Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 39 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse Game Cover
While the linear experience harms replayability, Wanda is overall one of the most beautiful, poetic, compelling, and masterful examples of the narrative potential of video games.
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In "Wanda: A Beautiful Apocalypse" , accompany two robots in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world in this short and simple story that focuses on companionship, love, and hope. Solve mini-puzzles, immerse yourself in a children's book-inspired art style, and enjoy delightful soundtracks. Reviewers praise Wanda for its beauty, poetry, compelling narrative, and masterful storytelling, making it a memorable experience despite its linear nature - 8/10 .

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 39 reviews
story14 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning hand-drawn graphics and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the emotional storytelling.
  • The puzzles are well-designed with unique twists, and players have the option to skip them if they get stuck.
  • The story is heartwarming and evokes strong feelings, showcasing the expressive characters and their journey in a post-apocalyptic world.
  • The game suffers from excessively long and unskippable cutscenes that can detract from the overall experience.
  • Players often feel a lack of control due to the frequent cutscenes and the game's slow pacing, which can lead to frustration.
  • Some puzzles require pinpoint accuracy, and there are inconsistencies in how dialogue is presented, making it difficult to engage fully with the story.
  • story53 mentions

    The story is a minimalist yet emotional narrative about two robots navigating a post-apocalyptic world, conveyed primarily through expressive visuals and cutscenes rather than dialogue. While the lack of player interaction and unskippable cutscenes can detract from the experience, many players find the heartfelt themes of friendship and hope resonate deeply, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its charm and originality, despite some frustrations with pacing and puzzle integration.

    • “The story evokes so many thoughts and feelings without ever saying a word.”
    • “The characters are expressive, the story is heart-warming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
    • “In [*]Wanda - a beautiful apocalypse[*], it's a touching story about two little robots finding each other in a seemingly lifeless world.”
    • “While you can put together the gist of the story and background lore off of watching the cutscenes, having all the dialogue in the robot language keeps you somewhat disengaged and confused for as much time as the slow and unskippable cutscenes take place.”
    • “This chosen method artificially refrains the plot from developing, making the story too slow and cumbersome.”
    • “The story is meaningless, puzzles are boring and juvenile.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the minimalist art style. Many players find the soundtrack captivating, often preferring it over their own music, and it plays a significant role in immersing them in the heartwarming story. While some critiques mention the pacing and puzzle difficulty, the consensus is that the music is a standout feature that elevates the game's emotional impact.

    • “The characters are expressive, the story is heart-warming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
    • “The music is very lovely, and fits in well with the game.”
    • “Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, amazing soundtracks and an interesting story.”
    • “Frankly, I am not a big fan of puzzle games, but I played this game for the reason of the art style, the soundtracks, the story, and of course the amount of effort put into this game by the devs.”
    • “Usually I turn off the music for video games and listen to my own, but this game isn't really one you're supposed to do that with.”
    • “Soothing music and brain-teasing puzzles.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a beautiful hand-drawn art style that enhances the post-apocalyptic setting, creating a charming and atmospheric experience. While some players note the graphics as somewhat old school, many appreciate the simplistic yet aesthetic design that complements the game's narrative and soundtrack. Overall, the visuals are well-received, with a consensus that they effectively convey the story and embody the developers' artistic efforts.

    • “The game has a touch of art, with graphics done in a simplistic yet aesthetic style and fitting ambient music.”
    • “The hand-drawn art style of the post-apocalyptic world is beautiful.”
    • “Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, amazing soundtracks, and an interesting story.”
    • “The graphics of the game are a bit old school, but I found myself enjoying them.”
    • “I don't really want to mention graphics with the game made of RPG making tool, but I strongly recommend you guys to play a masterpiece like 'To the Moon' instead of this piece of crap; it is a far better game made out of the same tool, and it still has great heartwarming stories and interesting gameplay.”
    • “It's a matter of understanding that the developers of this game tried to put all of their efforts into the plot, the graphics, the cutscenes, and the soundtrack, and with that spirit, you'll get through every puzzle without skipping them in order to proceed with the story.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming story and expressive characters, which resonate deeply with players, often leaving them feeling profoundly moved. Many reviews emphasize the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, particularly through the touching friendship between the two robots in a post-apocalyptic setting. While some mention minor frustrations with gameplay, the overall sentiment is that the emotional journey is worth the experience.

