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The Pale Beyond
Released On: Feb 24, 2023
77
6.0
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
77
60% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
20% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
77
60% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
20% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Pale Beyond is a masterclass in tone and atmosphere informing gameplay. As Captain Robin Shaw, you’ll need to make tough decisions constantly, but this stressful journey is well worth seeing through to the end.
If you’re a frostbite-loving freak like me, The Pale Beyond is the game for you. It makes me optimistic about the future of this niche genre. The amount of research and care is apparent as you play. The opaque gameplay systems draw you into the narrative, but leave you in suspense. If you’ve made it this far in the review, I have to assume one of those things is appealing to you. Play The Pale Beyond; it might just be the best novel you read this year.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 User Ratings
6.0
43% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
29% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
29% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 User Ratings
6.0
43% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
29% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
29% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Amazing game!
Great atmosphere, setting, art design, characters and writing!
if you liked Pentiment, pick this up asap. Underrated smaller games that really go at there setting and time period so well. And also do great characters and writing. Love the game! Get it people!
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PC
It’s rare these days for a survival game to put narrative and resource management mechanics on the same level, and do both very well. Overall, I think The Pale Beyond tells a captivating story while torturing players into finding the best solutions for keeping their crew alive. The first playthroughs will always be frustrating, but that’s because the game doesn’t prepare players for what’s coming. When all is said and done, The Pale Beyond is an enjoyable experience if you love survival games, but if you’re looking for a purely narrative experience, look elsewhere.
For a weaker game, dealing with even minor issues might be a deal-breaker, but The Pale Beyond offers more than enough to overcome these quirks. The difficulty is well-honed, forcing players to stay on their toes without verging on frustrating, and the unanswered questions that arise in the story remain engaging until the final revelations. Although the interpersonal component isn't dialed up to draw out tears, solid character writing makes tough choices and failures fall heavy. The Pale Beyond's expedition might encounter a few rough seas, but players willing to brave them can find a journey that is abundantly worthwhile.
The Pale Beyond is bleak and miserable in all the right ways, with a fantastic setting for a survival game.
The Pale Beyond has a nice art style and tries to balance an intriguing story and survival gameplay, but the two elements never find common ground, and the technical issues eventually drag the whole experience into the icy waters.
This game is pretty and it’s interesting in the way it presents a dangerous situation through a well-written story. The gameplay is nothing to be celebrated, however, and there are some genuine design mistakes sprinkled in.
Awesome aesthetic, theme, story and writing. Has some bugs, which depending on your luck might pull this game down to an 8 or 7, but otherwise is an engaging, well presented and well written game that fans of Frostpunk, Disco Elysium or This War of Mine will definitely enjoy.
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PC
I gave a negative/not-recommended review on Steam, but for an indie first-time effort this is a solid 8/10 and the future is bright for these guys.
My Steam review was more comprehensive but on here I will summarise with this:
Great immersive writing, art style, music and characters. Clearly a labour of love, with all the attention to detail and atmosphere that comes with that.
However, for me, there is an unsurmountable conflict between an interactive choice-based story and a survival game.
In basic terms, the game wants you to replay it, but it's annoying to replay.
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PC
Excellent writing, as the gameplay began to become repetitive the story ramped up into a fantastic buildup towards the end. There is no release... An ending but no resolution and no epilogue. It feels like such an empty victory carefully navigating choices to keep everyone alive and happy to not find out what happens to anyone afterwards. Nor a satisfying conclusion to round out the story.
TLDR: Despite the fantastic storytelling and branching options, the story has no ACTUAL ending. We can only hope they complete the story in the future.
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PC
The game is atmospheric and the writing is decent. The gameplay is barebones and repetitive. Very little resources to actually manage. The majority of the choices are just good or bad and the results are not that interesting. The game starts of great but halfway really starts to drag. Not worth the asking price of 20usd, try to get it on sale.
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PC
Summary Five years ago, The Viscount and its crew set sail through The Pale Passage in search of absolute magnetic South. The ship and its crew were tragically lost to the ice, never to be seen again. Her sister ship, The Temperance shall follow in her path, hoping to find answers where The Viscount failed. You didn't ask to lead this expeditio...
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Feb 24, 2023
Developer:
- Bellular Studios
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Genres:
