| 33bits |
Jesús Díaz-Suelto Berrueco |
50 / 100 |
02-25-2019 |
Observer is a good title. Good story, a solid core, and a great setting. Simply, if you can play anywhere else, the experience will be more satisfying than on Switch. |
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| ACG |
Jeremy Penter |
Recommended |
08-15-2017 |
Video Review |
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| BaziCenter |
Milad Dehdashti |
8 / 10 |
08-22-2017 |
Despite some flaws, Observer is a great example of sci-fi horror adventure with superb sound design, brilliant technical and artistic visuals, amazing narrative, and engaging atmosphere. If you are a fan of the genre, you should try it. |
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| Bazimag |
Ehsan Nakhoda |
6.2 / 10 |
10-12-2017 |
Observer is one of those games that not everyone can communicate with. If we ignore game-play issues, Observer is definitely worth experiencing once. Having said that, before you start the game, you need to know you’d better not compare it with other games with similar genre as you’ll get highly disappointed! |
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| Bloody Disgusting |
Neil Bolt |
4.5 / 5 stars |
02-07-2019 |
Observer puts another horror string in the Switch’s bow. It remains an effective and compelling sci-fi horror trip that isn’t afraid to take things at its own pace whilst sticking firmly to its own rules. That does mean that it’s not going to be to every horror fan’s tastes, but it’s admirable that it stands by its convictions to deliver an unsettling and evocative experience. |
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| But Why Tho? |
Quinn Hiers |
10 / 10 |
12-16-2018 |
Observer is a wonderful game from start to finish. It is both fear-instilling and intriguing. So, if you’re looking for a horror game that is visually striking and insightful enough to warrant self-reflection, Observer is a wonderful choice. |
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| CGMagazine |
Joel Couture |
9 / 10 |
08-24-2017 |
Observer takes place and memories and turns them into frightening things, dragging the player into realms of terrifying visions that stir up a nameless fear. |
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| Chalgyr’s Game Room |
Robert Risdon |
7 / 10 |
09-28-2017 |
Observer is a first-person cyberpunk horror title from the minds behind the reputedly excellent Layers of Fear, Bloober Team. Stepping into the cybernetically enhanced mind of Daniel Lazarski, modeled after and voiced by cyberpunk veteran Rutger Hauer, as he investigates the disappearance of his son. Exploring a dark, retro-futuristic world full of dark secrets, “Big Brother” and mind-hacking, Observer is an interesting tale that, more often than not, is an exercise in patience more than it is a horror story. |
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| COGconnected |
Henry Kulick |
75 / 100 |
08-16-2017 |
Observer on the Switch brings back all the good aspects of the game and gives you more flexibility on how to play it with new touch inputs and, of course, the option to play it on the go. |
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| Critical Hit |
Kervyn Cloete |
8.5 / 10 |
09-04-2017 |
Despite some minor technical quibbles and uneven voice acting, Observer is a nightmarish gem. Drawing heavily on seminal sci-fi film Blade Runner for its overall cyberpunk aesthetic, this new game from Bloober Team adds fantastic game design and an engaging narrative to keep you coming back despite the terror it induces. |
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| Cubed3 |
Albert Lichi |
6 / 10 |
03-02-2019 |
Observer could have been more. It has style and exceptional art direction, a creative premise but flaccid and unimaginative gameplay. Maybe this comes with the territory when it comes to walking-sims or first-person adventure games, but there really is no excuse for the lack of imagination because much older games have found ways to keep things fresh while adventuring. There is very little attention to detail when it comes to interaction and player-choice. Observer should have been like playing a pacifist run on the original Deus Ex. |
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| Cultured Vultures |
Brandon Leek |
9 / 10 |
08-28-2017 |
Observer lays the paranoia and atmosphere on thick, while not sacrificing significantly in the gameplay and story department. The result is a nicely balanced, consistent and compelling experience that is easily recommended to horror and sci-fi fans. |
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| Daily Mirror |
James Ide |
4 / 5 stars |
02-11-2019 |
Observer is a love letter to cyberpunk and Blade Runner in particular, but if you look past that it’s also a really great game in its own right. We are taken on a graphic and dark journey, in a bleak but believable world, meeting all manner of interesting and isolated characters as Dan searches for his son. |
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| DarkZero |
Matt Stephens |
10 / 10 |
10-15-2017 |
The cyberpunk genre serves as a reflection of where we’re headed in society, with more and more technology integrated into everyday life at the cost of our humanity. |
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| Destructoid |
Alyssa Hatmaker |
9 / 10 |
09-10-2017 |
I haven’t seen a world this interesting in horror for a while. I apparently took 62 screenshots while playing, and that goes to show how much there is to take in. A few minor technical flaws keep me from giving it a perfect score, but Observer is one of my favorite games in a year that has much to offer. |
