Unfinished - An Artist's Lament
- August 4, 2015
- Dust Scratch Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Unfinished - An Artist's Lament" is a hand-drawn 3D adventure-platformer where you play as Sketch, an unfinished character seeking identity. Follow a guiding pencil and artist's voice, acquiring abilities from abandoned sketches to explore the world. This short journey explores themes of acceptance and self-discovery through the parallel story of the artist.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a unique and poignant story that resonates with the struggles of the creative process, making it relatable for artists.
- The hand-drawn art style is charming and visually appealing, with moments of beautiful design that enhance the overall experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers enjoyable gameplay and a peaceful atmosphere, complemented by soothing music.
- The controls are awkward and unintuitive, making gameplay frustrating, especially when using an Xbox controller.
- The game is very short, with many players feeling that it lacks sufficient content and depth to justify its price.
- The lack of a tutorial or clear guidance can lead to confusion, making it difficult for players to understand the mechanics and objectives.
- story24 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is a poignant exploration of the creative process, resonating deeply with artists and those familiar with the struggles of creation. While some players appreciate its emotional depth and unique style, others criticize the execution, noting that the narrative can be overshadowed by dull exposition and simplistic gameplay. Overall, it offers a meaningful, albeit brief, experience that emphasizes the journey of self-discovery and artistic fulfillment.
“The voice over and melancholy story unfolding as you play makes for a uniquely peaceful experience that draws you in.”
“The story is shared between artist and doodle as they both go through a journey of discovering themselves and purpose.”
“To enjoy this, you have to be able to appreciate the game for what it is: the story of the struggles of an artist, plagued by how he could never finish his work, only to feel lost and never truly complete himself.”
“I went into this hoping for a short, thoughtful, story-driven experience, but instead I was appalled by bad coding and environment design.”
“The story is a bit of a mixed bag as a few genuinely interesting ideas are brought down by an equal amount of dull exposition.”
“There is no story, there are no enemies, and there are just a couple of puzzles (if you count stacking blocks as puzzles).”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it underdeveloped and lacking depth, often describing it as bland and repetitive. While some appreciated the combination of abilities and the aesthetic experience, others criticized the awkward controls and simplistic mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is seen as short and not worth the price for those seeking engaging gameplay or replayability.
“While unfinished, 'An Artist's Lament' is a rather short game; what it does have to offer is extremely enjoyable aesthetically and gameplay follows suit.”
“Gameplay-wise, you walk through white, empty environments to find body parts (different legs, different bodies, different heads), all of which give you enhanced abilities.”
“With better game options and an easier-to-understand game mechanic introduction, it could benefit from some puzzle/platformer/exploration elements.”
“The controls are bad bordering on awful, and while I made it as far as nearly finishing the third level (out of five I saw in the menu), I still hadn't found anything particularly interesting or thought-provoking by that point, or any gameplay that wasn't a chore.”
“Sadly, as an actual game, it really falls flat as the bland levels and barebones gameplay take their toll on the player: I just didn't have much fun using the awkward controls to switch powers at the right time or to try and aim my jumps correctly to move through a few platforms.”
“The gameplay simply isn't refined enough to be engaging and there's not enough to do to make up for its problems: most levels look and feel the same and the new powers you'll unlock don't do much to mix things up, you'll just be moving forward, jump and/or float a bit until you reach a new zone, rinse and repeat.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of "While unfinished - an artist's lament" are characterized by a charming hand-drawn art style that many players find appealing and effective, despite the game being relatively short. While the visuals are praised for their aesthetic quality, some users noted a lack of graphic options and minor graphical errors in certain levels. Overall, the game's art successfully enhances the gameplay experience.
“The story's pretty nifty, and the art style is neat.”
“High on charm and love the hand-drawn art style.”
“While unfinished, an artist's lament is a rather short game; what it does have to offer is extremely enjoyable aesthetically and gameplay follows suit.”
“The adventure of an unfinished artwork - you are not intended to be a stick figure.”
“The bad is that I couldn't find any graphic options except for some shadow settings, and the introduction of new game mechanics is poor.”
“Few minor graphical errors on level 4.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as fun, cute, and soothing, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack is short and can become repetitive, especially during challenging moments. Additionally, the voice acting, while clear, lacks subtitles and is sometimes overshadowed by the music's volume.
“I will say this though: I did enjoy the music.”
“Fun short game, good story, and music.”
“The art is accompanied by soothing music.”
“The narrative is told through voice over -- sadly no subtitles -- that is clear, but a little low volume compared to the music.”
“The soundtrack is quite short.”
“The voice acting and music can get repetitive if you get stuck, which can be annoying but didn't diminish my overall enjoyment.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's story as deeply emotional, resonating particularly with those who have a background in art, enhancing its overall significance and impact.
“As someone with experience in the field of art, the story struck a very emotional chord with me and was that much more meaningful.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game lacks strong replayability, with users indicating that it does not offer enough engaging gameplay to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“If you are looking for solid gameplay and replayability, this is not the game for you.”
