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The Parallax Effect

46%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
46% User Score Based on 144 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsMac OSMac OS
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About

Open-world, survival alone or with friends. Survive in a post-apocalyptic environment, build, explore, scavenge, hunt and stay alive. The game is in very early pre-alpha and is developed by Danstarr13. The first official release v0.1 arrived on the official website on April 18th 2017 and support/feedback has been extremely positive so far. I hope to promote the game here and gather some players to…

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The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
The Parallax Effect screenshot
+7

46%
Audience ScoreBased on 144 reviews
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game shows potential and has a good concept, with some players expressing hope for future improvements.
  • The developer is responsive and actively working on updates, which gives players confidence in the game's future.
  • Some players have found enjoyment in the gameplay despite its current issues, appreciating the effort put in by a single developer.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
  • Players have reported a frustrating account creation process and login issues, hindering access to the game.
  • Graphics and gameplay mechanics are often criticized as subpar, with many comparing it unfavorably to other survival games.
  • graphics
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users comparing them to outdated 1990s visuals and describing them as basic and unpolished. Despite some acknowledging potential in the game's concept, the overall graphical quality is seen as a significant drawback, with issues such as choppy performance and repetitive designs further detracting from the experience. While a few players found the graphics acceptable, the consensus leans towards disappointment, especially given the game's performance on modern hardware.

    • “I think that the idea of the game is great and the graphics are decent and playable.”
    • “+ many settings for changing graphics”
    • “Same goes for the graphic level being low, but the world as it stands is reasonably large.”
    • “The graphics of the game itself are very reminiscent of 1990s games and don't look nearly as nice as one would suspect from the screenshots in the store.”
    • “Graphics are bad even for a free game.”
    • “This game has Tetris graphics that should run on a TI-86 calculator but instead was using all 16GB of memory and choppy while running on a 1080 GTX.”
  • gameplay
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is widely criticized for being frustrating and poorly optimized, with many players struggling to understand the mechanics and navigate a bug-ridden environment. The controls are described as clunky, and the overall experience is likened to other low-quality games, leading to a consensus that it is currently unplayable and lacks engaging content.

    • “Let me describe the first 5 minutes of gameplay: After spamming jump and finding the hidden pixel that allowed me to sneak through the matrix via quantum mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay is really like Unturned or Nomad.”
    • “Gameplay consists of trying to avoid the bugged hellscape of an incomplete game, and abusing the admin console to grief other players, because the developer apparently didn't bother to lock it up.”
    • “And after 1.3 hours of gameplay, it's still not really clear how this game is supposed to be played.”
    • “Still in early access, the game is at this time horribly optimized and almost unplayable; the controls are clunky and overall gameplay isn't even mediocre.”
  • story
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game shows potential but is currently underdeveloped, with some players finding it lacking or non-existent. Initial engagement is slow, and while there are attempts at a storyline, the overall narrative experience could benefit from additional content, such as side quests, to enhance enjoyment.

    • “The story has potential.”
    • “I wouldn't recommend it at the moment, but if there come side quests, it would be a lot more fun.”
    • “No story.”
    • “The story in the first 15 minutes takes a bit of time getting used to.”
    • “+ Attempt at a storyline.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users, particularly related to save and reload functions. While many acknowledge these problems are typical for a pre-alpha release, the overall consensus is that the game is highly unoptimized and requires further development to improve stability.

    • “While the game has potential, it is also very buggy.”
    • “The game is way too buggy.”
    • “Buggy as all hell and highly unoptimized, but it is to be expected from a pre-alpha game.”
  • optimization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while some players report smooth performance on high settings, many others highlight significant issues, including freezing and bugs, particularly at launch. There is optimism for future improvements through updates, but the game currently requires further patches to enhance its performance and stability.

    • “I think it has the potential to be a good choice for anyone looking for a new game, but still needs some patches and performance optimizations.”
    • “The game runs very well on my PC, and I have the settings at max. With future updates, the optimization will continue to improve.”
    • “Update 1: The game has received very good updates and performance is greatly increasing.”
    • “So far, I had a great time with the game, but it needs better optimization and a few minor bug fixes.”
    • “The game has a bunch of performance issues, and when version 1.0 was rolled out, you couldn't even play single player without the game freezing upon the loading screen's appearance, and it went on for a good few days.”
    • “Definitely needs optimization.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find that grinding is necessary to acquire even basic weapons and armor, often requiring significant time investment. Many feel that the amount of grinding needed can be overwhelming, suggesting it may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “It requires quite a bit of grinding just to obtain the most basic weapons and armor.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for intrusive ads and poor gameplay mechanics, such as ineffective flashlight functionality and single-fire gun modes. Players feel that these issues detract from the overall experience, with some features being perceived as bugs rather than intentional design choices.

    • “The ads are intrusive and disrupt the gameplay experience, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend money to enhance their experience.”
    • “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it difficult to progress without spending extra.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it fails to engage players even as a free survival title.

    • “It's honestly a bad survival game, even for a free one, with almost no replay value whatsoever.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and variety makes it hard to justify playing again.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return for a second playthrough.”
  • music
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game experiences crashes shortly after launch, often accompanied by a black screen and music, indicating potential issues with the audio or overall stability.

    • “Right off the jump after downloading this game, it crashes after a few minutes of black screen and music.”

Buy The Parallax Effect

4h Median play time
11h Average play time
3-27h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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