Tunguska: The Visitation
- June 3, 2021
- Rotorist Workshop
- 19h median play time
Get on SteamTunguska: The Visitation is a 3D top-down action shooter with survival elements, including inventory management and character stat buffs. Players can engage in real-time melee and gunfights, and have the opportunity to grow crops, hunt for ingredients, and craft items at workbenches. The perk-based skill system allows for specialized character builds, with options for combat, stealth, crafting, and overall survival expertise.
Reviews
- The game captures the STALKER atmosphere well, providing an engaging and immersive experience.
- The developer is highly responsive and actively updates the game, addressing bugs and adding new content frequently.
- Gameplay offers a mix of stealth, combat, and crafting, allowing for various playstyles and strategies.
- The controls can feel clunky, particularly in aiming and inventory management, which may frustrate some players.
- The story can be convoluted at times, with some quests lacking clarity and direction.
- There are occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, though the developer is quick to address them.
- story159 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and the depth of character interactions, particularly for a solo-developed title. However, some critiques highlight that the main plot can feel underwhelming or abrupt, lacking satisfying conclusions and unexpected twists. Overall, while the story has its strengths, it may not be compelling enough for everyone, with some players prioritizing gameplay and atmosphere over narrative depth.
“It is very fun to play and it has a great storyline with multiple decisions to make that will affect your interactions with NPCs.”
“The game has a fantastic story, as well as light RPG and stealth elements.”
“The atmosphere is stunning and the story is well done.”
“The story itself ends abruptly.”
“It left me feeling like I had invested my time in a story that led nowhere, which was a letdown considering the potential that the game had.”
“Story and quests are so generic and bland I don't even want to mention it.”
- gameplay148 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a nostalgic blend of mechanics reminiscent of classic titles, but often criticized for its clunky inventory management and tedious crafting systems that can detract from the overall experience. While many players appreciate the depth of gameplay options, including stealth and RPG elements, others find the mechanics cumbersome and the backtracking tedious. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation with engaging mechanics, but it struggles with player convenience and can feel janky at times.
“Very solid gameplay foundation, really fun, can be played casually and doesn't require having a second life to play, and an actually in-depth and interesting story.”
“The gameplay is very fun, the economy, character progression, and how survival and stealth mechanics work very nicely, and the story, quests, and how the world changes based on your quest decisions is something that's very unique as well.”
“After 60 hours of gameplay in this game I can say for sure how much love and dedication the developer has put into it, the simple and yet very well designed mechanics, history and gameplay, the care for details, the constant improvements and the player support in the developer's discord server had been an absolutely amazing experience, the game is just amazing!”
“Unfortunately, the problems in this game are with the core gameplay loop, player convenience, and large parts of the dialogue, which is really where you don't want to have your problems.”
“The gameplay is rather clumsy with it being an isometric perspective.”
“It's cool it was made by a single developer and all, but the gameplay is just not fun.”
- atmosphere61 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the eerie and desolate essence reminiscent of classic titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Players appreciate the rich sound design, engaging visuals, and the overall charm that creates a compelling environment for exploration and storytelling. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the atmospheric depth and attention to detail are consistently highlighted as standout features that enhance the gaming experience.
“The atmosphere is nicely recreated.”
“The grim atmosphere, created by the sound effects, visuals, and characters, is right on the mark.”
“The atmosphere really captures the stalker vibe well, and there's a lot to do in the world.”
“This is not because of the setting, or atmosphere, but because of the core systems and lack of player convenience.”
“That's the atmosphere though, but it's like playing a little bit of a dated graphics feeling game unfortunately.”
“A poorly made game, parasitizing on a stalker game series atmosphere.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique aesthetic and immersive atmosphere, while others note that the visuals feel dated or lack polish. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the graphics serve their purpose and contribute to the overall charm and enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the graphics are considered decent and complement the game's engaging elements.
“The world feels alive thanks to great sound design, weather/day cycle, and graphics.”
“The game itself is quite beautiful; it's got a particular aesthetic that might not work for everyone, but I really enjoy it.”
“Scenery in this game is gorgeous; there are no graphical issues to be found in this game.”
“Graphics are nothing to write home about.”
“That's the atmosphere though, but it's like playing a little bit of a dated graphics feeling game unfortunately.”
“It's like isometric stalker, crappy graphics but everything else 10/10.”
