Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason Review

Tagaziel

Tagaziel

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It's an awesome game, definitely the best horror game to come out in the past two years, easily trumping Dead Space. For those not aware of what it is, it's a survival horror set in the rusted hulk of a Soviet nuclear icebreaker North Wind, shipwrecked in the Arctic by an iceberg in May 1968. The game is set in 1981, you play as Alexander Nesterov, a Russian meteorologist, who was recalled from the Pole 21 base by a cryptic message, ordered to board an icebreaker, the aforementioned North Wind.

Once he arrives, after an accident with his dog sleigh, he finds that the icebreaker is a wreck, frozen and perfectly preserved in the ice of the Arctic Sea. Little left to lose, he moves forth to investigate the ship and understand just what happened to it.

GRAPHICS

Cryostasis is truly beautiful and ridiculously advanced. Modeled after real Arctica class icebreakers, it faithfully recreates their interiors and looks with near photorealistic quality. However, what truly stands out is the water system, dynamically freezing and melting in real time, providing that extra layer of realism on board the North Wind.

The character design is also nothing short of marvelous. I know, I use many big words, but the quality of the game deserves nothing less! Once you sink into the steel hull of the ship and fight your first Cold humans, terrified, you'll surely agree with me. If you don't, well, the Warden will surely convince you - a twisted being with a cell inside his head.

Graphics are outstanding. But the clothes don't make the man, do they?

SOUND

His voice plays a part in that too. And in Cryostasis' case it's a high pitched shriek of terror that is disturbingly realistic. Best played in a surround configuration, the sounds of a wrecked icebreaker, the crack of snow under your feet and the grunting of those out to kill you, its a feast for the ears... long as you listen to it, instead of covering in terror, rocking back and forth.

The voice acting is a very good element of the game, nowhere near it's audiovisual excellence, but nonetheless of a very high standard. All the characters have very fitting voices, the script is well translated and spoken with adequate amounts of skill, but it lacks that peculiar edge to bring it to excellence.

GAMEPLAY

First of all, lets get one thing out of the way - Cryostasis is not a first person shooter. Yes, it has guns, but Silent Hill also has guns and no one calls it a third person shooter, right? The game is first and foremost a horror, and gunplay is only a fraction of its gameplay, important, but nonetheless a fraction.

In my opinion, Cryostasis presents one of the greatest gameplays of modern games. Action Forms put a lot of effort into crafting a unique, innovative experience, in no small part thanks to the Mental Echo ability, that allows you to relive a dead crewmember's last moments and alter his fate, always in order to progress further. These segments are varied, and serve not only to provide some unique gameplay, but also to expand the story.

But they alone wouldn't save the game, composition is everything. And composition is simply superb. From beginning to the end, Cryostasis will be a thoroughly fresh experience, blending melee combat, shooting enemies with old Soviet weapons, exploration, puzzle solving in Mental Echo sequences, flashbacks, all accompanied by an incredibly thick atmosphere that will keep you enthralled. And if you ever start feeling, that the gameplay is repetitive, it seems the game reads your thoughts and hits you with a sequence so different, that it single handedly rejuvenates your interest in the game.

Of course, it's not perfect, combat is by far the least refined part of the game... then again, you're playing a civilian, not a soldier, and its a refreshing change from the Terminator syndrome most other games with FPS gameplay suffer from. It's a small complaint, however, as it's not an FPS.

STORY

One word: amazing. In a market whose standards are steadily falling, where stories and game worlds don't take a backseat but are running outside the car, Cryostasis is a refreshing (if cold) breeze of fresh air, providing a complete, enclosed story, with no room for a sequel. It's like a good book, a truly unique experience.

Putting the story of the ship together is an important part of the gameplay too, so I will not elaborate on it - suffice to say, you are in for one hell of a ride.

SUMMARY:

Definitely worth buying, if you are looking for something that goes against the market, in that it is a complete, refined experience with little to ask for. Minor technical problems (such as extreme system resource hogging or cumbersome FPS sequences) are completely made up for by Cryostasis with story, varied gameplay, presentation and the feeling of fullfillment once you finish it.

End score?

