Observer Reviews
Unusual but fantastic take on cyberpunk. Observer is an exciting title for every fan of the depressing sci-fi worlds. Not without its faults, the game is worth your attention and your money.
Review in Polish | 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 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.
Observer is a brilliant commingling of cyberpunk and horror. It demostrates how interesting the game concept is and how much Bloober Team has grown.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Observer feels like a step down from Layers of Fear. It's intriguing and mind-bending enough for sure with its atmosphere sure to creep out people. But the lead VA, annoying artefacts and some of the horror elements just don't click.
Observer takes place and memories and turns them into frightening things, dragging the player into realms of terrifying visions that stir up a nameless fear.
Despite the fact that there are some technical and acting issues, Observer absolutely excels.
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.
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.
As far as budget titles go, this one is a little steep for the relative lack of gameplay and storyline you get packaged with it-- but if you like incredibly detailed and spooky atmospheres coupled with plenty of jump-scares, this one may be worth a buy for you.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Observer features remarkable trips through fictional minds that unsettle and terrify without relying on excessive jump scares. The nightmares contrast wonderfully with an atmospheric and detailed cyberpunk world that is always fascinating to explore.
Observer is a good psychological horror game with some minor road blocks that ultimately hold it back. Still, if you are looking for a horror game this summer, you could do far worse.
As it turns out, the future is not bright in this neo-noir detective game with a horror twist.
Combining investigation, exploration, stealth, puzzles, and a near constant barrage of horror, Observer is a meticulously created game that rarely puts a foot wrong. If you think you have the stomach for it, this could be one of the biggest surprises of the year.