Westworld Awakening

About

Westworld Awakening is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Survios and was released on August 20, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Westworld Awakening is a narrative-driven VR game set in the Westworld universe. As Hale, a host with a developing consciousness, players must navigate dangerous intrigue and hidden threats while uncovering their own mysterious past. Through interactive puzzle-solving and exploration, uncover the truth behind the strange goings-on in the park.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 290 reviews

story92 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and high production values, creating an immersive experience.
The voice acting and character animations are top-notch, enhancing the storytelling.
The narrative is engaging, providing a compelling side story that complements the Westworld series.

The gameplay can feel repetitive, primarily revolving around stealth mechanics and hiding from enemies.
The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-5 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
There are issues with movement controls, particularly the arm-swinging locomotion, which can be awkward and lead to motion sickness.

story
227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its engaging narrative, strong character development, and immersive atmosphere, particularly for fans of the "Westworld" series. However, some reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel repetitive and that the story, while interesting, may not significantly expand the lore of the universe. Overall, it is considered a solid, albeit short, story-driven experience that excels in storytelling and production quality.
- “The story was extremely engaging and the world was very immersive.”
- “The story is well done, with many animated NPCs to talk to, and dialogues that are very well written and acted.”
- “This game is truly awesome and delivers in spades when it comes to storytelling.”
- “Don't ever buy, huge story potential, boring gameplay and scenery.”
- “The story was light and left me unfulfilled.”
- “The in-world narrative writers acknowledge that their horror plot sucks and the killer is a tired trope.”
gameplay
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
55%
14%
The gameplay of "Westworld Awakening" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of stealth, puzzle-solving, and exploration mechanics that some players found engaging, while others criticized it for being repetitive and simplistic. The game offers a unique tablet mechanic and immersive VR interactions, but many reviewers noted awkward movement controls and a lack of combat options, leading to a focus on narrative over gameplay depth. Overall, while the story and atmosphere are praised, the gameplay mechanics often feel underdeveloped and can detract from the overall experience.
- “5 hours of really amazing gameplay; it gets a little old at the end but was a perfect example of VR done right.”
- “Gameplay is a mix of stealth, puzzling, and exploration.”
- “The gameplay features are interesting and fun, and exploration is really rewarding.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and becomes boring.”
- “Making me repeat a long section of the game does not make it more fun, or more realistic; it makes it repetitive with poorly designed gameplay and makes me not want to continue playing it.”
- “Just a dang shame this game had so much going for it but it was marred by poor gameplay.”
graphics
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
25%
3%
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting their stunning quality and realism, often comparing them favorably to top-tier VR titles like Half-Life: Alyx. Players appreciate the detailed character models, immersive environments, and overall visual polish, which contribute to a captivating atmosphere. While some noted minor performance issues on lower-end hardware, the majority found the graphics to be a standout feature, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The graphics are incredible.”
- “The graphics are stunning and are second only to Half-Life: Alyx.”
- “The voice acting, the graphics, the animations, the game mechanics, music, and the story are outstanding.”
- “The graphics are serviceable but it's clearly not done with a good budget like Half-Life: Alyx.”
- “The graphics, especially textures, do not look as good as in the screenshots.”
- “Also, the graphics are really weird.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating visuals, immersive storytelling, and strong audio design, effectively capturing the essence of the Westworld series. Players appreciate the well-crafted environments and the tension created through lighting and sound, which enhance the overall experience despite some limitations in gameplay interaction. Overall, the game is recommended for its atmospheric qualities, making it a compelling choice for fans of narrative-driven adventures.
- “The atmosphere is captivating.”
- “Very appealing graphics, extremely good atmosphere as well as pleasant, well-implemented controls.”
- “With some of the best visuals in virtual reality to date, and atmosphere galore, this felt like living an extended episode of the show.”
- “Atmosphere: there isn't a lot to explore, it's pretty much a linear game with a boring soundtrack.”
- “So dark as to not be able to see anything in fact... it definitely added a lot to the atmosphere as well as directing players towards the light, but it's also a double-edged sword if I can't see well enough to know where I'm supposed to be going.”
- “Follows the confusing atmosphere of the series, with memory flashbacks, etc.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and impressive graphics on high-end systems, others experience significant frame drops and choppiness, particularly on mid-range hardware. Some users found that adjusting settings like anti-aliasing and shadows improved performance, but there are still complaints about the need for further optimization to ensure a consistent experience across various setups. Despite these issues, the game's atmosphere and character performances are frequently praised.
