Windscape
- March 27, 2019
- Magic Sandbox
- 7h median play time
Windscape is a melding of old action/adventure gaming with new mechanics and storytelling in mind, allowing the player to explore the nearly open-world around them at their own pace.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Windscape" is a single-player, fantasy open-world game that offers a good plot, amazing gameplay, and stellar graphics. As a young girl living on a floating island, you discover the world and uncover a threatening evil. Despite some bugs, "Windscape" brings a modern take on classic exploration adventure games, blending in crafting and sandbox elements.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and a beautiful world that evokes a sense of exploration reminiscent of classic adventure games.
- The crafting system is enjoyable, allowing players to gather materials and create items, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Despite its flaws, many players find the game fun and engaging, especially for those looking for a light-hearted RPG experience.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it frustrating to play and often leading to game-breaking issues.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and strategy, which can make encounters feel tedious.
- Many players feel the game is incomplete, with a lack of content and a rushed ending that leaves much to be desired.
- story39 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and coherence, often describing it as flat or non-existent. While some appreciate the art style and find the quests engaging, others criticize the repetitive nature of the missions and the presence of numerous bugs that disrupt the experience. Overall, the narrative seems to be a work in progress, with potential for improvement as the game continues to develop.
“I love the crafting, controls, graphics, and the story which has already started to unfold.”
“Great art style, vibrant colors, easy to follow storyline (if you read the quest journal), simplistic crafting (might change) again this is an early release so anything and everything could change.”
“I found a cave hidden in the far corner of the map with its own story to tell, a man living in a tree fearful of his angry wife, and a mysterious shrine shrouded in magic.”
“The story falls flat quite fast (like the ending... would hold off talking about endings due to spoilers but there really was none). The last level felt like it could have been 3 levels if they were worked on more instead of rushed.”
“There is no story.”
“There is no clear story which is told.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique and charming art style, vibrant colors, and smooth performance, particularly in cel-shaded environments. However, some users report issues such as eye strain, clunky movements, and a lack of graphical customization options, which detract from the overall experience. While the graphics may not be the most realistic, they are often described as beautiful and fitting for the game's atmosphere, suggesting potential for improvement as the game develops.
“The graphics are beautiful and each boss fight is unique.”
“Definitely a fun exploration/quest Zelda-ish kind of game and the artwork/graphics look absolutely amazing.”
“Beautiful graphics - everything looked great for cel shading and it ran very smooth at 60fps.”
“Why I don't recommend this game is that something is up with the graphics and it can cause eye strain.”
“Every movement just feels very clunky, and the artwork is like ... baby's first Minecraft.”
“The graphics hurt my eyes, but this may be related to the aforementioned brightness issues.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with many players criticizing it for being repetitive, limited, and plagued by bugs, such as broken achievements and inconsistent quest markers. While some appreciate the blend of mechanics reminiscent of popular titles like "Zelda" and "Skyrim," others find the combat simplistic and the overall experience lacking depth. Despite these issues, a few players enjoyed the crafting system and found the game addictive, suggesting that it offers a decent amount of content for those willing to overlook its flaws.
“The combat is simple but effective, and the dungeons offer some fun mechanics without being very complex.”
“I bought this game on Empulse and now I'm addicted; the game is a perfect blend of a Zelda theme similar to the storyline of Skyward Sword with Wind Waker textures, and a Skyrim gameplay mechanic. It's like you took those three games, put them in a blender, and made a very addictive, highly immersive game.”
“The gameplay is fun and gave me multiple things to do.”
“Bosses are bullet sponges with 2 mechanics each, all almost identical. The map and quest markers sometimes work and sometimes don't, the achievements are broken - requiring learning how to use a prior version of the game to get some - and there is a lot left to be desired.”
“Gameplay is poor at best, and I felt lost and confused the vast majority of the time.”
“The team is small and the budget was undoubtedly tight; I have no problem with the gameplay itself or the graphics, but the game, as it progresses, just really starts to fall apart compared to the early game.”