8.5/10

1.5 lost for cumbersome FPS segments and system hogging. If it wasn't for that, it'd be a definite 9.5/10
 
Awesome, I remember reading about this some time last year.
Wish they'd release a proper demo.

Also, it seems to have very mixed reviews... so I'm really undecided about getting it.
 
Gonna get it. I trust Mikael.
 
It has got some mixed reviews so I am hesitant about getting it but nice to see Mikael likes it :)
 
dude i played this the other day, got it last week. its one of those my most mind-numbing games ever. really takes a beating to my 9600gt though.
 
Had to bump this thread and post what i thought. Game is simply amazing! Why? Because games dont come with deep atmospheric storys anymore. This is seriously a gem. The story is different in the way that its told and experienced. Very interesting back and forth mechanic. Not to mention some really epic moments.

oh and i cant remember a truly good "last fight/ending in a while" this game nailed it. The anticipation for a why and how was simply amazing.

So why do you think all the demented shit happened? Was it the lost minds of the crew sealed in the ship? Their choices that lead them to that position?
 
The subtitle is key, "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters". The monsters are the end result of the crew being locked in that iceberg back in 1963, eventually turning on each other as they succumb to malnourishment and cold. It's the collective viciousness of the crew unleashed in extreme conditions, tied to their eventual disrespect for nature. The captain's role is crucial to understand what exactly happened, as he was the only one who understood that you have to respect mother Nature, not fight with it. That's why they welcomed the iceberg by going on deck and silently thanking it for letting the icebreaker pass. Note that when they failed to do so, they hit one.
 
What's the DRM like?

I wish 1C would make a deal with Steam. I've had my eye on Cryostasis and Necrovision for a while, but I'm really moving towards having my entire game collection on Steam and not bothering with patches and disks at all. And I can't find either of them at any local stores.
 
Strange, I tried but couldn't get into Cryostasis at all. Most reviews I read were critical of it, can't remember the reasons now though!

Necrovision is a decent enough shooter in the same vein as Painkiller et al. If you see it cheap somewhere then it is well worth giving it a go.
 
It's got awesome atmosphere, but the gameplay is like a naff version of Condemned. Plus it runs like crap compared to much better-looking games.
 
Game ran flawlessly here.
Nice to know that more people are enjoying it. I finished it myself a couple of weeks ago,
The combat is average but the presentation, storytelling and atmosphere are worth every penny that i spent on it. This is a very atmospheric game.
It feels more like an adventure game than a first person shooter in my opinion.
Seeing the ice melt when turning on heat sources is a joy to watch.
I was surprised by how well the voice work was done.
Usually, these East European studios tend to do a poor job when they port their games to English.
It's definitely an underrated game. Don't pay attention to reviews. Get it and try it out yourself.
 
TwwIX said:
Game ran flawlessly here.
Nice to know that more people are enjoying it. I finished it myself a couple of weeks ago,
The combat is average but the presentation, storytelling and atmosphere are worth every penny that i spent on it. This is a very atmospheric game.
It feels more like an adventure game than a first person shooter in my opinion.
Seeing the ice melt when turning on heat sources is a joy to watch.
I was surprised by how well the voice work was done.
Usually, these East European studios tend to do a poor job when they port their games to English.
It's definitely an underrated game. Don't pay attention to reviews. Get it and try it out yourself.
Click to expand...


Well put i also felt like i was playing a adventure game. I didnt mind the combat to much. It felt heavy but that added to the tension.
 
Evo said:
Necrovision is a decent enough shooter in the same vein as Painkiller et al. If you see it cheap somewhere then it is well worth giving it a go.
Click to expand...

I thought Painkiller was great, and the Necrovision demo was pretty fun. For anyone who has tried both, which do you think is better, Cryostasis or Necrovision? Right now I'm thinking Cryostasis, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a demo (aside from the Physx tech demo, which was impressive and ran very well for me).
 
Cryostasis is a first person adventure game, Necrovision, I assume, a shooter.
 
Shippi said:
I'm playing this at the moment and I'm really enjoying it. It's a little frustrating combat-wise and my PC doesn't handle it too well, but all in all it's a lot of fun.
Click to expand...

This. The demo ran like a slideshow on recommended settings. Is the full game better optimized?
 
