The Persistence

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 75 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
The Persistence Game Cover
The Persistence is worth playing overall, but the game is unfortunately plagued with artificial difficulty solely to pad out the length.
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"The Persistence" is a survival horror game set in a degrading spaceship overrun by mutated crew members. Players must sneak, fight, or strategically avoid enemies while trying to repair the ship and uncover the mystery of what happened to the crew. With permadeath and procedurally generated levels, each playthrough offers a unique and intense experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Virtual Reality
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Play​Station VR
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Great atmosphere and sound design, enhancing the horror experience.
  • Engaging gameplay with a solid upgrade system and replayability due to randomized levels.
  • Unique blend of stealth, action, and horror elements reminiscent of classic titles like System Shock and Dead Space.
  • Poor VR implementation with no support for motion controls, leading to a less immersive experience.
  • Technical issues such as crashes and a lack of graphical options detract from the overall experience.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive, especially in later levels, and some mechanics feel outdated or clunky.
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Persistence" is characterized by its unique blend of first-person roguelike mechanics and survival horror elements, offering a challenging experience that encourages stealth and strategic play rather than mindless action. While the game excels in atmosphere and has a solid core gameplay loop with a variety of weapons and upgrade options, it suffers from control issues, particularly in non-VR mode, and some players find the visuals lacking. Overall, it presents a compelling experience for roguelike enthusiasts, though the execution may vary depending on the platform.

    • “The gameplay uses a first person view and a similar slow pace like Alien Isolation, but here you have some weapons to have good shooting parts mixed with melee combat and a shield that covers brief instants, requiring you to time your actions correctly.”
    • “With a great atmosphere, intriguing setting, and mechanics that allow for a variety of play styles, The Persistence is a more than worthy game for both roguelike diehards and those looking to finally get into the genre.”
    • “The Persistence is a unique and unsettling sci-fi horror roguelite that does an excellent job of transferring its tense atmosphere and absorbing gameplay loops from its original VR form to the Nintendo Switch.”
    • “The visuals are terrible and so is the gameplay, especially in VR.”
    • “Nothing special, graphics and environment are adequate, gameplay and story are average, control mechanics are woeful but can be used with a bit of luck in non-VR mode.”
    • “The persistence is a first-person roguelike with some survival horror elements mixed in, originally the game was released as a PSVR title and the VR game design shows throughout the game - some of the things translate pretty well outside of VR but unfortunately some of the control/interaction mechanics feel a little out of place and more importantly the horror atmosphere doesn't adapt that well to non-VR mode.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising them as impressive and atmospheric, while others criticize them for being subpar, especially in VR. Many users express frustration over the lack of graphical options and issues like blurriness and glitches, particularly on PS4. Overall, while the visuals can be striking, they are often marred by technical limitations and inconsistencies.

    • “And the graphics are second to none.”
    • “This is Cosmodread done right with about 50 times better graphics ;-)”
    • “The graphics are pretty good, but the atmosphere, enemies, environments, combat, stealth, and sound design are all perfect.”
    • “Crashes every time you load into the game right after the intro that also has graphical glitches in VR.”
    • “The visuals are terrible and so is the gameplay, especially in VR.”
    • “Graphics options in-game are entirely missing - no way to increase textures, supersampling isn't making a noticeable difference and there's a heavy level of antialiasing which muddies the visuals, giving it that PSVR look.”
  • story10 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by a creepy sci-fi atmosphere reminiscent of films like "Event Horizon" and "Pandorum," providing a narrative that drives players toward their goals. While some reviews highlight the story as engaging and well-told, others consider it average or an afterthought, with elements of grinding and character evolution that add depth but can also detract from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative offers a mix of intrigue and challenge, appealing to players who enjoy a compelling backdrop to their gameplay.

    • “Really creepy sci-fi vibes reminded me of films like Event Horizon or Pandorum where everything has gone wrong and the story unfolds.”
    • “The game has a main story where the player is embodied on clones that can evolve in stats, and the player can unlock blueprints of new weapons and features.”
    • “The game still offers a great story and an insane amount of difficulty, which will challenge most experienced players.”
    • “Nothing special, graphics and environment are adequate, gameplay and story are average, control mechanics are woeful but can be used with a bit of luck in non-VR mode.”
    • “The story is just okay and feels like an afterthought.”
    • “The game has a main story where the player is embodied in clones that can evolve in stats, but it lacks depth and engagement.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and effective use of audio, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the creepy and tense ambiance, particularly in the context of its roguelite mechanics and survival horror elements. While the game successfully translates its VR roots to non-VR platforms, some mechanics may feel less effective outside of VR, but the overall atmosphere remains compelling and engaging.

