Everything Reviews
Funny, philosophical, and deeply, deeply weird, there's nothing else quite like Everything on PC.
The controls take some getting used to, but Everything is easy to understand and play
Everything is a grand experiment that manages to inspire and disappoint in equal measure.
This is an exceptional piece of fantasy fiction, a metamorphosis machine, a toy, a game like no other. It's a work of deep imagination, humor and thoughtfulness. Everything held me captive for many hours, and will continue to do so. It's brave, bizarre, compelling and beautiful.
Maybe it was that little touch, or maybe it was the fact that I was a bleary-eyed mess playing the game at 4 AM, but I felt so connected to… everything.
By throwing out most of Spore's traditional mechanics in favour of a cross between Katamari Damacy and Nested, Everything gets closer to sublimity. And though I don't think it gets all the way there – not for me, not right now – the silliness is constant and delightful.
Everything really does deliver on its abstract concept, but only if you're willing to boot it up with an open mind. There's no action, or even a cohesive plot. There are no XP bars to fill or loot to collect – just a universe and you, and a desire to determine just who ‘you' really are. The basic textures and colours (and the hilarious way creatures just roll about like possessed statues) might stifle some, but Everything's worth is more than skin deep. It's a risky game – some will love it and some just won't get it at all – but it's an experience well worth undertaking, regardless of where you end up.
The sheer scope of Everything is an incredible achievement, and it does offer at least a few hours of entertainment, before it inevitably becomes a bit stale.
A nice, weird walk and a philosophical lecture, both unfortunately ruined by how hard the game drives its point home. Everything would be cleverer if it wasn't seemingly trying to be so clever.
I can only hope that "Everything," opens the door for more philosophical games; it is the rare game that may push you to want to lead a better life.
What you get out of Everything will depend entirely on you. You may get bored within minutes just as easily as you could spend hours wandering around alien continents as a slice of pizza. I'm not sure it can be described as fun in a traditional sense, and it sometimes feels like you are being forced to sit through through a complex lecture mixed with a dash of group therapy, but other times it can be utterly hilarious as you make baby tractors by dancing.
Everything feels to me like a mellow, less aggressive take on Katamari Damacy or Noby Noby Boy, a curious, reflective novelty that, for players in the right kind of mindset, can spark something profound.
David O'Reilly's unique universe simulation strives to create connections – some physical, some assumed – between literally everything
No matter if I was playing or watching, every hour I spent with Everything was an interesting one. Much like life itself, there were moments of beauty and laughter, but also sadness. It's undoubtedly a strange creation, but no other game can allow players to listen to Alan Watts discuss the interplay of difference while watching 10 outhouses perform a dance that results in a baby outhouse somehow being born. There's something special about these moments, and it's why Everything will be on my television screen for a long time to come.
This persistence in spite of everything is Everything's strength, but it is also to its detriment. It can begin to feel fairly lonely to exist in a universe which isn't affected by your existence, or your changes.
Everything wants you to explore the full scope of the universe. A universe that we often forget consists of much more than our own short and small lives.
Everything is not for everyone, and thus it's a hard game to score. This existential experience is not quite as pretentious as it appears to be, but it will still leave you mindful of your worth to the world – and the universe as a whole. Honestly, if you've ever found yourself enchanted by the sheer scale of space itself, then this game does an incredible job of communicating that through rudimentary interactivity alone.
After discussing it for a few minutes, I feel like I want to thank you all for coming to my TED talk. That’s because it’s so impressionistic, existential, philosophical … all the things people invoke when they want to convince you that video games can be art. But Everything has a leg up on a lot of those art-installation-as-games. Everything is also a lot of fun!
Everything provides a mellow environment to explore, with the perfect auditory compliments for your journey. The experience may be lost on some, but that's okay. Others will thoroughly enjoy getting lost in the experience, despite minor frustrations like the needle-in-a-haystack search.
Everything is an undefinable game in which we can literally control 'everything' we see. The new product made by David OReilly is an exaltation of senses and freedom, beauty and wonder.
Review in Italian | Read full review