UNREAL LIFE
- November 19, 2020
- hako life
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Unreal Life" , a young woman with amnesia seeks her lost memories, aided by a talking traffic light and the ability to read objects' memories. This atmospheric puzzle adventure game invites players to compare the past and present, solving mysteries and uncovering secrets on a journey through memory lane. Follow the girl and her unlikely companion to discover what awaits at the end of this emotional quest.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Steam Deck
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features a great story that is emotional and engaging, with many players expressing that it touched them deeply.
- The pixel artwork and soundtrack are charming and beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The puzzles are well-designed and provide a satisfying challenge without feeling unfair, making the gameplay enjoyable.
- Some players found the pacing slow, particularly due to backtracking and unskippable animations, which could detract from the experience.
- A few puzzles were considered finicky or obscure, leading to moments of frustration for some players who needed to consult guides.
- The game has a single manual save slot, which can be inconvenient for completionists trying to achieve all endings and achievements.
- story261 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "Unreal Life" is widely praised for its emotional depth, creative narrative, and engaging characters, often described as touching and immersive. Players appreciate the unique blend of pixel art, atmospheric music, and a compelling plot that explores themes of mental health and identity, with many noting its surprising twists and heartfelt moments. While some found the pacing slow and certain gameplay elements tedious, the overall consensus is that the story is a standout feature that resonates deeply with players, making it a recommended experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
“The story really touched me, and the atmosphere of the music and visuals played well together.”
“An absolutely incredible game with a wonderful, interesting, and heartwarming story, portrayed by its amazing art, visuals, and animations.”
“The story struck an emotional chord within me.”
“The plot is surreal, which is fine, but it's so disconnected from anything I can grasp onto that it just melted away into gibberish for me after a while.”
“The story is pretty cliché and predictable, but still heartfelt.”
“However, the cutscenes are consistently cheesy to the detriment of the mood; the developer has an attachment to certain special effects and soundtracks that are so gratuitous it completely shatters the mood of the cutscene.”
- music87 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its emotional depth and atmospheric quality that complements the visuals and story. However, some players noted issues with repetitiveness, abrupt transitions, and occasional mismatches between the music and the scene's tone, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a strong element that enhances the game's whimsical and melancholic atmosphere.
“The soundtrack features soft melancholic music similar to some tracks from the Nier series that fit the theme and story perfectly.”
“The visuals are beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing, and the main characters are all very cute and lovable as well.”
“Beautiful art style, beautiful music, beautiful story, and memorable characters.”
“However, the music can get repetitive and annoying because of how short some tracks are, especially if you're lost solving puzzles.”
“Very inappropriate use of music throughout important moments; I don’t like the critical songs that play during critical moments. I think it is cheesy, so having to constantly hear it during serious moments creates an internal struggle where I have to fight to stay in the atmosphere that the song is stinking up.”
“The musical score complements the atmosphere very well, though I felt that some of the music felt out of place, such as at the train station when you're trying to save the fish.”
- graphics55 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and immersive aesthetic, which effectively complement the emotional narrative and engaging gameplay. Reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack as key elements that enhance the overall experience, creating a captivating world that players can easily lose themselves in. While some mention minor drawbacks, such as a mobile-esque UI, the overwhelming consensus is that the art style and presentation are exceptional and contribute significantly to the game's charm.
“With its beautiful pixel aesthetic giving an ethereal feeling, the game is a perfect match for its unique, lonely (in a good way) yet lived-in world that you just immerse yourself in, paired with a slightly somber but very sweet and wholesome story told in an engaging manner.”
“Every area is brought to life with beautiful pixel art graphics accompanied by a pleasing soundtrack.”
“The visuals are beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing, and the main characters are all very cute and lovable.”
“While the art style is decent, the soundtrack and sound effects clearly outshine the art style most of the time.”
“I'm not really a fan of the 'glitch' visuals though.”
“Despite its modest art style, I think the locations and the world design were very good, granted the game settings are very limited for the price.”
- gameplay53 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple and chill mechanics, primarily focusing on exploration and puzzle-solving, with unique elements like touching objects to reveal memories. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and engaging story, some find the puzzles to be overly simplistic or tedious, occasionally requiring external guides for progression. Overall, the game strikes a balance between narrative and gameplay, appealing more to those who prioritize storytelling and atmosphere over complex mechanics.
“It is simple and chill, but with unique mechanics I didn't see before, and a hint of psychology.”
“The gameplay itself is simple and fun.”
“The game introduces new mechanics that keep the gameplay fresh and entertaining.”
“The gameplay here is pretty much nonexistent and the puzzles are quite simple and punish you for thinking ahead.”
