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Vidar

Vidar Game Cover
72%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, stability
88% User Score Based on 32 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 1 reviews

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Vidar Game Cover

About

Vidar is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Razbury Games and was released on February 4, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Vidar" is a single-player Role Playing game, where players must navigate through challenging environmental puzzles in a community on the brink of death. With a unique randomized story mechanic, the order of villager deaths and resulting quests changes with each playthrough. To prevent the killings, players must enter puzzle dungeons, using tools and environment to navigate and ultimately, uncover the truth behind Vidar's curse.

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Vidar screenshot
Vidar screenshot
Vidar screenshot
Vidar screenshot
Vidar screenshot
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88%
Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews
story13 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Vidar offers a unique and engaging narrative where the story changes with each playthrough, providing high replay value as different characters die each night.
  • The game features well-crafted puzzles that are both challenging and rewarding, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
  • The art style and music create an immersive atmosphere that complements the game's dark themes and emotional depth.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
  • The save system is unreliable, often forcing players to redo significant portions of the game after encountering issues.
  • Timed puzzles can be overly punishing, leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment, especially for players who may not be as skilled at solving them.
  • story
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Vidar" is praised for its unique and immersive narrative, driven by the random deaths of villagers that create a dynamic and replayable experience. Players engage in quests that change based on character survival, adding tension and depth to the gameplay, though some have noted inconsistencies and a lack of guidance in quest completion. Overall, the combination of storytelling, character interactions, and atmospheric elements contributes to a compelling and engaging experience.

    • “The overall story takes place in the town of Vidar, with a violent snowstorm engulfing it.”
    • “Each night someone new dies and it's your job to complete quests for the villagers before they snuff it.”
    • “Vidar treats its characters like people and has them reacting to the things that occur around them in a story that is far more about individuals and their tales than of the arcing plot of the beast that provides the driving motivation.”
    • “The bad: in the most recent version I played, there's a lot of no guidance in questing or consistency in how you can access/complete quests - for example, I've been given a quest to locate 'x' but the quest-giver died before I was able to unlock the area of the game to complete the quest.”
    • “Villagers issuing quests are often ambiguous in their descriptions.”
    • “You will lose an occasional day in the cave because you were not clear on a mission's prerequisites.”
  • music
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to set the mood, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Reviewers highlight its nostalgic quality, likening it to classic games, while also noting its effectiveness in conveying themes of grief and tension. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a well-crafted element that complements the game's art and narrative, contributing to a cohesive and engaging atmosphere.

    • “There’s a nostalgic consistency throughout the game, from the gorgeous pixel sprites to the haunting music, to the wonderful environments that make the world feel like something you explored in a game you played growing up, yet at the same time entirely fresh and new.”
    • “Combined with fantastic musical and art direction, Vidar may be the game where everyone dies, but it sure makes you feel alive.”
    • “The music and storyline I really enjoy; they fill out the game nicely and provide quite a dynamic lore through the character interactions.”
    • “Fortunately, the novel premise, the music, the setting, the characters, and the retro Chrono Trigger-esque graphics almost make up for this colossal annoyance.”
    • “The music is very calming to counter the [spoiler] satanic devilspawn the world knows as snow [/spoiler] and the sense of dread the town has.”
    • “Here, there is almost no division between the art, the music, the narration, and the story - it already is a perfectly balanced mix of each of these elements, and the game feels deeply immersive thanks to that.”
  • gameplay
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Vidar is characterized by its unique mechanics, including a time-sensitive world where player actions have significant consequences, leading to a blend of pressure and replayability. While the random death mechanic adds an intriguing layer of unpredictability, it can also frustrate completionists. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging puzzles, well-crafted artwork, and immersive soundtrack, though some players note the absence of shortcut keys as a drawback.

    • “The story, the mechanics, the pressure, the soundtrack, I enjoyed it all.”
    • “While some might balk at the randomness of the deaths, it’s that very mechanic that makes Vidar such a special experience and imbues it with intrinsic replayability.”
    • “Thanks to the new take on the game's mechanics, this game is designed where you cannot know what is about to happen next (even if you've played through before) since puzzles change on each playthrough and character deaths are completely random, which fits perfectly well within the game's plot.”
    • “The lack of shortcut keys for these functions is a significant oversight that detracts from the overall gameplay experience.”
    • “This ties into that 'good' section above about the pressure that the random death mechanic adds - but when it works against you, especially if you're a completionist or a collector-type, it gets frustrating.”
    • “There is no combat, but death is a core mechanic.”
  • graphics
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style and nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic JRPGs. Reviewers highlight the quality of the artwork and the graphical variety within the environments, contributing to an overall positive impression despite some repetitive elements. The combination of visuals, music, and gameplay creates a well-crafted experience that appeals to fans of the genre.

