Vortex: The Gateway
- March 21, 2016
- StormCube Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Vortex: The Gateway" is an open-world survival horror game set on an alien planet, where you must explore, adapt, and fight to survive. In story mode, you'll uncover the changing state of Earth while dealing with dangerous local species, while survival mode tasks you with keeping your injured friend Mike alive. Gather resources, build shelter, and fend off alien attacks to ensure your survival.
Reviews
- Vortex: The Gateway offers a fun single-player survival experience with engaging crafting and camp-building mechanics.
- The game features a unique atmosphere and exploration elements that keep players engaged, with a variety of creatures to encounter.
- Despite its rough edges, the game has potential and can be enjoyable for those familiar with early access titles.
- The game feels unfinished and buggy, with many players reporting technical issues and a lack of polish.
- There is a significant amount of content that feels lacking or underdeveloped, leading to a sense of disappointment.
- The controls and combat mechanics are clunky, making gameplay frustrating at times.
- graphics33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the decent visuals and atmospheric design, while others criticize them for being outdated and lacking polish. Although the game features interesting alien creatures and immersive environments, many users note technical issues and a lack of graphical options that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are considered acceptable for a budget title, but they fall short of modern standards and could benefit from further refinement.
“Really fun game, graphics are awesome and the gameplay is fun.”
“Visuals - the game looks fantastic and very atmospheric (great work on the skybox as well).”
“The graphics are well done and the island does indeed look alien.”
“As well as the game being made on a smaller budget, some animations and graphics feel out of place.”
“The graphics are 10 years behind modern standards - as is animation and world design.”
“The basic premise is solid, the opening cut scene is solid, though it looks about as impressive as a 2007 game, and the rest of the graphics would be fine if they ran on my computer.”
- story33 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it weak and underdeveloped, often describing it as basic and lacking depth. While some appreciate the motivation it provides for gameplay, others criticize its disjointed elements and the overall execution, suggesting that it feels more like a framework for multiplayer rather than a fully realized narrative. Overall, the story mode is seen as a missed opportunity to explore a compelling concept, leaving players wanting more substance and coherence.
“I won the main story mode in 16 hours, exploring the majority of the map and getting 42 of the 53 achievements.”
“The story mode takes about 48 hours to complete, discovering almost all corners of the map and getting 80% of achievements; the survival mode, a sort of tower defense game, adds more playtime.”
“One thing that sets this game apart from the other EA Unity releases is the story.”
“The 'story' mode seems too short, with disconnected elements.”
“There is a story mode, but it is undeveloped and does nothing to explore the cool concept.”
“Basically no story to the game whatsoever.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its janky mechanics, lackluster graphics, and limited crafting options, which feel unbalanced and generic. While some appreciate the challenge of exploring and learning within the game, others find it frustrating and reminiscent of better titles like "The Forest," suggesting it lacks originality and depth. Overall, players express a desire for more engaging features, such as co-op play and expanded gameplay elements, to enhance the experience.
“The gameplay is really challenging due to the scarcity of information and answers; players must explore and learn quite important things by themselves, which is an oddity in the video game industry.”
“This game is very good in the aspect of what it is supposed to be, but I wanted more of the gameplay to focus on defending my base. With all the traps in the game, there could be updates adding new features like guns, more building options, and a co-op mode. The game is awesome in my opinion, but it feels like it's missing an aspect, like waves of aliens attacking my base.”
“Something I will say is that while there are a few hours of gameplay here and some nice areas to explore, it would be so much more fun with a friend. However, co-op is planned for the future!”
“The graphics were lacking, and at points made no sense (why does it look like I'm throwing arrows?), the mechanics were rough, and the voice acting made the plot even thinner.”
“Movement and crafting mechanics are downright generic.”
“It looks awful, the mechanics are janky and it just isn't any fun.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting ongoing performance issues, bugs, and a lack of content despite recent patches. While some users have experienced stable frame rates and no lag, others find the overall performance lacking, particularly on higher settings. Overall, it appears that while there is potential for improvement, significant optimization work is still needed as the game continues to develop.
“Haven't had any performance issues yet.”
“Performance could be better; I get around 25-30 fps, but there are no lags. Although the creatures can look a bit strange and not as attractive as in some games, the atmosphere combined with these is spot on.”
“I didn't notice any lag issues or other performance problems.”
“It's light on content, buggy, and poorly optimized.”
“I won't tolerate fiddling with optimization issues on an impulse buy.”
“The overall performance of the game on my system was not great.”
- stability11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches that can affect gameplay, though some have experienced minimal issues. While it shows promise with decent graphics and immersive elements, the controls are often described as clunky, and the overall optimization is lacking, leading some to feel it still resembles an early access title. Overall, while some players have had stable experiences, the prevalence of bugs suggests that the game may not be fully polished yet.
“Claimed it was out of early access while still glitchy and buggy.”
“It's light on content, buggy, and poorly optimized.”
“It looks like it could be a potentially good game, but the first hour of play counts and the fact that it freezes Windows while loading (it even warns of this) makes this feel like it's still an alpha... a very early alpha.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers noting its immersive and scary qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like Half-Life but with enhanced graphics. Despite some performance issues and minor bugs, the combination of heart-pounding sounds, stunning visuals, and constant survival threats creates a captivating and addictive experience that keeps players engaged. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“With the atmosphere and exploration being the highlight of my time spent in Vortex.”
“This game has the potential to make you jump with some heart-pounding sounds and an atmosphere that a lot of people will feel on edge in.”
“Add to this the non-stop threats of hunger, thirst, getting lost, and more, and you have a very fun and addictive survival game that beckons you to come back long after you log out with its gorgeous graphics and glow-in-the-dark atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and exploration are the highlights of my time spent in Vortex.”
“Only played a few minutes of this, and it reminds me of Half-Life but in HD, with an atmosphere that will blow your mind.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game received mixed feedback, with a score of 8/10. While the sound design is noted for its intensity, players expressed frustration over the inability to adjust the music volume separately from environmental sounds, which poses challenges for content creators.
“The music in the game is fantastic and really enhances the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
“The sound design, including the music, adds a unique layer to the game's environment.”
“The FPS was shocking, and the fact that you can't turn down the music since it's tied to the environment was a killer for someone who records for YouTube.”
“The sounds and music in the game were very loud and do not have a functioning volume control.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players finding it both unexpected and enjoyable. The character Mike is particularly noted for his likability, and his abrupt exit provides a humorous moment that resonates with players.
“Which is a funny thing because that's what you expect in a video game, right?”
“Mike is a likable dude; for all the introduction we get to him, his immediate exit had me chuckling in my seat.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding mechanics in the game to be somewhat unbalanced, with a wealth of crafting and farming options available but limited weapon and armor choices. While the building aspect is expansive, the significant resource requirements for upgrades can lead to prolonged farming sessions, detracting from the overall experience.
“The mechanics are fine and there are a lot of crafting and farming items, but the balance is off: there are many buildings, defenses, containers, and traps, but only 4 basic hand weapons, 4 throwing weapons, and 1 piece of armor.”
“In survival games, you often start small and gradually expand, but this game doesn't provide that experience. Sure, the building is larger, but the size difference feels extreme—it's like going from a tent to a dumpster. The materials needed to upgrade from one to the other can take 1-2 days of farming.”
