Vaporum: Lockdown

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 156 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Vaporum: Lockdown Game Cover
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In "Vaporum: Lockdown," a prequel to the acclaimed steampunk dungeon crawler, play as scientist Ellie Teller fighting to survive and escape a treacherous tower after a catastrophic event. With real-time combat, a distinctive Stop Time Mode, and gadget-based RPG system, immerse in this rich world filled with puzzles, exploration, and customization. The game features a voiced narrative and steampunk setting, offering a robust and captivating experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 156 reviews
story15 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Great RPG with a unique steampunk atmosphere and engaging puzzles that challenge players' problem-solving skills.
  • Improved combat mechanics and level design compared to the original game, making for a more enjoyable experience.
  • Visually stunning with excellent sound design, creating an immersive environment that enhances gameplay.
  • The game is heavily puzzle-focused, which may frustrate players who prefer more combat-oriented gameplay.
  • Frequent instant-death traps can lead to a frustrating experience, requiring constant quicksaving to avoid losing progress.
  • Some puzzles are overly convoluted or obscure, making it difficult for players to progress without resorting to guides.
  • story47 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered weaker than its predecessor, with some reviewers noting it lacks progression and feels more like a setting than a narrative journey. However, it still offers an interesting prequel that expands on the world and introduces new characters, with a rich atmosphere and engaging lore. While some players found the storytelling compelling and immersive, others felt it didn't warrant completion due to its predictability and pacing issues.

    • “The story fleshes out the world a bit more now too and introduces a new heroine to the world who may also not see the brave new world she helped create.”
    • “It's actually a pretty good story with good voice acting and the ending does a nice job tying in the first game and hints at the future for the series.”
    • “A masterpiece of a dungeon crawler with stunning visuals, beautiful design, interesting gameplay with plenty of exploration and secrets, very clever puzzles and great story.”
    • “So, I recommend the game for 'more-of-the-same' puzzling as the first game, but here comes my major asterisk: the story is all setting, and no progression.”
    • “Overall, I find the plot weaker than the first game’s, but Lockdown does expand on the internal politics of the project.”
    • “Unlike the original, though, the story and atmosphere aren't engaging enough to warrant finishing.”
  • gameplay37 mentions

    The gameplay of Vaporum: Lockdown has received mixed feedback, with some praising the improved mechanics, fluid combat, and clever puzzles, while others criticize the presence of frustrating instant-kill hazards and overly challenging puzzles. The game offers a blend of old-school grid-based gameplay with new mechanics like energy weapons and a time stop feature, making it accessible for newcomers while still appealing to fans of the genre. Overall, it maintains a familiar feel to its predecessor, with enhancements that contribute to a rewarding experience.

    • “Vaporum: Lockdown's gameplay is fun, challenging, and rewarding.”
    • “Its combat mechanics are fluid and strategic without being bogged down by needlessly complex mechanics, and the stop time mode offers the perfect crutch for people who’d rather take things slow.”
    • “A masterpiece of a dungeon crawler with stunning visuals, beautiful design, interesting gameplay with plenty of exploration and secrets, very clever puzzles, and a great story.”
    • “Too many really annoying puzzles, and gameplay moments that were a chore, such as indestructible enemies, or real-time challenges relying on timing.”
    • “There's no valid reason for a lot of the instant-kill mechanics (when simply preventing the player from walking into them would be fine). However, the game seems to relish in simply placing instant-kill pits or hazards throughout all of its puzzles so that unless you are constantly abusing quicksaving after every step, if you accidentally make the wrong step - you'll likely lose out on several minutes of progress.”
    • “It's really just a whole new map rather than adding new gameplay mechanics.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and excellent level design that enhance the overall experience. While some noted that the visuals may not be as rich as desired, the steampunk vibe and attention to detail contribute to a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, elevating the game's immersive qualities.

    • “A masterpiece of a dungeon crawler with stunning visuals, beautiful design, interesting gameplay with plenty of exploration and secrets, very clever puzzles, and a great story.”
    • “It’s gorgeous aesthetically, with every room and corridor oozing an authentically steampunk-ish vibe.”
    • “Great graphics and nice atmosphere!”
    • “From then on, the boss fight was rather generic, but with decent visuals.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich, immersive qualities, enhanced by effective sound design that captures the steampunk essence, despite some narrative inconsistencies. Players appreciate the tension and depth of the environment, with many considering it one of the best in the modern crawler genre. However, some feel that the story does not fully engage, which may detract from the overall experience.

