Observer Reviews
The Rutger Hauer-starring cyberpunk noir adventure game >observer_ arrives to the Nintendo Switch in an extremely well-crafted and impressive port.
You’ll play the game as Dan Lazarski, a sort of cyber-detective operating in a dystopian future world full of augmented humans...
Observer is a wonderful game from start to finish. It is both fear-instilling and intriguing. So, if you're looking for a horror game that is visually striking and insightful enough to warrant self-reflection, Observer is a wonderful choice.
A brilliantly unique experience later soddened with unusual game design decisions.
>observer_ is a fantastic cyberpunk horror game with a hint of stealth and mind-fucking. The story is all about finding out the truth, leading spontaneous investigations, and trying to lift the lockdown on the building. However, this will require you to hack into the memories and nightmares of dead bodies as well as explore the run-down apartment building as you scourer for clues and evidence. Not everything is as it seems, some things will disturb you, you’ll get hit with moral choices, and you will get creeped out.
For a walking simulator game, it's one of the best I've had the chance to play. The story is rather short but has enough stuff to do as you scan, and hack to keep you going until the end. Bloober Team have improved with this release when compared to their previous game, and I definitely look forward to seeing what they do next!
Observer is a strange experience, punctuated by many "what the" moments. It's a game you have to talk to somebody about, that will make you reflect, and assault your saneness.
Observer is a tad clunky as a straight detective game but its story, setting and mind-diving conceit make it much more than that. It's gorgeously depressing, uncomfortable in a number of ways, and you won't be able to shake it from your own thoughts for some time.
A beautifully realised and often harrowing cyberpunk tale let down by repetition and gameplay which is both simple and frustrating in equal measure.
The cyberpunk genre serves as a reflection of where we're headed in society, with more and more technology integrated into everyday life at the cost of our humanity.
Observer is one of those games that not everyone can communicate with. If we ignore game-play issues, Observer is definitely worth experiencing once. Having said that, before you start the game, you need to know you’d better not compare it with other games with similar genre as you’ll get highly disappointed!
Review in Persian | Read full review
Observer is incredibly solid. It's steeped in narrative and features dark and beautiful environments. It captures the dystopian feel of an uncertain and technologically filled future. And there's certainly enough to spook you or keep you on your toes. No mind interrogation is easy or makes much sense, but you can never fully understand the mind either. Aside from the creepy, intense leaps into other's minds or completing a forensic investigation into a crime scene, much of the story is told through slow exposition. The world is seemingly devoid, and aside from a few places, I never felt pressured or frightened. It was more of a "I'll just keep going this way until something changes." The lack of interactions in the world makes me question a lot of what Lazarski experiences, making it seem like reality is suspect in itself.
Observer is a first-person cyberpunk horror title from the minds behind the reputedly excellent Layers of Fear, Bloober Team. Stepping into the cybernetically enhanced mind of Daniel Lazarski, modeled after and voiced by cyberpunk veteran Rutger Hauer, as he investigates the disappearance of his son. Exploring a dark, retro-futuristic world full of dark secrets, "Big Brother" and mind-hacking, Observer is an interesting tale that, more often than not, is an exercise in patience more than it is a horror story.
Overall Observer is good at what it does, but it's not the sort of place I overly enjoyed being in. Rather than pelting headlong down the horror route, it straddles an awkward thriller line that didn't overly entice me. At no point was I desperate to boot it up and find out what happened next, no doubt partly due to the busy, often dizzying art style that made me feel like I was sat in the back of a hot car on a long journey. For those after a narrative driven, cyberpunk fix Observer certainly fills a hole though, provided you can deal with yet another take on technologies potential impact on humanity.
Observer manages to construct a truly disturbing Orwellian reality and put the player at the heart of a sinister plot that’ll definitely creep them out. It borrows a lot from cyberpunk classics, and while it feels derivative at times, it manages to create its own cyberpunk experience and deliver a fresh take on horror gameplay
Observer has some really noticeable issues, including some iffy voice acting, lame stealth segments, pixel hunt puzzles, and crashing issues. However, it's saved by better puzzles, some great imagery, and a story that is worth paying attention to.
Observer is as close to a cyberpunk masterpiece as we’ll get, featuring an engaging story, excellent performances from all the voice actors involved, and impeccable worldbuilding.
Observer causes the most strange and mixed feelings. Remaining true to the chosen genre, developers perfectly convey the atmosphere of a gloomy technological future with organoid themes, drugs and virtual psychedelics. But boring walking sections, strange and annoying stealth, and some terrible visual effects, as well as a too weak main story leave a taste of disappointment. However, you should still try this game for the sake of side stories and a superbly transmitted atmosphere.
Review in Russian | Read full review
I haven't seen a world this interesting in horror for a while. I apparently took 62 screenshots while playing, and that goes to show how much there is to take in. A few minor technical flaws keep me from giving it a perfect score, but Observer is one of my favorite games in a year that has much to offer.