The Old City: Leviathan

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 806 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
The Old City: Leviathan Game Cover
The Old City: Leviathan opens with two sentences informing players that the game’s protagonist isn’t always trustworthy.
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"The Old City: Leviathan" is a first-person exploration game that delves into philosophical themes. Players uncover the thoughts of a city's inhabitants, revealing layers of meaning as they navigate a sprawling, mysterious industrial facility. Through atmospheric presentation and immersive storytelling, the game encourages introspection on the nature of reality and the human condition.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 806 reviews
story160 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a beautifully crafted environment that immerses players in a surreal world.
  • The atmospheric soundtrack and sound design enhance the overall experience, creating a haunting and engaging ambiance.
  • The philosophical themes and narrative encourage deep reflection and exploration, making it a thought-provoking experience.
  • The story is convoluted and difficult to follow, often leaving players confused about the plot and character motivations.
  • The gameplay is limited to walking and reading lengthy notes, which can feel tedious and unengaging for some players.
  • Movement speed is painfully slow, making exploration feel like a chore and detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story744 mentions

    The story of "The Old City: Leviathan" is a complex and abstract narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling and extensive written notes, often leaving players feeling confused and detached. While some players appreciate the philosophical depth and immersive atmosphere, many criticize the convoluted plot and lack of clear progression, making it challenging to engage with the story fully. Overall, the game is best suited for those who enjoy exploration and are willing to invest time in piecing together its intricate narrative.

    • “I loved wandering the environments and slowly uncovering the story through environmental storytelling.”
    • “It tells the story of an island inhabited by multiple factions, and as you explore the former territories of those factions, you live the experience of a lonely man who just wants to understand himself as much as the situation he's found himself in.”
    • “The story is captivating; I made sure to read every bit of text I came across, and I would recommend taking time to find all seven of the notes as they add a lot to the overall story.”
    • “The story is a boring mess.”
    • “The story line was not very clear and was hard to follow or understand and I found it didn't capture my interest enough to want to read all the many typewritten papers at different points. There is no interaction with anything in the game. I kept hoping I could handle objects or climb up ladders; it's very scripted with a definite path and a lot of dead ends.”
    • “The game clearly wants to give a clever story, but overused metaphors.”
  • graphics235 mentions

    The graphics of "The Old City: Leviathan" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and atmospheric design, often described as beautiful and immersive, with many reviewers noting the game's ability to create a captivating environment. While the art style and sound design complement the visuals effectively, some players feel that the static nature of the environments and the reliance on text detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate visually striking walking simulators, despite criticisms regarding its narrative depth.

    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning, very fitting and with lots of detail in the background, making this game an absolute amazing time to take screenshots in certain locations.”
    • “The sound design and voice acting are very good, and the graphics are simply luscious, with some quite gob-smacking sights on offer.”
    • “The game nails the atmosphere with beautiful visuals, good sound design and a nice soundtrack.”
    • “The scenery is okay from an aesthetic point of view, but I feel that even for a game in the genre 'walking simulator', the fact that the environment is hopelessly static detracts from the experience.”
    • “The visuals themselves do not communicate an experience.”
    • “I bought this game (with a few others) as an introduction to the walking sim genre, excited and apprehensive about exploring a narrative primarily through environment and visuals, but this game does not deliver that experience at all.”
  • music167 mentions

    The music in the game, primarily composed by Atrium Carceri, is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with its ambient and eerie tones. Many players found themselves enjoying the soundtrack independently, often preferring it over the gameplay itself, as it perfectly complements the beautiful visuals and immersive environments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and atmosphere.

    • “The ambient soundtrack is top-notch, the graphics are beautiful, there's a sense of tension and despair in it.”
    • “The music is subtle and that works great for this type of game--a soft eerie melody that keeps you wondering what might happen when you enter the next room.”
    • “Stunning, immersive environments coupled with a really effective soundtrack make for an engaging experience that is, in my opinion, worth every penny.”
    • “I got more enjoyment from listening directly to the soundtrack, in a linear fashion, on Apple Music, than from playing the game...”
    • “All in all, save your money, go listen to the soundtrack (by the talented Atrium Carceri) and imagine the game it could have been instead.”
    • “Okay soundtrack, okay game, story is meh.”
  • atmosphere162 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting sound design, and immersive environments, creating a rich and often chilling experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke deep emotions and philosophical questions through its atmospheric storytelling, despite some criticism of the narrative's complexity. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest asset, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric exploration and narrative-driven experiences.

