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Tethered

Despite falling shy of true greatness, Tethered is nonetheless just what Sony's new gaming platform needs to convince the naysayers of its suitability for ‘traditional’ gaming experiences. This is one PSVR title that you’ll want to hold onto.
Tethered Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, replayability
83% User Score Based on 150 reviews
Critic Score 74%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

PCPlayStation VRCloudPlaystation 4Virtual RealityNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindowsPlayStation
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Tethered Game Cover

About

Tethered is a single player action adventure game with a historical theme. It was developed by Secret Sorcery Limited and was released on February 27, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In a magical sky borne world, assume the role of a powerful Spirit Guardian charged with restoring life and balance. Command the Peeps, your loyal servants, to feed, fight, build, and sacrifice themselves for the greater good in a quest to release your entombed brethren.

Genres & Tags
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Tethered screenshot
Tethered screenshot
Tethered screenshot
Tethered screenshot
Tethered screenshot
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83%
Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
story2 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and charming design that create an immersive experience.
  • Engaging gameplay that combines resource management and strategy, reminiscent of classic god games like Black & White.
  • Intuitive controls and a well-structured tutorial that make it accessible for both VR beginners and seasoned players.
  • Frequent micromanagement can become tedious, as peeps often forget their tasks and require constant attention.
  • Technical issues such as crashes and poor performance on certain systems, leading to frustration for some players.
  • Limited depth in gameplay mechanics, resulting in a lack of challenge and variety as the game progresses.
  • gameplay
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its depth and strategic elements, particularly in VR, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and repetitive. Many noted that while the initial mechanics are easy to grasp, the game can become tedious due to micromanagement and lack of challenge. Overall, the visuals and intuitive controls are praised, but the gameplay experience varies significantly between VR and non-VR modes, with some finding it engaging and others feeling it falls flat.

    • “The gameplay at first appears simple, but then you start to realize there is actually a fair amount of depth and choices surrounding your limited resources.”
    • “The controls are intuitive, and the gameplay is fun.”
    • “Tethered is an excellent god-like strategy game with tight controls, superb gameplay mechanics, and great presentation.”
    • “Well, this is more of the same... ultra basic gameplay - would have been getting slammed if not a VR title... only bought because people were absolutely desperate.”
    • “There is barely any challenge in beating the game; every single mechanic can be mastered in the first hour or two.”
    • “Unfortunately, most of the gameplay doesn't rise past this level of banality.”
  • graphics
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users praising the beautiful, stylized visuals and detailed environments that enhance the overall experience. The art style is described as cute and engaging, contributing to a captivating atmosphere that complements the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered top-notch, with smooth performance and a polished aesthetic that appeals to a wide audience.

    • “The graphics are top notch, the mini worlds are gorgeous and fun to look at and explore.”
    • “Fantastic atmosphere, really nice graphics and design!”
    • “A beautiful gem of a game, lovely graphics and very polished.”
    • “Without constant movement, the graphics simply cannot be truly appreciated, and this game simply doesn't have you looking around much.”
    • “It's not graphic; he just fades into the clouds as he falls, but it was rather jarring to watch if you're not expecting it.”
  • music
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its superb quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players finding it immersive and enjoyable, even if it's not typically their preferred genre. The soundtrack is noted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's mood without being overpowering. Overall, the audio experience is described as amazing and well-executed.

    • “The music is really cool as well - I kind of wish I had bought the deluxe pack now so I had the soundtrack.”
    • “And it has a superb soundtrack that really sets the mood.”
    • “The music is great without being overwhelming, the environments are simple but polished and beautiful.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, delivering great visuals and smooth performance on mid-range systems like the i7-3770k/GTX 980 and i7-6700k/GTX 970. While some users reported minor framerate issues during specific moments, general gameplay remains smooth without noticeable glitches or stuttering.

    • “The game runs smoothly on my i7-3770k/GTX 980 system, with no apparent glitches or dropped frames.”
    • “Game runs smoothly on my i7-6700k and GTX 970.”
    • “Great optimized visuals with smooth world scaling.”
    • “There were a couple of framerate issues on load or when the building triangles are swirling around the camera, but during normal play, I did not have any stuttering or issues.”
  • story
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of variety and depth, with missions feeling repetitive and offering little more than different map layouts and artifact unlock orders. Players note the absence of a compelling narrative, special events, or boss encounters, leading to a monotonous gameplay experience.

    • “There is not enough variety between missions: only map layout and artifact unlock order is different; there is no story, special events, or bosses.”
    • “Gameplay is repetitive with no real missions.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, with players noting its challenging nature and the desire to improve performance on subsequent runs. Initial playthroughs last between 7-12 hours, and even after progressing, users find ample motivation to revisit levels for better completion.

    • “It does itself a favor well past the excellent first impressions by making itself challenging and highly replayable.”
    • “I would expect the first run through to take anywhere from 7-12 hours, with a high amount of replayability, especially if you want to see just how well you can do completing a level.”
    • “I'm only on the 4th island and can already see a lot of replay value.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players report a high level of stability in the game, with no bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay. The visuals are praised, and the game runs smoothly across various hardware configurations, indicating strong performance and reliability.

    • “Looks good, runs great (RX 480), and the controls work well.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience throughout.”
    • “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its fantastic quality, complemented by impressive graphics and design that enhance the overall experience.

    • “Fantastic atmosphere, really nice graphics and design!”
    • “The immersive environment draws you in and makes you feel part of the world.”
    • “The sound design and visuals create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after playing.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly simplistic, requiring excessive micromanagement to complete straightforward tasks, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The presentation is very nice, but unfortunately the gameplay is overly simplistic combined with tedious micromanagement to accomplish those overly simple tasks.”
    • “This is a major objective of the game and is nothing but tedious.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply impactful, as they experience heartbreak witnessing their minions suffer and ultimately take drastic actions due to neglect. This evokes nostalgia for classic titles from Bullfrog and early Lionhead, highlighting the game's ability to elicit strong feelings of attachment and loss.

    • “It's heartbreaking to watch your little minions starve, then become depressed and fling themselves off the island cliffs you worked so hard to create.”
    • “The game made me feel like I was playing something made by Bullfrog or early Lionhead.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by a blend of charming cuteness and unexpectedly dark elements, creating a delightful and engaging experience. Players find the interactions with characters both adorable and hilarious, enhancing the overall enjoyment from the very beginning.

    • “From the charming cuteness to the fantastic style and the surprisingly dark humorous elements, this game instantly started growing on me the second I started its tutorial.”
    • “This allows me to get right up in the peeps' faces and follow them across the landscape, and it's adorable and hilarious.”
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74%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
11h Average play time
2-26h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Tethered is a action adventure game with historical theme.

Tethered is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Virtual Reality, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Tethered.

Tethered was released on February 27, 2017.

Tethered was developed by Secret Sorcery Limited.

Tethered has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Tethered is a single player game.

Similar games include The Mims Beginning, DYSMANTLE, Pine, Townsmen VR, Rise to Ruins and others.