Vessel

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 270 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Vessel Game Cover
A novel use of fluids, but sometimes scuppered by cumbersome platforming and the annoyingly happenstance physics.
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"Vessel" is a game with an intriguing story centered around Arkwright, who has the power to bring ordinary matter to life. The game features splendid mechanics with a variety of liquids, each with unique properties, simulated for stunning effects. Combined with an excellent soundtrack and stunning atmosphere, the game presents puzzles that require creative use of the simulated fluid and 'Fluro' creatures.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 270 reviews
gameplay30 positive mentions
stability9 negative mentions
  • Vessel features clever and engaging puzzles that utilize unique fluid mechanics, providing a satisfying challenge.
  • The game boasts a beautiful art style and an excellent soundtrack by Jon Hopkins, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
  • The fluid-based gameplay allows for creative problem-solving, with multiple ways to approach puzzles and tasks.
  • The controls can be finicky and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments during platforming sections.
  • Some puzzles may become overly complex or require trial-and-error, which can detract from the enjoyment.
  • The story and lore are underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more context and depth to the game's world.
  • gameplay58 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its unique and innovative mechanics, particularly the use of fluid dynamics, which adds depth and creativity to the puzzles. While some players find the controls occasionally clunky and certain mechanics feel tacked on, the overall experience is engaging and visually appealing, with clever puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty. The combination of beautiful art, a captivating soundtrack, and emergent gameplay elements contributes to a memorable puzzle-platforming experience.

    • “The gameplay, although it may seem complex at first glance, becomes intuitively understandable fairly quickly.”
    • “It's a unique puzzle game with interesting mechanics and enough difficulty to keep the user truly engaged.”
    • “What Vessel does well is exceptional: tricky puzzles centered around its fluid-based mechanics, great music, and perfect ambience.”
    • “Some of the mechanics seem randomly tacked on (e.g., the gun upgrades), but at its core, this is a very unique and beautiful puzzle game.”
    • “Unfortunately, once you reach the final puzzles, the game's mechanics and AI stop following their own rules, and your well-thought-out solutions fall flat while dumb luck sees you through.”
    • “The controller mechanics are a tad bit buggy.”
  • music44 mentions

    The music in the game, composed by Jon Hopkins, is widely praised for its exceptional quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, ranging from ambient downtempo to industrial techno. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's emotional depth and its seamless integration with gameplay, contributing to a captivating experience. While some find the music occasionally repetitive, the majority agree that it significantly elevates the game's charm and immersion.

    • “Incredible music and sound design, interesting puzzles and a unique art style.”
    • “The music is really well done and fits the game nicely, ranging from artsy downtempo thematic music to more industrial techno type stuff, always matching the setting and action, or lack thereof.”
    • “Beautiful art style and music which timed flawlessly with the progression, building as you understand more of each puzzle.”
    • “None of the music the game includes is really very fitting and it all adds to the already ham-fisted attempt at a steam-punk theme.”
    • “Boring platformer with monotonous music, I expected much more...”
    • “+ music is ok, nothing to write home about”
  • graphics36 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, often described as a beautiful blend of 2D and 3D elements with painterly landscapes and a charming aesthetic. While some users noted occasional graphical glitches and dated visuals in certain areas, the overall presentation, including fluid animations and atmospheric lighting, received high marks, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience. The combination of stunning visuals and a fitting soundtrack enhances the game's appeal, making it a standout in its genre.

    • “Beautiful lighting, painterly landscapes, a steampunk aesthetic that even I, not a huge steampunk fanatic, can drool over.”
    • “The graphics are really pretty, with an almost watercolor feel in places, and the backgrounds steal the show from the nearer sections to the screen and main characters.”
    • “Smart puzzles, stunning visuals, and fluid dynamics.”
    • “The graphics are very dated but serviceable.”
    • “On the downside, Vessel's graphics engine seems to have some optimization issues.”
    • “- one graphical glitch popped up for me later in the game related to eyes on the creatures.”
  • story32 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players praising its originality and intriguing atmosphere, while others find it lacking depth or clarity. Many appreciate the integration of the narrative with gameplay, particularly in how it unfolds through exploration and puzzles, though some criticize it for being too subtle or underdeveloped. Overall, the story enhances the experience for some, while for others, it feels secondary to the puzzle mechanics.

