Vane Reviews
Vane is a unique experience and for that in itself Friend & Foe should be applauded. As an artwork, it’s compelling. But as a game, it’s recommended with strings attached: this is a harsh, uncompromising world and you’re going to need to struggle to survive.
Vane is an intriguing game with a variety that encourages you to dig deep into its dubious world, but its sluggish controls hamper this peculiar experience.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Vane is the kind of game where you can see what the developers were going for. It has moments where the vision comes together and perhaps you've turned a corner, but all too quickly it goes back to its old, disappointing ways.
Developers Friend & Foe wanted to give freedom to the players with Vane, and on that aspect, they succeeded. Unfortunately for me, this also became a major disappointment, as there was maybe a bit too much freedom to properly lead me through the story and through the experience it should’ve been.
It can still look visually striking when viewed from a distance while its audio design, with a brooding electronic score, can also be wonderfully atmospheric. Sadly, it's not enough to salvage a wholly disappointing experience that never reaches the lofty heights it begins with.
It seems like during the years of development, Friend & Foe has forgotten what it wanted to say with Vane.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Vane is a 2-hour atmospheric adventure game that due to its numerous technical problems and confusing language will take up to 5 hours to finish. It is a unique experience with stunning art design and music that unfortunately has been lost in a sea of bugs and gameplay problems
Review in Persian | Read full review
It is boring walking simulator with crow. As dry as desert in this journey.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
A beautiful world begging to be explored falls victim to unclear direction and clunky controls making for a disaster instead of a delight.
Vane is a game that sticks to its ideals at the detriment of everything else. It's a noble idea to let players figure out everything on their own — until you realize that the large environments and the number of interactive but ultimately useless elements mean more time wasted in activities without a payoff.
Aside from occasional camera troubles, Vane stands out as one of the most immersive titles of 2019. Whether exploring the world as a child or a bird, the visuals masterfully blend together in a beautiful environment worthy of exploration. In relying on visuals instead of dialogue, players can form a deeper appreciation for the world around them - one open to interpretation. Vane is not a particularly long adventure, but it's one that'll leave audiences reflecting long after the credits have rolled.
Vane's first fifteen minutes are amazing. Then the game plummets in quality faster than a diving bird. Tons of glitches, obtuse puzzle, terrible controls, an awful camera, and stuttering frame rate keep Vane from being worth your time.
Vane is an enigmatic game about the force of union and the silent sacrifice of living beings. It looks like an Early Access game, with bugs, glitches and an unnerving slow pace. Sometimes presents a wonderful world where the sense of solitude is the key to understand what Friends & Foe wanted to tell in their obscure and strange story.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This game won't be for everyone. A short playtime and lack of instruction of what to do or where to go, coupled with a range of annoying little glitches, may cause many to get frustrated. However the overall look and atmosphere is incredible. You'll want to explore each location in order to enjoy the game because the pleasure we get from a journey is perhaps more dependent on the mind-set that we travel with, than on the destination we travel to.
Vane is an interesting, beautiful, and provocative indie platformer brought down by design inconsistencies and bugs, but fans of the genre will find something to like here.
Overall, this game lacks any specific direction beyond what you have to figure out for yourself. You get no introduction to the character or the situation they face. There are game breaking bugs and things that cause frustrations that make someone not want to play the game anymore. That being said, this game has good environments and music. The game is now available on PlayStation 4 and is priced at $24.99 USD. If you like clunky, buggy games that look good but make you fight for any meaningful fun then this game is for you. I would not pay the price for this game though and would wait for a sale or even just watch YouTube videos if you are interested in it.
It's clear what sort of tone or manner of presentation Vane is going for despite its short run-time and undeniable vacancy of explanation.
Like so much fine art, this piece loses its luster when you start to dissect and interpret it. So don't. Because it's fucking dope
Vane has a nice art style but with boring gameplay and tons of bugs.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Like the pearlescent shimmer across its desert surface, Vane is difficult to observe and define with precise clarity. Its world presents either an invitation to wonder or a provocation to explore and it's often seized by the tension pulling in opposing directions. Vane can be brilliant and subversive or confusing and frustrating and it's impossible to separate its intentions from its misfortunes.