Sylvio Black Waters Review (Steam)

Summary

Sylvio Black Waters boasts decent graphics and a manageable download size of 16.76GB. It supports Steam achievements and controllers, with various graphics settings such as resolution, v-sync, brightness slider, and fullscreen options. The game also offers inverted axis and sensitivity sliders for the mouse, and the ability to turn enemies on and off. The first-person view and full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control enhance the immersive experience. Tutorials appear as pop-ups while you play, providing guidance as you interact with the world. The game is very atmospheric, maintaining constant tension, and features excellent music integration. Familiar controls with the mouse and keyboard, in-game cutscenes, and interactions help set the atmosphere and emphasize the importance of your actions. A handy interactive icon appears when needed, and the voice work is impressive. Winding a TV to play a clip is surprisingly fun, and the story and mystery quickly grab your attention, keeping you engaged as you always want to know what’s coming next. Using your watch to find and locate Spirits, who then give sentences that you re-order to form coherent clues or stories, adds an engaging puzzle element. When driving vehicles, the game switches to a third-person view. The world is fascinating, from its beauty to its ugliness, and you can freely wander around and explore what is a memorable environment. The game quickly hooks you with its engaging puzzles and satisfying gameplay. The iconography throughout the world is awesome, and although the game is short, it stays with you long after you finish it.

However, there are some drawbacks. The store page incorrectly states that the controller isn’t supported, but it does work, albeit with very limited settings. The right stick acts like a mouse for the menus, and you cannot adjust the sensitivity of the controller, making the camera move too fast. Additionally, you cannot remap the controls for either the controller or the keyboard. Subtitles don’t always show up and can be missing in certain conversations. Early in the game, you aren’t told the controls straight away, so there’s a lot of learning the basics. Often, you feel aimless but eventually stumble onto things. The game has minimal graphic options and sometimes assumes a lot from the player regarding actions and controls. Despite the engaging world, it can look barren and dead in many places, which can be disheartening. There’s no clear indication of when the game saves or where you will respawn next load, and it has little replay value.

In summary, Sylvio Black Waters offers a captivating and atmospheric experience with engaging puzzles, excellent music, and impressive voice work. However, it has some technical limitations and a lack of replay value that may detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game’s story and world leave a lasting impression.