- “It's well optimized; despite the good and demanding graphics, it runs smooth on my G2 at 100% resolution.”
- “The graphics and performance are great, and I did not experience any glitches.”
- “Performance 10/10”
- “They seem to have made the max graphic settings for next-next generation cards; I had to set anti-aliasing to low and shadows to medium on my 3080 and reduce my usual 4K per eye resolution to get it to run without stuttering.”
- “The presentation is okay, but the performance was pretty bad on my system (9th gen Intel i7, 6GB RTX 2060m, 16GB RAM).”
- “It could use a lot more optimization.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The music in the game is widely praised for its extraordinary quality, drawing heavily from the original series' soundtrack, which enhances the overall atmosphere and emotional impact. While many players appreciate the familiar themes and the way they contribute to the game's tension and storytelling, some express a desire for more original compositions to complement key moments. Overall, the music, alongside the graphics and voice acting, is considered a standout feature that significantly elevates the gaming experience.
- “The music, visuals, and general vibe are all very well crafted.”
- “The end of the third chapter with the music and the voice lines/acting gave me chills.”
- “Honestly, I did from the moment the main theme song started playing in the title screen.”
- “But the sudden cutoff just put me off, I was also expecting some original music to enhance that moment. I would definitely welcome more Westworld tracks being more frequent.”
- “Atmosphere: there isn't a lot to explore, it's pretty much a linear game with a boring soundtrack.”
- “In this game, I substitute background music for voice actors, as much of the game is accompanied by voices rather than noises.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as freezing issues and unresponsive menus. While some players experienced good graphics and performance, many found the overall experience frustrating due to the frequent technical problems, particularly in specific chapters.
- “We have Vive Pros, and I have one at home. It runs great on my home rig with an RTX 2060 and i5.”
- “This game is unpolished and buggy.”
- “Not enjoyable and overly buggy.”
- “Not to mention multiple glitches where the menu wouldn't work or I would finish a chapter but it would be white, and nothing I could do but exit and repeat until it didn't mess up.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the hidden collectibles and secrets that encourage exploration, many feel that the linear story limits replay value, with most experiences lasting only 2 to 4 hours. Fans of the genre may find enough content to justify multiple playthroughs, but others may find it lacking in depth for extended engagement.
- “This could also ensure that the replayability is much higher.”
- “With hidden collectibles and story bits to find on the various terminals, it also has good replay value.”
- “Not as much replayability as it is a linear story, but if you're into finding secrets and reading in VR, there's plenty of pages to pick up.”
- “The game does feel like it's going to be on the short side with little to no replayability.”
- “If you're a fan of Westworld (I was up until season 2), I'd say it was worth the price due to the reasonable length and replayability.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky mechanics, such as the amusingly ineffective backward running and the absurdity of navigating in pitch-black settings, which often leads to comical situations. Players find themselves laughing at the game's oddities, like the reliance on candles in a dark environment, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “We're laughing at him.”
- “The default darkness setting is hilariously pitch black; I needed to increase the gamma by +100 in some scenes. Despite the tons of darkness, there is no light mechanic, but candles are everywhere.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heart-wrenching love story intertwined with a larger narrative about rebellion and artificial intelligence, creating a poignant experience. Players also mention physical discomfort affecting their immersion, but ultimately, the emotional depth of the story prevails.
- “Basically... it's a heartbreaking love story that intersects with the Season 2 Wyatt Rebellion story within the overarching simulation narrative run by the Arnold/Ford/AI consciousness in the distant future, as evidenced by the occasional glitchy furniture and the holographic basement section.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its exceptional quality, with developers effectively maintaining tension throughout the game. The immersive character design and acting enhance the overall experience, making interactions feel engaging and realistic.
- “The character development was fantastic, and I thought the developers did an incredible job of maintaining the tension throughout the game.”
- “The character design and acting are really good too, so it feels immersive when the guests are looking at you and talking to you.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, with many users suggesting it would be more appropriate as a free promotional VR title for the show rather than a paid product.
- “Overall, this just seems like a cash grab and would be better used as promotional material for the show in the form of a free VR title.”
- “Another lame cash grab.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game effectively manages grinding by introducing gameplay variations and concluding chapters before the experience becomes repetitive, preventing it from overstaying its welcome.
- “A lot of games where you are being chased by something and have to hide tend to wear out their welcome after a while, and you get sick of doing the same thing over and over again. However, this game knows when to change up the gameplay or end the chapter before it gets tedious.”