- grinding34 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding in the game highlight a mixed experience; while some players find the farming and crafting systems enjoyable and integral to the gameplay, others feel that the backtracking and resource gathering can become tedious and repetitive. The balance between exploration and grinding is noted as generally good, with some players appreciating the ability to tailor the difficulty to avoid excessive grind, while others express frustration with the necessity of revisiting locations and the randomness of enemy spawns. Overall, the game offers a variety of systems that can either enhance or detract from the experience depending on player preferences.
“There's quite a few weapons to choose from, each having benefits and drawbacks. I chose to use a shotgun for the most part, and that really handicapped me against enemies with body armor. So I ended up having to really engage with the stealth aspect (which was fun, not tedious; you even get extra rewards for a stealth kill) of the game to eliminate the armored bandits before drawing any attention to myself.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Too much grinding and it's boring.”
“I don't like farming and grinding for ingredients or crafting material.”
“While it does keep the trips to and from locations exciting/meaningful, when you're low on supplies and just trying to make it back to your stash, it can get tedious quickly.”
- music16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is minimal, often limited to ambient sounds and occasional radio tracks, which enhances the overall atmosphere and tension. While some players appreciate the lack of intrusive music, allowing for a more immersive experience, others express a desire for a more varied soundtrack akin to games like Fallout. The sound design, however, receives high praise for its effectiveness in creating an engaging and eerie environment.
“The soundtrack is pretty much what you would expect, with the maps having no music whatsoever besides the one playing on radios, very in line with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vibe.”
“Not to mention they just announced an in-game radio DLC that'll only be $3 to play the in-game music whenever you feel like, but the developer went beyond that and opened it up so that you'll be able to add your own playlists through it.”
“Sound: music and sound design are outstanding.”
“The soundtrack is pretty much what you would expect, with the maps having no music whatsoever besides the one playing on radios, very in line with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”
“Not really a big fan of the whining high-pitched music that seems to be in the earlier areas, but it's manageable if I just play out of the speakers.”
“I wish the game had some music, like Fallout radio.”
- stability11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting various bugs and glitches that can detract from the experience, particularly after leaving the starting village. While some players find the occasional glitches to be minor and manageable, others describe the game as a "buggy mess" with significant issues in combat and inventory management. Overall, while the game is less buggy than similar titles, it still presents enough stability concerns to affect immersion and enjoyment.
“I've played for 12 hours so far and have had no glitches or issues.”
“The game is pretty buggy.”
“Gets really annoyingly buggy after you leave the starting village.”
“A buggy mess.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever references to other titles and its engaging character quirks, making it both immersive and entertaining. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and unexpected comedic moments, which enhance the overall experience and keep them hooked. The characters' unique personalities and branching dialogue paths contribute to a rich, humorous narrative that surprises and delights.
“The characters are funny and all have little quirks or side quests or just downright sad existences I take delight in reading about or helping.”
“Surprisingly, it can be funny as hell sometimes too, and because of that I never know what to expect in this game.”
“The opening was very fun and the dialogue made me laugh, which hooked me straight away.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while the developer is actively engaged with the community and regularly improves performance, some players experience significant stuttering issues and feel that certain systems are underutilized or poorly optimized, leading to a bloated engine. However, it is noted that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck.
“He is very active with the community, actually reads, responds, and helps with all comments, and is still adding content and improving the game's performance regularly.”
“Excellent game, the best part is it can run smoothly on Steam Deck!”
“Many systems feel underutilized or unoptimized, which takes away from what could be an otherwise excellent game.”
“Not sure if other people had this issue, but I had bad stuttering problems every time I got into a gunfight.”
“Many systems feel underutilized and unoptimized, which takes away from what could be an otherwise excellent game.”
“The engine feels bloated and unoptimized.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers solid replayability through various modes and a wealth of content, making it enjoyable for players. However, some dynamic events on the maps may not be engaging enough to significantly enhance replay value.
“For its price, it has a ton of content, replayability, and a lot of fun going for it.”
“Replayability is high too.”
“There's dynamic events on the maps, but they're not interesting enough to encourage replayability.”
“Solid game with replay value in the different modes.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's simple art style effectively conveys deep emotional resonance, creating a wholesome experience for players. While some users noted minor issues with sound design and model originality, these do not significantly detract from the overall heartfelt impact of the game.
“Art is simple but conveys a lot of heartfelt thought.”
“My only 'cons' is the sound design of some weapons and some models look like they were taken from other games, but that's just my own feelings and they don't ruin the wholesome experience.”