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| Digital Chumps |
Will Johnson |
7.5 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Need a refresher course on all things discordantly cyberpunk-y before October? Look no further. Developer Bloober Team and publishing partner Aspyr settle us in to an unsettling world through a point-and-click exploration of malignant mind and afflicted body. |
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| DualShockers |
Tyler Fischer |
8.5 / 10 |
12-12-2017 |
Observer is a strange experience, punctuated by many “what the” moments. It’s a game you have to talk to somebody about, that will make you reflect, and assault your saneness. |
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| Eurogamer |
Edwin Evans-Thirlwell |
Recommended |
08-18-2017 |
A splendid hybrid of CSI, cyberpunk and Silent Hill woven around a potent central performance, spoiled a bit by unconvincing scare tactics. |
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| FingerGuns |
Sean Davies |
7 / 10 |
08-29-2017 |
Observer is a suave, confident cyber-punk adventure that starts strongly then loses its way before the credits roll |
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| FNintendo |
Pedro Mesquita |
8 / 10 |
02-27-2019 |
Observer is something unique on the Nintendo Switch catalogue, a game that brings two very different gameplay styles together and which creates a haunting and disturbing experience, in the background of a marvelous cyberpunk dystopian atmosphere and with a plot that allows for several different endings. This is a game everyone should try at least once. |
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| Game Debate |
Jon Sutton |
6.5 / 10 |
09-24-2017 |
Overall Observer is good at what it does, but it’s not the sort of place I overly enjoyed being in. Rather than pelting headlong down the horror route, it straddles an awkward thriller line that didn’t overly entice me. At no point was I desperate to boot it up and find out what happened next, no doubt partly due to the busy, often dizzying art style that made me feel like I was sat in the back of a hot car on a long journey. For those after a narrative driven, cyberpunk fix Observer certainly fills a hole though, provided you can deal with yet another take on technologies potential impact on humanity. |
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| Game Informer |
Javy Gwaltney |
9 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Observer is a tense combination of sci-fi and horror, and one of the best cyberpunk games in years |
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| Game Rant |
Dalton Cooper |
4 / 5 stars |
08-22-2017 |
Observer is a disturbing cyberpunk horror game with an engrossing story, though there are some minor flaws that keep it from reaching its full potential. |
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| Game Revolution |
Brittany Vincent |
4.5 / 5 stars |
08-14-2017 |
It may be a little unorthodox, but it’s executed fantastically. If you’re looking to be simultaneously terrified and intrigued, you need to spend a few days with Daniel Lazarski as an Observer. |
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| Gameblog |
Filipe Da Silva Barbosa |
9 / 10 |
08-30-2017 |
Despite the technical downgrade compared with the other versions, Observer is still an extraordinary game with a magnificent cyberpunk atmosphere and some visual effects that would certainly please David Lynch. |
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| GameMAG |
xtr |
7 / 10 |
09-11-2017 |
Observer causes the most strange and mixed feelings. Remaining true to the chosen genre, developers perfectly convey the atmosphere of a gloomy technological future with organoid themes, drugs and virtual psychedelics. But boring walking sections, strange and annoying stealth, and some terrible visual effects, as well as a too weak main story leave a taste of disappointment. However, you should still try this game for the sake of side stories and a superbly transmitted atmosphere. |
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| GamePitt |
Rob Pitt |
9.1 / 10 |
10-27-2018 |
observer_ is a fantastic cyberpunk horror game with a hint of stealth and mind-fucking. The story is all about finding out the truth, leading spontaneous investigations, and trying to lift the lockdown on the building. However, this will require you to hack into the memories and nightmares of dead bodies as well as explore the run-down apartment building as you scourer for clues and evidence. Not everything is as it seems, some things will disturb you, you’ll get hit with moral choices, and you will get creeped out. |
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| GamePro |
Gloria H. Manderfeld |
81 / 100 |
02-19-2019 |
Varied horror psychotrip into an atmospheric cyberpunk world with annoying stealth passages. |
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| Gamers Heroes |
Johnny Hurricane |
7 / 10 |
08-15-2017 |
Observer is a good psychological horror game with some minor road blocks that ultimately hold it back. Still, if you are looking for a horror game this summer, you could do far worse. |
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| GameSkinny |
Ty Arthur |
8 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
As it turns out, the future is not bright in this neo-noir detective game with a horror twist. |
