Review of The Safe Place by shanethewolf
Rating by shanethewolf posted on Mar 30, 2023 | edit | delete
Decent, yet very short and flawed
There are a lot of positives to say about The Safe Place. The opening is quite gripping, luring me into the plot immediately. The voice acting is good and the dialogue is fairly concise and stays on topic. I felt invested in the plot and the characters from start to finish.
One of the standout features for me was the game’s adherence to the classic point-and-click formula, complete with puzzle-solving and object combinations. It truly felt like I was playing a game, rather than passively following a story, which is a rarity in many modern adventure games.
The background graphics are well designed and do a great job of creating a cold and melancholic atmosphere that left me eager to explore every avenue of the in-game world.
However, the game isn’t without its flaws…
While the in-game graphics impressed me, the stiff and awkward character animations detracted from my overall experience. The characters often faded into new poses rather than being fully animated, revealing the limitations of a low-budget development.
Even more disappointing were the cutscene stills, which suffered from a glaring drop in quality compared to the in-game visuals. To be blunt, they’re atrocious. Considering the ease with which AI could generate these screens, I was baffled that they remained in the final release.
The dialogue was decent enough, but I felt limited by the lack of choices and interaction when conversing with characters. I would have appreciated greater response options, even if they led to the same outcome.
The most frustrating aspect of this game is the absence of a manual save function, preventing me from enjoying quick gaming sessions. I had to complete an entire section for the game to save my progress.
Lastly, I was disappointed by the game’s short length, and the tacked-on ending left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Despite its shortcomings, The Safe Place showcased the potential of its developers to create a truly exceptional point-and-click experience in the near future. While this may not be the game to steal the spotlight, it left me eager to see what comes next.
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Time Played: 2-5 hours
Difficulty: Just Right
