The Marvellous Machine
- February 11, 2019
- 1337 Game Design
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"The Marvellous Machine" is a first-person puzzle game that takes you on a journey through a mysterious and intricate mechanical world. Manipulate elaborate machines, solve challenging puzzles, and uncover the secrets of the mysterious factory. With stunning visuals and an atmospheric soundtrack, this game offers a unique and immersive experience for fans of puzzle and adventure games.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The graphics are stunning and beautifully rendered, creating an immersive environment.
- The experience is free and offers a unique, thought-provoking journey into mindfulness and self-reflection.
- The calming narration and overall concept provide a relaxing and insightful experience, making it a great introduction to VR for newcomers.
- The experience is very short, lasting only about 15 minutes, which may leave some players wanting more.
- The narration can feel repetitive and overly long at times, leading to moments of boredom during the experience.
- Some users reported technical issues, such as audio problems and difficulty launching the game on certain VR systems.
- graphics28 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty, detail, and polished quality, featuring a unique steampunk aesthetic that enhances the immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the excellent lighting and rendering, which contribute to a visually stunning environment that captivates players. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout aspect, elevating the game's atmosphere despite some criticism of the narration.
“The graphics are beautiful, and the concept quite unique and thoughtful.”
“Beautifully rendered graphics with great lighting.”
“The graphics, lighting, scenery are amazing.”
“But if you want to see what realistic graphics can be achieved in VR, try it.”
“You ride a cart really slowly through an underground tunnel full of steampunk graphics while the narrator talks about your thoughts, your reality, your past, and future.”
“The graphics are fine.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it beautifully composed and emotionally impactful, others note that it can be overwhelming and fast-paced, detracting from a calming experience. A few users even mention forgetting the music entirely, suggesting it may not leave a lasting impression for everyone. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the atmosphere, enhancing the emotional depth of the gameplay.
“Visually beautiful, well narrated, well done music and atmosphere.”
“The music is absolutely beautiful, the game runs smoothly, and it was just a great experience. This shows you there is more to VR than wave shooters and horror games. The only complaint I have, and this is a minor spoiler if you can call it that, was the ending. I was almost there, the music, the words coming out of her mouth, it was really emotional.”
“- The music sounds well made and not cheap - but it is 98% counter-intentionally emotionally loaded and fast paced - everything else but calming the mind.”
“If there was any music, I've already forgotten it. I don't think there was any music, but I'm not in the mood to start it up just to verify it.”
“- The music sounds well made and not cheap - but it is 98% counter-intentionally emotionally loaded and fast-paced - everything else but calming the mind.”
“An option to go on the ride after the first time - now without the narration and music is also a sadly left out opportunity.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that there is no story present in the game, as users are focused on technical issues related to launching the game on the Oculus Quest 2.
“No story.”
“Doesn't open on Quest 2 with Oculus Link, can anyone help me with this?”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, providing a cathartic experience that can uplift one's mood. Players appreciate the beautiful music and smooth gameplay, which enhance the emotional depth, although some found the fast-paced, emotionally charged soundtrack to be overwhelming at times. The ending, in particular, resonated deeply with players, leaving a lasting impact.
“Absolutely spectacular! It made me feel so much better when I was in a bad mood and teaches you some useful tips for how to think of things in our day-to-day lives.”
“I cried a lot, but it wasn't sad; it was more an emotional catharsis.”
“The music is absolutely beautiful, the game runs smoothly, and it was just a great experience. This shows you there is more to VR than wave shooters and horror games. The only complaint I have, and this is a minor spoiler if you can call it that, was the ending. I was almost there; the music, the words coming out of her mouth, it was really emotional.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is perceived as minimal, lacking depth and complexity, with some users feeling it resembles more of a video experience than an interactive game.
“There's no real gameplay to it; it's just a bit more than just a video.”
“It's just gameplay.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, featuring great graphics, effective VR settings, and a visually stunning presentation. The combination of well-crafted narration and music further enhances the overall experience, creating a captivating environment that challenges players both mentally and emotionally.
“Great graphics, great VR settings, a lot of immersive atmosphere.”
“Visually beautiful, well narrated, well done music and atmosphere.”
“Though it challenged my brain with the atmosphere and intent just the same.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly at 90fps with impressive lighting, contributing to an overall great experience. Users appreciate the beautiful music and immersive gameplay, highlighting that it transcends typical VR genres.
“This thing is awesomely optimized, 90fps, with the finest lighting I've seen in any VR experience!”
“The music is absolutely beautiful, the game runs smoothly, and it was just a great experience. This shows you there is more to VR than wave shooters and horror games.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users have expressed frustration with stability issues, particularly when bugs cause prolonged inactivity, leading to tedious moments of excessive dialogue.
“It becomes so boring when the game freezes and you have to listen to 10 minutes of someone talking nonsense.”
“The constant crashes make it impossible to enjoy the game.”
“I can't progress because the game keeps glitching and sending me back to the main menu.”