“Its art and gameplay are okay, nothing to write home about, and gameplay-wise it feels a little slow at times.”
“If you can look past the mobile-esque UI and tedious moment-to-moment gameplay, you'll be met with a fantastic narrative set in an utterly captivating world, with fitting graphics and music to boot!”
- emotional47 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing how deeply it resonated with them, often leading to tears over seemingly mundane elements like a traffic light. The combination of beautiful pixel art, a heartfelt narrative, and engaging character interactions creates an immersive experience that evokes a range of emotions, from joy to sadness. While some found the music occasionally detracted from the emotional impact, the overall consensus is that the game delivers a powerful and touching story that players won't soon forget.
“I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone who would enjoy puzzles and an emotional story.”
“An absolutely incredible game with a wonderful, interesting and heartwarming story, portrayed by its amazing art, visuals and animations.”
“What an emotional narrative throughout that peaks late and keeps on rolling and rolling until you've reached the end... I recommend this game on story alone.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating blend of beautiful pixel art, immersive soundtracks, and a surreal, dream-like quality that enhances the storytelling experience. Many reviewers highlight how the visuals and music work harmoniously to create an emotional and engaging environment, although some note occasional mismatches in musical choices during critical moments. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric storytelling over gameplay mechanics.
“The story is interesting, the puzzles were fun to solve, and the visuals and soundtrack enhanced it by adding an immersive and captivating atmosphere.”
“Unreal Life has beautiful pixel art, a dream-filled world full of interesting characters, and an atmosphere that's hard to get off your mind when you take a break from it.”
“The world has a dream-like and comforting atmosphere, which is helped by the nice and kind characters.”
“Very inappropriate use of music throughout important moments. I don’t like the critical songs that play during critical moments; I think it is cheesy. Having to constantly hear it during serious moments creates an internal struggle where I have to fight to stay in the atmosphere that the song is ruining.”
“The soundtrack isn't anything special when it comes to single, amazing songs, but they're all implemented really well for the story and the moments, adding a massive amount of atmosphere and general emotion to each part they feature in.”
“The story has atmosphere; it does not dive into full-blown surreal dreamscapes, but it definitely has some surreal and fantasy mood to it with its locations, props, characters, and world.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious and exhausting, particularly with post-game achievements and slow-paced gameplay that can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the dreamy aesthetic and engaging narrative, many feel that the repetitive and trial-and-error nature of puzzles, along with slow interactions, could have been improved. Despite these frustrations, the captivating world and story are often seen as worth the effort.
“My only con is some achievements, especially the 'post-game' achievements, can feel tedious and exhausting at times, but it's a complete non-issue for those who don't 100% the game or for those who don't try to do it all in one sitting.”
“The puzzles are fine in concept, but often very tedious to execute because of how slowly everything moves combined with having to redo things you mess up.”
“If you can look past the mobile-esque UI and tedious moment-to-moment gameplay, you'll be met with a fantastic narrative set in an utterly captivating world, with fitting graphics and music to boot!”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as charming and well-integrated into the atmosphere, striking a balance that elicits smiles without overwhelming the experience. Characters, including a humorous talking traffic light, contribute to a whimsical and engaging world that evokes both laughter and emotional depth. Overall, the humor enhances the game's enchanting urban setting, reminiscent of an "urban Alice in Wonderland."
“It has enough mystery to keep me curious, and the humor fits well with the atmosphere - not too much or loud, but funny enough to elicit smiles.”
“The funny talking traffic light made me cry.”
“The characters made me laugh and tear up, and the world they belong to was so charming... several times, I felt like I was part of an urban Alice in Wonderland.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly with minimal issues; players have reported only occasional bugs, such as a random hardlock, which can be easily resolved due to effective autosave functionality.
“It runs smoothly, and I have only experienced one bug in my entire playthrough, which was a pretty random hard lock. Thankfully, the game autosaved just a few moments ago, so a simple Alt + F4 fixed it.”
“A psychometric girl wakes up on a street with no memory and is helped by a high-performance AI traffic light that wirelessly connects to her for a journey to remember and heal herself.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through unique and varied character designs, which enhance the overall appeal of the game. While the animation is simple, it effectively supports the distinctiveness of the characters, contributing to a positive reception from players.
“The animation is simple, but there's enough variety to make it work, and most of the character designs (other than the main character(s) and one of the side characters) are all pretty unique in concept.”
“Great game! I love the character designs with a passion.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered mediocre, suggesting that players may not find enough incentive to revisit it after completing it once.
“The game has mediocre replayability value.”
“Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious.”