Yeah, demo was pretty good. Full game is $30.
 
Damn, 10% off on Steam.... **** I am tempted.
 
:angry:

Keeps giving my errors when I try to launch the demo.
 
It's on Steampowered, and steam news aldready.
 
I've started playing this, and I'm an hour or so in, more-or-less. My reception to it is decidedly mixed so far. I appreciate what is arguably a refreshing change from your industry of mediocrity in the likes of Modern Warfare and FEAR 2, and the atmosphere is certainly the crème-de-le-crème of frozen wastes, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. The melee combat is clunky, un-engaging, and ultimately unsatisfying; it’s kind of Condemned, but worse. It’s possible Zeno Clash spoiled me in this regard, but I doubt it.

The environment, too, is starting to be increasingly stale; the slow-pace of the game, which I’m far from criticising, is at odds with the relentless steel corridors. Regardless of how well it adheres to its real-life inspiration, it is not enthralling. The frozen textures may be delightful, and the water orgasmic, but they are little compensation.

I’m quite a fan of the Mental Echo ability, at least in terms of what it offers (an opportunity to delve into the past, and engage in some rather more interesting set pieces), but it does seem quite inexplicable.

I have it on top settings too, and it runs very nearly flawlessly. Really, it looks gorgeous. I’ll keep going, because as I said, y’know, it is refreshing – not Zeno Clash refreshing – and I welcome any game that delivers in copious amounts of snow, cold, and ice. It also has a kind of rare intelligence to its proceedings, and looking around at the majority of the games available, I don't see it much on display.
 
Samon said:
I've started playing this, and I'm an hour or so in, more-or-less. My reception to it is decidedly mixed so far. I appreciate what is arguably a refreshing change from your industry of mediocrity in the likes of Modern Warfare and FEAR 2, and the atmosphere is certainly the crème-de-le-crème of frozen wastes, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. The melee combat is clunky, un-engaging, and ultimately unsatisfying; it’s kind of Condemned, but worse. It’s possible Zeno Clash spoiled me in this regard, but I doubt it.

The environment, too, is starting to be increasingly stale; the slow-pace of the game, which I’m far from criticising, is at odds with the relentless steel corridors. Regardless of how well it adheres to its real-life inspiration, it is not enthralling. The frozen textures may be delightful, and the water orgasmic, but they are little compensation.
Click to expand...

You know, next time you could just say it's bland and stop flaunting your intelligence around the children.
 
Samon said:
I've started playing this, and I'm an hour or so in, more-or-less. My reception to it is decidedly mixed so far. I appreciate what is arguably a refreshing change from your industry of mediocrity in the likes of Modern Warfare and FEAR 2, and the atmosphere is certainly the crème-de-le-crème of frozen wastes, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. The melee combat is clunky, un-engaging, and ultimately unsatisfying; it’s kind of Condemned, but worse. It’s possible Zeno Clash spoiled me in this regard, but I doubt it.

The environment, too, is starting to be increasingly stale; the slow-pace of the game, which I’m far from criticising, is at odds with the relentless steel corridors. Regardless of how well it adheres to its real-life inspiration, it is not enthralling. The frozen textures may be delightful, and the water orgasmic, but they are little compensation.

I’m quite a fan of the Mental Echo ability, at least in terms of what it offers (an opportunity to delve into the past, and engage in some rather more interesting set pieces), but it does seem quite inexplicable.

I have it on top settings too, and it runs very nearly flawlessly. Really, it looks gorgeous. I’ll keep going, because as I said, y’know, it is refreshing – not Zeno Clash refreshing – and I welcome any game that delivers in copious amounts of snow, cold, and ice.
Click to expand...

Unlike Zeno Clash this is actually coherent and the storyline is very engaging.
Zeno Clash, besides being repetitive has nothing going for itself but the quirky artwork.
It's tad overrated tbh.
 
Zeno Clash is certainly nothing profoundly special, don't misunderstand me -- I am far from parading it as the latest and greatest. It is competent, refined, and focused; thus far, it's beating Cryostasis, though both can claim competence. Yes, the quirky art-style is its main selling point, and I think it definitely carries the game further than it deserves, but that in itself is far more diverse than Cryostasis has so far proved to be. Its combat is also clunky, but less Condemned, more Butcher Bay; as far as I am concerned, Butcher Bay is far better than Condemned, and thus I consider it to be significantly more satisfying and a worthy comparison.

