Very good game, one of the best of that year in my opinion. Great story, memorable moments, nice use of the Mental Echo ability as both a unique gameplay mechanic as well as a very interesting and interactive way to advance the story and making you feel like you've made a difference. The atmosphere is also very well done.

The game is pretty poorly optimized and runs at a low frame rate on many computers (I finished it with about 15-20fps on average on my old computer, but still enjoyed the heck out of it). The combat's kind of clunky too, but it's not bad enough that it can't be overlooked.

A very cool (pardon the pan) FPS game with strong survivor elements. You don't get to fight 100s of enemies, but you sure won't feel the need. The game is very well done, almost a survivor horror game. If you like FPS and you enjoy getting frightened and the slow pace of such games, this is what you are looking for. Great game for what it is.

This is an interesting adventure game, but it can be a bit too slow sometimes and the environment can be confusing to navigate. If you are a hardcore first person adventure game fan you might like it more, but I found myself going to youtube instead to watch someone else breeze through it and not get lost.

Okay, so I was predisposed to like this game, being a huge survival horror fan.

This game has some excellent ideas - especially the whole thing with the cold. Just don't expect the polish of AAA titles, and you won't be disappointed...assuming you can run it. I hear some people have had issues with performance.

A beautiful atmospheric game. It really makes you feel like you're there, you're invested, you're COLD! Warning: Skip if you own an ATI card. My main computer has a Radeon and the game is unplayable. I also have an older PC with a 9800 GT and that was it's saving grace.

Like any good European PC game worth its salt, Cryostasis is heavy on the philosophy, unlike other games of it's it however it does not skimp on the action and tension. It's an FPS, but story driven and slow, aiming for suspense and tension over balls to the wall action. The game's engine may eat your PC for breakfast and some of the English voice over work can be off-putting at times, but there's enough here to overlook those flaws

If you don't mind a cerebral FPS with occasional engine wonk, Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason is one not to miss.

Pretty decent survival horror fps. Come with a bug or two, sluggish controls but refreshing gameplay and atmosphere should help you overlook the flaws. Worth a try for horror game fans.

Cryostasis is a must try for the survival-horror FPS lovers. What it does is to put you in a freezing and abandoned environment, forcing you to do your best to survive, and meanwhile, telling you the story with realtime flashbacks.

Not just an adventure like Penumbra or Amnesia, Cryostasis is also a shooter. And a good one. I'm not telling that you're going to see some hot firefights, but you'll certainly have to defend yourself and it is even more thrilling under the circumstances.

If you just want a shooter, Cryostasis may easily become boring for you but if you are into deep elements of story and gameplay, definitely give Cryostasis a try.

The story- everything you will love about this game is the story. Don't spoil it, don't read walkthroughs; go through it on your own and experience the game and the story as if you were living it. The atmosphere of the game is highly engrossing and fits the story so perfectly.

The game is labelled as "a first person survival horror game" but you do not get a lot of weapons or ammo in the game... management is key. Be warned about the controls though; they take some getting used to. There are some bugs and game is not as long as I would have liked.

3.5 stars but rating it as 3 didn't seem fair.

A really unique game that focuses heavily on storytelling in the first person perspective. Combat can be a little iffy, and this can run strangely on a lot of computers, but with some minor tweaking, if you're looking for a more thought provoking fps then you can't go wrong with this. Just make sure you meet the minimum specs, and are using a decent video card because this was specifically designed for nvidia physx so it runs weird on Radeon cards.

Cryostasis is a good fps-horror. The atmosphere is creepy and reminds of the Penumbra series and Amnesia by Frictional Games.

Apart from that it's a classical fps with some enigmas based on characters flashbacks (if I remember correctly !), and transformation of ice to water, and other effects based on water, ice and steam.

Cryostasis offers a very refreshing and original presentation to its already well-written story about the human psyche, and how one man slowly changes the fate of a ship and its crew. While an FPS, it is slow, steady, and well-paced in its delivery, and is not for everyone who expects a constant stimulus of gunfights and action. All in all, if you appreciate a great story and setting, Cryostasis is for you

A really unique game that focuses heavily on storytelling in the first person perspective. Combat can be a little iffy, and this can run strangely on a lot of computers, but with some minor tweaking, if you're looking for a more thought provoking fps then you can't go wrong with this. Just make sure you meet the minimum specs, and are using a decent video card because this was specifically designed for nvidia physx so it runs weird on Radeon cards.

This game has some potential but... endless rooms, too similar to each other.

Absurd enemies. Really, not tied to the story anyhow.

