The Pasture
- August 24, 2016
- Mikhail Maksimov
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Get on itch.io Store"The Pasture" is a simulator of art life that offers a unique gameplay experience, blurring the lines between player and character. With the concept of "die or have your own exhibit at a big museum," players can expect to feel a range of emotions as they navigate the world of modern art. The game's unconventional mechanic is simple yet provides a wide range of feelings, from hopelessness to a vague understanding of the game's implicit methods.
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique and surreal experience that challenges traditional gaming mechanics.
- It features real contemporary art pieces, providing players with a glimpse into Russian art.
- For its low price, it can be an interesting diversion for those looking for something bizarre and unconventional.
- The controls are frustrating, requiring players to walk backwards and stop frequently, which detracts from the experience.
- The game is criticized for its lack of meaningful content and depth, often feeling like a collection of random assets.
- Many players found the game to be buggy and poorly designed, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its vexing mechanics, including poor controls, disorienting visuals, and intrusive audio, which detract from the experience. While some players appreciate the unique mechanical ideas and humor, the overall design feels clumsy and lacks depth, offering only 20-30 minutes of gameplay with minimal engagement.
“The game has some cool mechanical ideas that definitely have the power to affect you.”
“It's definitely interesting both gameplay-wise and visually, funny at times, and definitely bizarre.”
“20 items to collect to completely do everything in the game, about 20-30 minutes of gameplay max.”
“Vexing mechanics are all too common in abstract games, such as loud, ear-violating noises and shouting, along with unfriendly mechanics like wonky controls, disorienting flashy lights, and pitch-black backgrounds, among a large assortment of other hostile features.”
“The pasture is nothing more than a lazy asset arrangement with frustrating mechanics.”
“There are 20 items to collect to completely finish everything in the game, which only takes about 20-30 minutes of gameplay at most.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics are visually appealing and contribute significantly to the game's aesthetic experience, though some players may not fully appreciate the artistic style. While the game is relatively short and offers limited replayability through achievements, the visuals remain a key highlight for many players.
“The graphics were nice and interesting enough to play.”
“It's all about the aesthetics.”
“The overall game itself isn't terribly long and offers a small amount of replayability in getting 'awards' for doing various tasks such as reaching the goal in a minute or collecting all the artwork.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its crude and shallow content, which some reviewers interpret as a commentary on the state of independent games and consumer culture. Overall, the performance aspect seems to overshadow technical optimization, leading to a mixed reception regarding its execution.
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is highlighted as a central element, emphasizing the importance of narrative, setting, and the flow of ideas. It conveys a moral about resilience and the unpredictability of life, suggesting that perseverance can lead to unexpected outcomes.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“When I think of a video game, I think of the story, the setting, the flow of ideas and narrative.”
“The story felt disjointed and lacked coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The characters were one-dimensional and their motivations were unclear, which made it difficult to care about the outcome.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as interesting and occasionally funny, with a bizarre quality that adds to its appeal. However, some users found the loading times frustrating, which detracted from the overall experience.
“But it's definitely interesting both gameplay-wise and visually, funny at times, and definitely bizarre.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with users expressing frustration over frequent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.
“Why do I even own this buggy trash?”
“The game crashes constantly, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I can't progress because of the frequent freezes and glitches.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily through the pursuit of awards for completing tasks like reaching goals quickly or collecting artwork, but its overall length may not encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The overall game isn't very long, but it offers a good amount of replayability through achievements like reaching the goal in under a minute or collecting all the artwork.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different strategies you can employ, making you want to dive back in for another round.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes encourages multiple playthroughs, ensuring that no two experiences are the same.”
“The overall game itself isn't terribly long and offers a small amount of replayability in getting 'awards' for doing various tasks such as reaching the goal in a minute or collecting all the artwork.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again, as the side quests feel repetitive and lack depth.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage multiple playthroughs; once you've seen the ending, there's not much left to explore.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its calming and soothing qualities, providing a relaxing experience that can help players feel at ease.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
