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Two Steps Back

Two Steps Back Game Cover
27%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:music, gameplay
43% User Score Based on 14 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Two Steps Back Game Cover

About

Two Steps Back is a single player action game. It was developed by Kristen Cheely and was released on August 6, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

A mystery/horror visual novel about dreams, reality, human bonds, and survival with a surprise ending!

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Two Steps Back screenshot
Two Steps Back screenshot
Two Steps Back screenshot
Two Steps Back screenshot
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43%Audience ScoreBased on 14 reviews
story9 positive mentions
gameplay2 negative mentions
  • The story is interesting and compelling, with a great premise and some emotional moments.
  • The animated characters and unique art style add extra life and atmosphere to the visual novel.
  • The game is short and fast to play, making it suitable for a quick experience and easy to replay.
  • The game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with confusing structure such as separate parts that are not seamlessly connected.
  • There is no interactivity or choices, making it a purely linear kinetic novel that might disappoint players expecting a game.
  • The backgrounds and some elements appear low quality or incomplete, and the soundtrack can be annoying or underwhelming for some players.

  • story

    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is generally seen as interesting and engaging, especially for fans of short horror or mystery narratives, but it is criticized for being very brief, somewhat confusing, and lacking deep character development. Many reviewers note it feels incomplete or fragmented, with disconnected parts and unresolved endings, leaving players wanting more. While some appreciate its cryptic and atmospheric elements, others find it relies on common tropes and could benefit from further expansion or polish.

    • “The story is great, but it is a very short one!”
    • “So if you buy it as a game you risk being upset, but if you buy this for the story, it is an interesting one, but it's very short, so be aware!”
    • “There is a confounding mystery to be hashed out, but the majority of the story is of the interactions between two (almost) strangers; of the bonds that can form in no time.”
    • “Poorly put together plot about dead people having banters about being in a dream sequence or the matrix and having flashbacks.”
    • “No interactions, you can skip through the whole thing in five minutes while reading diagonally and relying on the images to give you the bulk of the story.”
    • “The most frustrating part was that there are two 'parts' of the story, but they are not connected in-game.”

  • music

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music and sound effects effectively complement the game's eerie atmosphere, matching the tone and character gestures well, though some players may find the ambient sounds hit-or-miss or even annoying. While the soundtrack is simple and fits the mood, opinions on its quality vary, with some enjoying it and others considering it a weaker aspect. Overall, the audio enhances the experience but may not appeal universally.

    • “The art and music are used effectively, and the freakish animations help set the mood.”
    • “Also the sound effects and music just matched perfectly!”
    • “The music obeys the tone and gestures of the characters, with abrupt or no transitions, contributing to the eerie ambience.”
    • “The soundtrack is the worst part of the game.”
    • “Any collection of sounds confined to separate 'tracks' is owed the title, but I didn't consider the majority of what I heard to be a sampling of a soundtrack; ambience that will either hit you as spot-on or make you wince a bit.”
    • “This two-part 'novel' is a short story at best, the art is simple but effective, and so are the sounds and music, but the storytelling doesn't seem to go beyond common tropes.”

  • graphics

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Feedback on the graphics is mixed, with some users praising the unique art style and impressive animations, while others find the artwork lacking. Overall, the visuals are seen as a standout feature by some, contributing positively to the game's tone.

    • “Unique art style and the animations are over the top.”
    • “I loved the tone and as I said before, the artwork is just amazing. I couldn't ask for more there.”
    • “Now, while I can't recommend the game for purchase, the fact that it is fast and has some compelling elements—both in artwork and plot—means that I can easily recommend it for play if you got it out of a bundle or something.”
    • “The artwork is bad and the story is equally terrible.”

  • gameplay

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is notably short, lasting around 15 minutes to under an hour even with multiple readings, which some users feel is too brief despite recognizing the author's effort and artistic value.

    • “Also, the gameplay time is maybe 15 minutes, perhaps longer if you're a slow reader.”
    • “That is not to say that the author didn't work hard on this and doesn't deserve the asked price for such a great, artistic novel, but to say that the work is entirely too short for something that I reread and still don't have an hour's worth of gameplay.”

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a compelling emotional journey, engaging players deeply through its narrative and immersive experience.

    • “An emotional journey.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is minimal and somewhat insubstantial, but it is adequate for the game's short horror story format.

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, mainly driven by players' eagerness for additional content rather than varied or extended gameplay.

  • atmosphere

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is notably enhanced by a deliberate contrast in image quality, with lower-quality background visuals intentionally used to create a specific mood. This artistic choice effectively contributes to the overall ambiance.

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization has noticeable stuttering issues that may disrupt the gameplay experience for some players.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Two Steps Back is a action game.

Two Steps Back is available on PC and Windows.

Two Steps Back was released on August 6, 2015.

Two Steps Back was developed by Kristen Cheely.

Two Steps Back has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked Two Steps Back for its story but disliked it for its music.

Two Steps Back is a single player game.

Similar games include Belladonna, Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos, Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal-, Shan Gui, Fox Hime Zero and others.