The heat mechanic is nice, but a little stupid. You go near a lamp and... heal yourself.

Along the game you are told a story. Well, I really don't understand how it's tied to the main plot. I had to find on you tube the answer.

The end... I don't want to spoiler but...

A creepy survival horror with lots of spooks, scares, and screams. Be warned that on older PCs it was buggy to the point of being unplayable, but once I got my new laptop with a quad-core processor, 8 gigs of ram in 64-bit, and a gig of video ram, the game ran like a dream and looked fantastic.

Save every bullet, play smart, and you might just survive. Four Stars!!

Cryostasis is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is without a doubt one of the worst optimized games ever made. Everything bad you've heard about it in regard to optimization/performance, is probably true. On a 9800 GT and a quad core, i had to put everything on medium and disable PhysX (don't even think of playing it with PhysX enabled unless you have a dedicated 2nd card) to make the game playable. And even then it had terrible tearing that wasn't fixable even with D3DOverrider.

On the other hand, the story is one of the best to ever grace a game in my opinion, the atmosphere is up there with BioShock&STALKER and the gameplay innovates with 2 simple but effective mechanics: 'warmth is life' which makes use of heat as life source and 'mental echo' which allows you to correct mistakes in one's past and save his life and repair the ship.

The game is not your typical shooter, it has alot of bugs and it's a bit on the short side. However if you can get past these shortcomings and you are interested in a game that isn't just another military shooter, you'll find an amazing experience. If this game will get a remake with better graphics, less bugs and better performance, it'll probably gain a place amongst titans like System Shock 2, BioShock, STALKER series etc.

This game is truly amazing! The atmosphere gives me the chills and the first few hours of the game are just so damn scary

to be honest i only played this game for 1-2 hours. then i had the feeling to have seen everything as nothing new and challenging happened. you always walk along the same dark floors, kill some zombies and proceed. the story drops in sparsely and dont seem to be very interesting. there is no character development (beside collecting new weapons). the level desing is unrealistic and i think the designers never set a foot on a real ship.

the graphics are ok with nice shaders of frozen surfaces and flowing water. the physics system (which requires 3rd party installation) is only used when you break some ice to simulate dozens of ice particles but i dont see them fall as game hangs for some seconds when i do that (ati card).

so this game is in all categories not very appealing to me. as far as i know it was planned as a tech demo for nvidia physics system so you should have a nvidia card when you want to play it.

Cryostasis is a atmospheric first person survival horror game with good graphics and sluggish controls. The story is interesting and the use of flashbacks, as seen by the members of the ships crew, is a nice touch. The way the developers designed the environments really gives the the feeling of being surrounded by freezing cold temperatures. This also effects the gameplay, as you will need to find sources of heat to warm yourself and replenish your stamina and health.

Cryostasis main gameplay is a mixture of hand to hand combat along with a few firearms that have limited ammunition, similar to the game Condemned. Which leads to the worst part of the game. The controls, although they get the job done, the hand to hand combat feels a bit clunky and not as good as seen in condemned. The weapons also work fine but I had the same feeling while using them and there is such a limited amount of ammo that you won't be depending on them a lot.

Overall I would still recommend the game because it provides a unique setting and interesting story to experience. If you can overlook a few minor problems with the control, the slow pace and the cramped environments then Cryostsis will keep you interested throughout and can be quite enjoyable. I give the game a 7.5 out of 10.

If you enjoyed Metro2033, then you will love this. Ice cold Russian ship + darkness = great survival horror game. No questions, just buy it!

I've never been this scared of a game in my life! Between the tension from the constant fear of freezing or getting eaten by mutants, the uncertainty of where you're going and why you're there in this frozen derelict, or the sudden flashes as you're taken to another time and place altogether, experiencing a different existence in the past, and changing it to affect your pressent -- this really is an amazing game!

Mind you, the graphics are very demanding; the engine is far from perfect and really stresses my computer, even though they're not that far advanced. Also, PhysX is on by default, so if you're running an ATI card, or you don't have the juice for PhysX, turn it off before you start playing.

A fair FPS horror survival game. I bought this for a few Euros (I saw it was several times offered with bargain price). I was not expecting much of this game, but I finally had fun with it. Good graphics (but now a bit more dated of course), good ambiance. Ther story is not extremeley original but it's quite detailed, using feedbacks, so you can understand how this happened. It's quite similar to Penumbra but it's technically better.

I wanted to like this game. I really did. I love Penumbra and the setting seemed promising.

