Uriel's Chasm
- September 11, 2014
- Rail Slave Games
Get on Steam"Uriel's Chasm" is a challenging action game with a metaphysical twist, following Sister Tabitha's journey to investigate the disappearance of a monastery and uncover the secrets of a so-called "Garden of paradise." The game is a revival of an obscure 90's title, known for its avant-garde style and themes of God and death. With tough gameplay and a unique aesthetic, players must navigate the game's many challenges and uncover the mysteries that lie within.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features unique and surreal graphics that some players found visually appealing.
- It offers a bizarre and memorable experience that can provoke thought and discussion about its themes.
- The soundtrack has been noted as enjoyable and adds to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The gameplay is often described as confusing, janky, and lacking in polish, leading to frustration.
- Many players found the narrative incoherent and the overall experience to be nonsensical.
- The user interface is criticized for being poor, with no options to adjust settings or skip cutscenes.
- gameplay22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable despite its janky mechanics and simplistic design, while others criticize it for being lackluster and unchallenging. Many note that the gameplay varies between sections, often leaning towards arcade-style shooters, but overall, it seems that the appeal lies more in the game's surreal themes and visuals rather than its mechanics. Some reviewers explicitly state that the gameplay is not the main draw, suggesting that players should not expect depth or complexity.
“I came for the surreal art style, but the mechanics and shmup elements are really fun too.”
“The gameplay changes from section to section, though is usually a shooter of some kind - all of them were very fun, with the possible exception of the third one which was more of a simplistic platformer.”
“The gameplay here is incredibly simple and easy to learn.”
“Quite possibly the most obtrusive UI of all time, and extremely lackluster gameplay.”
“The visuals are weird, the gameplay is janky, and I probably won't play it ever again.”
“The gameplay is simplistic, and except for the last level, not very challenging.”
- music17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as a highlight that enhances the experience, while others criticize it as poorly produced and grating. Despite the varied opinions, many agree that the music contributes to the game's atmosphere, with some even finding it worth the price of admission. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it also faces significant criticism for its quality and repetitiveness.
“The music is worth the admission price alone, and reaching the ending screen is enough of a challenge to make it really feel like you've subdued a genuine lost 8-bit classic.”
“A solid shoot 'em up with deep existential themes and an enthralling soundtrack.”
“The graphics are excellent, though primitive, and contain some very memorable images that combine with the superb music to create an extremely surreal, trippy, oftentimes quite disturbing aesthetic.”
“I recommend it because everyone should suffer the boss fight music.”
“Anyway, you have to fly around with this awful music made from Fruity Loops 3 and shoot rocks in space.”
“With a terrible soundtrack, terrible graphics, and a voiceover who sounds like Alaska Thunderf***, this will truly test your patience.”
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as poorly executed and overly convoluted, often describing it as a disjointed blend of bizarre themes and religious elements. While some find the premise of a nun uncovering a galactic monastery's disappearance intriguing, others feel it lacks depth and coherence, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, the narrative is seen as a chaotic and unfulfilling experience that detracts from the game's potential.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“It combines biblical themes with a bizarre meta plot told through recordings of people who 'found' the game.”
“The story is the most fascinating thing I've witnessed in the entirety of my life, let me give you a brief description... you play as this person who needs to get more faith than his garden... that's the basic concept, it does sound a bit simple and boring but trust me not only will this satisfy your needs (like Caitlin and James) it will probably make you change from an agnostic or atheist to a Christian.. trust me, that's the effect it had on me, I now attend church every Sunday with Cooper Chamberlain because I have regained my faith in Christianity.”
“Whatever story there is sucks, the gameplay is quite bad too.”
“The point in the story is that this is supposed to be built as some crappy bargain bin Christian game, but it has the horrifying imagery right at the start so throw out the subtle build there.”
“If this game wasn't religious based and had a real story, you could probably consider it a game.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the surreal art style and memorable imagery, while others find them limited and primitive. Many players appreciate the unique aesthetic that combines indie and retro elements, though some criticize the overall execution and depth. Overall, the visuals contribute to a distinctive and often disturbing atmosphere, despite varying opinions on their quality.
“I came for the surreal art style, but the mechanics and shmup elements are really fun too.”
“The graphics are excellent, though primitive, and contain some very memorable images (the hidden face especially) that combine with the superb music to create an extremely surreal, trippy, oftentimes quite disturbing aesthetic.”
“With a terrible soundtrack, terrible graphics, and a voiceover who sounds like Alaska Thunderf***, this will truly test your patience.”
“It feels oddly like there was a lot of effort put into the artwork, the concepts, the scenes, and yet... everything also seems extremely limited.”
“The visuals are weird, the gameplay is janky, and I probably won't play it ever again.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the lack of a save feature, which makes replaying challenging. While some levels, like the second, are well-designed and engaging, others are seen as monotonous, detracting from the overall experience.
“The only part I'd call 'bad' is the lack of a save feature - the game is hard and tedious to replay.”
“The second level is a very well-made side-scrolling bullet hell, but the first and third levels are tedious.”
“It could be the best card farming simulator of 2014.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized as both disturbing and unique, creating a menacing environment that intensifies as players progress through Uriel's Chasm. This unsettling ambiance contributes significantly to the overall experience, making it difficult to draw direct comparisons to other games.
“The atmosphere is disturbing and unique; I can't really compare it to anything else.”
“A menacing atmosphere inundates Uriel's Chasm, intensifying with each level.”
“The atmosphere is disturbing and ridiculous; I can't really compare it to anything else.”
“A menacing atmosphere inundates Uriel's Chasm, and it intensifies with each level.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy may involve misleading advertising, as users feel the game falsely promotes itself with tags suggesting erotic content, while it is actually a visual novel and gore horror game. This has led to dissatisfaction among players who expected a different experience.
“The monetization model is incredibly aggressive, making it feel like the game is more focused on extracting money than providing a fun experience.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which ruins the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“The constant push for in-game purchases feels overwhelming and detracts from the gameplay experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is severely criticized, with users labeling it as buggy and broken, rendering it nearly unplayable. Additionally, it features an unusual mechanic of breaking the fourth wall to mock players, further detracting from the experience.
“This game is bad, buggy, and broken, making it nearly unplayable. It even breaks the fourth wall to trash-talk you for playing it in the first place.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is relatively short, but players find it highly replayable, suggesting that its design encourages multiple playthroughs.
“Not a long game by any means, but certainly replayable.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes makes me want to play through it multiple times.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies available.”
“Not a long game by any means but certainly not replayable.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious.”
