Wanderer

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"Wanderer" is a single-player action game with a perfect story and outstanding gameplay, set to be remade in 2024. As Asher Neumann, players traverse time and space through a wristwatch to change the course of history and prevent civilization's collapse. The game offers stunning visuals, a marvelous atmosphere, and unique interactions, taking players through various eras to reshape humanity's fortune in VR.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 520 reviews

story151 positive mentions

stability42 negative mentions

Stunning graphics and immersive environments that enhance the gameplay experience.
Clever and engaging puzzles that require creative thinking and time travel mechanics.
Strong narrative with interesting historical references and character interactions.

Frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including disappearing items and soft locks.
Clunky controls and inventory management that can lead to frustration during interactions.
Some puzzles may feel overly obscure or illogical, leading to reliance on external guides.

story
264 mentions
57 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its engaging narrative, immersive time travel mechanics, and unique puzzles that enhance the overall experience. However, some critiques highlight issues such as a rushed ending, continuity problems, and occasional confusion regarding plot details, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these flaws, the game is considered one of the best in the VR genre for its storytelling and character development, leaving players eager for a sequel.
- “A wonderful adventure story with puzzles.”
- “The story is incredibly interesting and the gameplay is engaging and very fun.”
- “The story brings this game together very well and cleverly connects with real-world historical characters as well as the in-game ones.”
- “The story falls at the final hurdle with little explained and a rushed ending.”
- “Don't think about the plot or rules of time travel - nothing makes sense.”
- “The story is a bit convoluted.”
graphics
120 mentions
65 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals and immersive environments that enhance the VR experience. While some noted that character models and certain graphical elements could be improved, the overall production quality is considered high for a VR title, often compared favorably to benchmarks like Half-Life: Alyx. Despite occasional performance issues and minor graphical bugs, the game's aesthetic appeal and attention to detail contribute significantly to its engaging storytelling and gameplay.
- “The graphics are outstanding, the story is compelling, and the gameplay is just frustrating enough to be worth the puzzles.”
- “The graphics are amazing for a small studio making a VR game, and the premise sounds amazing.”
- “Incredible graphics, story, and gameplay.”
- “The graphics were too 2D in large environments and gameplay was far more glitchy than Half-Life.”
- “I couldn't get over the bad performance, lackluster voice actors and sound design, low poly graphics, and clunky controls.”
- “The graphics are a bit buggy, the character textures look like they are out of the original Half-Life, and the game very abruptly ends before a satisfying conclusion.”
gameplay
110 mentions
48 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this VR title is highly praised for its innovative mechanics, engaging puzzles, and immersive time travel elements, drawing favorable comparisons to Half-Life: Alyx. While the game features a variety of clever interactions and a compelling narrative, some players noted issues with certain mechanics being unintuitive or buggy, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these minor flaws, the game is considered a standout in the VR genre, offering a unique blend of adventure and puzzle-solving that keeps players invested.
- “Probably the best VR game after Half-Life: Alyx. The graphics quality and detail can be improved, but the story, the puzzles, the unique gameplay, and immersive locations are really well crafted and enjoyable. It's really hard to put down the headset and stop playing.”
- “Wanderer is hands-down one of the most innovative VR titles I've played, seamlessly merging a traditional escape-room type puzzle game with an incredibly fun time travel mechanic.”
- “Jumping instantly through time whenever you want to solve puzzles using objects from different eras is an incredible mechanic.”
- “In addition to that, a lot of game mechanics aren't reliable, so you have to resort to the forums to check if it's by design or a bug.”
- “There are some puzzles that will drive you nuts, either because they are too complicated or simply because the gameplay around them is borderline impossible to guess.”
- “Overall, the atmosphere is great, but the gameplay is lacking.”
stability
44 mentions
5 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which can significantly disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences, such as game-breaking errors and visual issues. While some players report smooth performance in VR, many others encounter frequent crashes, awkward controls, and various minor glitches that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, with many reviewers expressing hope for future patches to address these issues.
- “Ran very smoothly in VR with no glitches.”
- “Runs great at 150% supersampling.”
- “Where I can't forgive the game are the bugs and glitches.”
- “Fair warning to anyone looking to buy this game, the upcoming remake for Wanderer, or any other game from Mighty Eyes: they release buggy games and, should you run into a game-breaking bug, don't expect them to provide a solution for your problem.”
- “The main problem is it's very buggy.”
optimization
29 mentions
52 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
28 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players praise its excellent graphics and solid performance, particularly on high-end systems, some report issues like stuttering, bugs, and uneven performance across different VR setups. Certain effects may not function well on high-FOV headsets, and there are occasional control quirks and sound issues. Despite these drawbacks, the game is generally considered well-optimized for most users, with engaging visuals and a captivating story.
