Trauma
- August 8, 2011
- Krystian Majewski
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Trauma" is a single-player arcade game with high-quality graphics, lasting approximately 2 hours. It tells the story of a car accident survivor exploring her dreams through point-and-click adventure-style gameplay, featuring a gesture-based interface, dynamic levels, and photographic visuals, aiming for a deep, mature experience rather than a challenging puzzle game.
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Reviews
- The voice acting is top notch and contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere.
- The game features unique gameplay mechanics, such as drawing symbols to interact with the environment, which adds an interesting twist to the point-and-click genre.
- Trauma offers a thought-provoking and artistic experience, exploring deep themes of memory and trauma through its surreal visuals and narrative.
- The game is extremely short, with many players finishing it in under two hours, leading to a feeling of incompleteness.
- The story is vague and often feels disjointed, leaving players confused about the character's journey and the overall message.
- Many players found the gameplay tedious and lacking in challenge, with some describing it more as an interactive art project than a traditional game.
- story66 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story in "Trauma" is polarizing, with some players appreciating its abstract and symbolic narrative that explores themes of trauma and recovery, while others find it vague, disjointed, and lacking in emotional depth or resolution. Many reviews highlight the game's unique storytelling approach, blending visuals and puzzles, but criticize its execution as confusing and superficial. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy interactive storytelling and literary elements, but may disappoint players seeking a clear and engaging plot.
“This isn't so much a game as it is an interactive story, but what an enthralling story it is.”
“The game itself and the story are intriguing and the visuals are pretty cool.”
“Trauma tells the story of life, interrupted.”
“The vague and obtuse story does little to carry this mash-up of a hog and a PPT presentation.”
“There's no deep gameplay or clear story to be found here, just a lot of clicking and speculation.”
“The story is also so abstracted, disjointed, and boring that by the end you don't care what is going on or why, thus you have no incentive to continue completing the experience.”
- gameplay37 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Trauma" is characterized by its simplicity and focus on exploration rather than traditional mechanics, featuring point-and-click navigation and a unique drawing mechanic that serves more as a metaphorical tool than a deep gameplay element. While some players appreciate its experimental nature and artistic design, others find it lacking in depth and engagement, with many describing it as more of an interactive experience than a conventional game. Overall, it appeals to those seeking a narrative-driven, avant-garde experience rather than traditional gameplay challenges.
“It introduces several original gameplay elements that make it stand out from the crowd.”
“The mechanics of the game are very reminiscent of a game called The Void, even down to the look of the symbols as they are drawn, but that's not a bad thing - The Void was a creative masterpiece that way and I love the interface.”
“Gameplay is essentially point and click for navigation, and you learn to create these 'symbols' (performed with mouse-based gestures) that have generic purposes (e.g., directional controls) and in some cases can be used in less-than-obvious (but usually clever) applications.”
“There's no deep gameplay or clear story to be found here, just a lot of clicking and speculation.”
“Only try it if you're looking for a textbook example of the kind of pretentious gameplay-lacking indie game that everyone makes fun of.”
“Trauma is one of those games where you can't really call it a 'game' since there's no actual gameplay.”
- graphics23 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of artistic and low-resolution visuals, with some players appreciating the surrealist and photographic art style that contributes to a strong atmosphere. While the aesthetics are often described as beautiful and immersive, many reviewers note that the graphics feel outdated and can appear blurry or pixelated by modern standards. Overall, the visuals are seen as intriguing and capable of creating a unique experience, but they may not meet the expectations of players looking for high-quality graphics.
“I like the light painting, FMV cutscenes, and there are some surrealist graphics which I enjoyed.”
“The aesthetics of it really stuck with me for years and it holds a nice little place in my heart.”
“Some might say that Dear Esther could be given the same criticism, however, DE is a much richer experience, immersive in its beautifully executed graphics and sound design which (with a little help from headphones and a dark room) can transport the player into the setting giving them a large sense of immersion.”
“The graphics are also rather low resolution by modern standards, so the imagery often looks blurry and pixelated.”
“The controls are point & click, the graphics are outdated.”
“Strange experience with boring story and shitty graphics.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong aesthetic, eerie and dreamlike qualities, and effective use of sound and visuals, creating a haunting experience that resonates with themes of trauma and melancholy. While some players find it unsettling or depressing, the combination of ambient soundtracks and thoughtful pacing enhances the overall immersive experience. However, a few critiques mention poor voice acting and unwieldy controls, which can detract from the otherwise captivating atmosphere.
“I loved it! I love how, with just pictures and sound recordings, they created a very strong atmosphere and aesthetic.”
“Played late at night with the lights off; the game manages to create an eerie, sometimes creepy atmosphere.”
“The ambience and voice acting are spot on, and the slow, thoughtful pace works well with the dreamlike atmosphere.”
“Controls were unwieldy, and the atmosphere was very eerie and creepy, just generally uninviting.”
“I personally don't like the setting, the atmosphere is really sad and flat, voice acting is very poor.”
“The atmosphere and mood she sets with her contained, pensive descriptions of her surroundings creates a melancholy feeling reminiscent of many dreams; this unmutable sense of unlimited confinement and powerlessness.”
- music14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to create an intense and atmospheric experience, particularly highlighting the soundtrack's melancholic and otherworldly qualities. However, others find the music unremarkable or distracting, suggesting that it does not always enhance the gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack is noted for its emotional impact and alignment with the game's themes, opinions on its effectiveness vary significantly among players.
“The soundtrack is fantastic; whoever made it should be given a lot of credit for really creating an intense atmosphere while playing the game. The intro song is really good, and the slower melodies really strike a chord in me. I don't know why, but the soundtrack is ideal for the overall theme and tone the game wanted you to feel.”
“Brilliant music direction and composition - it lends so much to the atmosphere.”
“The music and voice acting is unremarkable; I actually play with the sounds off since I got tired of the 'doesn't work' sound when I use a wrong gesture.”
“The puzzles don't feel thought through and what music there is detracts from the game.”
“The audio does a lot to prop up this feeling, with understated sound effects and a low minimalist soundtrack that's just the right amount of menacing.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke feelings through its unique concept and stark visuals, leaving a lasting impact on some players. However, others found the storytelling uninspired and lacking depth, resulting in a mixed reception regarding its emotional resonance. Overall, while the game successfully touches on themes of trauma for some, it fails to connect with all players.
“Nonetheless, it is enjoyable and emotional despite the stark photography and simplistic voiceover, with an interesting concept and execution.”
“It's beautiful, does some unusual things, and ends up touching upon certain themes that most games fail to.”
“I don't know what it is about trauma that's so engaging, but its emotional residue has lingered long after I finished the game.”
“Put these memories in one pot with some uninspired and boring storytelling, and you get the experience I had.”
“Strange experience with a boring story and poor graphics.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through multiple endings and collectible items, such as photos, encouraging players to explore different outcomes. However, some users feel that the overall replay value is limited, despite the enjoyable experience it provides.
“A modicum of replayability is achieved via multiple solutions and endings to each chapter, and by finding all of the 'polaroids' throughout.”
“A modicum of replayability is achieved via multiple solutions/endings to each chapter, and by finding all of the 'polaroids' throughout.”
“This game is quite short but it fits a lot in; as well as the main endings, there are alternate ones to find and also photos to collect, so it has replay value.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be dull and tedious, with the point-and-click interface contributing to a sense of monotony and lack of engagement.
“But this 'point and click' mystery game just felt dull and tediously uninteresting.”
“The point-and-click interface is tedious.”
