The game encourages exploration and experimentation, making each replay feel fresh and engaging.”
“There are multiple paths and outcomes, ensuring that no two playthroughs are the same.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story revolves around a seed-based puzzle-solving adventure where players manipulate natural elements like rain, wind, and lightning to transport a seed from a tree to its ideal growing location. While the narrative is simple and primarily serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, it provides a charming and engaging experience, albeit with a slow pace and occasional difficulty. Overall, players find it enjoyable for casual play.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is visually stunning and tranquil, but it can be undermined by frustrating level design and clumsy controls, which detract from the overall experience.
“Despite all its visual beauty and tranquil atmosphere, the game often becomes irritating due to (probably) unintended pitfalls in the level design or the clumsy implementation of its controls.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs reported that severely impact gameplay, rendering it unplayable for many users.
“But it has more bugs than a picnic on a hot August night after a dune buggy drive through the national exterminator's convention, rendering the game unplayable.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly when it comes to manipulating certain elements, such as seeds, which leads to a lack of patience and enjoyment.
“Trying to get the stupid seed to move where you want it is hair-tearingly tedious, and I am simply not patient enough to continue trying.”
