Obduction Reviews
Cyan seem to be stuck in the past as it continuously tries to make Myst a thing again, but the adventure genre has advanced far past that now with games like The Talos Principle and The Witness putting this game to shame. Obduction feels like a game that belongs in the 1990s with a modern-day coat of paint. If you haven't played an adventure game since then, you might be pleasantly surprised, but I'd have rather spent my time replaying Firewatch, Oxenfree, or any number of other quality adventure titles instead of this buggy mess.
Other than those couple of points, I'm really struggling to say anything positive.
Obduction is a oldschool adventure game with high difficulty level, but along with puzzles, we have to fight with the optimization.
Review in Polish | Read full review
They say you can't go home again, but that is just what Cyan Worlds attempted with Obduction, a modern day version of its iconic title Myst. It looks beautiful, and the puzzles are challenging and meaningful, but the technical bugs and lack of innovation hold it back.
An entertaining puzzler that harkens back to the storied heritage of its developer, Obduction isn't quite on the level of its peers, but will satisfy armchair masterminds looking for their next brain-tickling fix all the same.
Obduction houses not one, but many vibrant, lush, and mysterious worlds in a package that seems to be made for old Myst fans like myself. The balance of symbiotic nature of environment, narrative, and puzzle design means that Obduction constantly feels riveting and natural. It's a delight to experience a modern game with that classic Cyan design, but the technical issues detract from the experience far too much, even going as far as artificially increasing the time it takes to complete some puzzles. I managed to really enjoy the experience that was crafted, but it wasn't without a fair amount of annoyance at little optimization problems that make Obduction far from perfect.
The game also offers three endings to the game which makes it replayable. But unless you are a fan of puzzles then you might not want to get back into this game. Obduction is a great exploration game but I don't think it's a game that's for everyone. It requires a lot of patience and perseverance and the knack to just turn every stone unturned. If you like a good puzzle game, then this game is definitely for you.
Cyan’s latest is another confident puzzle adventure you can't help but appreciate—even if there's some Myst potential.
All in all, I really did enjoy my time with Obduction, even if there were a few issues that hampered the experience. It’s beautiful, fascinating, and creative. Although, the second half definitely slows down a lot due to huge backtracking sections and long loading times.
Cyan effortlessly weaves creativity the way other developers can only dream of, and I’m excited to see where they can go from here.
Has all the beauty and grandeur of Myst, with all the same flaws. An excellent experience though it’s only able to really be played through once, and can be frustrating, it still is a classic puzzler.
Obduction might not be for everyone, but it's a strangely enjoyable experience, either for fans of Cyan's classic series, or for those first giving the genre a chance. The world is beautiful and complex, and the seemingly mundane environment is actually a carefully crafted world with intricate detail. There's definitely some frustrations to be had with some of the more obtuse puzzles and occasional technical stutters, but Obduction is definitely a journey worth remembering.
Obduction is a niche title, and not everyone will enjoy it. It's beautiful, the story is engaging, and the voice-acting is absolutely top notch, but the puzzles are often pedantic and may push some players, and even adventure fans, away. However, if you can enjoy the puzzle structure, and get past the annoying load times that sometimes crop up, this is tremendously fun and well worth the price of admission.
Obduction is a beautiful, unrelenting adventure game whose complex puzzles can be both satisfying and frustrating.
A true successor to Myst, with puzzles as ingenious as they are uncompromisingly obscure. Although the experience is hampered by serious technical problems.
Obduction is brilliant in its best moments, but those are rare and have various frustrations between them
If the game asks you to wander around in a confused haze for hours at a time, it rewards you with breathtaking vistas and new wrinkles to your understanding of its world that constantly goes deeper and stranger than you think.
Players seeking an adventure through fantastical worlds, with a slew of mechanical and spatial puzzles, will discover that Obduction is a gold mine.
A beautiful, if simple, puzzle game that remains faithful to Myst without feeling dated.
Obduction is a great first person puzzle game, developed by the makers of Myst, thus being a spiritual successor to this game. The player will find clever and challenging puzzles within a mysterious world that gradually reveals a dense and intriguing story, all of this followed by a great art direction, creating stunning and complex environments. Unfortunately, performance issues and lack of optimization bring constant stuttering and a long loading time, being a source of anger and frustration after some time. The delay in fixing these problems and bringing an expected update to the PSVR overshadows the many qualities of the game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review