- music11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players expressing a desire for a standalone soundtrack. While some noted that the music can feel out of place at times, overall, it contributes significantly to the game's appeal alongside its vibrant graphics and engaging gameplay.
“I have to say the upside is the game looks rather nice visually, and I love the music (like if this game had a soundtrack for $10, I would get it easily).”
“It has a nice art style, fitting music, and a great atmosphere.”
“Legit best game I have played in years, doesn't feel early access, and the music is great. I highly recommend this game to all!”
“The music feels out of place at times.”
“The game is quite pretty, and the soundtrack is alright, but apart from that there isn't much here.”
“Soundtrack - this game has the music.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and unfinished mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, many describe the game as feeling rushed and incomplete, with significant problems in quest functionality and graphical fidelity. Overall, it appears that while there is potential, the game requires substantial improvements to achieve a stable and polished state.
“Incredibly buggy, lifeless, and boring.”
“It's an okay timesink, but it feels like they got halfway through developing it and gave up or rushed. The last level is aimless and the game ends abruptly. There's a cool mechanic introduced in the second area that never gets used again, and there are massive glitches that should have easily been caught in QA. Locked doors aren't locked, unpowered switches can still be used in most cases, and you can sequence break in a few dungeons completely by accident.”
“It's full of glitches and bugs, the fighting system isn't balanced at all, and it's tedious to go from place to place in the game.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unbalanced, particularly due to the significant drop in damage when attacking multiple enemies. The slow resource conversion rates and the overall glitchy experience contribute to a frustrating grind for better gear, making the gameplay feel less rewarding for the time invested.
“Attacking multiple enemies at a time is extremely tedious because once each swing hits more than one enemy, the amount of damage you deal drops off a cliff.”
“It's full of glitches and bugs, the fighting system isn't balanced at all, and it's tedious to go from place to place in the game.”
“4 logs is 1 charcoal bag, and the conversion rate is slow and grindy to get.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its appealing art style and fitting music, creating a dark, Halloween-inspired ambiance that enhances the overall experience, particularly in the new region.
“It has a nice art style, fitting music, and a great atmosphere.”
“Dark and Halloween-like atmosphere for much fun!”
“Incredible atmosphere in the new region.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent optimization in its early access phase, with users reporting smooth performance, no crashes, and no bugs on various systems, including Windows 10 with an Xbox controller.
“Even though it's early access, I had no issues at all with the game - it ran perfectly without any bugs or performance issues on my Windows 10 machine with an Xbox One controller.”
“It runs smoothly, no crashes, no bugs.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is highlighted by vibrant design and a colorful palette, complemented by engaging music and responsive controls, enhancing the overall player experience.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character's unique story.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
“The diverse character arcs and their emotional growth really enhance the overall experience, making it unforgettable.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome setting, which features a charming, toy-like world that evokes feelings of warmth and nostalgia as players begin their journey at home.
“The setting is incredibly wholesome; when you first enter the world, you're at your home, and everything has an almost toy-like feel to it.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really pulls you in, making you feel their struggles and triumphs as if they were your own.”
“I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact on me.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking sophistication and smoothness, failing to engage players effectively.
Critic Reviews
Windscape Review
Windscape isn’t an antidote to the everlong tropes of modern action-RPGs – simply because it still needs to rely on enough of them to tie its own systems together – but it does present a relaxed and engrossing alternative that’s designed to give players of any age or skill level the chance to explore, battle and craft at their own pace. The deepness of that crafting system belies its apparent simplicity, and with all manner of stories to uncover across its hand-crafted lands, you’re left with a first-person adventure that very much belongs on Switch.
70%Dust in the wind --- Windscape review
Windscape may look like a decent lo-fi adventure at first, but it doesn’t have much to offer beyond its initial cartoony charm. With sleep-inducing combat and an absolutely skeletal crafting system, it just does nothing to keep your attention.
45%Windscape (Nintendo Switch)
Windscape is a melding of old action/adventure gaming with new mechanics and storytelling in mind, allowing the player to explore the nearly open-world around them at their own pace.
90%
