TARTARUS

38%
Game Brain Score Based on 108 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
TARTARUS Game Cover
Tartarus shows off some excellent puzzles aboard a disappointingly empty spaceship, but it’s usually more charming than frustrating.
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"Tartarus" is a single-player Science Fiction Hack and Slash game set in a terrifyingly dark sci-fi universe in 2230. As Cooper, a cook and miner, you must hack the ship's systems via terminals using realistically simulated commands to prevent the ship from crashing into Neptune. Despite its unique atmosphere and exceptional visuals, the game is marred by horrible gameplay and numerous bugs.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

38%
Audience ScoreBased on 108 reviews
graphics17 positive mentions
story6 negative mentions
  • The game features some challenging puzzles that can be enjoyable for fans of the genre.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are well-designed, contributing to an immersive experience.
  • The command line interface for puzzles is a unique and engaging mechanic that adds depth to the gameplay.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including game-breaking glitches and poor checkpoint systems.
  • The ending is widely criticized for being frustrating and inconsistent with the rest of the game, shifting to a stealth mechanic that feels out of place.
  • Many players found the puzzles to be overly complicated or lacking clear instructions, leading to confusion and frustration.
  • story44 mentions

    The game's story is generally perceived as a mediocre, linear narrative reminiscent of 80s-90s B-grade space thrillers, lacking depth and character backstory. While some players find it mildly enjoyable and atmospheric, many criticize it for being predictable, dull, and poorly integrated with gameplay, often feeling like a mere backdrop to the puzzles. Overall, the story fails to engage players fully, with many expressing a desire for more complexity and immersion.

    • “Mildly enjoyable game, with so-so puzzles, and an interesting story.”
    • “Pretty good storyline considering how short the game is and although the ending is probably the most frustrating and repetitive part of the whole game, it definitely gets the adrenaline going.”
    • “The part where you move around, interact with the environment, talk with other crew members and read ship logs, is just a shell to explain the background story.”
    • “No spoilers, but let's say that it is just a regular B-grade space thriller movie of the 80s-90s kind of vibe and story.”
    • “The story was kinda lame and predictable and the puzzles were not interesting.”
    • “The graphics are not as nice as the Steam store shows, the voice acting is bad, the story is below average and the gameplay mechanics are horrible.”
  • graphics34 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and retro-futuristic aesthetic, while others criticize the inconsistent quality and use of generic assets. Many noted that while the graphics can be appealing, they sometimes appear sparse or unfinished, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as decent but not on par with top-tier titles in the genre.

    • “Generally a good sci-fi game with solid graphics, challenging puzzles, and no weapons (at least for you).”
    • “I really like this game; graphically it's beautiful, the puzzles are challenging, and the characters have a lot of personality which makes the game really fun.”
    • “+ awesome 'retro-futuristic' aesthetic is a nice change of pace from other sci-fi games and lends a bit more personality to Tartarus.”
    • “Tartarus does an okay job with the atmosphere (read: it's dark), but its graphics and environments look like they're generic assets copied and pasted from an online store.”
    • “- strangely inconsistent graphical quality: sometimes Tartarus looks pretty great, but other times it's a surprisingly ugly game; many areas are unnecessarily large and sparse, almost as if they're unfinished.”
    • “With such a small development team and budget, this doesn't come off as a huge surprise, but perhaps it would have been better for Tartarus to use more abstract aesthetics to better conceal its rough visual edges.”
  • atmosphere32 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, with many users highlighting the effective use of music and environmental design that enhances the overall experience. However, some critiques point to a lack of originality in graphics and a disconnect between atmospheric elements and gameplay, particularly in puzzle logic. Overall, while the atmosphere is a strong point for many, comparisons to other titles suggest it may not fully meet the expectations set by more acclaimed games in the genre.

