Viviette
- October 18, 2018
- DYA Games
- 8h median play time
“More tea, Lady Stabbington-Smythe? Oh, you’re going to repeatedly plunge a knife into my face? Well, that’s good too, I suppose.”
Viviette is a single-player Horror Action game with an intriguing story, set in the ominous Neuville's Mansion. Experience a distinct atmosphere with challenging puzzles, diverse items, and multiple endings. Immerse yourself in the original audio-visuals and beware of the lurking monster, while testing your logic and navigation skills.
Reviews
- The pixel art and sound design are exceptional, creating a visually stunning and immersive atmosphere.
- The game features challenging puzzles that encourage exploration and critical thinking, providing a rewarding experience.
- The story is engaging with multiple endings, motivating players to replay the game to uncover all its secrets.
- Many puzzles are unintuitive and can lead to frustration, often requiring a walkthrough to progress.
- The enemy AI can be simplistic, making encounters feel less threatening and more of an annoyance.
- The game lacks a map or clear guidance, which can result in aimless wandering and confusion about objectives.
- story104 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it captivating and well-told, particularly appreciating the atmospheric buildup and the clever use of notes to enhance the narrative. However, others criticized it as predictable and lacking depth, suggesting that the plot does not fully support the gameplay experience. Overall, while the story has its strengths in atmosphere and intrigue, it may not satisfy all players, especially those seeking a more complex narrative.
“The story was captivating and interesting, and I loved streaming it on my channel.”
“The story is well told and the exploration is rewarding.”
“An excellent story, really captivating and makes you think.”
“The story is just weak; you can guess the whole thing from the first ten minutes, which is not a good sign.”
“The biggest recurrent complaints about this game are the frustrating puzzles and the incomplete story.”
“The story is not rich enough to carry the entire experience.”
- atmosphere90 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, enhanced by charming pixel art, effective sound design, and a haunting musical score. Many players appreciate how the game successfully creates tension and suspense, making exploration feel engaging and eerie. While some critiques mention issues with puzzle design, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric elements significantly elevate the gaming experience.
“The atmosphere was great, the graphics phenomenal!!”
“Viviette nails the atmosphere and is a cut above most 2D indie horror games by the great use of graphical detail and lighting, things being woefully dark until lit and your lamp providing just enough to navigate by, but not enough that you're always aware of the entire room.”
“The atmosphere is really good, nice and spooky and keeps you on edge as you are exploring this creepy mansion as you're dreading what is around every corner.”
“And most important — the game lacks atmosphere.”
“Viviette's most surprising, but wonderful, achievement is its unnerving atmosphere.”
“This is one game that you should definitely play with headphones because it spends so much time building suspense and atmosphere.”
- graphics81 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of Viviette are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and attention to detail, effectively creating an atmospheric experience that enhances the horror elements of the game. However, some players noted issues with visibility in darker areas, which can vary significantly across different monitors. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles, and contribute significantly to its charm and immersive storytelling.
“The graphics, art style, and sound are a++ all beautiful!”
“Vivette nails the atmosphere and is a cut above most 2D indie horror games by the great use of graphical detail and lighting, things being woefully dark until lit and your lamp providing just enough to navigate by, but not enough that you're always aware of the entire room.”
“The pixel graphics art style is really good with incredible use of colors, set and character designs; it's just really impressive and you can tell that the makers of this game really pushed the pixel graphics to the limit with this one.”
“Soundscape nor graphics never made me feel creeped out despite them trying so hard.”
“Maybe that's because I became part of the gaming community when 3D graphics were already the standards, so I never really got to explore the two-dimensional world.”
“This is why I love RPG-style horror games, and I use that term loosely with this game because it's technically not; the good ones always make up for the lack of graphics with atmosphere and story, and this game does that with flying colors.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its puzzle-based mechanics and nostalgic feel, while others find it simplistic and lacking depth. The "stalker" mechanic adds tension, but the absence of clear instructions and the need for memorization can frustrate some players. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments and a well-designed adventure, it may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or traditional horror experience.
