Sleep Awake
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Sleep Awake
Sleep Awake gets stronger in its second half, when the surreal imagery and routine stealth stop living in separate silos.
Some occasional subpar stealth sections and an obtuse puzzle or two are the only blemishes on an otherwise incredible journey that had me riveted from start to finish, with a story and main character that were incredible to witness. I want more of this world and premise. I want a book. I want a movie. I'm not sure that I'll be able to sleep till I get it.
The death cults are silly, but at the same time, ruminations on how humanity’s self-perceived resilience could work against it. That’s where Sleep Awake really hits. When the monsters do show up it stumbles, and feels more like a normal video game the longer it wades into the Whys and Hows. Not bad for a five-hour rollercoaster.
There's a lot of promise to Sleep Awake, which makes its short runtime all the more frustrating. The fusion of visuals, music, and narrative are reminiscent of peak Remedy titles and the inevitable cliffhanger ending definitely leaves me wanting to find out more about Katja's story. I'll be listening to that Robin Finck soundtrack in the meantime and crossing my fingers.
Sleep Awake is a solid game whose story, visuals, and audio design are excellent. The experience is going to have you invested in it from start to finish but isn't likely to have you returning back to it once you're done. That's because of a relatively simple gameplay loop that focuses on traversal and puzzle solving over outright horror, making this an examination of a complex premise that doesn't push its boundaries far enough to stand out.
SLEEP AWAKE is a deeply artistic game that feels like navigating a beautiful yet eerie dreamscape. It's a bit light on gameplay aside from its eerie stealth sections. But with a haunting atmosphere of psychedelic visuals, otherworldly sounds, and creepy FMV moments, it's got style for days-or sleepless nights.
SLEEP AWAKE's psychedelic horror takes players on a delirious journey where the very world shifts and deceives. Mediocre stealth inflicts minimal damage on this mind-bending narrative that exists to confound with its captivating premise.
Interesting first-person psychedelic horror narrative experience on PS5
