Beholder: Complete Edition Reviews
Beholder is an intriguing concept and thematically rather strong, as it twists and exaggerates a Cold War totalitarian surveillance state into the form of a video game. However, with a sequel on the way, we hope that Warm Lamp can improve on an idea that's rather rough around the edges but is dying to be fleshed out further.
Small character moments and mechanics make for an enjoyable take on surveillance and spying, but its grander political message is lost in the shadows.
It's clear that Beholder: Complete Edition is trying to tell a story about oppression, coercion, and state observation, but its heavy handedness and console controls dilutes the message it's trying to produce. Other games have achieved much more with so much less, yet that shouldn't distract from what is a management game with a delightful twist. It's fun to be the bad guy and hauling out a tenant because you spied them eating fish can be strangely compelling. Sometimes admin can be fun and Beholder exploits the subservient and rebel in us all.
Beholder is all about making choices, even if the choices become repetitive. The FingerGuns Review;
Beholder is an interesting management sim with brilliant morally ambiguous themes taking center stage, however it suffers from imbalanced execution.
Once the basics are understood, they're repeated ad nauseum, and while the story has some interesting elements, the monotony of the gameplay is indefensible. Few will be able to power through enough to see the many endings hidden here.
"Stalking is too repetitive to be fun."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The visual style is certainly unique enough despite how much it may remind some of Playdead’s Limbo. The gameplay is also inspiring when first experiencing it for its mesh of strategy, management, and stealth. It’s just a shame that it gets bogged down by the economy when trying to complete key objectives. The controls are serviceable also but will take some getting used to at first.
Had Beholder released 5 years ago, it would have been hailed as a ground-breaking title for its subversive qualities and biting commentary. As it stands, it is a solidly realised idea that unfortunately falls under the shadow of Papers, Please – a much leaner, older title that is more efficient in conveying many of the same messages.