    • “One quick final note on the art style of this game, which is beautiful.”
    • “Aesthetically, Vidar is superb.”
    • “The artwork is pretty good for my money...a lot of games in this style don't really have quality artwork, but Vidar has done an excellent job in that regard.”
    • “Fortunately, the novel premise, the music, the setting, the characters, and the retro Chrono Trigger-esque graphics almost make up for this colossal annoyance.”
    • “It may be wrapped in the graphics of a JRPG from 1994, but Vidar isn't a game from your childhood.”
    • “The graphics are nostalgia personified.”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability due to its dynamic quest system, where character deaths and their order are randomized, leading to unique storylines and challenges in each playthrough. Players appreciate the tension and unpredictability this randomness brings, making every session feel fresh and engaging. Overall, the combination of varied quests and a changing narrative structure provides a level of replay value that is uncommon in RPGs.

    • “Each playthrough is different because some quests only become available when certain characters are alive or dead (and the order of deaths is random), so there is theoretically a lot of replay value.”
    • “While some might balk at the randomness of the deaths, it’s that very mechanic that makes Vidar such a special experience and imbues it with intrinsic replayability.”
    • “The randomly generated puzzles and plot give it enormous replay value.”
    • “While some might balk at the randomness of the deaths, it’s that very mechanic that makes the game such a special experience and imbues it with intrinsic replayability.”
    • “I think one of the cooler parts of the game is that the story randomizes, and each night a different person (or more) dies, which changes trigger points, dependencies, and alters the storyline, providing replayability you don't normally see in an RPG (or at least I haven't).”
    • “The replayability is limitless because you can never expect what's coming next.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a strong emotional connection to the characters in the game, describing it as an emotional roller coaster that fosters deep investment and attachment. The experience is characterized by a compelling narrative that evokes a range of feelings, particularly around themes of loss and perseverance. Overall, the emotional depth of the game leaves a lasting impact on players.

    • “I have, instead, found myself getting emotionally captivated by the denizens of Vidar.”
    • “It left me with so much more, an emotional investment where I couldn't let go, where I wanted to do more.”
    • “This game is, to me, best described as an emotional roller coaster whose main attraction is death-a-day.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is currently a mixed bag; while some users report significant bugs that hinder playability, particularly on Linux, others note only minor glitches that do not impede overall enjoyment or progression.

    • “Apparently, this game is too buggy to play at the moment.”
    • “It is fairly buggy on Linux, at least.”
    • “There are a few minor bugs and glitches, such as the wrong gender being mentioned.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game effectively enhances the immersive experience, as the realistic performances of the townsfolk convey a strong sense of emotion and atmosphere, despite the setting being a frozen, snow-covered town.

    • “The optimization in this game is impressive; it allows for smooth gameplay even in the most demanding scenarios.”
    • “I love how the game runs flawlessly on my older hardware, showcasing excellent optimization that makes it accessible to a wider audience.”
    • “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the graphics without sacrificing performance, making the experience visually stunning and fluid.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, with some expressing frustration over the lengthy playtime required to reach the ending. The repetitive dialogue from characters further contributes to the sense of monotony, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “I genuinely wanted to get to the ending (if you look at my time, I've logged about 40 hours on this), but it's become too tedious.”
    • “The characters themselves suffer from repetitive dialogue that quickly becomes tedious, such as one character repeatedly saying 'flies on horse sh*t.'”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game creates a unique and haunting atmosphere, immersing players in a snow-covered town that evokes feelings of helplessness and stagnation. The realistic performances of the townsfolk enhance this ambiance, making their emotions resonate deeply with the player.

    • “But the game has its own fresh, haunting atmosphere that gives it a life of its own.”
    • “Although stuck in a snow-covered town, with an atmosphere of being frozen in place and feeling helpless, the performances of the townsfolk felt incredibly real, whether they felt fearless or helpless alongside you.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers generally feel that while the game has potential, it falls short in providing sufficient character development, leaving players wanting more depth and growth for the characters.

    • “My only gripe is that there could've been more character development.”
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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Vidar is a role playing game.

Vidar is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, Linux and others.

Vidar was released on February 4, 2017.

Vidar was developed by Razbury Games.

Vidar has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Vidar is a single player game.

Similar games include Heartbound, Death Trash, Cabernet, The Pale Beyond, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and others.