Observer Reviews

Observer is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
5 / 10.0
Mar 20, 2024

All told, Observer showcases the quintessential cyberpunk world, offering a bleak glance at a future that oozes distrust, oil, and injustice from every pore. The visuals, even on the Switch, are impressive, and portray a world so dingy that it’s borderline uncomfortable. Creeping through the jumbled mind of Dan Lazarski (Hauer) is oftentimes legitimately troubling, but despite the effective styling and a well written score, the experience is severely hampered by sluggish controls, unclear storytelling and an almost complete lack of gameplay.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2019

With dated yet distinctive visuals, Observer is sure to suck people into the Dystopian world that Bloober Team created, but it won’t be for everyone.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Mar 2, 2019

Observer could have been more. It has style and exceptional art direction, a creative premise but flaccid and unimaginative gameplay. Maybe this comes with the territory when it comes to walking-sims or first-person adventure games, but there really is no excuse for the lack of imagination because much older games have found ways to keep things fresh while adventuring. There is very little attention to detail when it comes to interaction and player-choice. Observer should have been like playing a pacifist run on the original Deus Ex.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 27, 2019

The game, despite the graphics not being as fantastic as on the other platforms, was absolutely fantastic and very well put together with many chances to find new side objectives to continue with your story. I would play through Observer again ensuring I found every last bit of detail, although I feel, as stated, it isn’t a very scary game for a horror! I did have some issues with the game crashing a few times, mainly at the ending. I guess the Switch didn’t want to end it as much as I didn’t !!

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8 / 10
Feb 27, 2019

Observer is something unique on the Nintendo Switch catalogue, a game that brings two very different gameplay styles together and which creates a haunting and disturbing experience, in the background of a marvelous cyberpunk dystopian atmosphere and with a plot that allows for several different endings. This is a game everyone should try at least once.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

50 / 100
Feb 25, 2019

Observer is a good title. Good story, a solid core, and a great setting. Simply, if you can play anywhere else, the experience will be more satisfying than on Switch.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Feb 22, 2019

>observer_ is a wonderful futuristic Cyberpunk adventure game with plenty of detective work that adds the occasional scary thrill. The story is well written and the interrogation scenes are a wild, fun, vivid psychedelic ride.

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8.8 / 10.0
Feb 22, 2019

Observer is a beautifully crafted thriller from Bloober Team that creates a riveting story by blending the horror and cyberpunk genres. Its captivating narrative serves as an excellent vehicle for detective work and puzzle-solving. The cyber-noir aesthetic is upheld by character development, rich world-building, and convincing voice-acting. Whether you've played it before or are playing it for the first time, Observer is deserving of your time and money. However, the Nintendo Switch port falls short in comparison to other versions of the game because of its frustrating graphical resolution when docked. While Observer is highly enjoyable in handheld mode, not being able to fully enjoy it when docked eliminates half of the Switch's format. If a Switch is all you own, then absolutely look into Observer. For those with other consoles, I'd recommend grabbing the game on PC, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One first. Overall, Observer still manages to shine through as an excellent addition to the horror genre.

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81 / 100
Feb 19, 2019

Varied horror psychotrip into an atmospheric cyberpunk world with annoying stealth passages.

Review in German | Read full review

Nintendo Enthusiast
Benjamin Weeks
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Feb 16, 2019

Ultimately, Observer excels at world building and gameplay variety, keeping the player busy with a list of things to do.

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Feb 15, 2019

The Switch may not have the power for a game as expansive as Observer, but even with its technical faults and the occasional gameplay misstep, it’s still an incredible experience. Whether it’s the morbid story, the disturbing atmosphere or the deeply involving detective gameplay, this is a genuinely brilliant horror-thriller that works its way under your skin and lingers long after you put the controller down.

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6.5 / 10.0
Feb 14, 2019

WORTH CONSIDERING - There are a few times where Observer shines when you relinquish your mind to its sensory overload. The gameplay can be painfully slow and the story really takes its time to get going. If you’re into Blade Runner it will whet your appetite for a cyberpunk world, but it won’t spark any deep conversations or existential crises you’ve come to associate with the genre.

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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 13, 2019

An impressive blend of old school cyberpunk and modern survival horror, that manages to overcome a bad celebrity voiceover and some distracting technical issues.

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75 / 100
Feb 12, 2019

Observer on the Switch brings back all the good aspects of the game and gives you more flexibility on how to play it with new touch inputs and, of course, the option to play it on the go.

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Feb 11, 2019

Observer is a love letter to cyberpunk and Blade Runner in particular, but if you look past that it's also a really great game in its own right. We are taken on a graphic and dark journey, in a bleak but believable world, meeting all manner of interesting and isolated characters as Dan searches for his son. Dripping with atmosphere, blood and chrome, this game is a slow, dark deliberate journey through the dark heart of a hellish future and the nightmares within.  Observer is available from the Nintendo e-shop for £26.99

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8 / 10.0
Feb 10, 2019

It’s not perfect by any means but it is like no other game on the Nintendo Switch and it’s worth your time and money.

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Feb 7, 2019

Observer puts another horror string in the Switch’s bow. It remains an effective and compelling sci-fi horror trip that isn’t afraid to take things at its own pace whilst sticking firmly to its own rules. That does mean that it’s not going to be to every horror fan’s tastes, but it’s admirable that it stands by its convictions to deliver an unsettling and evocative experience.

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9 / 10
Feb 7, 2019

Despite the technical downgrade compared with the other versions, Observer is still an extraordinary game with a magnificent cyberpunk atmosphere and some visual effects that would certainly please David Lynch.

Review in French | Read full review

8 / 10
Feb 7, 2019

Despite threatening to fizzle under the weight of its reverence for Blade Runner, Observer manages to craft an impressive and affecting horror experience on Switch that doesn't outstay its welcome. It's arguably at its best when you surrender to the barrage of imagery and sounds rather than scanning pools of blood with detective vision. This port walks a technical tightrope and falters a little in docked mode, but fares much better as a handheld experience – its ambition and rich world-building are admirable enough to make up for any technical shortcomings. If Bloober Team doubles-down on the horror genre and keeps producing work of this quality, we'll gladly play whatever's next in the pipeline.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 7, 2019

Even with its many flaws, the superb voice acting and serviceable story were still an entertaining playthrough. A linear horror-mystery thriller is a bit niche, but if that's what you're into, Observer is a title still worth picking up. If nothing else, it gives us a glimpse of what the Switch is capable of, and it will hopefully be the beginning of a trend of pushing the handheld to its limits.

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