The Final Station Reviews
The Final Station is a 2D side-scrolling zombie survival game with enough challenging combat to offset its predictable pace.
There’s few complex systems in place to either discover or manage and while that may feel like a misstep, Do My Best live up to their namesake when by setting the scene and giving even the most basic of pixel graphics feel like something far more grandiose and important in the wider scheme of things.
The Final Station is a simple game, which is always just compelling enough for its duration. I’ve come to think of it as an efficient, low budget horror movie: it has a high concept it can’t afford to show directly and so it wrings as much as it can from the mystery and the satisfaction of piecing the plot together from snippets. It’s only a shame that its action suffers more from never having a particularly interesting concept of its own.
The Final Station is a unique journey among the current Switch library you will not want to skip on, especially if you managed to stay away from the original PC release up to this point. World building and plot is brilliantly delivered by numerous little details of which we have rarely seen developers explore with such efficiency to deliver so much tension and sense of urgency from the player. Despite linearity, when you do reach the end game you can immediately jump into the ‘The Only Traitor' DLC included in the Switch version, which will enable you to experience the same events under a new character. Make sure you don't miss out this train ride.
The Final Station has a great deal of promise, but repetitive gameplay elements can be tiring.
Two years after the PC relase, The Final Station arrives to Nintendo Switch retaining the good and bad ideas. A pixelated 2D adventure that mixes little exploration/action areas in an apocalyptic world with some micromanagement on a train. But, soon, the mechanics get repetitive, with an irregular storyline plagued with errors in its translation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, The Final Station is a contemplative slice of sci-fi horror. It might not be utterly original - spot the shades of Snowpiercer, Evangelion, and That Insidious Beast if you get the chance - and it can be ever so slight, but it rattles along at steady pace, taking you on a reflective journey, all the way to a gut-punching end.
The disparity between the repetitive majority and the engaging finale did cause me to like The Final Station after it was said and done, but it’s not enough to overlook the significant flaws along the journey. Ambiguity is supposed to provide a level of intrigue, making players want to look further and explore dark corners, being rewarded for the risks they take to discover more. Instead, The Final Station hands out breadcrumbs without promise of a full loaf until the very end. Repetition and simplicity hold back what could otherwise be a fascinating survival horror indie,and a personal tale of interest about the train conductor. It’s worth taking a ride on this train once if not to see the promise the narrative holds, but don’t expect to want to hop on board with the mechanics again when you reach the final station.
The game is straightforward and fun except for the frustrating lack of instructions on how things work.
The Final Station is an enjoyable romp for a one time through experience. It’s tense at times and has a unique idea for a gameplay loop, yet I do feel they could do more with it. If this is a foundation for perhaps a more elaborate sequel with more features and ideas, sign me up. As it stands, it’s still a fun take on the survival horror mold that worth checking out. It can start to wear out its welcome, but it doesn’t overstay.
The Final Station is yet another example of an Indie title with great ideas but not the best execution. The world is well crafted and its simplicity can allow anyone to get into it. But it's more important features like maintaining your train feel shallow and are a definite missed opportunity.
If you love an interesting story with some creepy sci-fi elements, then I highly recommend The Final Station.
Halfway between Half Life 2 and Snow Piercer, The Last Station entice the player thanks to a curious plot, and offers him a challenging gameplay. Do not judge from the visual style, as the latest title published by tinyBuild need dedication and strategy.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Final Station challenges the player with scarcity and survival and weaves just enough context to make the world built around it interesting.
The Final Station’s pairing of on-foot side-scrolling survival with time and resource management on board a train makes for an consistently fun, if not short experience. The tense moments that leave you questioning whether or not to open the next door and the intriguing story of hope in a post-apocalyptic world keep you engrossed right up until the underwhelming ending.
This game is a hell of a lot of fun to play. It's not overly complicated, but it puts the sense of horror on the screen beautifully. It's easy to pick up and gets interesting very quickly. The way the story is told through features of the world is very creative. Those little touches absorb you into the world so completely that your heart rate rises every time those little white eyes loom out of the darkness.
The Final Station isn't a bad game, but it just doesn't do enough to draw me into its world and continue enjoying its decent gameplay and stark visual design.
While it may look simple and even a bit silly on the surface, The Final Station is quite the captivating game. The story and survival aspects have been blended wonderfully, and it leaves you with plenty to mull over long after the credits roll.
The Final Station is a very well made game and one I thoroughly enjoyed. The game is creepy, has a great world and story that I'm still eager to see more about. While it had a bit of a slow start at first, the game quickly ramped up and kept me moving. While the pixel art appearance may be a turn off for some players, I feel The Final Station has a great retro look and style that meshed perfectly with the gameplay.
The Final Station ends up being a linear game in the end, but this short train is worth riding at least once.