    • “The atmosphere is creepy and the sounds and music make it truly tense.”
    • “Stunning soundtrack and atmospheric sound design, along with great rogue-lite mechanics.”
    • “The persistence is a unique and unsettling sci-fi horror roguelite that does an excellent job of transferring its tense atmosphere and absorbing gameplay loops from its original VR form to the Nintendo Switch.”
    • “The persistence is a first-person roguelike with some survival horror elements mixed in. Originally, the game was released as a PSVR title, and the VR game design shows throughout. Some aspects translate well outside of VR, but unfortunately, some of the control and interaction mechanics feel a little out of place. More importantly, the horror atmosphere doesn't adapt that well to non-VR mode.”
    • “The atmosphere is creepy, and the sounds and music make it truly tense.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization is inconsistent; while it performs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch, users report poor VR performance on high-end systems, indicating a lack of optimization for VR platforms. Overall, while some players experience smooth gameplay, others face significant issues, particularly with specific hardware setups.

    • “Firesprite Games has done a fantastic job of porting the entire ghoulish affair over to Switch, with flawless performance in both docked and handheld modes; overall, this is another very strong addition to the console's ever-expanding collection of excellent roguelite experiences.”
    • “Great game, but poor VR performance with HP Reverb G2 on a beefy system (RTX 3080, 8700K).”
    • “The game looks horrible on the Index and clearly was not optimized.”
    • “Performance-wise, my game ran smoothly for the 4 or so hours played so far.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game offers a mix of replayability through its randomly generated maps, various difficulty levels, and unlockable content, appealing to players seeking different experiences. However, some users feel that despite these features, the overall desire to replay the game diminishes after completing the campaign. Overall, it strikes a balance between engaging gameplay and limited long-term replay motivation.

    • “Lots of tension, sneaking around, and highly replayable.”
    • “Sprinkle the tiniest bit of roguelike (and I do mean the tiniest as, apart from weapons, you keep everything after you die), some randomly generated decks, and you've got a ton of replayability.”
    • “[Excellent atmosphere, accessibility features that make it easy for a newcomer to get into the game, great combat with plenty of options, high replay value, with multiple difficulty levels, well-told story...]”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage me to replay it; once you've seen everything, there's little incentive to go back.”
    • “While there are some random elements, the overall experience feels too linear, making replayability a chore rather than a joy.”
    • “After completing the game once, I found that the lack of significant changes in subsequent playthroughs made it feel repetitive and dull.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players appreciate the grinding aspect for providing a sense of progression and character improvement, with the benefits persisting even after death. However, some find the experience can become tedious at times, and the narrative is often considered secondary to the gameplay.

    • “It can get a bit grindy at points, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “The grinding aspect feels repetitive and can become tedious over time.”
    • “While there is a decent level of narrative, the grinding and leveling up can overshadow the story.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music and sound design are praised for creating a stunning and atmospheric experience, enhancing the game's tension and complementing its rogue-lite mechanics effectively.

    • “Stunning soundtrack and atmospheric sound design, along with great rogue-lite mechanics.”
    • “The atmosphere is creepy and the sounds and music make it truly tense.”
    • “The atmosphere is creepy, and the sounds and music make it truly tense.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd premise, where players engage in spine theft for personal gain, adding a quirky and comedic twist to the space adventure theme.

    • “A hilarious space adventure where you steal people's spines for your own personal gain.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, blending absurdity with clever writing.”
    • “I couldn't stop laughing at the quirky characters and their ridiculous antics!”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent crashes upon loading after the intro, as well as graphical glitches in VR mode.

    • “Crashes every time you load into the game right after the intro, which also has graphical glitches in VR.”
    • “The game is incredibly unstable, with frequent crashes that ruin the experience.”
    • “I can't even get past the loading screen without the game freezing or crashing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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