The Crack (壳中之物）

Are you still contacting your friends from school? Do you still remember the love from the youth? And even more, do you still have the dream that keeps your heart beating? You’ve been trained to have a heart covered by unbreakable shell. In this game, you are going through a journey to crack it, leading to the long forgotten. Who is murmuring in the dark? Who is screaming for help through the…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

music3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The Crack offers a captivating narrative experience focused on isolation and self-discovery, with a story that lingers long after playing.
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its minimalist visual style and haunting soundtrack, creating a sense of unease that complements the exploration.
Despite some translation issues, the story is engaging and encourages players to pay attention to environmental clues and character dialogue to solve the mystery.

The game is criticized for lacking traditional gameplay elements, feeling more like an e-book with poorly written dialogue rather than a true game.
Many players found the pacing slow and frustrating, with some mechanics feeling forced or not impactful on the overall experience.
The use of AI-generated art and translation issues detracted from the overall enjoyment, leading to a lack of immersion in the story.

story
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's story is intricately woven through environmental storytelling and cryptic messages, creating a slow-burn narrative that emphasizes atmosphere and character development. Players are encouraged to engage deeply with the environment and dialogue to unravel the suspenseful and unexpected plot, although some users note that the English translation is still a work in progress. Overall, the well-written narrative and character flashbacks enhance the immersive experience.
- “Regardless of this, the best part of the game is definitely the story, which gives you flashbacks that help you understand better the character we are playing and the unexpected storyline where you need to pay attention to the environment and characters' dialogue to be able to solve the mystery.”
- “Just be prepared for a slow-burn experience that prioritizes atmosphere and story over action.”
- “Little dearies, this game is a suspenseful story with a mystery that lightly taps your foot and makes you look at it, trying to figure out what in the hell touched you with such grace in the first place. Currently, the translation isn't great (for English users), however, it's a work in progress!”
- “The narrative unfolds organically through environmental storytelling and cryptic messages, leaving you to piece together the bigger picture.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by an oppressive and unsettling environment, enhanced by sparse sound effects and haunting ambient music that evoke a constant sense of unease. This immersive atmosphere supports a thought-provoking narrative, making it a unique experience for players who appreciate a slow-burn approach that prioritizes story and mood over action.
- “Sparse sound effects and haunting ambient music create a soundscape that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere.”
- “The oppressive atmosphere, with its decaying environments and unsettling soundscapes, creates a sense of constant unease that keeps you on edge.”
- “Just be prepared for a slow-burn experience that prioritizes atmosphere and story over action.”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is a minimalist masterpiece, featuring haunting ambient sounds that enhance the atmosphere and narrative depth. While it effectively serves as a character in its own right, some players note that it can become repetitive over time.
- “The soundtrack in the game is a masterpiece of minimalism.”
- “Sparse sound effects and haunting ambient music create a soundscape that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere.”
- “The music is more than just background noise; it becomes a character itself, adding depth and emotional weight to the narrative.”
- “A soundtrack that haunts.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development is noted for its simplicity, with the protagonist's shadowy design enhancing the sense of mystery surrounding them.
- “The character design is equally simplistic, with the protagonist shrouded in shadow, adding to the air of mystery.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonist.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving little room for growth or transformation.”
- “The interactions between characters are often one-dimensional, which detracts from the overall narrative experience.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game serves as a pivotal emotional element, enhancing the narrative by acting as a character that adds depth and weight to the overall experience.
- “The music is more than just background noise; it becomes a character itself, adding depth and emotional weight to the narrative.”
gameplay
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual/interactive novel is criticized for being minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through poorly written dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. Reviewers question the quality of the writing and how it was deemed suitable for release on platforms like Steam.
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print. This poses the question, 'How did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “The gameplay is incredibly repetitive and lacks any real challenge, making it feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- “The mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall immersion and enjoyment of the game.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a mouse click, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels and e-books can be tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you've ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or even 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature). Now, translate that into a format where the words dribble out, and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged. It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be a major drawback. Instead of enjoying the story or gameplay, I'm stuck performing the same tasks over and over, which quickly becomes boring.”