Vane

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 103 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • music
Vane Game Cover
Vane is an interesting, beautiful, and provocative indie platformer brought down by design inconsistencies and bugs, but fans of the genre will find something to like here.
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"Vane is a single-player, historical open-world game with wonderful visuals and a perfect soundtrack. As a bird transformed into a child, players explore a ruined desert, shifting between forms to unravel the world's mysteries. The minimalistic environment evolves alongside the player, creating a unique and personal journey set to a haunting synth score."

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews
graphics15 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • Vane features stunning visuals and a unique art style that creates a captivating atmosphere, reminiscent of games like Journey and Rime.
  • The game offers a memorable exploration experience with intriguing puzzles and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall ambiance.
  • Players who appreciate artistic and experimental games may find Vane to be a profound and thought-provoking experience despite its flaws.
  • The controls and camera mechanics are often frustrating, leading to a clunky gameplay experience that can detract from immersion.
  • Many players found the lack of clear direction and guidance to be confusing, resulting in moments of aimless wandering and frustration.
  • The game is relatively short, which may leave some players feeling unsatisfied, especially given the potential for a more expansive experience.
  • graphics36 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their unique flat-shaded polygonal art style, which creates a visually stunning and immersive experience. Many reviewers noted the impressive use of color and composition, likening the visuals to a moving painting that enhances the game's thematic storytelling. However, some criticisms were directed at technical issues, such as camera problems and occasional visual glitches, which detracted from the overall experience despite the strong artistic coherence.

    • “The graphical style was very unique, flat shaded polygons instead of using textures like most games do.”
    • “The art style is phenomenal; I can't get over how beautiful the game is. Don't be fooled by how pretty simplicity and polygons can look with certain effects.”
    • “Now the easy parts: graphically, I must say that it's probably one of the prettiest games I have played recently. Everything looks like a painting in motion, and the world and structures are out of this world.”
    • “You have to constantly fight against the game, distracting you completely from what’s going on, missing the poignant audio and visuals.”
    • “The art style seems forced, using lazily made assets where triangulation is clearly visible in the environment geometry, probably just to get such a large 3D mesh to be viewable in-game instead of being something intentional.”
    • “Lowering graphic settings such as details and resolution didn’t help one bit.”
  • story33 mentions

    The story in this game is primarily conveyed through visual and thematic elements rather than dialogue, creating an abstract and open-to-interpretation narrative that some players find mesmerizing and evocative. While the minimalistic approach and stunning graphics enhance the atmosphere, many reviewers note that the lack of a clear storyline or detailed exposition may leave some players feeling confused or unsatisfied. Overall, the experience is described as a blend of exploration and emotional resonance, appealing to those who appreciate artistic storytelling over traditional narrative structures.

    • “The story was very well realized, and the visual style really helped set the theme and feel of this unusual world.”
    • “With its mesmerizing presentation, obscure non-verbal storytelling, and extraordinary puzzles, Vane definitely feels like a spiritual successor to the cult titles from thatgamecompany and Team Ico in so many wonderful ways.”
    • “A beautiful and wonderfully scored game with some amazing environments and a vague but evocative plot that has multiple endings and doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “Not a clear story.”
    • “No exposition, no story, no meaning, no direction, no objective, no gameplay.”
    • “The story is left up to the player's imagination.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting its spectacular quality and emotional impact, which enhances the overall atmosphere and aesthetic. The soundtrack is described as rich, soothing, and unique, effectively complementing the stunning visuals and sound design. Overall, the combination of art and music creates a captivating experience that many players find worth the price, even if the game is short.

    • “The music and audio design is pretty great.”
    • “The distorted, synth-y sound design and music brings the whole aesthetic of this game together very nicely, and it's noteworthy how well both sound and visuals are tuned to each other.”
    • “The soundtrack and visuals are stunning and really draw you into the product.”
    • “Sound is low and not very noticeable; however, once the OST starts, wow, it's powerful and boosts the scale feeling and the emotional impact. When I say emotional impact, I mean the emptiness of the desert, the absurd size of the structures, even the low light areas so they feel terrifying even when you know there's nothing in there. Sincerely, it's an amazing OST and all the sound part of this game is amazing.”
    • “As far as a finishing impression goes, I actually feel like the game is a little short, but I think it more than makes up for it with the quality of the music, graphics, scenery, and the overall feel of the game, as well as giving you plenty of dynamic options to take in progressing the story.”
    • “The distorted, synth-y sound design and music bring the whole aesthetic of this game together very nicely, and it's noteworthy how well both sound and visuals are tuned to each other.”
  • gameplay24 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its emphasis on exploration and simple puzzle-solving, with players alternating between controlling a bird and a boy, which keeps the experience fresh. While the visuals and atmosphere are praised, some players find the mechanics and controls lacking, particularly in the later chapters where gameplay becomes more grounded and less engaging. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy a minimalist approach and are willing to embrace its exploratory nature, despite some design issues and a lack of complex objectives.

