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
- Beautiful graphics and relaxing atmosphere, making it a visually stunning experience.
- The music, while repetitive, is soothing and adds to the overall ambiance of the game.
- Offers a brief escape into nature, perfect for those looking for a calming experience.
- Extremely short gameplay, lasting only 15-30 minutes with no real content or story.
- Lacks interactivity and gameplay mechanics, making it feel more like a tech demo than a game.
- Bugs and glitches, such as the left mouse button resetting the game, detract from the experience.
- music31 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 it for being repetitive and poorly mixed. Many noted the lack of variety, as there is only one or two tracks that can become irritating over time, especially since the audio cannot be adjusted or turned off. Overall, while the ambiance created by the music is appreciated by some, its execution and limitations detract from the overall experience for many players.
“The music is quite good and relaxing.”
“I'm going to love it further 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 bad and noisy.”
“The music is a little distracting from the environment and doesn't really help the game in any way.”
“There is no dialogue in the game, so all you are doing is walking through the woods listening to the same 30-second song over and over again.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the impressive visuals and detailed environments made possible by the CryEngine, often describing them as "good" or "fantastic." However, some users note issues such as blurriness in distant landscapes and frame rate problems on lower-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, the game's lack of substantial gameplay and short length leave some players feeling underwhelmed.
“A nice walking simulator game with amazing graphics, but short.”
“The lost valley in all of its amazing detail graphically is at heart only a playable tech demo, when we enter the demo for the first time we are presented with a great setting of an idyllic forest where everything seems to be in harmony.”
“Graphically I cannot fault the demo; CryEngine is one of, if not the best engine on the market at the moment, with its easy-to-use mechanics and high level of quality.”
“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.”
- story22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with players noting a complete lack of narrative, exposition, or interaction, reducing it to a mere walking simulator. Many reviewers express disappointment that the premise of the game, involving a cyclist's accident, is not developed or integrated into the gameplay, leaving them feeling unsatisfied and disconnected from any meaningful storyline. Overall, the consensus is that without a compelling story, the experience feels hollow and unengaging.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“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.”
“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.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its lack of substance, with many reviewers noting that it features no meaningful mechanics, narrative, or interactive elements. Players often find themselves restarting from the beginning due to minor mistakes, and overall, the experience is described as an empty, visually appealing environment devoid of any engaging 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.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as beautiful and relaxing, effectively immersing players in serene surroundings that evoke a sense of calm. However, some reviews note a lack of depth and content, suggesting that while the scenery is visually appealing, it may not offer a fully engaging experience. Overall, it successfully transports players to a tranquil environment, albeit with minimal interactive elements.
“This game is a perfect example where you get exactly what you're told; a beautiful, relaxing, atmospheric walking simulator with little to no 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.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous glitches and a problematic sound system, leading users to feel it resembles a prototype rather than a polished product. Many reviewers express disappointment, suggesting that it requires substantial improvements before it can be considered a complete game.
“The only reason to have this in your library is to support the developers, but I don't think they deserve it. The game feels like a prototype and needs a lot of work. The sound system is so buggy, and there are only two soundtracks, one of which is bad and noisy.”
“It seemed more like a test than an actual game, as there were several glitches with rendered objects.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Cryengine 3 is visually impressive, but its performance lags behind Unreal Engine 4; however, it still runs adequately on high settings for most hardware.
“CryEngine 3 is a beautiful engine, and while the performance isn't as efficient as Unreal Engine 4, it ran acceptably maxed out on my hardware.”
“The optimization in this game allows for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs on my setup; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimization.”
“CryEngine 3 is a pretty engine, but the performance isn't as efficient as Unreal Engine 4. It ran acceptably maxed out on my hardware, but I expected better optimization.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering even on high-end systems.”
“Despite the stunning visuals, the lack of proper optimization makes it frustrating to play, as it often feels sluggish and unresponsive.”