    • “The presentation and atmosphere is superb, mysterious and dreamlike.”
    • “The game nails the atmosphere with beautiful visuals, good sound design and a nice soundtrack.”
    • “A truly amazing game with a thick atmosphere, stunning art direction and a deep and rich story that explores the depths of human consciousness and questions reality.”
    • “The places have a very burdensome atmosphere.”
    • “I will not spoil anything but the atmosphere in the game and the story take many weird, or more correctly dark and gory turns.”
    • “This game, although currently hasn't gripped me and isn't really my cup of tea, I can see the appeal and I can appreciate the experience; it's a very pretty game with a very strong atmosphere and a very heavy emphasis on exploration and story. I just at times feel as though I'm a rat in a maze and the majority of my corridor exploring doesn't advance the narrative in any way.”
  • gameplay104 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is primarily centered around exploration and walking, with minimal mechanics or interactive elements, which may not appeal to all players. While some appreciate the atmospheric and narrative-driven experience, many reviewers criticize the lack of engaging gameplay, describing it as tedious and slow-paced. Overall, it is best suited for fans of walking simulators who prioritize story and ambiance over traditional gameplay mechanics.

    • “First, I genuinely love the exploration/walking simulator gameplay here.”
    • “It succeeds at what it sets out to do since, while the gameplay is little more than walking around, the locations are interesting, sometimes breathtaking, and other times creepy.”
    • “Finally, a story-driven game with an engaging (and beautiful) atmosphere that does not see the need to keep me preoccupied with puzzles or inherently useless gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay itself does not communicate an experience.”
    • “I wanted to like this, but I felt like the non-existent gameplay didn't help immerse me into the world.”
    • “No actual gameplay, so definitely not for everybody.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its exploration of heavy themes and the seamless transition between enchanting and dark elements, others find it lacking in emotional depth and engagement, describing the story as boring and the overall experience as isolating. The presence of gore and horror imagery is noted, but it is considered moderate compared to typical video game standards.

    • “Postmod softworks seamlessly shifts between enchanting dreams and dark realities, tragic memories and tragic futures, and deeply touching realizations on what is actually happening in this melancholic walkabout.”
    • “It deals with very emotionally heavy themes, and there is some gore/horror imagery, but nothing too excessive (especially by the standards of the average video game).”
    • “Made me feel isolated...”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with excessive walking and lengthy dialogue contributing to a sense of monotony. While some appreciate the philosophical themes and imagery, many feel that the gameplay becomes burdensome and lacks engaging content, leading to a less memorable experience. Overall, the commitment required for exploration and reading can detract from enjoyment.

    • “Leviathan tries to be philosophical and artsy, but unfortunately it ends up as mostly pseudophilosophy, tedious gameplay, and pretty environments that lack interesting and meaningful objects.”
    • “This lead to a lot of extra walking on my part as I wanted to make sure I thoroughly explored everything, and towards the end this made the game feel tedious for me.”
    • “Perhaps after I finish, I'll come back and write more... but at this point, man is that dialogue tedious and pretentious.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of incentive to replay due to a convoluted and dull story that leads to the same outcomes regardless of choices made. While some mention minimal replay value stemming from different choices, the consensus leans towards a disappointing experience with a replayability rating close to zero.

    • “I can see its replay value & replaying the game with different choices, but no matter what, you will still end up in the same end spot or trigger locations that propel the story forward.”
    • “[beautiful visuals, great atmospheric music and voice acting, decent replay value, simplistic UI and controls].”
    • “I would say there might be a certain amount of replay value if the story wasn't so convoluted and dull.”
    • “I can see its replay value in replaying the game with different choices, but no matter what, you will still end up in the same end spot or trigger locations that propel the story forward.”
    • “Replayability 0/10”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users experiencing bugs and minor glitches during startup. Overall, while some players encountered only a few minor problems, the presence of bugs has been a consistent concern.

    • “The game is buggy.”
    • “There are a few minor glitches on my two game startups.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is praised for its solid framerate and overall performance, indicating effective optimization that enhances the gaming experience.

    • “The game features solid framerate and performance.”
    • “The game features solid framerate and performance.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the character development in the game is lacking, with many describing the story as superficial and incoherent, overshadowed by excessive philosophical discussions that detract from meaningful character growth.

    • “I found the 'story' to be a paper-thin substrate devoid of coherent plot and character development, upon which was layered a prolonged and self-indulgent philosophical discourse.”
    • “The character development is so shallow that I felt no connection to any of the characters throughout the game.”
    • “Characters lack depth and growth, making it hard to care about their journeys or outcomes.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is often unintentional, with players finding themselves laughing during moments that are meant to be serious or profound, suggesting a disconnect between the intended tone and the execution.

    • “I can appreciate the artist's boldness in going for something so ambitious, but I often found myself laughing when the story was trying to be deep or serious.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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