    • “The characters are expressive, the story is heartwarming, and the minimalist style really lets the soundtrack shine.”
    • “Like how do you write a review for a game that's so sweet but at the same time turns you slowly into an emotional wreck without spoiling too much?”
    • “I'm recommending this game because it's the most heartwarming experience I've had in the last week or so.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay in [i]wanda[/i] is minimal, with a significant portion of the experience dominated by cutscenes rather than interactive elements. While the game features puzzles that are central to the experience, many are skippable, leading to a gameplay experience that feels more like an adventure narrative than a traditional puzzle game. Overall, players may find the gameplay lacking in depth and duration, suggesting a need for a more robust standalone puzzle game.

    • “I would suggest the developers to release a standalone and longer puzzle game with the nice mechanics they hint at in [i]wanda[/i].”
    • “Back to the game, the RPG elements and the story tell us of two robots in a post-apocalyptic world, and they will be your two protagonists - you'll need both to get over puzzles and such.”
    • “And this thing comes out with the skip function, not available in any part of the game except for the puzzles, so that even the hardest ones after some tries can be skippable - probably the developers wanted to put everything in the adventure theme rather than in the mere 'puzzle' one, although the puzzle element still remains the most important for what concerns the gameplay.”
    • “There isn't a whole lot of gameplay in this game.”
    • “In fact, there are more cutscenes than gameplay itself (solving puzzles and searching for collectible data shards).”
    • “50% of the gameplay (10% of the whole game) is optional.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some puzzles feeling overly challenging and reminiscent of other franchises. Additionally, the slow-paced interactive movie segments contribute to a sense of monotony, although deciphering the dialogue and signs offers some engagement for those willing to invest the time. Overall, the experience is marked by a significant focus on grinding for experience and loot.

    • “Kingdom of grinding experience points and farming loot for your character.”
    • “Beside the puzzles, the other half of the game is more an interactive movie, sometimes really slow-paced to the point of being tedious, where you watch the robots wandering around the devastated world and talking to each other in an unknown language.”
    • “It is a bit tedious to do, but at least the dialogue and signs can be understood.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally well-received, with users appreciating its emotive narrative, charming graphics, and atmospheric background music. Despite some technical shortcomings and a lack of polish, players find that immersing themselves in the game's world can be rewarding, especially for those who enjoy puzzle RPGs. Overall, the atmosphere is a highlight, making the game worth experiencing despite its flaws.

    • “If you're into a puzzle RPG with lots of narrative and emotive elements, and if you think that you'll want to spend some afternoons diving into the game's atmosphere, in my opinion this game deserves to be bought and played despite its flaws, not only due to RPG Maker's limitations but also other aspects I covered and the developers could have improved.”
    • “Both the graphics and music are nice and atmospheric.”
    • “Did not expect much from it but I was pleasantly surprised by how atmospheric the background music is and how charming the little robots are!”
    • “The game itself isn't that polished; it lacks a proper menu and doesn't even support the Steam overlay. Closing it can be a little frustrating. However, if you can manage the slowness and immerse yourself in the atmosphere and plot, you might find some enjoyment.”
    • “If you're into a puzzle RPG with lots of narrative and emotive elements, and you want to spend some afternoons diving into the game's atmosphere, this game deserves to be bought and played despite its flaws. The limitations of RPG Maker and other aspects could have been improved.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, particularly highlighting frustrating instances of game freezes occurring after lengthy cutscenes, often resulting in lost progress due to the lack of recent saves.

    • “It's pretty annoying when you sit around watching a cutscene for 10 minutes and then the game freezes up afterwards with no saves since before the last puzzle.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it impossible to progress without losing hours of gameplay.”
    • “I experienced multiple instances of the game freezing during key moments, which completely ruined the immersion.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is balanced with emotional depth, featuring a mix of both sad and funny moments that contribute to a varied and engaging experience.

    • “The game strikes a perfect balance between sad moments and hilarious ones.”
    • “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and absurd situations.”
    • “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is highlighted through the intriguing designs of the robots, which convey a strong range of emotions despite their inability to speak, showcasing effective non-verbal storytelling.

    • “The character designs are very interesting, and it's amazing how emotive these little robots can get, even though I can't understand a word they are saying.”
    • “The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive; each character feels unique and evolves in meaningful ways throughout the story.”
    • “I love how the characters grow and change based on the choices I make, making every playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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