評論

• gamedeal user

  Nov 10, 2021

  What a strange little game. I by no means could say I didn't enjoy it - I did - but it was just so weird. First off: the art style and aesthetic are fantastic. This game looks weirdly realistic and painterly at the same time. I consistently felt wowed by how beautiful this game looked. The levels have this wonderful presentation, where you get to explore a cluttered office space as a tiny bug, or enter a gramophone that the bugs use as a bar/club. It's really well-done. However, as another reviewer said, the game seriously lacked variety in the kinds of bugs I got to see. It was the same exact insect model with different colours. It gets rather monotonous after a while, and it's clearly a sign of a lack of time/resources on the dev's end (which I sympathise with, them being an indie studio). To add to this, there's parts of the game where it just feels like the explorable area is huge but without much to really do. And when your objective takes you across large parts of that map/level multiple times, it gets a bit tiring (even though you generally know where you should be going). This really hurts the pacing of the game and made me feel like even the 4.5 hrs I spent could have been cut by an hour so. I really enjoy short games that don't overstay their welcome, and Metamorphosis was stretching that line a bit too far. The above two points lead me to believe that this game started off as a far more ambitious project than what we got (because the first half of the game is beautiful and lavishly detailed), but as they burned through time and resources, they realised they'd have to seriously scale back the scope or risk running out of money. The second half not only feels a bit soulless and dull, it's actively boring to play, which the first half was certainly not. Finally, the story. I didn't really get the story...? It felt like there was an important story going on in the background that I was being withheld from because I've been morphed into a bug. Which I guess is part of it, but it seemed rather aimless. Yes, the protagonist's main objective was to turn back into a human, but there was really nothing else to motivate me from a narrative perspective. No interesting characters, plot points, etc. The human characters were having some kind of conflict/story that seemed to be potentially interesting, but just like the radio transmissions in MGS V, it was all happening in the background and I couldn't really pay attention half the time. And the ending was so stupidly rushed and completely random. It had no emotional impact, no catharsis. It made no sense that they would end it like that, and it felt rather like the devs had gotten sick of their game and wanted to be done with it as soon as they could (although I'm sure that's not the case, they probably just ran out of time). Which is a real shame. Anyway, this is certainly an odd game that not everyone will enjoy, but if you like weird and beautiful art direction, some interesting levels and presentation, maybe give it a shot. This is a very conditional 'Do Recommend' from me. Just don't set your expectations too high.
• Greatless

  Feb 10, 2022

  Great music and an intriguing start that promises a lot. It fades quickly into a very hand-holdy experience which shoves you forward before you're ready to change scenes. Stunning visuals and the sense of scale you get is amazing. The architecture and level design is among the best I've seen in a long time. It's just sad that the important parts are the most lacking. Having the puzzles spoiled constantly before you even get to attempt them, and the story never comes to a conclusion or even to a point where you feel like it makes sense. It's just gibberish. There were quite a few objectives that simply failed by accidentally succeeding with something else that happened to solve the same issue. You would have no idea of this beforehand though, so you're robbed of any sense of satisfaction from completing it the way you wanted to. The human dialogues were just packed with filler words and structures with the sole purpose of extending the time before it loops around to the beginning. Paired with the slow talking, it makes for a painful experience. Very, very good music though. Mikolai Stroinski and Garry Schyman created something truly wonderful here.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 13, 2020

  "How do I get to the Castle?" For most people, Metamorphosis is a fine and effective adventure-platformer, with the core conceit that the player character is an insect. Movement and jumping are snappy and responsive, the levels are brilliantly designed, and the writing and characters are quite excellent. If you are unfamiliar with the source material, the game is still mighty fine in every regard it strives to be. If, however, you are a total book nerd who devoured every Kafka collected edition, have practically memorized the scenes in The Trial, and own hardback copies of every Peter Kuper adaptation of Franz Kafka's work (shut up, I like books), then Metamorphosis is an absolute dream come true. I won't spoil much, as the game's narrative works best going in as blind as possible, but for those expecting a direct adaptation, this is not it (that game came out a bit of a while back as a point and click adventure). Rather, Metamorphosis is more a celebration of Kafka's works and themes, vaunting his absurdist and surrealist style while lamenting the crippling horror of the mundane. Characters and scenes from across his entire bibliography appear, translated beautifully into an interactive medium. "Everyone knows how to get to the Castle."
• gamedeal user

