The Old City: Leviathan

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 400 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

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 400 reviews
story80 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and beautifully designed environments that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • The soundtrack is haunting and complements the game's eerie tone, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The philosophical themes and narrative encourage deep reflection and exploration of complex ideas.
  • The story is convoluted and often difficult to follow, leaving many players confused about the plot.
  • The gameplay consists mainly of walking and reading lengthy notes, which may not appeal to everyone.
  • Movement speed is painfully slow, making exploration feel tedious at times.
  • story372 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 the immersive atmosphere, others criticize the convoluted plot and the reliance on lengthy texts that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is best suited for those who enjoy exploration and piecing together narratives at a slow pace, but it may not resonate with everyone due to its heavy emphasis on reading and abstract themes.

    • “I loved wandering the environments and slowly uncovering the story through environmental storytelling.”
    • “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 old city: Leviathan is a philosophical story in which you are ought to explore, think, and find out.”
    • “The story is a boring mess.”
    • “The story was pretty beans.”
    • “The story is quite confusing.”
  • graphics117 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and artistic design, creating an immersive and atmospheric experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful environments and attention to detail, often comparing them favorably to other titles in the genre. However, some criticism arises regarding the static nature of the environments and the repetitiveness of certain visual elements, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “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 graphics are beautiful and the atmosphere is dark and murky.”
    • “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 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.”
  • music83 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional work of composer Atrium Carceri. The soundtrack enhances the overall experience, creating a captivating ambiance that complements the beautiful visuals and immersive environments. Players often express a preference for listening to the soundtrack independently, indicating its standout quality and emotional impact.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere80 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and evocative environments, creating a rich and often haunting 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 clarity. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest aspect, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric exploration and narrative-driven experiences.

    • “The presentation and atmosphere is superb, mysterious and dreamlike.”
    • “The atmosphere alone is worth the price of admission, and six bucks is a pretty small asking price for what you're getting here.”
    • “The visuals, sound, and all-around atmosphere are completely absorbing.”
    • “The places have a very burdensome atmosphere in it.”
    • “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 don't advance the narrative in any way.”
  • gameplay52 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is primarily centered around exploration and walking, with minimal mechanics or interactive elements, making it feel more like a walking simulator than a traditional game. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and narrative-driven experience, many criticize the lack of engaging gameplay, stating that it can lead to a sense of aimlessness and disconnection from the story. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy leisurely exploration and storytelling but may disappoint players seeking more dynamic gameplay.

    • “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.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional impact in the game; while some players feel isolated and find the story lacking in depth and engagement, others appreciate its exploration of heavy themes and the seamless transition between enchanting and dark elements. The emotional resonance varies significantly, with some finding it deeply touching and others deeming it boring and unimpactful.

    • “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).”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can feel tedious and overly lengthy, with players noting excessive walking and reading that detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's philosophical ambitions and imagery, many find the dialogue and gameplay repetitive and lacking in meaningful engagement.

    • “This isn't a game that will stick in my memory, even though the imagery was very good at different points. It just got tedious and the narration was as well.”
    • “This led 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.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of meaningful replayability, with many players noting that despite the potential for different choices, the convoluted story leads to the same outcomes, diminishing the incentive to replay. Users have rated its replay value very low, often citing a lack of engaging content to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “Worth the 6 bucks, that's for sure, but don't expect replay value or any reason to even finish it, if there is an end?”
    • “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.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game has stability issues, with mentions of bugs and minor glitches occurring during startup.

    • “The game is buggy.”
    • “There are a few minor glitches on my two game startups.”
  • optimization1 mentions

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

    • “The game runs with a solid framerate and performance.”
    • “The optimization is impressive, ensuring smooth gameplay throughout.”
    • “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is, making for a seamless experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, with one user describing the story as superficial and devoid of coherent plot and character growth, overshadowed by excessive philosophical discussions.

    • “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 characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
    • “There was little to no character development, making it hard to connect with the protagonists or care about their journeys.”
  • humor1 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.”
    • “The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
    • “I love how the dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that catch you off guard and keep the mood light.”
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 4 analyzed playthroughs

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