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| GameSpew |
Richard Seagrave |
9 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Combining investigation, exploration, stealth, puzzles, and a near constant barrage of horror, Observer is a meticulously created game that rarely puts a foot wrong. If you think you have the stomach for it, this could be one of the biggest surprises of the year. |
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| GameSpot |
David Rayfield |
9 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
This mind-bending cyberpunk masterpiece is a grim yet beautiful descent into the hell of being human. |
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| Gaming Nexus |
Sean Colleli |
8.5 / 10 |
11-24-2017 |
Observer is a tad clunky as a straight detective game but its story, setting and mind-diving conceit make it much more than that. It’s gorgeously depressing, uncomfortable in a number of ways, and you won’t be able to shake it from your own thoughts for some time. |
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| GamingBolt |
Ravi Sinha |
6 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Observer feels like a step down from Layers of Fear. It’s intriguing and mind-bending enough for sure with its atmosphere sure to creep out people. But the lead VA, annoying artefacts and some of the horror elements just don’t click. |
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| GamingTrend |
Ron Burke |
90 / 100 |
08-16-2017 |
observer_ takes the beats from Bloober Team’s own Layers of Fear, adds a layer of cyberpunk, and somehow comes out the other end both unnerving, and more than the sum of its parts. There are a few small technical hiccups present, and some infrequent uneven voice work, but beyond that there’s an amazing story about the human toll of investigation and observation. |
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| GBAtemp |
Jessie Ljunggren |
6.5 / 10 |
08-24-2017 |
As far as budget titles go, this one is a little steep for the relative lack of gameplay and storyline you get packaged with it– but if you like incredibly detailed and spooky atmospheres coupled with plenty of jump-scares, this one may be worth a buy for you. |
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| GearNuke |
Muhammad Ali Bari |
7 / 10 |
08-22-2017 |
Some interesting story moments and a fantastic performance by Rutger Haur manages to elevate Observer from a medicore to decent experience. |
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| God is a Geek |
Chris White |
8.5 / 10 |
09-01-2017 |
The horror in this cyberpunk nightmare provides plenty of shocks, and the story is engaging, especially with Rutger Hauer at the helm. |
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| Hardcore Gamer |
Jason Bohn |
4 / 5 stars |
08-29-2017 |
Despite the fact that there are some technical and acting issues, Observer absolutely excels. |
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| IGN Italy |
Francesco Destri |
8 / 10 |
08-20-2017 |
Dark, violent, visionary. Observer’s cyberpunk universe hits hard despite some too long and boring mind trips. |
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| IGN Spain |
Gustavo Maeso |
8.5 / 10 |
08-31-2017 |
Observer is a fantastic experiencie. A mixture of genres that presents us with an exciting futuristic story, full of tension and terror. With a great graphic and great design. If you like cyberpunk’s aesthetics and stories, you can not let it pass. |
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| Metro GameCentral |
Metro GameCentral |
7 / 10 |
02-13-2019 |
An impressive blend of old school cyberpunk and modern survival horror, that manages to overcome a bad celebrity voiceover and some distracting technical issues. |
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| MonsterVine |
Austin Adamson |
4 / 5 stars |
08-14-2017 |
Bloober Team has taken what they learned with Layers of Fear and delivered a more immersive world, and a equally as creepy story, even if the gameplay does get in the way of itself from time to time. |
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| New Game Network |
Ben Thomas |
80 / 100 |
08-14-2017 |
Observer features remarkable trips through fictional minds that unsettle and terrify without relying on excessive jump scares. The nightmares contrast wonderfully with an atmospheric and detailed cyberpunk world that is always fascinating to explore. |
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| Nintendo Enthusiast |
Benjamin Weeks |
8 / 10 |
02-16-2019 |
Ultimately, Observer excels at world building and gameplay variety, keeping the player busy with a list of things to do. |
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| Nintendo Life |
Gavin Lane |
8 / 10 |
02-07-2019 |
Despite threatening to fizzle under the weight of its reverence for Blade Runner, Observer manages to craft an impressive and affecting horror experience on Switch that doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s arguably at its best when you surrender to the barrage of imagery and sounds rather than scanning pools of blood with detective vision. This port walks a technical tightrope and falters a little in docked mode, but fares much better as a handheld experience – its ambition and rich world-building are admirable enough to make up for any technical shortcomings. If Bloober Team doubles-down on the horror genre and keeps producing work of this quality, we’ll gladly play whatever’s next in the pipeline. |
