The Complex Reviews
Lacks anything that really makes it glitter and at the same time isn’t awful enough to have a certain level of camp to it either.
In terms of script, photography and art, The Complex dares little, with a direction that is sometimes confusing and problems in the construction of some ramifications that it proposes. However, it entertains and places itself as a good example of the so-called full motion videos, offering a sci-fi suspense that is very suitable for fans of the genre, a certain diversity of significant choices and an audiovisual quality in the average of other similar productions.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Thanks to some poor performances and a serious lack of meaningful player choice, it's not a complex decision whether you should check this one out or not.
The Complex offers commendable acting and writing and a genuine sense of excitement to go with its interactive movie experience. However, most of the endings are quite similar and unsatisfying, and player choices often don't have much effect on the overall narrative. Still, considering the game costs the same price as a weeknight movie theater ticket, but with the added benefit of some novel interactivity, The Complex could make for a refreshingly unique, albeit short, movie night.
The Complex is neither a game bor a movie. It's actually a movie that you can change its course by your actions. The gameplay is very simple and there isn't really much going on, and if you are a fan of the genre you'll probably enjoy it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
While you can't fault the visuals and the effort put in to try and mask the evident budget limitations, that cutting of corners vibe is sadly something that plays into The Complex one too few many times.
The Complex can be enjoyed as a decent B movie, with its poorly written plot and cheap visual effects. The actors do their job though and there is a real replay value, since the choices made thourough the game have real consequences on the conclusion, with nine different endings to get.
Review in French | Read full review
As far as FMV games go, The Complex sits among one of the best I’ve played this generation. With almost 200 scenes to discover, nine endings, multiple branches and pathways, and a tracker keeping tabs on your Relationship status with all the other characters, this game was aptly named as it’s rather ‘complex’. The entire experience felt like I was simply watching a film on TV, only I was the director, telling the actors what to do and how to proceed. I’d highly recommend this game to all fans of FMV titles and those looking for something they can casually play through on their own or with their family.
There are some components that seem unnecessary, and some settings that could be improved upon, but The Complex is absolutely a game I will recommend again and again.
An interactive movie that tries to tell a relevant tale of near-future Britain but is marred by characters that lack credibility and a story free from dramatic tension.
The Complex is yet another chapter in the long contamination story between cinema and video games. Wales Interactive gave birth to an interesting interactive experience, yet the writing could have been a little deeper.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A lot of visual polish is not enough to cover for a product where the minimum of effort has been placed in every other component. There are far better interactive movies more deserving of your time and money. Even Night Trap was more interesting.
The story and acting are superb and with so many endings it's almost impossible to predict how each decision will play out and affect the overall conclusion. A must play for fans of live-action games.
The Complex is desperately lacking the narrative meat necessary to support its promising presentation, so only the most ardent FMV game fans need apply.
The Complex offers a fun and engaging personalised movie experience, and demands the attention and immersion of the player in its decision-making interactive elements. Its budget is small, so set your expectations accordingly, but if you’re in withdrawal after Bandersnatch and need another hit of choose-your-own-adventure, you can’t go too wrong with this, while we wait for the film and games industries to catch up.
The Complex is a well crafted interactive movie with a story that will initially hook you. As you lead Amy's decision making through the story, some moments can feel a bit out there or character motivations unclear, but it's a satisfying experience overall and it will scratch that sci-fi thriller itch.
The Complex on Xbox One is a good sci-fi experience that delivers a decent tale about pharma-terrorism with many complex and interesting themes running throughout. The production values, acting and the script are all very good and it’s a very enjoyable yarn, with all this helped by the fact that there are several different – and hugely interesting – outcomes in place. But the actual choice-driven gameplay has not been able to make me feel connected to the story enough
The Complex attempts to fuse Bandersnatch and Until Dawn and fails abysmally. Meaningless decision-making about characters that are impossible to care about makes what could have been a boring movie actively bad.
The Complex feels like a moderately entertaining super-low budget science fiction film – the first time. After that, it becomes apparent that the "interactive" part of this interactive film is just fluff, until the very end. At that point, the game slams you into an ending that feels a bit unearned. The Complex is a fun enough way to spend an evening with family or friends, but don't expect any longevity out of it.
A sharp, smartly written interactive thriller, with not a single one-dimensional character in sight, The Complex is (despite its theme) a joy to experience.