The Mercury Man

About

In "The Mercury Man," players navigate a steampunk-inspired metropolis as an amnesiac superhero with the ability to manipulate mercury. Solve puzzles, uncover your past, and defeat enemies using your unique powers in this action-adventure game. With various upgrades and abilities, players can explore and protect the city in different ways while saving its citizens from peril. Official Trailer on Youtube: Direct Steam Page Link

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews

story32 positive mentions

gameplay18 negative mentions

The game features a captivating cyberpunk atmosphere with a great soundtrack and interesting storyline.
Many players appreciate the well-written dialogues and the unique Russian characteristics integrated into the game.
The art style and visuals are praised for their beauty, contributing to an engaging overall experience.

The gameplay mechanics, particularly the driving and combat systems, are criticized for being tedious and frustrating.
The English translation is often described as poor, leading to awkward phrasing and clumsy dialogue that detracts from the story.
Players have noted that a significant portion of the game involves unengaging driving, which feels like unnecessary filler.

story
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
5%
The game's story is generally regarded as interesting and engaging, with a unique noir cyberpunk theme that incorporates Russian characteristics. However, many players criticize the dialogue and grammar, often attributing these issues to poor translation, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the narrative compelling and immersive, others feel it is overly verbose and lacks polish, making it more akin to a visual novel than a traditional video game.
- “Great noir cyberpunk story, very gritty but also can be funny in a dark way.”
- “Mind-bogglingly engrossing story.”
- “Beautiful visual novel with hardcore gameplay elements, awesome soundtrack, heart-stopping story and a ton of easter eggs.”
- “The story is okay, but the grammar and dialogue are not great.”
- “Unfortunately, the game's insipid, rambling dialogue nullifies any player investment into the overbaked storyline during the game's opening act.”
- “- Everything - the pacing of the story, characters, driving, combat (which is downright tedious), and save system - is just too rudimentary and unpolished to be able to enjoy the game.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
29%
8%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its synthwave and retrowave elements that enhance the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Players appreciate the unique Russian characteristics in the soundtrack, which adds a fresh twist to the cyberpunk genre. While the visuals and music are often highlighted as standout features, some reviews note that the gameplay mechanics do not match the quality of the audio experience.
- “As soon as I opened the game and heard the music, I was hooked.”
- “The best part of the game is the atmosphere; music, art, and dialogs do a great job.”
- “While I can immediately get on board with its dark, silhouetted, stark visuals and synthy soundtrack at the main menu, do I really have to immediately encounter a scene of seeing 5-10 pages of dialogue with the immediate, generic 'wife' character (that is really her name. lol..) on her deathbed shoved down my throat???”
- “- music”
- “The mercury man is a game much more about its tone and its setting - if you are into sleuthy/detective/dystopian fare, its soundtrack of synthwave/retrowave (along with some of its visual presentation) hit those marks well.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
26%
47%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the driving mechanics and overall game mechanics as tedious and poorly executed. While some appreciate the visual novel elements, soundtrack, and story, they feel that the gameplay detracts significantly from the experience, often leading to boredom. A few players find the gameplay challenging yet satisfying, suggesting that it may appeal to those who enjoy retro-style gaming, but overall, the consensus leans towards disappointment in the gameplay quality.
- “Good visual novel with nice gameplay elements and solid story.”
- “Beautiful visual novel with hardcore gameplay elements, awesome soundtrack, heart-stopping story, and a ton of easter eggs.”
- “I see that some people criticize the gameplay, but I would say that it is satisfying; yes, it's pretty hard but playable, you will need a maximum of 3 tries to complete the hardest levels.”
- “Great visual novel with a great soundtrack and art style but with terrible mechanics.”
- “The idea for this game is great but it falls so short because of the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay seems to take all the worst bits of 80's gaming with long drawn out driving and a character that plods along at a snail's pace.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The game features a striking art style and impressive graphic design that many players appreciate, particularly its dark, silhouetted visuals and nostalgic elements. While the aesthetics and soundtrack are praised, some players feel that the overall experience is marred by poor mechanics and lengthy dialogue sequences. Overall, the graphics are well-received, but they may not be enough to sustain player engagement.
- “This game has got the music, story, and the aesthetics to make a good cyberpunk game.”
- “With some beautiful graphic design!”
- “I love the art style of the game too and the game's sense of humor.”
- “While I can immediately get on board with its dark, silhouetted, stark visuals and synthy soundtrack at the main menu, do I really have to immediately encounter a scene of seeing 5-10 pages of dialog with the immediate, generic 'wife' character (that is really her name. lol..) on her deathbed shoved down my throat???”
- “- artwork”
- “Great visual novel with a great soundtrack and art style but with terrible mechanics.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its gritty cyberpunk and noir elements, evoking nostalgia for classic titles like "Dreamweb." Reviewers highlight the effective combination of music, art, and dialogue that enhances the overall mood, making it a standout feature of the experience.
- “I like the gritty cyberpunk atmosphere of this one; it reminds me of the 90s cyberpunk adventure game 'Dreamweb' somehow.”
- “The best part of the game is the atmosphere; the music, art, and dialogues do a great job.”
- “- noir atmosphere”
- “The mood and atmosphere felt flat and uninspired.”
- “The noir atmosphere was lacking depth and failed to engage.”
- “The overall mood and atmosphere did not create the immersive experience I was hoping for.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and gritty tone, effectively blending elements of noir and cyberpunk. Reviewers appreciate the use of dark humor, which adds a unique and often unexpected comedic layer to the otherwise serious narrative.
- “Great noir cyberpunk story, very gritty but also can be funny in a dark way.”
- “Dark humor.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is criticized for being nonsensical and featuring abrupt changes in characters' motivations, which detracts from the overall experience. Players find it unengaging and poorly executed, contributing to a sense of frustration during gameplay.
- “The pointless and boring driving, the nonsensical character development and sudden changes of heart, the honestly repetitive and annoying combat system of finding a place to reload and running circles, the horrible decision to write file reports to earn money which is basically watching paint dry... it drained me to play this.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unrefined, affecting their overall enjoyment due to its rudimentary pacing, combat, and save system.
- “The pacing of the story, characters, driving, and combat is downright tedious, making the grinding experience feel unpolished and unenjoyable.”
- “The grinding mechanics are so rudimentary that they detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Everything about the game, from the combat to the save system, feels tedious and unrefined, making the grinding feel like a chore.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its lack of stability, with users frequently describing it as raw and buggy.
- “The game is raw and buggy.”
- “The game is raw and buggy.”