Aporia: Beyond the Valley
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Critic Reviews for Aporia: Beyond the Valley
There may be a lot of firt person puzzle games on the market, but this has something that warms the soul. The world is interesting, the puzzles are challenging, and there's always something to see.
While I eventually enjoyed Aporia: Beyond the Valley, the moments where bugs and glitches appeared took me right out of the experience. It's a shame too, as the story is well told despite uttering no words at all, the premise is genuinely interesting, and the puzzles – when they work as intended – are a joy to solve. It's certainly one to wait on for now while they tidy up all the bugs and glitches.
It's beautiful and enchanting. If only there was something more to do there.
Being rather positive of the game, it manages to stick the landing thereabouts with the narrative told and its escape room like puzzles. Even with the complaints of spoon force feeding, it gives the player enough leeway to think about world. With the abstract take working well, just not as fully realised as some might expect.
The story and puzzles are decent in Aporia: Beyond The Valley, so it's a shame that the world is roughly designed, there are consistency and technical issues, and the horror element is shallow.
Aporia ticks a lot of boxes without necessarily heading in a typical direction for a game these days. The combination of visual and audio make it an absolute pleasure to play. The puzzles are not overly taxing, but in keeping with the vibe of the game. I have made everyone in my family play this game now and the verdict is unanimous, they all like it. I'm sure that the game will be a bit Marmite for some, those that only like the adrenaline rush of facing 20 incoming zombies armed with only a stick might not appreciate the beauty and subtlety of the game. Maybe try something new?
In short, we can say that Aporia: Beyond the Valley is a very interesting title, which presents the mechanics already seen, but which in fact gives a very special emotion thanks to the total absence of narrative that drives us to discover and explore and use the our minds to learn what we see. The story is not clear, it will be up to us to really understand what has happened and this, coupled with spectacular settings and an immersive audio compartment, will ensure full engagement in the title. Of course, maybe longevity will not be too high if you decide to run towards the end, but thanks to continual exploration and different and evocative environments, eventually the time dedicated to the title will be more than expected. There are some incompatibilities at the level of interpenetration, which, however, does not go to spoil the overall gaming experience. In short, a title suitable for all lovers of the mystery and exploration!
Review in Italian | Read full review