    • “The atmosphere is excellent and the puzzles are good.”
    • “Musics and atmosphere is great in this game, they really suck you into its world.”
    • “Overall, good atmosphere and nice puzzles.”
    • “Tartarus does an okay job with the atmosphere (read: it's dark), but its graphics and environments look like they're generic assets copied and pasted from an online store.”
    • “I could let the scale of the game slide if it weren't for the price and the lack of atmosphere.”
    • “If you want atmosphere, there are better games, like Alien: Isolation (yes, I know everyone is comparing the two, but I'm afraid the comparison is extremely valid), or even the new Prey (2017).”
  • gameplay28 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over poorly designed mechanics and arbitrary lengthening tactics that detract from the overall experience. While some enjoyed the puzzles, they found the final segments to be particularly disappointing and disconnected from the rest of the game. Overall, the gameplay is criticized for its lack of coherence, confusing mechanics, and a weak plot, making it hard to recommend to anyone outside of dedicated puzzle enthusiasts.

    • “I'm liking the gameplay; I hope the story delivers.”
    • “It abruptly requires you to forget most of the modern gameplay styles and return to the past games and computer reality, where you had a problem, and you had to brainstorm through it.”
    • “Since the environment is all about lighting and mechanical stuff, the game looks good with the right lighting settings.”
    • “The thing that made me quit and uninstall was the shamelessness of the arbitrary gameplay lengthening mechanics.”
    • “Poor gameplay design.”
    • “Relatively short (four genuine puzzle segments) and hamstrung by a weak plot and some bad gameplay mechanics, it's hard to recommend the game to anybody but a diehard puzzle gamer.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised for its dramatic and atmospheric qualities, effectively immersing players in its eerie world. The soundtrack enhances the tension, particularly in dark settings, although some players note a disconnect between the spooky music and the lack of immediate danger.

    • “The music and atmosphere are great in this game; they really suck you into its world.”
    • “Dramatic music enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The game keeps putting me in dark hallways and rooms with eerie music, even when clearly no danger has been established to exist.”
    • “~spooky background music~ but there is literally no risk to the player character (until the annoying stealth segment)”
    • “Dramatic music!”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting frequent bugs, freezing issues, and glitches that hinder gameplay. While some minor issues like misspellings are noted as easily fixable, the overall impression is that the game suffers from significant stability problems that detract from the experience.

    • “This game is buggy and poorly thought out.”
    • “Sometimes the game freezes or another weird bug happens which doesn't allow you to pick up stuff.”
    • “Good atmosphere, good graphics (noticed a couple of glitches early on).”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users initially criticizing it for poor performance. Despite improvements noted by some players, others still report significant optimization issues, particularly during action-heavy segments.

    • “I've almost completed the game, but the last part with actions exposed that the game is also not optimized at all.”
    • “- Bad optimization.”
    • “This was a negative review before because of the bad optimization; now I am changing it.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers little to no replayability, as it is short and lacks content that encourages multiple playthroughs. Players may enjoy the experience initially, but many recommend against purchasing it at full price due to its limited longevity.

    • “You are going to have fun through the game, but don't buy it at full price, because it's a very short game with no replayability and will leave you frustrated at the end.”
    • “No replayability.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the initial puzzles engaging and the spacewalk exciting, but the experience deteriorates towards the end, becoming overly tedious and frustrating due to excessive precision and lackluster stealth elements, leading some to abandon the game before completion.

    • “I uninstalled about 90 seconds from the end of the game because it just became too tedious.”
    • “Interesting and not so hard starting console puzzles, quite exciting spacewalk, and then it became dumb and tedious at the very end with over-precise math and not-so-puzzle horror stealth.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Users find the humor in the nostalgic references to MS-DOS, which evoke fond memories of the past, adding a lighthearted and amusing element to the experience.

    • “Dealing with the MS-DOS stuff reminds me of the old days... it was hilarious!”
    • “The witty dialogue and clever puns had me laughing out loud!”
    • “The absurd situations and quirky characters made for some truly funny moments!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

57% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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