Vane

  • January 15, 2019
51%
Game Brain Score Based on 26 reviews
  • music
  • stability
  • graphics
Vane Game Cover
Like so much fine art, this piece loses its luster when you start to dissect and interpret it. So don't. Because it's fucking dope.

"Vane" is a single-player game with a minimum save size of 4GB. The game features a desert world transformed by a golden dust, turning a bird into a child. Players explore this shifting landscape, switching between bird and child perspectives, as their actions reshape the world to a dark, synth-filled soundtrack. The journey is minimalistic, emotional, and encourages self-guided exploration.

  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

51%
Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews
music5 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • Vane features a striking art style and a compelling synth soundtrack that enhance the immersive experience.
  • The ability to shift between a bird and a child offers unique gameplay moments and a sense of exploration.
  • The game presents intriguing environments and abstract storytelling that encourages personal interpretation.
  • Vane suffers from numerous technical issues, including severe glitches, clunky controls, and a frustrating camera system.
  • The gameplay can feel tedious and aimless due to unclear objectives and a lack of direction.
  • Despite its initial promise, the game quickly devolves into a linear experience that fails to capitalize on its best ideas.
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is frequently praised for its captivating synthwave soundtrack, which complements the visually stunning environments and enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of engaging audio and artistic design, although some reviews note that technical issues can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fitting and immersive, contributing to the game's abstract storytelling and exploration mechanics.

    • “Gorgeous art design and soundtrack. Being a bird is cool.”
    • “A strong sense of visual style and a fitting soundtrack, your ability to change the environment leads to some satisfying moments.”
    • “Vane lets players shift from the form of a bird to a child as they explore a strange, hallucinatory world set to a fantastic synth soundtrack.”
    • “Not even decent visuals and moody synth music can compensate for the game's technical hiccups.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by numerous severe glitches, bugs, and performance issues, including clunky controls and a problematic camera system. Players report frequent crashes and a lack of direction, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some issues have been addressed in patches, the overall stability remains a significant concern.

    • “Loads of glitches and bugs, tedious, annoying gameplay mechanics, clunky controls, bland puzzles, no save system, nothing truly interesting to discover, lack of direction; unclear goals.”
    • “Though it boasts a resoundingly striking aesthetic, a haphazard save system coupled with a raft of glitches and a misjudged waypoint system all manage to tarnish what should have been one of the first major indie darlings of the year.”
    • “Tons of glitches, obtuse puzzles, terrible controls, an awful camera, and stuttering frame rate keep this game from being worth your time.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The game's graphics are praised for their striking aesthetic and beautiful environments that enhance exploration and immersion, allowing players to appreciate the world through visuals rather than dialogue. However, technical issues such as glitches and a flawed save system detract from the overall experience, overshadowing the impressive art style and unique gameplay.

    • “Whether exploring the world as a child or a bird, the visuals masterfully blend together in a beautiful environment worthy of exploration.”
    • “In relying on visuals instead of dialogue, players can form a deeper appreciation for the world around them - one open to interpretation.”
    • “[incredible art style, playing as a bird feels great, an all-around unique, inventive game that defies expectations].”
    • “Not even decent visuals and moody synth music can compensate for the technical hiccups.”
    • “Though it boasts a resoundingly striking aesthetic, a haphazard save system coupled with a raft of glitches and a misjudged waypoint system all manage to tarnish what should have been one of the first major indie darlings of the year.”
  • gameplay5 mentions

    The gameplay of Vane is characterized by typical indie platformer elements but suffers from significant issues such as clunky controls, unclear objectives, and a lack of direction. Players report numerous bugs and glitches, tedious mechanics, and bland puzzles, which contribute to a frustrating experience. While there are some interesting mechanics and a synthwave soundtrack, they are underutilized and overshadowed by the game's technical shortcomings.

    • “Some interesting mechanics, synthwave soundtrack.”
    • “Its best mechanics get used sparingly, your objectives are often unclear, child character has clunky controls.”
    • “Typical indie platformer gameplay. The bird and child sections don't come together as well as they could. Some bugs.”
    • “Loads of glitches and bugs, tedious and annoying gameplay mechanics, clunky controls, bland puzzles, no save system, nothing truly interesting to discover, lack of direction; unclear goals.”
  • story3 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by an intriguing and abstract narrative that encourages personal interpretation, set against a backdrop of gorgeous art design and a captivating soundtrack. While some players appreciate the compelling environments and engaging themes, others criticize the lack of clear direction and introductory context, leading to aimless exploration and technical issues. Overall, the storytelling is seen as both thought-provoking and immersive, though it may not resonate with everyone.

    • “The abstract storytelling leaves a lot to personal interpretation, designed for a player's instincts and sense of direction, creating an intriguing world full of thoughtful imagery.”
    • “The story is interesting and doesn't overstay its welcome, complemented by gorgeous art design and a captivating soundtrack.”
    • “The game features a compelling narrative that immerses players in its unique environments.”
    • “No introduction to any story, buggy mechanics cause you to fall through the land, and the lack of direction results in hours of aimless wandering.”
    • “The storytelling is abstract and leaves a lot to personal interpretation, which can be frustrating for players seeking a clear narrative.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is marred by numerous glitches, poor controls, and a problematic camera, leading to a stuttering frame rate that detracts from the overall experience. While some performance issues have been addressed in a day one patch, players still report finicky controls and persistent glitches.

    • “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I appreciate how the developers have focused on performance improvements, making the experience much more enjoyable.”
    • “The game runs seamlessly after the latest updates, showcasing the team's commitment to optimization.”
    • “Tons of glitches, obtuse puzzles, terrible controls, an awful camera, and stuttering frame rate keep this game from being worth your time.”
    • “Camera and control precision in crow form can be finicky, along with some performance issues and glitches (many addressed in the day one patch).”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional impact of the game is largely diminished due to severe glitches, vague storytelling, and technical issues, which prevent players from forming a strong connection to the narrative or characters. Additionally, the underutilization of key gameplay mechanics, such as transforming into a bird, further detracts from the overall emotional experience.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, citing numerous glitches and bugs, clunky controls, and bland puzzles that contribute to an overall lack of direction and unclear goals. The absence of a save system further exacerbates the annoyance, making the experience feel monotonous and unengaging.

    • “The grinding is filled with loads of glitches and bugs, making the tedious gameplay mechanics even more frustrating.”
    • “The clunky controls and bland puzzles turn grinding into an annoying chore rather than an engaging experience.”
    • “There's a lack of direction and unclear goals, which makes the grinding feel pointless and uninteresting.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its visually striking visuals from a distance and a brooding electronic score that contributes to a wonderfully immersive experience.

    • “It can still look visually striking when viewed from a distance, while its audio design, with a brooding electronic score, can also be wonderfully atmospheric.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

51% average critic score

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