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| Nintendo Times |
Tony Matthews |
6.5 / 10 |
02-14-2019 |
WORTH CONSIDERING |
Read review |
| NintendoWorldReport |
David Lloyd |
7 / 10 |
02-07-2019 |
Even with its many flaws, the superb voice acting and serviceable story were still an entertaining playthrough. A linear horror-mystery thriller is a bit niche, but if that’s what you’re into, Observer is a title still worth picking up. If nothing else, it gives us a glimpse of what the Switch is capable of, and it will hopefully be the beginning of a trend of pushing the handheld to its limits. |
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| Oyungezer Online |
Eser Güven |
8.3 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
I guarantee that if you can overlook some of its shortcomings you will see the best Cyberpunk game in recent memory. This is Bloober Team’s best work to this date. |
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| Pardis Game |
Ali Rajabi |
8.5 / 10 |
09-07-2017 |
Cyberpunk is truly an intriguing environment and as a fan of it, I feel that our world is already drowned into a Cyperpunk-ish spcae. Bloober Team knows this well and with their latest game, Observer, they’ve shown us their intelligence, though Observer might have some small issues but in overall, it is an excellent and worthy game. If you’re a fan of narrative games, be sure not to miss Observer. |
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| PC Gamer |
Jody Macgregor |
45 / 100 |
08-23-2017 |
Brainhacking will blow your mind, but you’ll want to get the cop out of your head by the end. |
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| PlayStation LifeStyle |
Ahmed Mohamed |
6 / 10 |
08-19-2017 |
Observer is brilliant in dozens of ways, yet deeply flawed in just as many. The quality of its story ranges from a confusing mess to some of the best written characters of this generation. The game’s biggest issue is its inconsistency on when and where to deliver its moments of horror. There was little to keep me going besides the next opportunity to speak to a troubled citizen of futuristic Krakow’s most interesting building block. |
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| PlayStation Universe |
Neil Bolt |
8 / 10 |
08-23-2017 |
With Observer, Bloober Team have crafted an interesting, and often clever, sci-fi horror game. There’s a few tiny technical hitches, some detective work that feels a little too obscure, and a lead character voiced in an inconsistent manner, yet the strength of the game’s world-building, and execution of its memorable literal head trips, softens the blow considerably. |
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| PS4Blog.net |
ThaRaven403 |
7.5 / 10 |
10-11-2018 |
For a walking simulator game, it’s one of the best I’ve had the chance to play. The story is rather short but has enough stuff to do as you scan, and hack to keep you going until the end. Bloober Team have improved with this release when compared to their previous game, and I definitely look forward to seeing what they do next! |
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| PSX Brasil |
Júlio César Souza Pires |
78 / 100 |
08-22-2017 |
Observer has excellent graphics, interesting gameplay and horror which plays with the gamer’s fear and psychological through the memories found along the game. Although there are framerate issues in some moments of the game, it doesn’t make Observer a game not to be played by the ones who love horror games and the cyberpunk universe. |
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| Pure Playstation |
Jeremy Peterson |
8 / 10 |
08-25-2017 |
Observer is light on action/gameplay but offers an extremely deep story with interesting cyberpunk world-building and some bizarrely creepy dream images to keep you up at night. The voice acting is shaky more often than not, but the story is worth the price of admission. |
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| Push Square |
Graham Banas |
3 / 10 |
08-21-2017 |
Observer is rough. Some neat narrative beats and a beautifully presented cyberpunk world paired with an exceptional performance from Rutger Hauer end up being the only redeeming qualities present in this title. This is a game that, despite being short, feels overlong, due in part to some tedious and obnoxious gameplay segments, and some of the least subtle “horror” we’ve encountered in recent memory. Throw in a bevy of technical problems and a third act that is complete nonsense, and Observer is, at best, a bit of a mess. To call this game a letdown would be an understatement. |
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| Rely On Horror |
CJ Melendez |
9 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Riding the electric sheep into hell. |
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| Rock, Paper, Shotgun |
Adam Smith |
Recommended |
08-18-2017 |
It’s the Cronenbergian cyberpunk game I never knew I wanted, and it’s shot right into my top ten of the year so far. |
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| Screen Rant |
Leo Faierman |
4.5 / 5 stars |
02-07-2019 |
The Rutger Hauer-starring cyberpunk noir adventure game observer_ arrives to the Nintendo Switch in an extremely well-crafted and impressive port. |
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| SelectButton |
Marcus Jones |
8 / 10 |
10-04-2017 |
