The Library of Babel
- April 6, 2023
- Tanuki Game Studio
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamJoin Ludovik in a 2D Stealth Platformer and Graphic Adventure, as he explores the jungles of a futuristic Babylon to discover the secret behind the Library of Babel’s sudden lockdown and the mysteries behind their mythical creators.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features beautiful art direction and a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in a dystopian world.
- The puzzles and exploration elements are engaging, providing a refreshing change from typical gameplay mechanics.
- The character designs and ambient sounds contribute to a rich and interesting narrative experience.
- The stealth gameplay is often boring and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Controls can be sluggish and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments during platforming and stealth sections.
- Navigation is confusing due to a lack of clear objectives and an inadequate map system, making it difficult for players to progress.
- story29 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and engaging, while others feel it lacks depth and payoff. Many users appreciate the beautiful visuals and atmospheric world, but criticize the quest progression and confusing objectives that detract from the narrative experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as better than average, but hampered by pacing issues and a lack of clarity in quest requirements.
“I'm really liking the game, the art is beautiful and the story is gripping.”
“The story is intriguing and keeps you interested.”
“All of that said, I enjoyed all of the puzzles, the gameplay was decent when it wasn't frustrating, and the story was better than average.”
“On the one hand, you've got amazing visuals, moody atmosphere, great character designs, and wonderful ambient sounds, but on the other hand, there's sluggish controls, bad pacing, shallow gameplay, and genuinely lacking story payoff.”
“It has some other significant problems, specifically with the quest progression. It has side quests, but they are not really side quests; some of them are required for the story, and how would you know that? Also, sometimes the main questline requires you to do some random errands that are not listed in the log, so you pretty much have to know from another person or just be very lucky.”
“Sometimes you have a main quest that literally skips 2 side quests that you had to do to progress, but the quest says nothing about them, so you stand like an idiot in front of the locked door.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it boring and repetitive, particularly criticizing the sluggish controls and lack of engaging mechanics in both stealth and platforming sections. While some enjoyed the puzzles and appreciated the atmospheric visuals, others felt that the gameplay was shallow and needed more depth and variety, especially in the stealth mechanics. Overall, the game offers a decent experience but leaves much to be desired in terms of gameplay innovation and pacing.
“The stealth sections add a layer of tension to this overall very mysterious world; things are not given to you straight away, a refreshing change given the current trends of assisted gameplay in other games.”
“This game is a complete piece of art and a lovely tribute to classics like Flashback or Another World, with a cool twist using stealth mechanics.”
“My final note to the developers: this project is still clearly a labor of love, and even with how much I was frustrated with the gameplay, I wanted to see it through just so I could see what you wanted me to see.”
“The gameplay is absolutely boring and repetitive.”
“The guidance on where to go in this open world is pretty lacking, so there's lots of wandering about. This, combined with the sluggish and slow gameplay, makes many parts of the game feel like you're wasting time.”
“The way the game tries to add variety is by changing the actual level design, but the problem is that the core stealth gameplay is always one-dimensional and requires the same approach.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive high praise for their stunning visuals, moody atmosphere, and unique art style, often compared to comic book aesthetics. While many players appreciate the beautiful environments and character designs, some express frustration with gameplay elements that detract from the overall experience, such as sluggish controls and repetitive mechanics. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature that enhances the exploration and immersion in the game.
“Love the graphics, the puzzles, and just exploring.”
“Nice chilling game, beautiful art and graphic style.”
“The art style is just *chef's kiss*.”
“For the first 5 hours or so I didn't have any big problems with the game; yeah, it was a little repetitive, but the visuals and the world-building were interesting enough to keep going. I mean, the game is extremely pretty in some locations; I was just spamming that F12.”
“Also, I kind of miss the manual edge grabbing from the genre. You know, like not going up, but manually going down. I really wish I could do that, even just for the visuals.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning visuals, moody ambiance, and impressive character designs, complemented by immersive ambient sounds. However, this is undermined by sluggish controls and a shift in design philosophy that detracts from the stealth elements, leading to frustrating platforming mechanics and a lack of narrative payoff.
“The game features amazing visuals, a moody atmosphere, great character designs, and wonderful ambient sounds.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is visually impressive, featuring great character designs and a captivating atmosphere; however, it suffers from sluggish controls and a lack of depth in the story, leading to a disappointing narrative payoff. Overall, while the aesthetic elements are praised, the character development feels shallow and underwhelming.
“Very enjoyable game, I liked the character design and overall ambiance.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the sound cues that enhance exploration and the dynamic soundtrack in the hub area, which adds to the overall experience.
“The dynamic music in the hub is pretty great!”
“The music is alright, and I like the sound cues for exploring.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, despite the availability of fast travel once unlocked, as navigating the areas can still feel cumbersome.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“While there is fast travel available, the overall navigation and grinding through areas can be tedious.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
