Recent reviews by Neütral Fäce

Visuals:

Aesthetically this game is absolutely beautiful, you can turn almost every step into a wallpaper. The developers used a real mix of texture, colour and light to create a very convincing world that oozes a history you don't know. In particular the use of light and dark is very effective. Many of the elements used are very familiar to those who have experience with fantasy and sci-fi genres but still feel very foreign and alienating. Obstacles and enemies are visually striking but they also look like they fit into the environment.


Sounds:

The sound design in this game is very simple but very effective. The developer knows that silence is sometimes the best option and they use it very well. There isn't much music but what is there is well composed and adds to the experience. It's the ambient noise that really stands out. There are times when you'll hear nothing but your own footsteps echoing off the stones walls, or water in the distance, or another sound that can't be identified. There are some enemies that make noise, which you'll learn through play.

The most important sound you'll hear of course is your own voice, which you will be using frequently.


Gameplay:

The controls in this game are very simple and standard, they'll come naturally to anyone with FPS experience.

The part you're most likely to get tangled up in is remembering the voice commands. The developers took a lot of care in creating a language that shouldn't be too difficult for anyone to pronounce, and none of them are long incantations, but it will be a foreign language that you'll have to learn through practice. The game doesn't pile these spells on all at once though, so if you don't wait months between sessions you shouldn't have too much trouble with the learning curve. Spells are staggered out and introduced in tangible, practical ways that give you a full understanding of the use before you move on to the next concept.

Having given this aspect of the game some very thorough testing I can say that the system can't be tricked, you can't just throw sounds at the wall and have them stick. However that does not mean it's tedious to cast the spells, the game is very good at picking up what you're saying and responding instantly.


Conclusion/TL;DR:

If you have a mic and want to be an actual wizard this is the game for you. An in-depth and beautiful world, haunting sound design and simple, tight controls have all been well thought out and built to compliment some largely unexplored vocal mechanics that just work. Everything just works.