The Complex
- March 31, 2020
- Little Jade Productions
The story and acting are superb and with so many endings it’s almost impossible to predict how each decision will play out and affect the overall conclusion. A must play for fans of live-action games.
"Apperson's The Complex is a choose-your-own-path game set in a locked-down London lab after a bioweapon attack. As Dr. Amy Tenant, your decisions and relationships with other characters lead to one of eight suspenseful endings. Interactions and choices affect relationships, shaping scenarios and outcomes in this sci-fi thriller."
Reviews
- Great performances and high production value enhance the overall experience.
- Offers plenty of replayability with multiple endings and a relationship mechanic that adds depth.
- Decent story that can be entertaining for a casual evening with friends or family.
- Meaningless choices and lack of character development make it hard to engage with the story.
- The game feels short and lacks depth, leading to an unsatisfying experience overall.
- Many plot holes and a poorly written script detract from the potential of the narrative.
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story of "The Complex" is described as decent but ultimately lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its short length and numerous plot holes that detract from the overall experience. While the interactive elements and multiple endings offer some engagement, the narrative feels disjointed due to underdeveloped subplots and characters, leading to a sense of predictability and fatigue before reaching the conclusion.
“The story and acting are superb, and with so many endings, it’s almost impossible to predict how each decision will play out and affect the overall conclusion.”
“The complex is a decent little sci-fi flick, but its interactive elements only encourage you to dig deeper into a story.”
“The complex's potential gets lost amid weird subplots, throwaway characters, and a ton of plot holes.”
“You’ll tire of the cast long before you reach the release’s credits, and while the title does include various branches in its story, it generally feels like you’re on autopilot for the most part.”
“The complex is a decent story that feels bigger than it could be.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its great performances and high production value, though some users noted issues like stuttering between scenes and a short runtime of 75 minutes. While the main cast delivers solid performances, the protagonist's portrayal and a lack of character development detract from the overall experience. The inclusion of features like a skip option and a relationship chart is appreciated, enhancing replayability.
“Great performances, high-tier production value.”
“Great performances from the main cast, nice skip feature that encourages finding all the endings, relationship chart mechanic works pretty well.”
“Performance is mostly solid aside from the main protagonist, but the lackluster script with a severe lack of character development, aside from large amounts of exposition, makes it difficult to really care about any of them.”
“The game has a short length at just 75 minutes, and there is some stuttering between scenes.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay of The Complex is characterized by its ambitious relationship mechanics that influence player choices, complemented by strong performances from the main cast. The inclusion of a skip feature encourages exploration of all possible endings, while the relationship chart effectively enhances the overall experience.
“The complex is a decently serviceable FMV game that has an ambitious relationship mechanic that drives choices forward.”
“Great performances from the main cast, nice skip feature that encourages finding all the endings, and the relationship chart mechanic works pretty well.”
“The gameplay feels clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to navigate through the story.”
“The relationship mechanics are overly complicated and detract from the overall experience.”
“There are too many choices that feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of meaningful engagement.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised as stellar, contributing to an immersive experience that complements the intense narrative and great acting.
“The graphics are absolutely stunning, bringing the game world to life in a way that feels incredibly immersive.”
“Every detail in the environment is beautifully rendered, making exploration a visual delight.”
“The character models are incredibly lifelike, enhancing the emotional impact of the story.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally weak, with a lack of depth and reliance on exposition that hinders emotional investment in the characters, particularly the main protagonist. While performances are mostly solid, the script fails to provide meaningful growth or engagement.
“Performances are mostly solid aside from the main protagonist, but the lackluster script with a severe lack of character development, aside from large amounts of exposition, makes it difficult to really care about any of them.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, leaving little room for emotional investment.”
“Despite the potential for rich storytelling, the character development is shallow and fails to engage the player.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability with nine different endings and impactful character relationships that enhance the experience. Additionally, the generally good acting contributes to the overall enjoyment of revisiting the game.
“There is plenty of replayability with nine different endings, and the character relationships make a real difference.”
“The game offers a rich experience that encourages multiple playthroughs, as each choice significantly impacts the story.”
“With various paths to explore and unique outcomes based on decisions, the replay value is incredibly high.”
“The game offers plenty of replayability with nine different endings, and the character relationships make a real difference.”
“Once you've experienced the main story, there isn't much incentive to go back and play again.”
“While the game has multiple endings, the overall experience feels repetitive after the first playthrough.”
Critic Reviews
The Complex Review
The Complex is a run-of-the-mill live action adventure game, in a genre that can't really afford to phone it in. The decent price tag makes it at least a bit endearing for the curious, but fans will find The Complex to be an underwhelming movie and a forgettable game.
55%The Complex PS4 Review
The Complex feels like a moderately entertaining super-low budget science fiction film – the first time. After that, it becomes apparent that the “interactive” part of this interactive film is just fluff, until the very end. At that point, the game slams you into an ending that feels a bit unearned. The Complex is a fun enough way to spend an evening with family or friends, but don’t expect any longevity out of it.
60%The Complex
The Complex is a failure of an FMV game, with meaningless choices and boring characters that would make you wish for your time back.
28%