THE UNCLEARNESS

About

THE UNCLEARNESS is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Orphic Games and was released on August 11, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

You are going to try your luck in the role of a private detective Stan Ingram and try to solve a tricky case of suicide.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+17

Skip User Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features an interesting science-fiction story set in a cyberpunk world, which keeps players intrigued.
Voice acting is decent, and the music complements the atmosphere well, enhancing the overall experience.
The vehicle controls are surprisingly good, adding a fun element to the gameplay.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, poor optimization, and clunky gameplay mechanics.
The writing and dialogue are often confusing and poorly translated, leading to a lack of coherence in the story.
Combat can be tedious and frustrating, with enemies having unfair advantages and the need to redo long sections after dying.

story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The game's story is described as an intriguing science-fiction narrative with a convoluted plot that can be difficult to follow due to poor writing, grammatical errors, and pacing issues. While the storyline has potential and offers an interesting atmosphere, it is marred by clunky execution, bugs, and a lack of clarity in its world-building. Despite these flaws, some players find charm in its absurdity and recommend it for those willing to overlook its rough edges.
- “This, in its own right, presents a very interesting storyline that I would love to be able to pursue further.”
- “It has a pretty intriguing storyline for you to uncover, but the pacing is very slow at the beginning.”
- “I immersed myself in an exciting atmospheric storyline, and despite all limitations, I liked it and recommend trying it, at least to support new developers.”
- “It feels like the Eye of Argon game where you have to read the story, typos and all, without correcting them while trying not to laugh.”
- “- Poor writing (or was it translation?) - these are direct quotes from one of the missions you get in the game (@ 57:26), 'get a vial of lieutenant for analysis' and 'use the electronic key of the lieutenant who gave the homeless'... yup.”
- “The storyline is so long that it overshadows the gameplay itself.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics of the game are generally considered average, with some users noting that they meet expectations for an indie title, while others feel they fall short of what is typical for a 2019 release. Despite the limited graphical options, the visuals are described as good enough, with some surprising elements. Overall, the performance aligns with the capabilities of the engine used.
- “Not exactly something I'd expect from a 2019-released game, but the visuals are still good enough.”
- “The graphic is awesome for indie level.”
- “The developers managed to surprise with graphics as well.”
- “There are hardly any graphical options.”
- “The graphics are pretty average for the used engine.”
- “The graphics seem alright.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the dark atmosphere and complement the setting, with some users highlighting its enjoyable quality during gameplay. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of subtitle options and sound sliders, which can lead to music and sound effects overshadowing dialogue. Additionally, some players noted the repetitive nature of the soundtrack, which detracted from the overall experience.
- “Enjoyed greatly the music that blends very well with the dark atmosphere - the setting/city, the main character/voice, liked the 2 guns design, the video scales automatically to your native resolution (ultra widescreen in my case)!”
- “Felt like a cyberpunk themed Max Payne style as others have stated, the music was wonderful, and driving the car with nitro was fun.”
- “Good voice acting, good music.”
- “There are no options for subtitles, nor are there sound sliders, and music or some other sound effect will often play over dialogue.”
- “Noticed that 90% of the time the same soundtrack will be repeated in the background.”
- “The whole three minutes trailer feels a little bit like clickbait.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hilariously engaging, often stemming from its amusing English translations and the chaotic gameplay that encourages laughter, especially when played with others. However, the frequent interruptions for juggling challenges can detract from the comedic experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of absurdity and fun that resonates well with players.
- “The fun in unclearness comes from playing with an audience, or watching someone else play, sitting there laughing at it.”
- “Most of the comedy comes from the hilarious English translation.”
- “You get to drive a car every now and then, and it’s pretty hilarious.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its dark, immersive setting complemented by a fitting musical score and engaging storyline. Players appreciate the depth added by in-game magazines that reveal the world’s history, although some suggest that focusing more on narrative elements rather than gunplay could enhance the experience further. Overall, the atmosphere is described as pleasant and captivating, making it a worthwhile experience for players.
- “I enjoyed the music that blends very well with the dark atmosphere of the setting and city. The added magazines reveal the history of the world, and I liked the design of the two guns. The video scales automatically to your native resolution (ultra widescreen in my case)!”
- “Personally, I think the game might have been a bit better if it just did away with the gunplay and lockpicking entirely and focused more on the storyline, the dialogues, and the atmosphere.”
- “I immersed myself in an exciting atmospheric storyline, and despite all limitations, I liked it and recommend trying it, at least to support new developers.”
- “Personally, I think the game might have been a bit better if it just did away with the gunplay (and lockpicking) entirely and focused more on the storyline, the dialogues, and the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels lacking and fails to immerse me in the world; it just doesn't capture the essence of what I expected.”
- “While the music is enjoyable, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to lengthy combat sections that feel drawn out. While there are some features to alleviate this tedium, they seem more like temporary fixes rather than effective solutions to the underlying issue.
- “The combat is tedious and annoying, with some sections dragging on for far too long.”
- “The auto-saving feature makes some lengthy combat sections feel even more tedious.”
- “While there are some mechanics to counteract the grind, they seem like a crutch to mask the inherent tedium of the combat.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting excessively long loading screens and significant strain on hardware, leading to loud fan noise. Additionally, the overall design and translation issues contribute to a frustrating experience, making it feel poorly optimized and confusing.
- “The graphics and performance are impressive, showcasing a well-optimized game experience.”
- “From the very long loading screens that made you think the game or your computer froze to the loud whirring sound of my laptop's fan going into overdrive, I'm pretty sure the game isn't very well-optimized.”
- “The unclearness is a horribly translated, poorly designed, unoptimized car crash, an endurance exercise where the player stumbles from one badly explained set piece to another with only the faintest grasp of what their purpose is supposed to be.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviewers criticize the gameplay for its lack of cohesion, noting abrupt transitions between missions that disrupt immersion, such as sudden loading screens. Additionally, they feel that the storyline overshadows the actual gameplay, leading to a disjointed experience.
- “There is no cohesion to the gameplay; in the first mission, you reach a checkpoint in the middle of a crossroads, and all of a sudden, there's a loading screen and you're in a room somewhere.”
- “The storyline is longer than the gameplay itself.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is considered fairly short and lacks significant replay value, as players may only return for the humor if they find it enjoyable enough to experience again.
- “It is fairly short and has no real replay value unless you think you can laugh at the same things again.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting poor gunplay, buggy AI, and numerous technical issues that contribute to an overall frustrating experience. Despite a few redeeming qualities, the overwhelming consensus is that the game feels like a poorly executed indie title, leaving players dissatisfied, especially given its price point.
- “From its poor gunplay, buggy AI, and a pretty boring start, I could quickly see that the game is by no means a well-made indie title, but it does have a couple of redeeming factors in the face of a mountain of negative ones.”
- “The absolute cheek to cobble together such a wasteful, incomprehensible, buggy mess of a game, to charge £15 for it...and then to try and string players along with a cliffhanger ending?”