But look, I'm not claiming Zeno Clash is some leaps-and-bounds ahead of Cryostasis. I'm not. There is something far more delightful about the latter, mostly in its vision, but so far one has fired up my entertainment metre more than the other, and it isn't the one with the meteorologist.
 
Zeno Clash has spoiled me in terms of Melee combat, but as long as Cryostasis does not have combat as frustrating as say Penumbra: Overture, I think I'll be satisfied.

By the way, is there any similarity between the two? I have never finished Penumbra: Black Plague due to a lot of buggy problems, the immersion and storyline always drew me in, but there were so many problems with the game that it became too frustrating to continue.
IE: Saved games magically vaporizing into thin air, getting trapped in areas because you didn't do something first and not being able to load from somewhere recent because the saving mechanic sucks.
 
Samon said:
I've started playing this, and I'm an hour or so in, more-or-less. My reception to it is decidedly mixed so far. I appreciate what is arguably a refreshing change from your industry of mediocrity in the likes of Modern Warfare and FEAR 2, and the atmosphere is certainly the crème-de-le-crème of frozen wastes, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. The melee combat is clunky, un-engaging, and ultimately unsatisfying; it’s kind of Condemned, but worse. It’s possible Zeno Clash spoiled me in this regard, but I doubt it.

The environment, too, is starting to be increasingly stale; the slow-pace of the game, which I’m far from criticising, is at odds with the relentless steel corridors. Regardless of how well it adheres to its real-life inspiration, it is not enthralling. The frozen textures may be delightful, and the water orgasmic, but they are little compensation.
Click to expand...

I did say that Cryostasis was an adventure game first and foremost, not a shooter. Besides, you're playing a meteorologist, so the lack of skill in firearm operation is explainable.

About the environments - I found the extreme adherence to the look and feel of a Soviet icebreaker a welcome change from the usual "tied-around-gameplay" level design. Which isn't bad in itself, but isn't the end all - be all of game design.

Which deck are you on, by the way?
 
I was gonna get this today but I ran out of time....only$23
 
I just bought it on your guys' recommendation. Sounds like my type of game.
 
Mikael Grizzly said:
I did say that Cryostasis was an adventure game first and foremost, not a shooter. Besides, you're playing a meteorologist, so the lack of skill in firearm operation is explainable.
Click to expand...

Explainable, certainly, but perhaps not justifiable. I think regardless of what your game is, any and all elements present should rise to the same level of quality. Y'know, I don't really have that much problem with the shooting though; it's not nearly as clunky or un-engaging as the melee combat. Sure, it's sporadic, often filtered in, but the weapons themselves are so satisfyingly clunk-clunk that I don't begrudge the opportunity to use them.

Mikael Grizzly said:
About the environments - I found the extreme adherence to the look and feel of a Soviet icebreaker a welcome change from the usual "tied-around-gameplay" level design. Which isn't bad in itself, but isn't the end all - be all of game design.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm a pretty zealous advocate of environments interlaced, and built to serve, gameplay, as you know. I'm not strictly against the break from it; it's more that I'm not particularly Yippee-Kayay-Mother****er about the games inherent blandness.

Regardless of how stale the frozen-metallic-palette may be, the games environment in terms of atmosphere is unflinchingly mesmerising. The North Wind is truly a beast untamed; it possesses raw bulk strength in its size and weight, and I find this more perturbing than the yawn-Doom 3 BOO moments.

Mikael Grizzly said:
Which deck are you on, by the way?
Click to expand...

I've just left the (I presume) upper-deck sleeping quarters and the medical area, which would be Chapter Eleven, Fear.

I don't know how far I am from the end, but that's the save game I have, if you want it.
 
I've finished Cryostasis already. It's good to see you enjoy the game and the break from tailored game environments. :)
 
I finished the game and the game became very unstable after chapter 10 on my rig.

I didn't understand the game plot at all other than the fact that why the ship crashed onto the iceburg.
 
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