The Riese Project - Prologue
- August 1, 2023
- Real Invented Studio
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"The Riese Project - Prologue" is a playable introduction to an intriguing game, where you delve into the mysterious underground of the Owl Mountains as Anna, uncovering World War II secrets connected to the real-life "Riese Complex." Engage in a thrilling adventure, solve puzzles using a unique in-game phone hint system, and capture images with a camera feature to unravel the truth in this immersive experience.
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics that create an immersive experience, showcasing the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5.
- The atmosphere and story are intriguing, with engaging puzzles that challenge players without being overly difficult.
- The integration of a mobile device for gameplay mechanics adds a unique touch, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, requiring high-end hardware to run smoothly, and lacks sufficient graphical settings for optimization.
- Voice acting is often criticized as dull and unconvincing, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
- Gameplay mechanics can feel clunky and unintuitive, with awkward interactions and frustrating bugs that hinder immersion.
- graphics55 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning realism and immersive quality, particularly in VR mode, showcasing impressive lighting and detail. However, many users express frustration with the lack of graphical settings and optimization, as the game demands high-end hardware to run smoothly, often resulting in visual artifacts and performance issues even on powerful PCs. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, there is a consensus that further optimization and more adjustable settings are needed to enhance the gaming experience.
“The graphics made a big jump - especially the lighting quality.”
“Damn, as for a VR game, the graphics are stunning. Loved the puzzles and can't wait for a full version.”
“Graphics are great with real-time lighting, dynamic shadows, and a very high polygon count. I've taken several screenshots while wearing the Index.”
“Graphics doesn't fully utilize the power of UE5.”
“However, there were game-breaking visual artifacts with the normal graphical settings on my RTX 3070, so it was only playable for me with the lowest graphical settings called 'potato'.”
“Graphics are bad, feels like I am playing a mobile game.”
- story40 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and mysterious, with players expressing a desire to learn more about the characters and their relationships, particularly regarding the main character's grandfather. While some find the narrative vague and challenging to follow, others appreciate the unique storytelling elements and the potential for deeper exploration in future updates. Overall, the story is seen as a compelling aspect that enhances the gameplay experience, despite some initial confusion and the need for puzzle-solving to progress.
“The story and the general flow of the game is intriguing.”
“I look forward to continuing the story of the very cute protagonist as she unravels the mystery of what happened to her grandfather.”
“The story is interesting, reminds me of good old Thomas Harris and Stephen King books.”
“The story is very vague from in-game clues and dialogue.”
“It's not a horror game, but some might feel vibes of horror, maybe because it's mysterious and kind of just drops you in the middle without a story, but that adds to the mystery of it all.”
“This game is all about a story that you must have patience for because in order to progress in the story you must solve puzzles.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and rough edges, with a slow pace that some find enjoyable despite its basic nature. While the puzzles are generally manageable, players have noted issues such as bugs, linear progression, and invisible walls that hinder immersion. Overall, there is potential for improvement, particularly in enhancing interactivity and storytelling elements.
“Looks nice with some interesting mechanics.”
“The gameplay is slow, but it's fun. Puzzles are not crazy hard; there were a couple of places I felt stuck, but overall I can't complain.”
“I am very much looking forward to seeing where the story is going and what enhancements to the gameplay the developer can make.”
“Gameplay has a lot of rough edges.”
“Other than that, there's not really much here when it comes to interaction or gameplay.”
“The linear gameplay of being locked by specific triggers sometimes gets in the way of immersion, such as not being able to open a hidden door in a closet before you open the safe, even when you clearly see there is a hole in the wall behind the closet.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players experiencing severe performance issues, including stuttering and shaking visuals, even on high-end hardware like the RTX 4090 and GTX 4080. While some users noted that the graphics are impressive, they feel the performance does not justify the graphical fidelity, leading to a frustrating experience. There is hope for improvement in future updates, as players express eagerness for better optimization to enhance gameplay immersion.
“It's clear a lot of development work has gone into this, and the storyline is intriguing, so I look forward to the finished game which will hopefully allow more time for both Unreal and the developer to better optimize the performance.”
“Performance is fine at 1.5x render scale on RTX 4090 using Rift-S, and the game looks good.”
“You may need to spend some time finding the best settings for graphics: getting optimal performance is paramount to enjoy the game for immersion and presence.”
“I can't play because of bad optimization - image stuttering all the time.”
“Performance sucks (on a 4090...) shading is completely messed up and movement feels weird.”
“Game is unoptimized garbage!”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics and engaging historical setting, effectively conveying a mysterious and immersive experience. Many players find the story gripping and appreciate the voice acting and music, although some note that technical issues and clunky controls can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that has players excited for the game's full release.
“Very good graphics, atmosphere, and story got interesting.”
“Very atmospheric mystery in an interesting historical setting.”
“This game really is beautiful and very atmospheric; can't wait for the full release now!”
“This needs more polish; it detracts from the atmosphere of the game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some writing may come off as amateurish, there are standout moments that deliver genuine laughs, particularly with characters like Mr. Snail. The voice acting enhances the comedic elements, contributing to an overall entertaining experience with potential for growth.
“The writing is occasionally a bit amateurish, but sometimes even funny (Mr. Snail!).”
“Definitely has a lot of potential; the voice acting is really nice and often funny.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort. Additionally, the controls are described as clunky and tedious, which can make the grinding experience frustrating rather than enjoyable.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The controls were also clunky, a bit tedious and annoying at times.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the emotional engagement of interacting with objects in the game, but express a desire for more realistic feedback, such as a 'hard stop' and controller vibrations, to enhance the tactile experience and immersion.
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music is well-received, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere of the game, with users appreciating both the voice acting and the musical elements.
“I love the voice acting, music, and atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's mood and enhances the overall experience.”
“The music is incredibly immersive and adds depth to the gameplay.”