“The gameplay is entirely puzzle-based and they are really fun; none of them felt unfair, although you do have to focus to remember all details. It might help to take screenshots of important info.”
“The gameplay is pretty good; basically, you have to go around the mansion, solve puzzles, and get certain keys while avoiding the stalker’s detection. There's no beds or anywhere you can hide in, only the darkness can help you avoid the stalker, which can make the game pretty intense when you're trying to sneak past.”
“It's a short game, but it really made me feel like I was back in time playing a game from my childhood with the graphics and gameplay.”
“Really, this game could've been a blast... if it hadn't been hindered by gameplay.”
“If you're looking for something like Resident Evil gameplay-wise, then this game ain't it.”
“They end up limited to 'walk away from the one-hit kill entity' or 'don't step on trap tiles' and their gameplay is bare bones.”
- music56 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a tense and immersive experience that complements the visuals and sound effects. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is effective and well-suited to the survival horror genre, although some express frustration with specific music-related puzzles that can hinder progress. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's mood, despite occasional repetitiveness.
“The music was excellent, really helped the tense and fearful vibe.”
“The graphics and musical score add so much to the atmosphere.”
“Its music and ambience creates a fitting immersion for the player.”
“The person that made the music box puzzle needs to be fired and never try to come up with ideas ever again.”
“Sadly I had to decide to put it down because of the darn music puzzle.”
“And until I'm able to solve the music puzzle, I'll be unable to continue the game... really wish there was a different type of puzzle we could do instead of the darn music puzzle as a second option.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively immerses players in its unique atmosphere, evoking nostalgia and emotional engagement through its story and gameplay mechanics. While the soundscape and graphics may not elicit fear, the sense of anxiety and anticipation from solving puzzles and experiencing varied outcomes enhances the emotional experience. Ultimately, it delivers a satisfying emotional payoff, reminiscent of classic childhood gaming experiences.
“Where they succeed is drawing players into the setting with an interesting and unique atmosphere, making them care about the story and pulling off that emotional payout by the end with some replayability.”
“It's a short game, but it really made me feel like I was back in time playing a game from my childhood with the graphics and gameplay.”
“The game is really good: you have that survival horror feeling; solving puzzles made me feel a bit anxious (like playing a Resident Evil game for the first time) with different things happening each time you play it.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its challenging puzzles, randomized solutions, and multiple endings, which encourage players to revisit the experience. The unique atmosphere and engaging story further enhance the desire to replay, making it a worthwhile investment for players seeking varied gameplay. Overall, it successfully combines emotional depth with diverse gameplay elements to ensure decent replay value.
“Where they succeed is drawing players into the setting with an interesting and unique atmosphere, making them care about the story and pulling off that emotional payout by the end with some replayability.”
“The puzzles are challenging but fair, and with multiple endings, difficulty, and gameplay variances from game to game, it even has good replay value.”
“The puzzles are great, and the randomized solutions add for decent replayability.”
“Definitely has replay value.”
“Where they succeed is drawing players into the setting with interesting and unique atmosphere, making them care about the story and pulling off that emotional payout by the end with some replayability.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game often arises from the juxtaposition of absurd situations, such as the unexpected discovery of a handsaw that simplifies a task, highlighting the irony and comedic timing in gameplay scenarios.
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the character development is visually impressive, showcasing exceptional pixel graphics with vibrant colors and detailed designs. This attention to artistic detail suggests a strong commitment from the developers to enhance the characters' visual appeal and overall presentation.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game experiences occasional glitches, but these issues are infrequent and generally not severe, indicating a stable performance overall.
“There are some occasional glitches, but they're not too bad.”
Critic Reviews
Viviette Review
Apart from the wonderful 16-bit audio-visuals, Viviette turns out to be nothing more than a repetitive search for key-item after key-item, with a little bit of puzzle-solving thrown in, next to a simple horror tale that won't really creep you out that much.
40%Viviette (Switch) Review
A truly horrifying puzzle experience.
50%Viviette Review
“More tea, Lady Stabbington-Smythe? Oh, you’re going to repeatedly plunge a knife into my face? Well, that’s good too, I suppose.”
60%