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Equanimity

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,992
London
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Squarexo - 9.5/10
BRING HER is displayed across my screen, bring who? To where exactly? This is just one mystery you'll want answers to in this unique Sci-Fi thriller experience.

Gamepitt - 9.2/10
Observation is one of the most immersive interactive narrative-based games I've played outside of Virtual Reality. Instead of taking control of the protagonist directly, you'll be in control of the AI which can traverse through the various systems as you investigate the disappearance of the crew. You'll be fooled into thinking you're watching an '80s Sci-fi film with all of the VHS post-effects and familiar surroundings which look like they've been ripped right out of the set from Alien. Although built around the incredibly strong narrative and immersive interactions, you'll have to overcome various puzzles as you move around the ship trying to uncover the truth.

Gamespew - 9/10
If you're after an experience like no other, that will challenge your problem-solving skills in logical and believable ways, you absolutely need to play Observation. It's one of the most compelling and surprising games I've played in recent years. Its biggest achievement, though, is that it didn't make me feel like I was playing a game; it made me feel like I was genuinely assisting a crew member in distress.

IGN - 9/10
Observation's novel approach to puzzle design and gripping plot combine to create a unique science-fiction experience.

God is a geek - 9/10
Observation is a fantastic game, bringing gripping science fiction and unique gameplay together for a truly remarkable experience.

Gameinformer - 9/10
I ripped through Observation in one six-hour sitting, propelled forward by the novel blend of challenging puzzles and gripping storytelling. Though at first glance, Observation may appear to be your traditional first-person horror game, I've never played anything quite like it. Challenging and unnerving in equal measure, Observation shouldn't be missed by anyone in search of a mind-bending and unsettling thrill.

Pcworld - 4.5/5
Observation is grander than Stories Untold, more ambitious by half, but equally fascinating and inventive.

Everyeye.it - 8.8/10
The No Code space odyssey will delight those in the genre and those looking for a playful experience that only a great indie could offer.

Player.one - 8.5/10
An amazing, unique and genuinely mind-bending entry into the science-fiction genre, Observation draws on its distinct set-up to pull you into a mystery set deep in space. It's existential dread condensed into roughly six to eight hours of gameplay.

Pcgamer - 82/100
A stylish, understated, and subtly chilling psychological thriller with a compelling mystery at its core.

Hobbyconsolas - 8/10
Observation is an intriguing, sometimes terrifying, sci-fi thriller. Exploration and puzzle solving, combined with a great atmosphere, create a unique tribute to some classic movies such as Alien, 2001 A Space Odyssey, MOON and Gravity.

Stevivor - 8/10
Despite those occasionals falter — and a somewhat polarising, disappointing ending — I was desperate to complete Observation to get to the bottom of its mystery. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately went out to acquire No Code's last game, Stories Untold.

Culturedvultures - 8/10
No Code's sophomore title nails the organic intricacies of feeling like an artificial intelligence system while also telling a compelling and ambitious science fiction narrative.

Videogamer - 8/10
An exquisite atmosphere and fresh premise make up for some slightly obtuse puzzles. Observation brims with ideas and images that fill your head.

Indiegamewebsite - 8/10
It feels personal and emotional, even if the ending is decidedly oblique. After a rush of pure action games, this is a welcome palate cleanser; a game that really just wants to tell a spooky, evocative, and engaging story. At maybe 5-7 hours (if that) Observation isn't a huge time sink either, but will likely be a game that sticks in your mind long after you put the controller down.

Eurogamer - Recommended
Observation works almost in spite of itself. Its individual parts aren't particularly interesting, but the slow dread, the pull of uncovering the next bit of the puzzle, makes you bear with its less confident parts. Perhaps its premise of an AI suddenly attaining consciousness is ultimately underused, but this remains an intriguing, atmospheric spin on a rare theme in games.

Spaziogames - 8/10
Observation is a good sci-fi thriller, a step-by-step story made of puzzles and mistery.

TSA - 8/10
Observation is a sci-fi thriller that puts you in a situation quite unlike any other. You never quite know what to expect, but the writing is solid enough to make sense even at its most unbelievable, and the characters of Sam and Emma really grow on you. A few niggly navigational hiccups and a couple of dull puzzles can break the immersion a bit, but even so any sci-fi fan should have a look at Observation.

Pushsquare - 8/10
Observation uses the unfathomable vastness of space to wonderful effect, conjuring a palpable sense of both isolation and dread that rarely falters across the six or seven hours it'll take for you to see it though. Minor quibbles with some aspects of the storytelling and a couple of quality of life issues don't detract from what is an engrossing adventure that thrills far more frequently than it frustrates.

Screenrant - 4/5
Observation is a chilling and enthralling space-bound horror game, allowing players to act out their best HAL 9000 impressions through a great story.