    • “If you stay still and take in the atmosphere, you can hear the tower's breathing of hissing steam.”
    • “The atmosphere is stunning, also the plot and the whole 'big picture' game design is awesome.”
    • “This game has maybe the best atmosphere in my opinion in the modern crawler genre.”
    • “Unlike the original, though, the story and atmosphere aren't engaging enough to warrant finishing.”
    • “The atmosphere is solid and tense.”
    • “The game is long enough, has enough storytelling scrolls to read and some recordings to get you into the atmosphere, but you have to take your time and pay attention to it.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with a good soundtrack that enhances the experience, though some players note that it cannot be muted and features repetitive loops in certain levels. However, the overall composition is considered sparse and somewhat generic, leaving players wanting more depth and variety. Sound effects help to create an immersive atmosphere, compensating for the soundtrack's shortcomings.

    • “Beautiful game with nice music, graphics, sounds, and story.”
    • “The soundtrack is really good, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “Music is sparse, though some generic melodies will accompany key story beats.”
    • “Music is sparse, though some generic melodies will accompany some key story beats.”
    • “The soundtrack leaves more to be desired.”
    • “Even if the music remains forgettable and the visuals aren’t as rich and stylish as you’d wish they would be, given the setting.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to frustrating puzzles that require excessive backtracking and timing. While some enjoy the challenge, many resort to walkthroughs, indicating that the design choices can detract from the overall experience. Comparisons to other dungeon crawlers suggest that while it may not be the worst offender, it still suffers from significant pacing issues.

    • “The grinding in this game strikes a perfect balance; it's engaging without feeling overly tedious.”
    • “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are designed to keep you invested without becoming a chore.”
    • “The grind is rewarding and feels meaningful, making each level-up a satisfying achievement.”
    • “The game is fairly tedious from level 1, and the further you play it, the worse it gets. I looked at a video walkthrough of the part that finally stumped me, and I have no desire to even try to recreate the timing/freezing button mashing.”
    • “Some puzzles are so tedious that I needed to look them up in YouTube videos.”
    • “Essentially, Vaporum just makes a lot of design decisions to frustrate the player, such as letting players walk into death pits in the middle of a long puzzle chain involving lots of tedious back and forth.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with only minor performance issues such as stuttering during area loads and occasional slowdowns with certain gadgets. While combat may become repetitive without a gadget-focused approach, the major pathways perform well without significant disruptions to gameplay.

    • “Since there's only one party member, my personal opinion is that the combat might get a little tiresome if you don't go a gadgets (mage) based route, but in terms of pure performance, all the major pathways seem like they can be successful.”
    • “I ran across a few very minor performance issues, but nothing that has affected my playthrough so far.”
    • “There are still some Unity antics like stuttering after it loads new areas and minor slowdowns when using some gadgets with fancy effects.”
    • “Ran across a few very minor performance issues, but nothing that has affected my playthrough so far.”
    • “Since there's only one party member, my personal opinion is that the combat might get a little tiresome if you don't go a gadgets (mage) based route, but in terms of pure performance all the major pathways seem like they can be successful.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers decent replayability, with various playstyles that cater to both newcomers and veterans of the genre, ensuring an engaging experience upon multiple playthroughs. However, some users note that the overall replay value is somewhat limited.

    • “The replayability, with the various playstyles you can pick, seems great, and Vaporum: Lockdown will definitely entertain both complete newcomers to the genre and its veterans alike.”
    • “The replayability is severely lacking, as once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return.”
    • “Despite the different playstyles, the game feels repetitive after the first playthrough, diminishing its replay value.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Reviews on stability are mixed; while some users report issues with broken save games and various bugs, others praise the game as being completely bug-free and nearly perfect in its technical execution.

    • “The game is totally bug-free, so it's not far from perfection in terms of technical aspects.”
    • “I haven't encountered any crashes or glitches, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I can play for hours without any interruptions.”
    • “Save games are broken; the game is incredibly buggy.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced constant frame drops and stability issues during gameplay.”
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