Vaporum Reviews
All in all, most of the issues addressed above happened in the second half of the game. Vaporum almost literally felt like it lost steam the farther I progressed. Which is, personally, the most disappointing aspect. The beginning and most of the mid-section was where I had an actual wonderful time, where the later half continually soured my perception. There was definitely heart put into the project, which only serves to disappoint me even further. The game is priced at $19.99 on both Steam and Humble Bundle, whereas it’s priced at $24.99 on Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. I am not sure why there are two different price sets, but even at $19.99 I recommend for the game to go on sale before purchasing. I appreciate Fatbot Games’ attempt, especially at the beginning, but I can’t in good faith ignore the second half of the game.
Vaporum is a throwback to an old-school genre, but it doesn't bring about a renaissance for the grid-based dungeon crawler on console.
If you’re a steampunk aficionado then Vaporum will doubtless hold some appeal for you; it’s smartly presented and tells a tantalisingly haunting tale of man’s folly. But for those who aren’t as taken with steam power, Vaporum is a rather average dungeon crawler.
Vaporum is an impressively authentic homage to a bygone era, but at a cost.
The most impressive aspect of the game goes beyond its effective console port. The game is “small” in the indie sense, not made by hundreds but by a core team of four developers. Nevertheless, the game's graphical presentation, attention to detail, and handcrafted design are all so instantly appealing that plenty of AAA gamers who give it a go will surely find themselves hooked. Also, definitely tell that friend who likes BioShock that another kick of spooky, clanking, clockwork mystery is available to jump into.
If Vaporum was more optimized for consoles then it would have been a must-play dungeon crawler.
Steampunk, action rpg and dungeon crawler all in one. Need I say more? Give it a try already!
You’ll start out in the game entering a towering mechanical construct, not quite sure what’s going on...
Vaporum is a classic and quality dungeon crawler that, although it achieves a fair balance between exploration, combat and puzzles, suffers from a difficulty typical of the genre that is not suitable for all audiences. The plot is interesting enough to invite you to move forward, and the setting is quite accomplished and inspired, but the size of the inventory, and the nature of some puzzles tarnish the end result. The Nintendo Switch version has also suffered significant technical cuts and the font is too small in its portable mode, perhaps it is not the ideal platform for this game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Vaporum is slightly undermined by its weaker console port, but just very slightly. Even on consoles, it still offers a solid dungeon crawling experience.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
It's not the biggest rip-off in the world, and Vaporum's neat little spins on dungeon crawling are respectable, with the combat being tactical and in-depth, and the story not being as rewarding as you'd think.
Part of me wonders what this game could have been like if it were a regular first-person shooter and not grid based. The game was good, but it seems like there is a lot more that could have been. I was let down by the lack of steampunk elements and how most of the unique and interesting parts didn't happen until the second half of the game, but It didn't take away from the fun of the puzzle solving. This game has some good puzzles and it is a lot of fun trying to figure them out. The diverse enemy types and combat make the RPG elements of the game more interesting and make you put some thought into the gear you equip. A story with voice acting is a real plus when it comes to indie games and this really helps bring the Vaporum to life and give a good sense of what went on in this place before your arrival. I would like to see another entry to this series in the future. Fumium has the potential for a lot more and It would be great to see another game around this in the future. If you like dungeon crawlers, then this game is definitely worth picking up.
It's a fairly by-the-numbers dungeon crawl that borrows the Steampunk aesthetic, and offers some genuinely clever twists, as far as combat goes. There aren't too many dungeon crawlers on the Switch, and even within that category Vaporum is flat enough that it doesn't come out on top, but it's a pleasurable way to bust a few hours on a weekend nonetheless.
Imperfect controls and other minor annoyances aside, Vaporum is a very enjoyable dungeon-crawler. Its insistence on tile-based movement results in battles that are decided by a rather peculiar dance.
In the end, Vaporum was a welcome return to a world I had long been away from. Vaporum's role-playing and survival experience combine well with Duncan Crawler's style, and this game chains you to the end.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Vaporum is a steampunk take on classic dungeon crawler genre. It is similar to Legend of Grimrock in many aspects, but features slightly worse motivation for progress and brand new set of enemies.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Old-school dungeon crawling with a few modern-day touches, Vaporum attention to detail is wrapped around a tale of steampunk mystery and some fresh ideas.
On the narrative end, Vaporum is more than engaging enough. Surprisingly well-performed audio logs litter the halls, telling the story of our clockwork tower. On the visual side, the halls are dimly lit and filled with clunking robots and steam spouting pipes. Nothing revolutionary, but it's a pretty good steampunk fantasy world.
Vaporum offers a very engaging blend of dungeon crawling, RPG and survival games that it's hard to put down until the end of the campaign. While the mechanics may not be all that original, the customization possibilities, exploration, and puzzles make it so that players won't be troubled by the relative lack of innovation.