    • “Awesome game with an awesome story, just a bit short; could use a DLC.”
    • “The story is enthralling, the music is soft, yet moving, the atmosphere is beautiful, and the gameplay is rather clever.”
    • “Interesting storyline in an even more interesting world, where you are free to roam wherever you'd like.”
    • “The story started out slow.”
    • “It's that they barely explain any of the story!”
    • “In Vessel, they just literally never tell you half the story.”
  • atmosphere15 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its depth and captivating qualities, enhanced by a brilliant soundtrack and visually appealing artwork, particularly in its steampunk setting. While some initial levels may lack detail, the overall ambiance is described as beautiful and intriguing, contributing significantly to the gameplay experience. Despite minor control issues and challenging puzzles, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that resonates with players.

    • “His melodies add depth and darkness to the game's atmosphere, making the gameplay even more captivating.”
    • “The soundtrack and atmosphere is brilliant.”
    • “The story is enthralling, the music is soft, yet moving, the atmosphere is beautiful, and the gameplay is rather clever.”
    • “Visually, the game actually improves as you play further, but even this improvement is marginal at best. The opening couple of levels are absolutely dire, as you are faced with some very blocky environments that lack any atmosphere and have you platforming through some very generic areas.”
    • “The puzzles are challenging and the story is intriguing, but most of all, the fluros feel alive and give a mysterious atmosphere to it all.”
    • “The steampunk style atmosphere was done very well.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while the physics and AI generally function well, players report occasional glitches that can affect puzzle-solving and gameplay experience. Some puzzles are described as vague and buggy, leading to frustration, but these issues do not overshadow the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “I'm fairly sure that I solved a few puzzles due to glitches with the fluid-buddy AI and not something that the developers intended.”
    • “The creativity dips, the puzzles become mundane and then it improves again before ending the game with some horrendously vague and buggy puzzles.”
    • “The game is quite fun, however the controller mechanics are a tad bit buggy.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game has fairly limited replayability, especially after completing achievements, and while it offers some challenges to extend playtime, it doesn't support significant replay value. Players generally find the experience enjoyable but do not expect extensive replay opportunities.

    • “Not because the game has some sort of 'infinite replayability' but simply because the game was genuinely fun...”
    • “Fairly limited replayability, particularly once achievements are done.”
    • “Short to medium-length playtime, which is a con because it isn't longer and has limited replayability.”
    • “Not much of a replay value, but I didn't expect much anyway.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its entertaining and whimsical fluid creatures, amusing contraptions, and clever mechanics, all set against a backdrop of humorous yet foreboding art. Players appreciate the blend of comedy and challenge, although some note that the pacing can be slow. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with engaging gameplay elements.

    • “Everything before those last minutes is highly entertaining, full of funny fluid creatures that you create and/or guide through funny contraptions with your funny tools.”
    • “Revolutionary and funny mechanics!”
    • “The art is both humorous and foreboding, but the action is slow.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be empowering and rewarding, as solving puzzles fosters a sense of achievement without feeling unfair. The game's steampunk world, combined with heartwarming character development, enhances the overall emotional experience, making it a title worth revisiting.

    • “An interesting steam-punk-esque world filled with a heart-warming bit of character development makes this a game I'd like to play several times over.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of "Vessel" to be a significant drawback, particularly in the final levels, which involve frustrating trial-and-error mechanics and tedious repetition of puzzles. This detracts from the overall experience, especially when compared to other games in the genre that offer a more streamlined gameplay experience. Additionally, the lack of control adjustments adds to the frustration for those using different keyboard layouts.

    • “The levels so far have been a bunch of door switch puzzles that require more tedious repetition than brain power.”
    • “The finale of Vessel is, contrary to anything prior, a painful exercise in trial-and-error with a long, tedious, complex wind-up that is fully reset every time the thing randomly fails.”
    • “No control adjustments (key mapping, etc.) - I use a different keyboard layout and it was tedious to have to keep switching before playing the game.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Users have noted that while the ladder climbing mechanics could use better optimization, there are also concerns regarding the overall graphics engine, which appears to have optimization issues.

    • “Oh, the only thing I wish were optimized was the ladder climbing.”
    • “On the downside, the vessel's graphics engine seems to have some optimization issues.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The game features a captivating steampunk-inspired world that is enhanced by meaningful character development, making it a title that players are eager to revisit multiple times.

    • “An interesting steampunk-esque world filled with a heartwarming bit of character development makes this a game I'd like to play several times over.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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Play time

13hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
8-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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