Tombeaux
- November 5, 2018
- paverson
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Get on itch.io Store"Tombeaux" is a first-person exploration game set in a historically accurate 3D environment, focusing on midwestern American history. Players discover unique objects and narratives in a transforming environment, reflecting on the past and future. It is a story-rich walking simulator, suitable for all ages, with a focus on education and contemplation. The developer will donate 100% of profits to protecting the river the game is based upon.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Tombeaux serves as an important educational experience, highlighting the history and environmental issues surrounding the St. Croix River, making it a meaningful project.
- The game donates 100% of its profits to environmental conservation efforts, which adds a charitable aspect to the purchase.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a unique and immersive journey through American history, with moments that can evoke strong emotional responses.
- The gameplay is limited and lacks interactivity, often feeling more like a series of narrated monologues than a traditional game.
- Performance issues, such as lag and poor audio quality in some narrations, detract from the overall experience.
- The game is very short, with some players feeling that it does not provide enough content to justify its price.
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them decent but unremarkable, while others criticize the performance, noting low frame rates and limited visual appeal compared to other titles. Although certain visuals are appreciated, many feel that the overall graphical quality does not meet expectations, especially given the performance issues.
“Moreover, while some graphics look nice, I've seen much better looking games with better performance at the same price or less, and the explorable areas are roughly limited.”
“Graphics are bad, performance was awful (like 20-30 fps for such an ugly game, wtf).”
“As far as the visuals and actual gameplay go, though, there isn't much to say.”
“The music is soothing, the visuals are pretty (well, if your computer isn't a toaster), and the message is something that I'd like to see more of in games.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is relatively simplistic, consisting of six levels focused on item collection and listening rather than interactive mechanics, which some players find lacking. While there are performance issues and mixed-quality voice acting, many agree that the game's meaningful content and the developers' charitable intentions overshadow these shortcomings, making it a commendable experience overall.
“While not all of the voice acting is equally evocative and the game would certainly have benefited from more player interaction or perhaps some interesting puzzle mechanics, the resulting experience is nonetheless a highly meaningful and commendable one.”
“Yes, some of the voice acting is pretty cringe, gameplay and performance-wise it has some issues, but you don't really play these types of games for the gameplay, and considering the obvious amount of research that went into the game and the fact the dev donates the profits from this game really gives me nothing to complain about.”
“As far as the visuals and actual gameplay go, though, there isn't much to say.”
“Gameplay-wise, you have 6 levels where you collect one or four items, then listen to someone.”
“Yes, some of the voice acting is pretty cringe, and gameplay and performance-wise it has some issues, but you don't really play these types of games for the gameplay.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story is centered around a single river, exploring themes of community and history across various time periods, with players uncovering narrative snippets by collecting items. While the narrative is engaging, some find it a bit overwhelming, as the main objective involves wandering and piecing together the tale through real historical accounts. The game rewards players for taking their time, enhancing the immersive experience.
“Your main objective is just to wander around and pick up items that trigger story snippets that, as far as I understood, were written or said by real people of that age.”
“There are short 'chapters' as you play through the story of this location that take place during different time periods.”
“Take your time (you'll get an achievement for it if you do) and remember that, even though this story focuses on a single river, this is a tale that is found all across the continent in communities large, small, and nearly lost or forgotten.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, with frame rates dropping to 20-30 fps despite its unremarkable graphics. While some visuals are appealing, many players feel that the overall graphical quality and performance do not meet expectations, especially when compared to other titles at a similar price point.
“The amount of research that went into the game is impressive, and the fact that the developer donates the profits really adds to the overall experience.”
“While some graphics look nice, I've seen much better-looking games with better performance at the same price or less.”
“The explorable areas are somewhat limited, which affects the overall gameplay experience.”
“Graphics are bad, performance was awful (like 20-30 fps for such an ugly game, wtf).”
“Moreover, while some graphics look nice, I've seen much better looking games with better performance at the same price or less, and the explorable areas are roughly limited.”
“Yes, some of the voice acting is pretty cringe, gameplay and performance-wise it has some issues, but you don't really play these types of games for the gameplay.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Tombeaux" falls short of expectations, as it struggles to effectively create an immersive experience typical of walking simulators, while only marginally succeeding in its educational goals.
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as soothing, complementing the visually appealing graphics, provided the hardware is capable. Reviewers appreciate the overall ambiance created by the music and express a desire for similar themes in future games.
“The music is soothing, the visuals are pretty (well, if your computer isn't a toaster), and the message is something that I'd like to see more of in games.”
