The Market of Light
- September 28, 2021
- historia Inc.
Get on SteamA short game and tech demo created with Unreal Engine 5. The player is a small firefly that collects orbs of light scattered around the market. Experience a meticulously rendered world from a micro view point!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Visually stunning and showcases the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 with impressive detail and lighting.
- Free to download, making it an accessible way to experience next-gen graphics.
- Short but enjoyable experience that highlights the potential for future games using UE5 technology.
- Controls are clunky and frustrating, making it difficult to enjoy the exploration aspect.
- Lacks graphical settings and options, limiting customization and optimization for different hardware.
- Gameplay is minimal and feels more like a tech demo than a fully developed game, leading to a short experience.
- graphics62 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning detail and impressive use of Unreal Engine 5 technologies, showcasing high-quality textures, lighting, and realistic environments. However, many users express disappointment over the lack of graphical settings and optimization options, which limits the experience for those with varying hardware capabilities. Overall, while the visuals are considered a significant achievement, the gameplay and control mechanics leave much to be desired.
“Some of the best graphics ever created on Steam.”
“The graphics of Unreal Engine 5 are astonishing.”
“The graphics are truly gorgeous and the clutter, textures, and details of the level are very well executed and impressively done from the human elements on the market to the smallest little plants in the drain.”
“Personally don't think the graphics are all that; pop-up details, some dreadful textures, bad lighting on objects, and terrible water. Don't get me wrong, it looks fine, but as a tech demo... nah, not impressed. As for any gameplay, you're a bug flying around finding orbs, which is fine for a few minutes of exploring, but the controls are awful.”
“The incredible environment can't be properly enjoyed; for some inexplicable reason, the resolution is locked and there's zero graphics/quality tweaks.”
“I am surprised that, for a tech demo like this, it does not allow you to change graphical settings to test your system's output while playing this game.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 28 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the demo is mixed; while some users report smooth performance on higher-end hardware like the RTX 3070 and 2070 Super, others with older GPUs, such as the GTX 1060 and 960, experience significant stuttering and poor performance. Many players note that the demo showcases the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 but also highlights the need for better optimization and configuration options for a wider range of systems. Users generally agree that while it runs well on capable setups, improvements are necessary for lower-end configurations to ensure a smoother experience.
“I think I'm more impressed at that than at Lumens, in all honesty. It's just crazy to me the level of detail one can cram into UE5 without loss of performance.”
“It does seem optimized to run as good as it can on whatever hardware configuration you have currently, so that's nice for people who want to simply jump in and play.”
“Market of Light works well as a tech demo both for showcasing what UE5 is capable of and how some configuration and optimization will be necessary for proper games.”
“A tech demo should have graphic settings, fps indicator, resolution options, etc. Very poor optimization even using a 3070.”
“I would say overall it's quite optimized, but if you're running a 1060 or below, I wouldn't expect to get a smooth experience.”
“It's not very optimized at the moment, so you kind of have to appreciate what these developers are showcasing with a grain of salt.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its beautiful and nostalgic qualities reminiscent of Disney classics, while others find it repetitive, too loud, and annoying. Despite the varied opinions, many agree that the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, even if it can be overwhelming at times. Overall, the music is a highlight for some, but a point of frustration for others.
“Everything looked so real and the soundtrack, even though it was only a few songs, was so amazing and gave me vibes like I was playing a Disney classic.”
“Oh and the music is cute as well.”
“I loved the music, by the way.”
“Beautifully rendered, but the controls are weird and the unstoppable music is repetitive and way too loud.”
“Controls are awful, can't change the resolution, the music's too loud, annoying, and can't turn it off.”
“Enjoying some plotless high-end tech demo with the worst controls ever, accompanied by unbearably annoying and tasteless background music, taken straight from some 'match-three' game for smartphones.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simplistic and short, lasting around 15 minutes, with limited complexity and control issues. While the visuals are praised for their detail and beauty, the overall experience feels more like a tech demo than a fully developed game, lacking substantial gameplay elements and depth. Many reviewers suggest that the focus should shift from graphics to enhancing gameplay and storytelling.
“On the gameplay side of things, I liken this to a Dreamcast game with a really simple plot in a level with a lot of detail in its world.”
“My wonderment only lasted as long as it took for me to see the first glowing orb; I used the game mechanics and immediately boosted over to it, collecting it in an explosion of beautiful particles.”
“Gameplay is not very complex, and it's done in about 15 minutes, but hey, it is a nice sneak peek into UE5.”
“A short, free 'game' with not much gameplay.”
“Short and without much in the way of actual gameplay, and the controls could be better, but it's gorgeous, a lovely showcase for the possibilities of UE5, and a good workout for your GPU if you want one.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is described as an epic odyssey that deeply resonates emotionally, evoking tears with its beauty and potential for future storytelling in games. However, it is noted that the narrative is relatively simple and serves more as a technical showcase than a source of gripping plot twists or complex storylines.
“This odyssey-like epic story will rock the very foundations of your soul.”
“I teared up a bit at the end because of the beauty of the entire concept and what it may allow game developers and storytellers to produce in the near future.”
“On a gameplay side of things, I liken this to a Dreamcast game with a really simple plot in a world filled with a lot of detail.”
“On the gameplay side of things, I liken this to a Dreamcast game with a really simple plot in a world filled with a lot of detail.”
“The story felt underdeveloped and left many plot points unresolved, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“While the visuals were stunning, the narrative was lacking depth and failed to engage me emotionally.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with reports of significant bugs, particularly with lighting and controls, leading to an overall unsatisfactory experience. While some users noted that the demo runs well after initial stuttering due to shader caching, others experienced performance issues, especially on certain hardware configurations. Overall, the stability appears to be a concern, particularly for a tech demo.
“The demo runs great with just a little stuttering at the very beginning due to shader caching (Epic really should fix this old UE issue).”
“Runs great too.”
“The lighting is buggy and flickers a lot, making the experience very short and the controls unenjoyable.”
“It's obviously buggy, and for some people, it runs poorly; a 1080 Ti seems to do the job, though. It doesn't really have gameplay, but these issues don't seem to matter in a tech demo.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is perceived as mediocre, with players noting that while it may have some amusing moments, it pales in comparison to the visual and performance quality of other games.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its detailed and immersive representation of a market plaza inspired by Rome, making players feel as though they are truly walking through the streets of the city.
“I live near Rome, and the atmosphere of the represented market plaza is clearly inspired by my city. It is depicted with immense detail; it feels almost like taking a walk in the streets.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the asset textures are praised for their quality and accuracy, the motion blurring detracts from the experience, leading to discomfort for some players.
