[PC; 2009]
Developed by Action Forms [full credits]
It’s telling that Cryostasis’ favorable reviews on Metacritic take the apologist’s stance. Cryostasis is a game that possess an ambition and vision uncommon in the medium, which makes it all the more difficult to point out the game’s many faults. I can’t ignore mentioning all the problems you’ll run into the game, but part of me worries that others will ignore the good that is there because of these grievances. There is no doubt that Cryostasis is one of 2009’s most frustrating titles, but it’s also one of the year’s most noteworthy.
Cryostasis
doesn’t have any qualms in addressing that it is a narrative first
experience. This is after all a game that opens with a Hermann Hesse
quote, not exactly a heart-stopping Halo opener—unless early 20th
century existentialists give you a boner, in which case you are playing
the right game. The story begins with an air of surrealism but you’ll
soon discover that you are a Soviet Metrologist sent to explore a ship
that wrecked in the 50s—the main plot itself takes place in the early
80s. This setup means little in the grand scheme of things, as the
plot soon develops into a cerebral study on how humans act in the face
of tragedy and what we would change if given a second chance. There
are some absolutely fascinating themes at play here, but Cryostasis
fails to develop a cast of characters to make the player care.
Instead, you have characters that are nothing more than the role they
play on the ship, which is a shame.
If you thought Fallout 3
was the pinnacle of 2008 games, you’ll find much to disagree with in
Cryostasis. This is by far the most linear shooter I have ever
played. Before you accuse me of hyperbole, let me explain the heat
system in the game. Rather then applying a standard health bar, the
developers (Action Forms) conceived a heat gauge that you’ll rely on
throughout the game. Basically, the cold is your greatest enemy and
you are always cold in Cryostasis. Various heat sources, lamps and
such, serve as a means to replenish your health that will in turn be
eaten away by enemy attacks and the merciless Arctic wind. This means
two things to the player. First, you must always progress at a brisk
pace to find the next heat source. Second, your health bar is always
in the hands of the developer and by this I mean different heat sources
are set to give you a certain amount of health. If this sounds
limiting, it’s because it is.
For those of us who don’t
perceive linearity as a barrier of entry, Cryostasis does an admirable
job of delivering a rollercoaster ride that delivers both the
unsettling feeling of a survival horror title and the robust set pieces
of a triple-A action title. There are many moments in this game that
will stick with you for some time to come. Sadly, the same can’t be
said of the game’s combat. It is as incompetent and inane as the
ship’s captain. For the first third of the game, you will rely on
melee weapons that control more like The Elder Scroll series then the
Condemned series. For the better part of the game, however, you’ll be
using standard shooter weapons. This wouldn’t be such a problem if the
aiming controls weren’t so bad. Thankfully, fighting isn’t all that
the game is about.
Cryostasis’ main plot device and gameplay
gimmick is that of possession. Throughout your crawl of the ship
you’ll find dead shipmates who you can possess, transporting you to the
moment that lead them to their death. It’s a brilliant device that
allows the player to change their fate, as well as receive insight into
what caused the ship’s demise. Unfortunately, these sections are
plagued by trial-and-error attempts that will have you repeatedly dying
as you try to figure out what you are supposed to do next. These are
hardly the rewarding logic puzzles of Portal.
Cryostasis
was released back in December 08’ in its native Russia, but it came to
the US months later with a full-fledged English dub. 1C Company did an
excellent job of acquiring a cast that captures believable characters
subjected to a less then fortunate reality. The real center of
attention that garnered the game a cult following back in 2006 is its
graphic engine. I can’t speak too much on this since my system can
hardly handle the game and the same can likely be said of most PCs.
It’s become a well-known fact that the game doesn’t take advantage of
multi-core CPUs, which means a bad frame rate for most players.
I
feel bad about all I have said about the game, since I can’t faithfully
capture what makes Cryostasis worth playing despite all of its issues.
I like to think this isn’t a failure to articulate on my part, but that
Cryostasis is an experience that can’t be translated into facts and
figures. Here is a game that gives the “games as art” argument fuel
until the next Team Ico project drops. Sure, the story is often
confusing with characters spouting cryptic lines just to sound cryptic,
and the combat is far from exceptional. But much like the game’s
protagonist, it’s worth bearing the storm in order to get to the heart
of the mystery. With one of the most memorable last hours in recent
memory, Cryostasis is an experience you’ll hold onto even if you can’t
exactly explain why to others.