The Silent Swan
- November 2, 2023
- Praenaris
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "The Silent Swan" , players assume the role of Mirov, who awakens 17 years in the future and enters a mysterious land to uncover the truth about his past. This first-person narrative experience features open levels and walking simulator mechanics, with exploration taking place across sprawling urban areas connected by landbridges. Uncover the tale of two cities, Urzhum and Sernur, and the intertwining fates of Mirov and Selene in this intriguing title.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and impressive architecture that create a captivating atmosphere.
- The soundtrack enhances the overall experience, contributing to the game's melancholic and immersive feel.
- The story, while sometimes vague, offers a sense of mystery that keeps players engaged and curious about the protagonist's journey.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including graphical issues, missing collision, and frustrating traversal mechanics that can lead to getting stuck or falling through the floor.
- The open-world design feels empty and lacks meaningful exploration, with many buildings being barren and devoid of life or purpose.
- The storytelling can be confusing, with unclear objectives and a lack of guidance, making it difficult for players to fully grasp the narrative.
- story22 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story is described as solid yet often confusing, leaving players to piece together information with minimal guidance, which some find enjoyable while others see it as frustrating. Critics note that the narrative suffers from language barriers, suggesting that a native English speaker could enhance the writing. Overall, while the story presents interesting concepts and a compelling premise about a character's quest to return home, it feels unfinished and lacks depth in gameplay elements beyond mere progression.
“The story seems solid; you're left clueless every once in a while and have to seek out where you're going with not much info, but most times that's part of the fun.”
“The story focuses on our character wanting to find his way back home after a seemingly 17-year nap to find his woman.”
“The story is difficult to understand; I think this isn't a native English-speaking studio, and it kind of showed.”
“I guess it's cool, but I'm kind of over it. It seems every game nowadays just puts a vague story in their game and tells you to figure it out.”
“Interesting concepts when it comes to art direction and story, but everything else that builds the game up seems unfinished.”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its excellent soundtrack, which enhances the melancholic atmosphere and immersive setting. Many players feel that the music is a key element that draws them into the experience, contributing significantly to the overall emotional impact of the game.
“It has an excellent soundtrack; the setting and the atmosphere are well done.”
“I certainly do not regret the almost 9 hours I spent in this weird, empty, melancholic place, like a sad dream with beautiful music.”
“The music is just okay.”
“The music and the environment/architecture are the main draws of the game.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their quality, though players note some optimization issues, including flickering objects and minor clipping. However, several graphical bugs, such as flying or missing towers and invisible walls, detract from the overall experience.
“After 3 hours of gameplay, my initial thoughts are the graphics are great. It's a bit unoptimized, but nothing that distracts too much, just some flickering objects and a little clipping here and there.”
“Unfortunately, there are several graphical bugs, such as flying or missing towers, and invisible or suddenly appearing walls.”
“Unfortunately, there are several graphical bugs, such as flying or missing towers, and invisible or suddenly appearing walls.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is visually impressive, though some users note it suffers from minor optimization issues, including flickering objects and occasional clipping. Overall, these technical flaws do not significantly detract from the gaming experience.
“After 3 hours of gameplay, my initial thoughts are the graphics are great, it's a bit unoptimized, but nothing that distracts too much, flickering objects and a little clipping here and there.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features impressive graphics but suffers from some optimization issues, including flickering objects and minor clipping, which can affect performance. However, these issues are generally not distracting to the overall gameplay experience.
“After 3 hours of gameplay, my initial thoughts are the graphics are great; it's a bit unoptimized, but nothing that distracts too much, flickering objects and a little clipping here and there.”
“The game suffers from significant performance issues that hinder the overall experience.”
“Optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite the game's potential, poor optimization results in long loading times and crashes.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, with traversal feeling empty and occasionally hindered by bugs that affect visual cues. This combination makes the experience frustrating, as moving around the game world can become a chore.
“Travelling anywhere (either by foot or by bicycle) is very slow and tedious.”
“It's weird, sometimes buggy (which can be a problem, when the light is bugging out and you don't get visual clues), it's eerily empty, the traversing is slow and tedious.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its instability, with frequent bugs that can hinder gameplay, particularly affecting visual cues. Players also note a sense of emptiness and find traversal to be slow and tedious, contributing to an overall feeling of inconsistency.
“The game is pretty buggy as well.”
“It's weird, sometimes buggy (which can be a problem, when it's the light bugging out and you don't get visual clues), it's eerily empty, the traversing is slow and tedious, and yet...”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its visual appeal and the feelings it evokes. The game's aesthetics significantly enhance the overall emotional experience, making it memorable for users.
“Because I love how this game looks and how it made me feel.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring an excellent soundtrack that complements a well-crafted setting, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The game features an excellent soundtrack, and the setting and atmosphere are exceptionally well done.”
“The atmosphere is immersive and captivating, drawing players into the game's world.”
“The combination of visuals and sound creates a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
