The Gateway Trilogy
- March 31, 2020
- Cockroach Inc.
Get on Steam"The Gateway Trilogy" is a puzzle-adventure game where players navigate through surreal environments to restore a fractured reality. Each chapter introduces new mechanics, like time manipulation or gravity control, to challenge your problem-solving skills. With its unique art style and immersive atmosphere, this game offers a captivating narrative experience, testing your wits and creativity across a variety of thought-provoking stages.
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Reviews
- Gateway 1 and 2 are nostalgic and enjoyable, featuring creative puzzles and a unique atmosphere that captivates players.
- The remastered versions of the first two games maintain their charm and provide a solid experience for fans of the original Flash games.
- The overall aesthetic and sound design contribute to an engaging and immersive experience, especially in the first two games.
- Gateway 3 is a significant disappointment, primarily consisting of repetitive tile puzzles that lack the creativity and engagement of the first two games.
- The story in Gateway 3 feels disconnected and unsatisfying, undermining the emotional impact established in the previous installments.
- Technical issues and performance problems, including bugs and lag, detract from the overall experience, particularly in the third game.
- story35 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story across the "Gateway" series is a mixed bag, with the first two games praised for their deep, unsettling narratives and character-driven plots, particularly in the second installment. However, the third game is criticized for its incoherent and disconnected storyline, failing to build on the emotional weight of its predecessors and lacking the engaging character interactions that defined earlier entries. Overall, while the first two games offer a compelling and haunting experience, the third installment is seen as a disappointing departure from the rich storytelling that fans had anticipated.
“The central plot follows a traumatized girl who is haunted by her mother's watchful eye, and you end up enraptured by it immediately following your escape from the previous game.”
“Even though I've played many horror games or games with horror elements since Gateway I and II, I still found the story of Gateway II surprisingly creepy and affecting; its Lynchian presentation is definitely unique even today.”
“The storyline of the second game is so heavy and unsettling, yet so flawlessly told and grounded in reality that it has stuck with me all 10-12 years since I first played them.”
“The little bit of story we get at the end feels like it takes a massive dump on everything that came before it.”
“Unfortunately, what we got instead was an incoherent mess of a story that, at best, does not connect to the previous two games at all, and at worst, completely undermines the emotional impact of its predecessors.”
“But now, we get to the real letdown of Gateway III: the story.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is described as minimalist yet impactful, effectively contributing to a sense of dread and unease. While some users feel it occasionally detracts from gameplay feedback, many appreciate its chilling tone and the way it enhances the overall narrative experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a surreal and unsettling puzzle adventure.
“The atmosphere itself carries a lot of the game.”
“I think the developer succeeded in creating a fun puzzle game with an interesting story and uniquely unsettling atmosphere.”
“It doesn't really enhance the atmosphere much, and sometimes it removes useful feedback.”
“The puzzles are more varied, the atmosphere is even more foreboding, and the narrative is downright chilling at points.”
“If you come in wanting a short puzzle game with a surreal, minimalist atmosphere, give it a shot.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many tile-based puzzles described as annoying and lacking enjoyment. While some puzzles are interesting, they are often overshadowed by repetitive mechanics that feel like unnecessary padding rather than engaging gameplay.
“It's just a tedious mechanic, which really isn't enjoyable.”
“They're frustrating, tedious, add nothing except padding to make the game last longer.”
“Some were just annoying to do, and were frustrating and tedious rather than fun, and others were just way too easy that I was able to just randomly walk around and beat them without thinking.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally well-received, featuring a blocky art style that complements the game's aesthetics and storyline. While some users recommend reducing graphics settings to avoid lag, the visuals are described as simple yet pleasant, enhancing the overall experience without overwhelming the gameplay.
“I like the blocky art style and the ambient music.”
“Graphics are nice, the puzzles are not too complicated, and there's even more to explore.”
“It has an interesting storyline, simple but pleasant graphics, and enough content to keep most players engaged for a few hours if you aim to pick up the achievements (some of which are challenging).”
“Gateway one and two were fine, but I recommend reducing the graphics to prevent lag.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly criticizing the mind-numbing tile puzzles. However, others appreciate the unique style and mechanics, noting that certain sections can be engaging, especially when anticipating story developments. Overall, the gameplay experience varies significantly among players.
“Great little puzzle game showing the very obvious style and game mechanics they implemented into the dream machine.”
“It's just a tedious mechanic, which really isn't enjoyable.”
“The bulk of the gameplay is made up of mind-numbing tile puzzles (the kind where you have to trace a path without backtracking).”
“It had one section of gameplay (you walking around repeatedly going through screen transitions) that was somewhat gripping only because I thought it was building up to some great story section.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some users report that previous bugs and performance issues have been addressed, others still experience significant performance problems that detract from the overall quality, particularly in the remastered versions.
“I read some other reviews discussing bugs and performance issues; they must have since been fixed, as the only issues I've had so far were the shoddy collision detection regarding the clone towards the end of the third game, and some minor text misplacement in the second game.”
“Speaking of, performance is terrible.”
“While the remasters are arguably slightly superior in some ways to the old versions, the performance issues drag everything down below original quality.”
“I read some other reviews discussing bugs and performance issues; they must have since been fixed, as the only issues I've had so far were the shoddy collision detection regarding the clone towards the end of the third game and some minor text misplacement in the second game.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its striking ambient quality, enhancing the overall experience. However, there are concerns about potential issues with music playback, particularly in Gateway 2, leading to uncertainty about whether the soundtrack was changed or simply malfunctioning due to bugs.
“I like the blocky art style and the ambient music.”
“I'm not sure, but I think the music was swapped out in Gateway 2.”
“That might be wrong though; the game is very buggy, so perhaps the music just didn't play correctly, or perhaps I simply missed it somehow. I don't think that would be possible; it's a very striking piece of ambient music.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and glitches that can lead to softlocks, particularly after extended play sessions. Users have reported performance slowdowns and inconsistencies, impacting the overall experience.
“The game is very buggy, so perhaps the music just didn't play correctly, or maybe I simply missed it somehow. I don't think that would be possible; it's a very striking piece of ambient music.”
“The game slows down after an hour of playing, and you can easily softlock yourself due to the numerous glitches.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the humor in the game as exceptional, particularly noting a memorable scene where Alice shares a vivid dream with Victor, which elicited significant laughter. The combination of humor and creativity is praised as a standout feature.
“I don't think any of the games I have bought up to now has made me laugh so much, such as Alice's explanation to Victor of her vivid dream on the cruise ship. The humor and creativity are outstanding.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has been criticized for its incoherent story, which fails to connect with the previous installments and undermines their emotional impact.
