The Light Keeps Us Safe
- September 5, 2019
- Big Robot Ltd
Get on Steam"The Light Keeps Us Safe" is a first-person survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players must navigate dark environments while avoiding alien creatures that thrive in the darkness, using limited light sources to stay safe. With a focus on stealth and strategy, players scavenge for resources and repair structures to survive and uncover the truth behind the cataclysmic event that changed the world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The stealth mechanics and unique light-based gameplay provide an interesting twist, making exploration engaging.
- There is a variety of enemy types and challenges that keep the gameplay dynamic and exciting.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including frustrating movement mechanics and game-breaking glitches.
- The narrative is minimal and lacks depth, leaving players with many unanswered questions and an unsatisfying ending.
- Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with a lack of meaningful progression and direction for players.
- gameplay52 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Light Keeps Us Safe" is centered around a stealth mechanic that involves navigating light and darkness, which some players find intriguing, while others criticize its execution as simplistic and unpolished. While the atmosphere and visual design are praised, many reviewers note issues with controls, enemy AI, and repetitive mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players enjoy the adrenaline-fueled moments and the potential for future updates to enhance gameplay depth.
“This is very much a game that is centered around its gameplay loop which is stealth.”
“The weapon and stealth mechanics are enjoyable.”
“Gameplay is fun once you get into it and you can have some truly adrenaline-infused moments as you are being cornered by multiple enemies whilst running out of options/resources.”
“The controls - no matter how you map them - are awful, the lighting isn't spooky, it's just impossible to see anything, and the mechanics just fail at every turn.”
“While the game design is solid, overall it feels unpolished, uninspired, and unfun.”
“The core mechanics are too simple, and the enemies are very simple and very dumb.”
- atmosphere36 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, sound design, and immersive world, creating a sense of dread and tension that captivates players. Many reviewers highlight the atmospheric beauty and unique aesthetic, comparing it to classic titles like "Stalker" and "Half-Life 2." However, some note that while the atmosphere is exceptional, the gameplay mechanics and overall depth need significant improvement to match the quality of the environment.
“The atmosphere and visual art direction is incredible, the stealth is decent, and the light mechanic is a neat concept.”
“The atmosphere and the design of everything in this world is incredibly well executed.”
“Everything about the atmosphere and the robot design and the sound direction combines to create a sense of dread that never lets up.”
“Neat atmosphere and concept, but the game is kind of boring and the mechanics are lame.”
“Everything about the atmosphere, the robot design, and the sound direction combines to create a sense of dread that never lets up.”
“The spooky atmosphere and the initial 'oh no, I gotta hide and stay quiet' very quickly becomes kind of dull and meaningless when you realize that the robots aren't actually that dangerous; you can pretty easily just go around them or escape if they actually manage to spot you.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their artistic style and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers noting the integration of unique art into a realistic environment. However, issues such as glitches, limited graphics settings, and inconsistent frame rates detract from the overall experience for some players. Despite these drawbacks, the visuals are considered beautiful and contribute significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere.
“The graphics are awesome, especially considering the big robot's trademark art style for the majority of their games; it's really impressive how that has been integrated into the realistic environment.”
“Graphically, the game is great, with tons of atmosphere.”
“Graphically beautiful, fantastic sound, intriguing world, solid stealth so far, and it looks like it's going to be really cool as it gets built out.”
“The general idea, and the graphics looked promising at first, but finishing the game left a semi-bitter taste.”
“I have a fear that the graphics are dark to balance the poor engine, and yet the framerate drops for some reason in some places. The options menu does not provide any ways to balance the graphics settings.”
“Oh, by the way, forget graphics settings; except for gamma, v-sync, and resolution, there are none.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and repetitive, with players noting a lack of depth and substance despite some intriguing world-building elements. While the atmosphere is praised, many feel that the narrative fails to engage, offering little more than a basic goal without meaningful context or resolution. Overall, the story is seen as underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more in terms of plot and character development.
“It’s actually a fine example of game mechanics contributing to the storytelling, because there’s some serious world-building that happens once you realize how some of your modes work.”
“It's an utter shame as I mentioned the backstory for Signal from Tölva is simply brilliant (the PDF backstory, not as told in game) and I sincerely hoped it would be exploited for another game.”
“I can't wait to see where the plot leads.”
“Story-wise, it's bare-bones and it shouldn't be played for that reason.”
“Even the story suffers from being undercooked, building plenty of atmosphere but not much substance, and it ends in just as unsatisfying a place.”
“The setting and the story are kept unexplained, and the ending does not really provide any closure.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, including issues with character movement and AI behavior. Players report that these technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating and unworthy of serious play, especially on higher difficulty levels. Many recommend avoiding the game until these stability issues are addressed, as it appears to be abandoned and unfinished.
“The game offers a remarkably stable experience, allowing players to immerse themselves without worrying about technical issues.”
“I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is; I rarely encounter bugs that disrupt my experience.”
“The stability of the game is impressive, making it easy to focus on strategy and exploration without interruptions.”
“I love the concept of the game, but the amount of glitches makes it unworthy to play.”
“The game can end rather easily, there's almost no meaningful direction given to the player, various glitches, many of the machines are just scenery or untouchable.”
“The game has been abandoned for a while so don't buy it, it's highly buggy and is not even close to being finished.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has been criticized for being poor, with players experiencing choppy performance and bugs, particularly in later levels. Despite some users reporting stable performance on their systems, many feel that the game requires significant optimization work to address its early access issues and enhance the overall experience.
“Needs optimization (hopefully we'll get this throughout the early access campaign).”
“And currently no major performance or framerate problems on my rig.”
“Also by the third level it was getting choppy to play; mind you, my PC is no pushover. I think the game really needs some optimization work.”
“The bad: it's extremely short and feels like it is poorly optimized. I have a Vega 56 and a Ryzen 2600X, and a steady 60 FPS in this game is impossible if you are not underground. There are numerous parts of the game that feel like they are nowhere near complete or that they don't tie into other parts of the game.”
“I figured it had a lot of promise, even though it had all the early access problems: bad optimization, lots of bugs, etc.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design contribute to an immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with effective robot sounds. However, the lack of ambient music and a more engaging main menu detracts from the game's presentation, leaving a sense of incompleteness.
“The sound design, music, robot designs (and their sounds), and lighting come together to create an eerie experience.”
“The ambient music enhances the overall atmosphere, making the gameplay feel more immersive.”
“It just plops you in the main menu with zero fanfare, and continues to give off a very 'rickety' feel and a sense of missing features as you play. Some ambient music would help at the very least, though the robot sounds are great.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be less prominent compared to "Sir, You Are Being Hunted," with some players feeling it lacks the comedic elements and charm found in that title.
“The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with witty dialogue and hilarious situations that keep you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game blends absurdity with clever jokes, making every encounter a memorable and funny experience.”
“The quirky characters and their funny interactions add a unique charm to the gameplay, making it a joy to explore.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game creates a deep emotional immersion, drawing them in and making them feel profoundly connected to the experience.
“It's been a while since a game has sucked me in and made me feel this immersed.”
“The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel personal.”
“I found myself tearing up during key moments, which is a testament to how well the story is told.”
