They Came From Venus
- July 22, 2024
- SureAI
Get on SteamYou are alone at your uncles remote mountain estate, when a mysterious package gets delivered to his doorstep. Soon after, things get out of hand and the house becomes your last bastion of survival. 'They Came From Venus' is a otherworldly survival horror adventure from the seventies - inspired by the sci-fi b-movies era of the fifties and sixties. You have to uncover the mystery of your uncles m…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features good atmospheric level design and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the experience.
- There are some interesting world-building details, such as newspapers and cassette tapes, that add depth to the environment.
- The initial days of gameplay provide a strong horror vibe, creating a sense of suspense and intrigue.
- The voice acting is predominantly AI-generated, leading to poor delivery and a lack of emotional depth in the characters.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including low frame rates and poor optimization, making it difficult to play on modern hardware.
- The writing and dialogue are subpar, often feeling incoherent and lacking direction, which detracts from the overall experience.
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics are reminiscent of the PS3 or PS4 era, suffering from poor framerates even on lower settings, which detracts from the experience. While the overall aesthetic and tone of the game are appreciated, the art style can hinder gameplay, particularly in terms of visibility and clarity.
“The overall tone and aesthetic of 'They Came From Venus' is really good.”
“At first, I thought the graphics and the cheesy voice acting were intentional.”
“The graphics look like something from the PS3 or PS4 era, yet somehow it still ran at abysmal framerates (I ran Elden Ring at least on very high, so it isn't my card).”
“On the lowest graphics settings, it's playable.”
“Then I have to answer the phone, which I had to echolocate by the sound since it's a white object on a white desk... the art style is not doing any favors.”
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with users praising the fantastic soundtrack and the enjoyable jukebox feature. However, some feel that while the music is nice, it doesn't elevate the overall experience beyond a certain point.
“The music was great; I liked the jukebox aspect.”
“Fantastic soundtrack.”
“The music and overall style is good.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story has potential for improvement, with some users feeling it lacks depth and clarity, particularly in guiding players through objectives. While it isn't considered terrible, the protagonist's casual acceptance of situations may detract from the overall narrative engagement.
“The story has room for improvement, but it's not that bad!”
“Not everything should hold your hand and show you a quest marker on your HUD, but the protagonist's casual response to the laboratory is intriguing.”
“The story still has room for improvement, but it's not that bad!”
“While not everything should hold your hand and show you a quest marker on your HUD, the protagonist's response of 'yeah sure, laboratory' feels lacking.”
“The third strike is a fairly mild gameplay and story spoiler.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players experiencing significant rendering performance issues and constant frame drops even on high-end hardware, rendering the game nearly unplayable. Additionally, there are complaints about inconsistent audio levels and poor localization, further detracting from the overall experience.
“The game has a major performance issue; I'm running reasonably high-end hardware yet I see constant frame drops, almost making the game unplayable.”
“There's a few other big issues, most notable rendering performance, but also broken English. Some audio is too loud, some too soft, especially with the voice lines.”
“The game also has a major performance issue; I'm running reasonably high-end hardware yet see constant frame drops, almost making the game unplayable.”
“I struggled to maintain a stable frame rate despite my modern hardware, and there is no discernible reason for this other than terrible optimization.”
“The game's first strike was poor performance.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is initially praised for its strong, atmospheric level design and effective use of black-and-white visuals. However, as the game progresses, the horror elements diminish, and the monochromatic aesthetic becomes visually exhausting.
“The level design is incredibly atmospheric, drawing you into the game's world.”
“The black-and-white design creates a strong atmosphere initially, immersing players in a unique experience.”
“Towards the end, the horror atmosphere decreases.”
“The game fails to maintain a consistent atmosphere, leaving moments that should be tense feeling flat.”
“Despite some initial promise, the overall atmosphere feels lackluster and uninspired.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being simplistic and unrefined, resembling a novice's first attempt at game design. It relies heavily on repetitive tasks like throwing levers and backtracking, with significant issues in dialogue and technical performance that detract from the overall experience. Reviewers suggest that substantial improvements are needed before it can be considered worth its price.
“The gameplay loop is engaging and offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic gaming experiences.”
“With a few more months of development, including improved dialogue and bug fixes, this game could become a worthwhile experience.”
“The gameplay involves a mix of puzzle-solving and exploration, providing a unique challenge for players.”
“The gameplay loop feels like a 17-year-old boy's first game.”
“This needs a few more months of work, fully rewritten dialogue, tons of rendering-related bug fixes and optimizations, and a few more gameplay gimmicks to be worth $10.”
“Gameplay is almost entirely a series of throwing levers, backtracking, and answering communication devices, which then subject you to more poorly generated voiceovers.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, suggesting that the developers may have rushed the release to recoup financial losses rather than delivering a polished product.
“This really felt like a cash grab, like maybe the project was falling apart so they put it out just to make some of the money back.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which ruins the overall experience.”