Observer is incredibly solid. It’s steeped in narrative and features dark and beautiful environments. It captures the dystopian feel of an uncertain and technologically filled future. And there’s certainly enough to spook you or keep you on your toes. No mind interrogation is easy or makes much sense, but you can never fully understand the mind either. Aside from the creepy, intense leaps into other’s minds or completing a forensic investigation into a crime scene, much of the story is told through slow exposition. The world is seemingly devoid, and aside from a few places, I never felt pressured or frightened. It was more of a “I’ll just keep going this way until something changes.” The lack of interactions in the world makes me question a lot of what Lazarski experiences, making it seem like reality is suspect in itself. |
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| Shacknews |
Chris Jarrard |
9 / 10 |
08-22-2017 |
This is a must play for fans of the genre or anyone looking for a solid scare. |
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| Slant Magazine |
Aaron Riccio |
3 / 5 stars |
08-14-2017 |
Whether or not you suffer from simulator sickness, Bloober Team’s latest, Observer, will make you queasy. |
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| SomHráč.sk |
Adam Hambálek |
85 / 100 |
08-25-2017 |
Observer features a gripping storyline, a geyser of ideas and an unconventional visual style. However, its charm couldn’t fully unfold on such a small area. Its world has a great potential and I hope the developers will return to it eventually. |
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| SpazioGames |
Domenico Musicò |
8 / 10 |
08-14-2017 |
Observer is a brilliant commingling of cyberpunk and horror. It demostrates how interesting the game concept is and how much Bloober Team has grown. |
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| SwitchWatch |
Jordan Humphries |
7 / 10 |
02-07-2019 |
Video Review |
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| TechRaptor |
Samuel Guglielmo |
7 / 10 |
09-14-2017 |
Observer has some really noticeable issues, including some iffy voice acting, lame stealth segments, pixel hunt puzzles, and crashing issues. However, it’s saved by better puzzles, some great imagery, and a story that is worth paying attention to. |
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| The Digital Fix |
Rob Kershaw |
6 / 10 |
10-18-2017 |
A beautifully realised and often harrowing cyberpunk tale let down by repetition and gameplay which is both simple and frustrating in equal measure. |
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| TheSixthAxis |
Tuffcub |
9 / 10 |
08-22-2017 |
If you don’t like ‘walking sims’ then Observer isn’t going to change your mind, even if it does include some rudimentary detective work. However, if you like to be swept away by a story and pulled in to a world where every door has a new experience behind it, then close the curtains, turn off the lights, crank up the surround sound and immerse yourself in this great cyberpunk horror tale. |
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| TheXboxHub |
Gareth Brierley |
4.5 / 5 stars |
08-23-2017 |
I highly recommend observer_ to anyone who loves story driven experiences. It does have a link to Layers of Fear, in both its tone and brilliant level design, but is a completely different game that is dark, disturbing and delightful all at the same time. |
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| Thumbsticks |
Callum Williams |
4 / 5 stars |
02-15-2019 |
The Switch may not have the power for a game as expansive as Observer, but even with its technical faults and the occasional gameplay misstep, it’s still an incredible experience. Whether it’s the morbid story, the disturbing atmosphere or the deeply involving detective gameplay, this is a genuinely brilliant horror-thriller that works its way under your skin and lingers long after you put the controller down. |
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| Twinfinite |
Alex Gibson |
2.5 / 5 stars |
08-24-2017 |
While gameplay might not break any new ground, puzzles and crime scenes provide enough interaction to keep you engaged beyond just watching the story unfold. The way in which the Observer uses implants as a means to explore memories is inventive, giving the narrative a grander sense of scale without technically leaving the building. |
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| Video Chums |
Stephen Palmer |
7 / 10 |
08-20-2017 |
Observer crafts an intriguing and richly detailed futuristic world but it’s let down by awful performance issues as well as some drawn-out and tedious segments. |
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| Wccftech |
Francesco De Meo |
7.8 / 10 |
08-15-2017 |
Observer is a very interesting first person adventure game featuring a well-crafted setting and characters as well as the team’s signature transitions, which manage to carry everything forward in spite of the gameplay which gets slightly repetitive over time. While the single elements may not be particularly original, the sum of the parts more than makes up for it, making Observers a worthy purchase for fans of psychological horror and dystopian settings. |
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| Windows Central |
Matt Brown |
4.5 / 5 stars |
08-21-2017 |
Observer sets out with a unique premise, delivering a natural psychological horror experience on an unconventional cybernetic canvas. While the depth to its world is welcome, the game still thrives during its brief thrilling encounters, built on the recollections of the insane. |
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