Sylvio: Black Waters

SBW is the first Sylvio game I got to play even though it’s the third one in the series. The start was a bit confusing, not knowing why or how the main character arrived at that planet. But it’s quickly forgotten about, the plot is intentionally mysterious and it will slowly make sense as a standalone game. It didn’t feel like I needed to know about 1 and 2 aside from what I already mentioned which is pretty impressive. Anyway, the game could be seen as a walking simulator with light first person shooter elements, it might be seen as too simple with its mechanics, some might find it boring even. I surprisingly enjoyed it a lot, its structure and simplicity gave me a cathartic experience. I’ve completed a level each evening until I completed all 5. Each level has you following a route while watching out for spirits, collecting text/art to create songs/pages and deciphering video recordings to get more text. All the songs and pages are related to the main story, the main story is delivered through conversations between the main character and Lee that come up once in a while. The mystery, story and voice actors are the stars of the show. Juliette has a charming and appealing voice but…

Sylvio: Black Waters, developed by Stroboskop and published by DreadXP, is a first-person horror adventure that immerses players in a desolate, alien landscape where gravity defies logic and the whispers of the past echo through the air. Released on July 25, 2024, this standalone installment in the Sylvio series invites players to explore an enigmatic world, uncovering its secrets through audio-based puzzles and atmospheric storytelling. The narrative centers on Juliette, a lone traveler stranded on a mysterious planet that bears an uncanny resemblance to Earth. Equipped with a device that allows her to hear the voices of the deceased, she encounters Lee, the planet's purported sole survivor. Guided by Lee's cryptic messages, Juliette delves into the planet's depths, known as the "lungs," to unravel the mysteries of its past and her own existence. The story unfolds through fragmented audio recordings and video logs, creating a sense of isolation and intrigue as players piece together the planet's history. Gameplay in Sylvio: Black Waters revolves around exploration and puzzle-solving. The planet's gravity-defying environments challenge players to navigate through surreal landscap…

The usual Sylvio trash. Got stuck on an invisible wall at the first spirit/gun encounter. If someone gifts this to you, don't bother installing, then stop talking to that person.

I don't know what drugs the voice actors are on, but you might need to try them to enjoy this extremely slow dark, and aimless walking simulator.

Pathetically dark so you can't tell what's going on. Buggy, got stuck.

Nowhere near as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed playing it. The atmosphere is comfortably creepy and the unraveling of the (very light, ever more psychedelic) story kept me intrigued. The "combat" was awful and incredibly frustrating, but luckily there's an option to turn it off and just play as a walking sim. The lyric puzzles were really difficult; could just have been me, but I'm pretty sure due to poor clues for the solutions. A lot of the rest of the gameplay loop, like the other games, is searching environments to collect EVPs and finding the story they tell. Finding your way around can also be difficult, because the mode of travel moves through all four dimensions (upside-down, sideways, etc.), which can lead to strange camera angles in often dark environments. This was frustrating at times, but the topsy-turvy movement really added to the dreamlike setting and feel of the game, so I don't consider it a failing. It could have been better implemented, but I liked the design choice. As always, the voice actress is a highlight; I love her soft, thoughtful delivery. The male voice actor was also great and sold his character well. A lot of people won't like th…