Dualshockers - 7.5/10
Like Stories Untold before it, Observation is game that I think you really need to play to appreciate how masterful No Code is at setting a tone and building a compelling world for players to explore

PSU - 7.5/10
Observation does a lot of things correctly. Honing in on the isolation of space generates a wonderful tension on its own. Some pacing issues keep it from excellence, but there is plenty of appeal here for many different gaming preferences.

Slantmagazine - 3.5/5
The setting of the game is the familiar stuff of science fiction, but the lens through which it's viewed is not.

Wegotthiscovered - 3.5/5
The gameplay in Observation might be a bit of a slow boil, but it's unusual enough to be engaging in between its fascinating narrative moments.

Pureplaystation - 6.5/10
Observation is another worthwhile sci-fi adventure even if the daily habits of an artificial intelligence are a little mundane and there's not clear answers to some of the puzzles. Aside from that I enjoyed exploring the derelict station and uncovering the mystery of what's plaguing the ship and its programming.


ACG - wait for sale

Wccftech - 6/10
Observation spins a solid sci-fi yarn steeped in ominous atmosphere, but it fails to live up to its intriguing "Play as HAL 9000!" pitch. Too much of the game feels like irritating busy work as you wait for something interesting to happen. Folks who care about story first and foremost will want to give Observation a look, but those hoping for both an engaging plot and mechanics may find this space odyssey a drudgery.

Gamerant - 5/10
Observation has the visuals, atmosphere, and story that would put it in the conversation of the best horror games of 2019, but the nausea-inducing camera, uninspired puzzles, and frequent lack of clear direction ruin it.

Usgamer - 5/10
Observation has no trouble grabbing you from the go, with gripping central mysteries and questions that demand answers. Painstaking progress through even the simplest commands and instructions counteract any sense of progress in Observation, and ultimately dilutes and cheapens the experience.
 
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smisk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,002
Not really into narrative games but this sounds cool and is only $12 on the epic store so I might bite.
 

get2sammyb

Editor at Push Square
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
3,009
UK
8/10 on Push Square:

Observation uses the unfathomable vastness of space to wonderful effect, conjuring a palpable sense of both isolation and dread that rarely falters across the six or seven hours it'll take for you to see it though. Minor quibbles with some aspects of the storytelling and a couple of quality of life issues don't detract from what is an engrossing adventure that thrills far more frequently than it frustrates.
 

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,364
Fuck yeah these reviews are great. Was hoping for good things from this!
 

Chudah

Member
Apr 23, 2019
301
I loved Stories Untold all the way until the last chapter which basically ruined the entire game with how ham-fisted it was. I'll probably sit this one out. It looks good, but eh...
 
Oct 25, 2017
8,447
Our review will come out later today but i must say that this is only behind Sekiro for me. It's fucking incredible from beggining to end. No Code are masters at what they do.

I loved Stories Untold all the way until the last chapter which basically ruined the entire game with how ham-fisted it was. I'll probably sit this one out. It looks good, but eh...

I'm with you on Stories Untold. The ending for Observation is amazing, though.

Does this have a twist that's better than the awful one in Stories Untold?

No!
 

metsallica

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,710
I think, mentally, I'm just going to consider this game ROUTINE and move on with my life.

$12 bones on Epic seems like an utter steal!
 

PucePikmin

Member
Apr 26, 2018
3,759
Interesting to see the wide range of scores on this one. Mine is on the low end, but if you're about story and atmosphere first and foremost, you may like it more than me.
 

Sankara

Alt Account
Banned
May 19, 2019
1,311
Paris
Stories Untold was really great and the impressions I'm getting seems like the game is perfectly up my alley with sci-fi, atmosphere, and story. I may have to pull the trigger on PS4 then in case I get itchy fingers.
 

tommy7154

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,370
Never heard of this. Sounds right up my alley aside from me not liking Sci fi. How long is it?
 

TheStebe

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,543
London
Been watching a stream of it today and its been one of the most intense engrossing story puzzle games i have seen in a long time
 

Remembrance

Member
Oct 25, 2017
293
Are the puzzles basically the same as in Stories Untold (flip back and forth between an instruction manual and some buttons, and press the buttons that match the things you want in the instruction manual)?

That was the part that made it a game to watch rather than play, for me. Preferably with the instruction manual parts edited out.
 

HaremKing

Banned
Dec 20, 2018
2,416
Are the puzzles basically the same as in Stories Untold (flip back and forth between an instruction manual and some buttons, and press the buttons that match the things you want in the instruction manual)?

That was the part that made it a game to watch rather than play, for me. Preferably with the instruction manual parts edited out.
Yes, that is very similar in this game. You will have to bring up a 'schematic' to figure out which button to push or where to draw a line.
 

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
Are the puzzles basically the same as in Stories Untold (flip back and forth between an instruction manual and some buttons, and press the buttons that match the things you want in the instruction manual)?

That was the part that made it a game to watch rather than play, for me. Preferably with the instruction manual parts edited out.


