Yesterday Origins

Repetitiveness, occasional frustrating puzzles and a couple of technical hitches may put you off Yesterday Origin, but if you persevere you will find an enjoyable, conspiracy thriller.

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"Yesterday Origins" is a thrilling adventure game that explores the story of John Yesterday, an immortal man who has lived for centuries and has seen it all. Players will uncover the origins of John's immortality, navigate through various eras of history, and unravel a conspiracy that spans across time. Featuring complex puzzles and a rich narrative, the game provides an engaging and satisfying experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 298 reviews

story144 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

Engaging and intricate story with unexpected twists that keep players invested.
Beautiful art style and solid voice acting enhance the overall experience.
Improved gameplay mechanics and character development compared to the previous game.

Clunky controls and a frustrating user interface make gameplay cumbersome.
Numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and overlapping audio, detract from immersion.
Some puzzles are overly obscure, requiring specific sequences that can lead to unnecessary frustration.

story
259 mentions
56 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story is a standout feature of the game, praised for its depth, intriguing twists, and engaging character development, particularly in its exploration of dark themes such as death and betrayal. While it serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original game, players noted that familiarity with the first installment enhances the experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and pacing, the narrative's richness and complexity keep players invested throughout.
- “The big stand-out with this game (and most of Pendulo Studios' games in general) is the story.”
- “They always knock the story out of the park, and without spoiling anything, the twists and plot reveals in this game are second-to-none.”
- “The game's core strength lies in its storytelling.”
- “The story felt a little lackluster.”
- “Admittedly, the plot does not offer huge surprises, as most of it is predictable.”
- “I also couldn't get past John's actual story; it seemed like he's been a passive character for all of his life and his redeeming arc didn't feel fully realized.”
gameplay
70 mentions
29 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Yesterday Origins" is a blend of classic point-and-click mechanics with some unique artistic interactions, though it has received mixed reviews. Players appreciate the integration of puzzles into the story, but many find the mechanics clunky and frustrating, particularly when using a mouse and keyboard. While some enjoy the fresh approach and narrative, others feel the gameplay can be obscure and linear, with occasional bugs detracting from the overall experience.
- “Yesterday Origins blends point-and-click gameplay with dark, supernatural themes.”
- “The gameplay is point & click, but with nice graphics and more flexibility than most.”
- “[i]Yesterday Origins[/i] manages to find a neat balance between old-school point-and-click adventuring and a fresh approach to gameplay and storytelling.”
- “The gameplay is a mixed bag.”
- “Numerous bugs and irregularities plagued the gameplay from start to finish, ruining what's supposed to be an immersive experience.”
- “It's apparent that the game's mechanics were primarily designed for tablets and/or consoles.”
graphics
60 mentions
60 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style, vibrant colors, and detailed animations, often described as resembling hand-drawn comic book artwork. While some players noted minor issues such as graphic bugs and a lack of exceptional quality, the overall consensus is that the visuals complement the engaging story and atmosphere effectively. Despite a few mixed opinions, the graphics are generally considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful, even at low settings.”
- “Gorgeous looking and colorful hand-drawn comic book style background artwork and character models.”
- “Graphics and storyline are very well done and gave me hours of enjoyable gameplay!”
- “Several sound and graphic bugs still make it unplayable.”
- “The inquisition is out to get you for some reason, and beyond you controlling your character in-game, most of the game's graphics are almost still pictures.”
- “[5/10] graphics.”
music
40 mentions
55 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to enhance the dark atmosphere and match the art style. However, a recurring bug causes overlapping tracks when switching characters, which detracts from the experience. While some players find the soundtrack great, others describe it as dull or tolerable, indicating a mixed reception overall.
- “On the bright side, the game has a beautiful art style, and the music perfectly matches the dark atmosphere.”
- “I like the music, sounds, and speech they used in this game, and the graphics are a marvel as well.”
- “Fantastic work, the soundtrack is great as well.”
- “Unfortunately, a bug causes the music from one character's universe, after switching to another character, to sometimes continue playing, leading to two separate music tracks playing concurrently.”
- “However, if you disable in-game music, you lose music in cut scenes, and there are some cut scenes that only play music (no spoken lines).”
- “- music is dull”
humor
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its light-hearted and funny storytelling, reminiscent of classic titles like "Runaway." However, some critiques note that the introduction of darker themes can detract from the overall comedic experience, making it feel clumsy at times. Memorable characters and witty dialogue contribute positively to the game's humor, keeping it engaging and entertaining.
- “Decent story, good humor - worth a play through.”
- “+ some memorable characters with funny dialogue”
- “That's hilarious!”
stability
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as unstable, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and problematic cut scenes. Users have noted issues with point-and-click controls and Steam achievement notifications, suggesting that potential buyers might want to wait for a sale due to the game's short length and persistent technical problems.
- “Buggy and crashy.”
- “I suggest buying it on sale, as it is short and, as I said, can be buggy.”
- “The cons are the abysmal point-and-click mouse controls and the buggy cut scenes.”
optimization
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some mechanics being improved, but significant issues remain, particularly on Mac systems where performance is lacking and scrolling can be cumbersome. Many users feel that further optimization is necessary for a smoother experience.
- “The mechanics have been optimized, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
- “The graphics and animations have also seen improvements, contributing to a smoother performance.”
- “The optimization efforts have made a noticeable difference in how the game runs.”
- “Poorly optimized for Mac; it doesn't run very smoothly at times, and scrolling while inspecting is tedious.”
- “They should've optimized it more.”
- “The mechanics got optimized, but the graphics and animations either didn't receive the same attention or were neglected.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report that technical issues, particularly overlapping background music, detract from the emotional experience of the game, leading to frustration and a diminished sense of adventure. This disruption undermines the emotional support that players previously felt, particularly in pivotal moments.
atmosphere
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful art style and music, which effectively complement the dark themes and enhance the storytelling. This combination creates an immersive experience that enriches the narrative.
- “The game has a beautiful art style, and the music perfectly matches the dark atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere created by the art enriches the great story behind yesterday's character.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and challenging, particularly when aiming for achievements, as it often requires meticulous attention to detail and can lead to missing small but crucial tasks. Additionally, performance issues on Mac can exacerbate the grinding experience, making it feel even more cumbersome.
- “Those wanting the achievements will find it pretty difficult as there are a lot of tedious things to do, and it is very easy to miss something very small (as I apparently did a few times). The speed run can be done after you play once as you have a better idea of what to do.”
- “- Poorly optimized for Mac, doesn't run very smoothly at times; scrolling while inspecting is tedious.”
character development
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development primarily revolves around the protagonist, John, with limited exploration of other characters, such as Pauline, whose backstory is revealed through brief interactions with her past friends. Overall, the character development is considered underwhelming by users.
- “Character development is also very underwhelming.”
- “Since the game's story is centered on John, most character development is focused on him, but we do get snippets of information about Pauline's past too, mainly through the introduction of friends she made earlier in her life.”