The Lost Valley
- April 19, 2015
- Sanke Berdochan
Get on Steam"The Lost Valley" is an action-adventure game set in a prehistoric world. Players control a young boy who was transported to this land and must navigate through dangerous environments filled with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. The game features a variety of weapons and tools to help players survive, and a crafting system to upgrade and customize them. The ultimate goal is to find a way back home while uncovering the mysteries of the Lost Valley.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a relaxing atmosphere, making it visually appealing.
- The music, while limited, is soothing and adds to the overall ambiance of the game.
- It provides a short, casual experience that can be enjoyable for fans of walking simulators.
- The game is extremely short, lasting only about 15-30 minutes, and lacks any meaningful gameplay or story.
- There are significant technical issues, including bugs that cause the game to reset unexpectedly and poor sound design.
- It feels more like a tech demo than a finished product, with little interactivity and no real objectives.
- music62 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and beautiful, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety, noting that there are only a couple of tracks, one of which is described as grating. Many users expressed frustration over the inability to adjust the volume or turn off the music, leading to a distracting experience. Overall, while the ambiance created by the music is appreciated by some, its execution and limitations detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The music is quite good and relaxing.”
“I'm going to love it farther along in the development, and the music is beautiful.”
“Beautiful ambiance, both visually and music-wise.”
“The only reason to have this in your library is to support the devs, but I don't think they deserve it. The game is like a prototype and needs a lot of work. The sound system is so buggy, and there are just two soundtracks, one of which is so bad and noisy.”
“The music is a little distracting from the environment and doesn't really help the game in any way.”
“The soundtrack used in the demo is awful. The first couple of minutes feature the one used in the trailer, which I loved, but it all went downhill when that track finished. It was then replaced by what I can only describe as someone mashing random keys on a piano; it was grating and made the game lose all of its idyllic setting.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the impressive visuals and detailed environments made possible by the CryEngine, while others criticize the blurriness of distant landscapes and the overall lack of gameplay. Despite being described as a visually appealing walking simulator, some players feel that the graphics alone do not compensate for the game's short length and minimal interaction. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are often seen as the game's only strong point.
“Very short walking simulator, with impressive and relaxing visuals.”
“A nice walking simulator game with amazing graphics, but short.”
“A stunning graphical project for £4, a tech demo really but a detailed and enjoyable experience.”
“The graphics are bad and the far landscape is so blurry and noisy.”
“To be honest, I couldn't even really play the game because my computer's graphics card couldn't handle it even on the lowest graphics setting, so the frame rate was so bad I can't even play the game.”
“Well, I can't play this 'game' because I don't have the right graphics card.”
- story44 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting a complete lack of narrative, exposition, or character development. Described as a walking simulator, it offers no interaction or storytelling elements, leaving players feeling disconnected from any plot or purpose. Many reviewers express disappointment, wishing for at least a minimal storyline to enhance the experience.
“I like adventure games with only walking, but I need a bit of story in adventure games to be satisfied.”
“I still enjoyed it; I'll play it through again in winter mode. If it had a story in the game, it would be quite a good game, but I only remembered the premise of the character being an injured cyclist looking for a boat when I read another review about what the point of that being in the blurb when the game doesn't allude to it at all.”
“Bought it for 10% off, but I would have been comfortable with the normal $5 price. I like walking simulators and hope if there is a next effort that it has a story to go with a beautiful map.”
“There is no story, no exposition, and nothing to find to give any semblance of background as to what is going on.”
“Evidently it's a walking simulator but one without any story whatsoever, which is always the hardest sell.”
“Because what we have here is definitely not a game as it features no gameplay, no story, no characters, no environmental sounds, no voice acting, no custom models - nothing.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely criticized for its lack of mechanics, narrative, and overall engagement, with many users describing it as an empty experience that merely allows players to walk through a visually appealing but hollow environment. Players face frustrating restart mechanics for minor mistakes, further detracting from any potential enjoyment. Overall, the game is seen as a demo rather than a fully realized product, offering little more than a showcase of graphics without substantive gameplay.
“The gameplay is so bad because if you miss with the left click on the mouse, you will restart from the beginning. If you accidentally press F8, you will go to the main menu and have to start over again.”
“This game is a demo of CryEngine; there's no narrative, no soundtrack, and no game mechanics.”
“What we have here is definitely not a game as it features no gameplay, no story, no characters, no environmental sounds, no voice acting, and no custom models - nothing.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as beautiful and relaxing, effectively immersing players in serene surroundings that evoke a sense of calm. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and imagination, suggesting that while the visuals are appealing, the overall experience may feel shallow due to minimal content.
“The scenery itself is beautiful, however, and has a relaxing atmosphere.”
“For the first couple of minutes of this game, you are put into a sense of calm and you are left to take in the surroundings and the atmospheric scene that is left before you.”
“Very relaxing, atmospheric game.”
“The atmosphere in winter feels lifeless and dull.”
“The atmosphere in winter lacks any sense of warmth or excitement.”
“The atmosphere in winter is monotonous and uninspiring.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous glitches with rendered objects and a buggy sound system, which detracts from the overall experience. Many users feel it resembles a prototype rather than a polished product, indicating that it requires substantial improvements before it can be considered a finished game.
“Seemed more like a test than an actual 'game' as there were several glitches with rendered objects.”
“The sound system is so buggy, and there are only two soundtracks, one of which is bad and noisy.”
“The game feels like a prototype and needs a lot of work.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Cryengine 3 is visually impressive but is noted for being less efficient in performance compared to Unreal Engine 4. However, it still runs acceptably on high settings for users with capable hardware.
“Cryengine 3 is a pretty engine, and while the performance isn't as efficient as UE4, it ran acceptably maxed out on my hardware.”