Given it has to work on a controller this time due to PS4 release, the nature of the puzzles has likely changed at least.
 

Dan L

Tried to PM someone for a tag
Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,177
Regina, Saskatchewan
Played a couple hours of the game. Really digging it so far.
Is there an OT for this? I can't find one but I may be missing something
 

Dan L

Tried to PM someone for a tag
Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,177
Regina, Saskatchewan
Are the puzzles basically the same as in Stories Untold (flip back and forth between an instruction manual and some buttons, and press the buttons that match the things you want in the instruction manual)?

That was the part that made it a game to watch rather than play, for me. Preferably with the instruction manual parts edited out.
Puzzles are much more gamey than stories untold, very much you are one screen using button presses and hold and moves with controller. No switching between interfaces to solve a puzzle like stories untold.
 

Dan L

Tried to PM someone for a tag
Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,177
Regina, Saskatchewan
Sorta losing my mind in this game. I need to find a second half of a schematic and i have looked on every laptop I can find. and there is no guidance as to what I am missing. and since it's new and I know of no else playing it I have no idea what to do. I have spent 2 hours looking. Getting very frustrated.

Edit:
it was a note on a wall
 
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Dan L

Tried to PM someone for a tag
Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,177
Regina, Saskatchewan
Just finished the game.
So damn good, especially if you're a sci fi fan.
Man I am shook, the story and performance is great, sense of immersion is incredible.
Only fault is some of the objectives can be really obtuse and hard to know exactly what you need to do.
I gets a 9/10 from me.
 

AlternateAir

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,120
Just spent a handful of hours with the game, and really enjoying it. Once you get a feel for it's rhythms of puzzle solving and exploration, it's really sublime.

Only fault is some of the objectives can be really obtuse and hard to know exactly what you need to do.

This would also be my biggest complaint so far. Early on during the first time you go outside the space station, you are given an objective and seemingly a side objective. I meant to do the side objective first, but stumbled into the main one since.. well... it's space and hard to tell up from down. To the game's credit, it did let me go back and explorer the other area, but after doing so the objective no longer made sense. I was still outside the space station, but the game was acting like I was inside and so I spent at least a good 10-15 minutes just wandering around aimlessly.

It's also a game that really feels like it was designed with a controller in mind. I started playing on PC with they KB/M but everything felt very very off. Switching over an Xbox controller and you could feel the UI elements click into place more. (And this game has some of the best UI I've seen since like Dead Space.)

My only other knock is the uncanny valley effect is in full force on this game. The human models are very well done, but the extreme closeness of how you interact with them makes every facial movement look both real and utterly unconvincing.

Still having a great time with this one -- just wish I didn't start it so late at night or I imagine I would just play it straight through! It's that good!
 

exodus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,951
This game is a stuttery mess on PC, even with Gsync. Not getting a framerate reading from RTSS so I'm not sure what's up. Anyone else experiencing this? Lots of judder when panning the camera.
 

Dan L

Tried to PM someone for a tag
Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,177
Regina, Saskatchewan
This game is a stuttery mess on PC, even with Gsync. Not getting a framerate reading from RTSS so I'm not sure what's up. Anyone else experiencing this? Lots of judder when panning the camera.
I played at 4k60 with all settings maxed and never once had a frame drop. Granted I'm on a 2080ti but frametimes didn't stray from 16.7ms.
 

flyinj

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,956
This game is a stuttery mess on PC, even with Gsync. Not getting a framerate reading from RTSS so I'm not sure what's up. Anyone else experiencing this? Lots of judder when panning the camera.

I literally opened this thread to complain about this. No matter what settings I put it on or what external frame limiter I use the game has constant microstutter.

When panning the camera it feels like it is running between 20-30 fps, even though RTSS reports a constant 60.

This is on an i7 with a 1070ti running at 1080p
 

pswii60

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,673
The Milky Way
This game is a stuttery mess on PC, even with Gsync. Not getting a framerate reading from RTSS so I'm not sure what's up. Anyone else experiencing this? Lots of judder when panning the camera.
I literally opened this thread to complain about this. No matter what settings I put it on or what external frame limiter I use the game has constant microstutter.

When panning the camera it feels like it is running between 20-30 fps, even though RTSS reports a constant 60.

This is on an i7 with a 1070ti running at 1080p
Game is a perfect 60fps here at 4K on max settings with perfect frame times, at 60hz refresh. I have RTSS set to limit all games to 60fps and Vsync on in Nvidia's control panel. 2080 TI.

I'm actually impressed with how smooth and polished it is, looks stunning.

I can't believe how quiet this thread is, but I guess its primary demographic is PC gamers and sadly it's limited to EGS there.
 

maGs

Member
Oct 27, 2017
239
This game makes me physically ill. I've never gotten nauseous playing a video game before but I had to stop.

Also, the game does a terrible job telling you what to do next or where to go. Wont be finishing this one