  Aug 14, 2020

  It's a walking simulator that took 2.5 hours to beat and costs $25. For this reason alone I unfortunately cannot recommend it, not at this price range. The puzzles are not puzzles. There is no difficulty here. For 25 dollars I recommend you instead go buy a big mac and What Remains of Edith Finch which is 19.99 and takes just as long to beat with a much more interesting story. IF you are a fan of observing whimsical art and being really tiny then you will like this.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 14, 2020

  I loved how it started, and some of the environments were beautiful. There's not a lot of actual game here though. It's walk here, talk to random bugs, some of who make absolutely no sense, pick through the error ridden subtitles, and then the game just ends abruptly after about 2 and a half hours. I enjoyed some of the set pieces, but overall this is not worth a purchase unless heavily on sale.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 30, 2020

  In the spirit of full disclosure, I have not completed Metamorphosis. However, I have spent enough time with the game that I believe I am safe in writing a review. Metamorphosis is one of the most unique games I've played. It is a first person adventure, played as an insect. Instead of seeing your hands, you see your front legs and instead of footsteps, you 'skittle' along surfaces. When you miss a jump and fall to the floor, the sound is unmistakable as the 'squish' of an insect death. From this perspective, exploring drawers, crevasses, desks, filing cabinets, and the spaces humans can only imagine is quite a change. Kudos to the development team for crafting such marvelous visuals for a view that they, themselves, have never experienced! In terms of story, there are two threads that reflect the themes from Franz Kafka's works Metamorphosis and The Trial. Gregor, the man-turned-insect is exploring and listening to the saga of Josef K (who is attempting to navigate a faceless legal systeml). Although you do not need to have read Kafka, those who have will recognize and enjoy a new take on classic stories. While there are quality voice overs for the humans that appear, the insect conversations are done with a distortion that adds to your sense of being in a strange world. The sound track is definitely a plus in this game and headphones are a must. My only caveat for players is that there is a lot of platforming moves required which become more difficult as the game progresses. You do a bit of jumping, running, leaping from one moving object to another, etc. If you miss then it is likely you will start the entire sequence again. While there are quite a few automatic save/check points, I would have liked to have been able to do an explicit save halfway through a difficult sequence. I played with the keyboard which worked better for me than a controller. I highly recommend Metamorphosis if you are looking for an adventure with a twist. For those with good run/jump coordination, it should be an easy journey. For others, it may require some perseverance but the overall game experience is worth it. Now... if I can only make this next jump... Added Note: I finally made the jump and completed my journey. What a brilliant game!
• gamedeal user

  Sep 14, 2020

  The story and gameplay was somewhat interesting, but as others stated, it's basically a walking simulator. I beat the game in 3 hours and was expecting a lot more for a $25 price tag. The puzzles have no challenge at all as they are very simple and easy to figure out. Just when the game started to peak my interest, it became repetitive and then felt like it ended very abruptly. Unfortunately, I can't say it was worth the buy at all.
• gamedeal user

  Oct 5, 2020

  You'll love this game if you like: x Exploration x Art & Creativity x Insects x Literature Personally this may be my favorite gaming experience of the year.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 5, 2020

  This is tough. The game is beautiful. The story is pretty good. The music is great. Problem is, It takes about 2-3 hours to beat. There are basically no puzzles. It's a weak platformer at best. I cannot recommend it at $25. Maybe with a sale?
• gamedeal user

  Nov 6, 2020

  This game is very overpriced for the 3 hours of gameplay it gives you. If you can get it on sale for at least 50% off it's likely worth it due to the neat mechanics and somewhat new plot. It is a little repetitive at points but I did enjoy the time I put into this game.