- “It was amazingly designed, excellently optimized, and the story was phenomenal.”
- “Performance is excellent (it easily maintains 90fps after it defaulted to ultra settings) and I haven't encountered any janky behavior yet.”
- “Graphics are beautiful and clear, the game is well optimized, the story is great thus far, and the audio is perfect.”
- “I couldn't get over the bad performance, lackluster voice actors and sound design, low poly graphics, and clunky controls.”
- “Very bad optimization.”
- “The game definitely had some bugs and performance issues, lacking a little polish around the edges in some parts.”
music
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and professional composition, enhancing the overall experience with a beautiful soundtrack and immersive sound effects. However, some users noted issues with synchronization between the music and gameplay, particularly regarding drum beats, which detracted from the experience. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and sound design contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout for fans of VR puzzle and escape room genres.
- “Voice, sound effects, and music are mesmerizing; the story is jaw-dropping (at least for me).”
- “Music was amazing, ambiance was amazing, puzzles ranged in challenge and were very well thought out.”
- “The music, sound, and graphics are beautiful; it's been a long time to wait for something like this to come along, and I'm not disappointed.”
- “It's terrible, the beat of the song does not match the beat of how they want you to play the drums.”
- “The other times there is a serious latency with the actual song and the beat they want you to play.”
- “Other bits loop the same music or sound over and over.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
80 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich storytelling, detailed scenery, and high-quality graphics, creating a calm yet mysterious post-apocalyptic world. While the atmosphere is generally immersive and enhanced by good sound design and voice acting, some players feel that gameplay issues can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a strong point, drawing favorable comparisons to other acclaimed titles.
- “Good atmosphere, strange post-apocalyptic world, relatively great graphics.”
- “Wow, such a rich story, great atmosphere, and top notch graphics.”
- “It has a generally calm and mysterious atmosphere with great sceneries and graphics with a few action sequences where you have to react fast and think on your feet, but it's not a fast paced shooter.”
- “These issues sometimes progress from minor to throw-your-controller-against-the-wall, and it hurts the game's carefully constructed narrative atmosphere.”
emotional
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the immersive experience and logical design of the puzzles, which enhance their sense of accomplishment. However, many express disappointment in the lack of emotional connection to the story and characters, attributing this to the writing style of the narrator. Additionally, technical issues, such as unintended automatic movement, detract from the overall emotional engagement and flow of the game.
- “It really made me feel immersed and forget the real world for those few hours.”
- “The enigma puzzle, for instance, was well thought out, made actual good logical sense, didn't overstay its welcome, and made me feel smart.”
- “My only disappointment was that I did not get emotionally involved with the story characters.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to convoluted puzzles and a lack of effective hints, leading to a tedious experience. The mechanics of interacting with objects are described as imprecise and cumbersome, contributing to a sense of monotony that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the story. Ultimately, the narrative becomes tiresome, culminating in an unsatisfying conclusion.
- “It gets more and more frustrating with tons of convoluted, tedious puzzles with no real hint system.”
- “It's an okay tell-me-a-story game, but it got tedious rather quickly and overstayed its welcome with me.”
- “Grabbing things and using your virtual hands is tedious, imprecise, and just plain broken.”
replayability
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered limited due to its linear structure, making it less suitable for indefinite play compared to open-world titles. While a second playthrough can offer excitement through exploration for special items, many users feel the price point is high relative to the replay value, suggesting it may be better to purchase on sale.
- “The game's replayability is quite engaging; after the first playthrough, exploring nooks and crannies for special items and upgrade currency can make a second playthrough just as exciting.”
- “While the game is a bit pricey for its replayability, it's worth considering picking it up on sale.”
- “I think the game has limited replayability, but I don't regret my purchase.”
- “The game's replayability is so-so; if you prefer to just witness the story in the first playthrough, then a second playthrough can be just as exciting as you search in nooks and crannies for special items and the game's upgrade currency. However, as it is a fairly linear game, you cannot replay it indefinitely like you could an open-world game.”
- “A little bit pricey though for the amount of replayability; get it when it's on sale if you can.”
- “I think $40 is high and it has limited replayability, but I don't regret my purchase.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the witty dialogue and comedic elements, particularly from the character Sam. The combination of a funny narrative and clever puzzles contributes to an entertaining time-traveling adventure that keeps players engaged for over 15 hours.
- “A wonderful, funny, high-quality time-traveling adventure with a great story and a lot of well-done puzzles.”
- “All in all, it's a funny and smart travel through time and history.”
- “Good graphics, nice atmosphere, good sound, and very funny voice acting.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's monetization strategy has been criticized for poor advertising, which has led to it being overlooked despite its quality, comparable to popular titles like Saints & Sinners and Boneworks.