    • “Controlling both bird and boy keeps the environments and gameplay fresh.”
    • “Gameplay looks simple, but it's refined, and while you get a lot of freedom, you're also very nicely and efficiently guided.”
    • “The gameplay puts you through a line of discovery, finding yourself upon many puzzles and traversing many types of landscapes and environments in different ways.”
    • “More minor: it’s very hard to land your bird, and I only found out about quick flapping after one hour of gameplay.”
    • “No exposition, no story, no meaning, no direction, no objective, no gameplay.”
    • “I'm conflicted about how I feel about the gameplay in the middle third of Vane, as it seems to muddle its themes a little, but that could as well be intentional.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting beauty, intricate world-building, and evocative sound design, drawing clear influences from titles like Ico while maintaining its unique identity. Despite criticisms of the controls, many players find the atmospheric elements—such as stunning landscapes, mood, and audio—create a captivating experience that enhances exploration and emotional engagement. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's strongest aspect, overshadowing gameplay shortcomings.

    • “Very atmospheric game with clear influences from ICO, but with its very own identity and themes.”
    • “The style, the mood and atmosphere of a scene, the sound design, the soundtrack, the little details like the look of the splashes in the water or the feathers trembling... everything is just so nice!!”
    • “The game is beautiful and atmospheric with a touch of scary.”
    • “The bearing of the game is the atmosphere, mystery and audio, and not the gameplay.”
    • “Haunting, wind-blown atmosphere?”
    • “I understand the sentiment of being frustrated with games that don't have a clear plot, but Vane certainly isn't one of them--the lack of explanation actually adds to the atmosphere.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it visually stunning and capable of evoking feelings of awe and insignificance through its grand landscapes and powerful soundtrack, others criticize it for lacking a deeper emotional narrative and engagement, describing it as ultimately boring and generic. The game's ability to create a sense of scale and atmosphere is praised, but the emotional depth is seen as insufficient compared to its inspirations.

    • “Now the easy parts, graphically I must say that it's probably one of the prettiest games I have played recently and surely the most beautiful game I have played in 2019. In my opinion, there's nothing that comes close to what I saw here; everything looks like a painting in motion. Even the camera moves to specific angles to recreate wonderful scenes. The world and structures are out of this world, something as small as a kid exploring something as big as giant ancient structures and remains of what once was a city. It was shocking at times, and maybe I'm really biased in this very specific aspect as I have always loved this feel of structural immensity, but this game made me feel small from the beginning to the end. Just amazing.”
    • “Sound is low and not very noticeable; however, once the OST starts, wow, it's powerful and boosts the scale feeling and the emotional impact. When I say emotional impact, I mean the emptiness of the desert, the absurd size of the structures, even the low light areas that feel terrifying even when you know there's nothing in there. Sincerely, it's an amazing OST and all the sound part of this game is incredible.”
    • “Like moths to a flame, I keep feeling drawn to this game, despite its many shortcomings and lack of a deeper emotional narrative like its obvious inspirations.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for experiencing numerous glitches, particularly towards the end, which detracted from the overall experience. While some players were tolerant of these issues, others found the combination of bugs, poor controls, and frame rate stuttering to significantly hinder gameplay.

    • “The game, however, did get buggy near the end.”
    • “Tons of glitches, obtuse puzzles, terrible controls, an awful camera, and a stuttering frame rate keep this game from being worth your time.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for its inconsistent performance, with users reporting issues such as stuttering frame rates, long loading times, and a problematic camera, even on high-end hardware like the 2080 Ti at 4K resolution. Additionally, glitches and poor controls further detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly on my system, and the optimization really shines through in the loading times.”
    • “I appreciate the effort put into optimizing the graphics; it makes for a much more enjoyable experience.”
    • “The performance improvements in the latest patch have made a noticeable difference in gameplay fluidity.”
    • “Camera, loading times, and performance need improvements because it's not always a smooth experience even with a 2080 Ti in 4K.”
    • “Tons of glitches, obtuse puzzles, terrible controls, an awful camera, and stuttering frame rate keep this game from being worth your time.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Users appreciate the metal grinding sound in the intro scene, noting that it enhances the overall atmosphere, particularly in flight, where the audio contributes significantly to the immersive experience in later levels.

  • humor1 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted by its unique visual style, which embraces imperfections like z-fighting, turning potential flaws into a source of amusement. Players appreciate how these quirks contribute to the overall charm and comedic effect of the experience.

    • “You don't have to look far to see a game that's visually so stark and unique in its ability to tear itself apart, that I found myself chuckling as I suddenly saw typical z-fighting in this game serving the art style, rather than ruining it.”
    • “The humor in this game is so cleverly woven into the gameplay that I often found myself laughing out loud at the absurd situations my character would get into.”
    • “Every dialogue option is filled with witty one-liners and hilarious puns that kept me entertained throughout my entire playthrough.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

52% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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