Vangers

About

Vangers is a single player racing game. It was developed by K-D Lab and was released on April 24, 2014. It received very positive reviews from players.

************************************************ Vangers. Mysterious creatures from the future of mankind: Mercenary murderers, victims of the cruel experiments, masters of the roads, scum of the Creature Soup? Name your native bios, and we'll tell you, for how long you'll live Eleepods?.. Beeboorats?.. Zeexen?.. The Lost Chain of Worlds cursed forever, the Larvae have alrea…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 119 reviews

story8 positive mentions

Unique and captivating art style with a bizarre yet intriguing lore.
Offers a mix of genres including action, racing, and RPG, providing diverse gameplay experiences.
Deep and complex storyline with unexpected twists that rewards exploration and problem-solving.

Unintuitive controls and interface that can frustrate new players, requiring significant time to learn.
Graphics are dated and may not appeal to modern gamers, with a resolution locked at 800x600.
Gameplay can be harsh and unforgiving, with quests that may seem impossible to complete at certain stages.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The game's story is characterized by a complex, non-linear narrative filled with unexpected twists and deep lore, reminiscent of classic RPGs and surreal experiences. Players appreciate the intricate world-building and the rewarding nature of piecing together the plot through cryptic dialogue and interactions, although some find the storytelling style challenging and the progression occasionally frustrating. Overall, the story is seen as a captivating journey that requires effort to fully appreciate, making it a unique and memorable aspect of the game.
- “The story still amazes me; the characters are well designed and the different worlds are beautiful.”
- “This is both its strong point and its weak point since the vast majority of the story comes in cryptic dialogue, but once you decipher what is going on, you're in for the ride of a lifetime.”
- “The plot gets really thick after a while - particularly after you win the favor of some of the locals and are granted access to one or more cursed worlds, where the artifacts are.”
- “The story evolves slowly, and you'll have to finish the game in order to get a full explanation.”
- “Only substantial negative that I can bring up is the unfinished story, as there was no progression after Perimeter 2, which wasn't good for gameplay, but the story was told.”
- “I remember reading the booklet over and over and still not grasping what the point of the game was; it has to be one of the weirdest games I've played in terms of storyline and strange language.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
66%
13%
The gameplay of Vangers is a unique blend of racing, action, and RPG elements set in a chaotic, open-world environment that rewards exploration and mastery of its complex mechanics. While the game offers a nostalgic experience with its bizarre lore and retro design, players may find the initial learning curve steep due to unintuitive controls and a lack of in-game tutorials, necessitating reliance on the manual. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the captivating universe and the thrill of uncovering its intricacies, making it a memorable experience for those willing to invest the time.
- “The gameplay is strange, the soundtrack is wild, the story is incredibly complex, but for some reason, Vangers is completely captivating.”
- “Gameplay-wise, this is an RPG/racing/open-world/sandbox game the likes of which have not been replicated since this game's conception in 1998.”
- “This game has never been surpassed by any other in terms of how the world is thought through, plot, atmosphere, and gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, a lot of design choices will result in a harsh and unforgiving experience in the first 10 hours of gameplay.”
- “Some of the problems include camera rotation (even if turned off) inducing instant motion sickness, unintuitive UI buttons, very hard to click UI buttons, no safe harbors in the open world (constant fear of attack while configuring your compass), impossible to complete quests early on, frustrating AI, and frustrating vehicle mechanics, all leading to repetitive behavior and excessive game load/saving.”
- “The gameplay sucks and the whole premise makes absolutely zero sense.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
63%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique voxel art style that many players find charming and timeless, despite its age. While some reviews note that the visuals may not meet modern standards, they appreciate the game's distinct aesthetic and the way it captures a nostalgic feel. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point for those who value artistic design over photorealism, though opinions vary on their quality.
- “It has a cool art style with voxels and cool character design.”
- “Unique voxel graphics which make the game truly timeless - and still pictures can't capture its charm, it really has to be appreciated live from inside the game.”
- “Graphics look awesome, despite the game's old age, thanks to the voxel engine which makes everything look even more alien.”
- “Fourth is that this is a game from 1998, the graphics look like a game from 1998.”
- “If you're looking for HD graphics, you're definitely wrong.”
- “Over the years I managed to get it to work on various flavors of the Windows OS, although in some versions of Windows the graphics did not work.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The music in the game has received high praise for its uniqueness and quality, with many users describing the soundtrack as "amazing" and "awesome." While some players find the music captivating and integral to the experience, others prefer to turn it off, indicating a divide in personal taste. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's strange and immersive atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack also rocks.”
- “Art, music, and theme are strange and excellent.”
- “I also dislike the music and just turn it off right at the start, but your mileage may vary.”
- “The gameplay is strange, the soundtrack is wild, the story is incredibly complex, but for some reason Vangers is completely captivating.”
- “Simply the best game ever made... for those who like freedom, post-apocalypse, unique experiences, crazy music, and feel non-standard overall.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a deeply emotional experience, likening it to a wholesome simulation that immerses them in the life of another being. The intensity of the experience evokes strong physical and emotional reactions, highlighting its profound impact on players.
- “This is not a video game of just some genre - this is a wholesome simulation of existing in another lifeform.”
- “Just typing that last part out made me feel like my brain was getting sucked down into my spinal cord.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its bizarre post-apocalyptic setting, featuring quirky elements like jumping cars and creepy yet funny bug characters. Players appreciate the amusing combat style and the engaging story, which adds to the overall comedic experience.
- “As a kid, I never understood what I could do or what the absolute heck was going on, but the design and bizarre post-apocalyptic scene were crazy to look at. The jumping cars, combat, exploration, and the bug characters were kind of creepy but hilarious.”
- “Vangers has a nice story, a funny combat style, and a lot of different roads to take.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The native Linux version performs well on Arch, though there is no comparison made with Proton's performance.
- “The native Linux version runs great on Arch; I haven't tested if Proton has better performance.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the settings, making it easy to achieve the best performance for my system.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the promising graphics, the optimization is lacking, causing long loading times and crashes on lower-end systems.”
- “I was disappointed to find that even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The native Linux version performs well on Arch, though there is no comparison made with Proton's performance.
- “The native Linux version runs great on Arch; I haven't tested if Proton has better performance.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major bugs, providing a stable experience.”
- “I've played for hours without any issues, which really shows the game's stability.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game features a visually appealing art style with voxel graphics and unique character designs, the reviews do not provide substantial insights into the depth or progression of character development.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers strong replayability, as players can experience it multiple times with different approaches, enhancing the overall enjoyment and variety.
- “The game has great replay value; I've beaten it once on Steam and three times on the original game disk, each time doing things differently.”
- “Every playthrough feels fresh and engaging, thanks to the multiple choices and paths available.”
- “The variety of character builds and strategies keeps me coming back for more, as there's always something new to explore.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its intricate world-building and seamless integration with the plot and gameplay, setting a standard that remains unmatched by other titles.
- “This game has never been surpassed by any other in terms of how the world is thought through, plot, atmosphere, and gameplay.”