But then I started the game, and found out that it runs like a snail. My computer ought to be more than capable of running the game at the default medium-high settings, but I'm lucky if I manage to get 30fps for more than five seconds. Changing all of the settings to the lowest possible makes no impact on performance, either.

I looked into it and apparently the entire game (including the processor-hungry physics stuff) is only capable of running on a single core (!), and for a game that relies so heavily on its physics system, this is unforgivable. Every time you break a single icicle the game spawns 64 particles, and the game's performance suffers accordingly.

The two-star rating I gave this game only reflects its terrible optimization issues, rather than the gameplay. For all I know, it might be one of the best games ever- but that means nothing if I can't play it. It gets an extra star because it seemed sort of promising.

If a patch comes along and makes the game run playably, then I might revise my opinion. But until then, I'm not touching it.

This is not merely a game. This is an experience.

And to think that this had once begun merely as a tech demo for some nifty Physx effects...

Let's be clear on the genre of this game, first. You move in first-person, engage in close combat (akin to Condemned - Criminal Origins, though not as flexible) as well as shoot-outs, which feel slow and clunky - and they should! You are packed in furs, stumbling through a Russian derelict ice breaker, your weapons have been lying around covered in frost and you were merely a meteorologist.

In fact, you are dead.

The game opens with showing you having an accident, falling into a chasm with your sleigh. You can see how it was that old ice breaker that once created this chasm. But time gives you the unique opportunity to make everything right. And that doesn't end just with your own mishap. After entering the ruined, rusty, cold ice breaker, you undo the tragic fate of its crew. In the process, you uncover the story of a stubborn, seasoned captain, his technocratic and poisonous first officer and a tired crew and their mutiny. Their story is based on a short story by Maxim Gorki, which in turn is an adaptaion of an olden folk-tale from around Romania (as far as I've been able to find out). The tale is told to you in parallel to that of the crew.

So that concludes the genre: This is an action-adventure.

Whenever you find a dead crewmember (or even that stuffed ice bear that's on display on one of the decks), you "slipstream" into their bodies just seconds before their demise. These parts play out like adventure puzzles, you need to find out where these people failed and undo their errors. This opens doors, unblocks corridors or heats up pipes (along with fires and lamps being sources of heat - your source of health!) Cryostasis is quite forgiving in this regard, it won't say "game over". If you fail, just try again.

Cryostasis draws it's atmosphere of doom from the looks and sounds of rusty metal corridors in the dark. But every now and then, certain scenes are used to great effect. What a splendid sight a crew hall full of bunk beds, with everything covered in white frost can be; and a grammophone playing an old tune...

Unfortunately, you will probably have to tone the graphics down a lot if you only have a pc according to minimal specs. This game is poorly optimised, pestering the player with very noticeable lag at times. But if you're well equipped, you're in for a treat. The main point of the tech demo mentioned in the beginning was water physics with PhysX. So you'll see icicles shattering to pieces, the frost on the walls of halls you are warming up melting and running down the walls... Pretty, in its own, beautifully ruinous way.

If you want something very different, give this game a try.

It starts off very slow and Gunplay is clunky, but the great atmosphere, sound effects and a good story make this game worthy of your attention. I finished it in about 8 hours and once you're done with it, you will not feel the need to come back. Don't expect it to be an arcade shooter, if you have loose fingers you will be out of ammo in no time. Finally, the game is poorly optimized (it's even worse if you have ATI video card!), so even though it is not exactly a new game, make sure you have a good rig before buying it.

This game is a lot different from your average mill fps. There is more emphasis on melee combat rather than shooting. The main gripes i have with this game is that it becomes a bit repetitive sometimes and the story is a bit incoherent. What it has going for it is the health mechanic and the overall atmosphere. In any case for the sale prices i would say its worth it.

I liked the game, a horror fps that feels a little clunky personally, but it does just fine for what it is. I like the sound effects, they really do the job of putting the player into the environment, immersing them into a creepy, eerie setting where every second of the way you're on edge. Bought it for cheap, so it was a great buy for me. Definitely a must play, but wait for it to get around $6, like it is now.

Few games manage to be atmospheric and scary at the same time. Cryostasis - Sleep of Reason is a game that grabs you by the neck and screams at you. It's not AAA game but it's damn close to being one. The levels are refreshing and so is the interesting gameplay that allows you to truly experience the feeling of futility while you're stranded on authentic Russian ice breaker. The weapons are numerous and the enemies are challenging enough. Considering the price, Cryostasis becomes a must.

This game was a real pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting just another generic shooter, but it really does have a nice (scary) atmosphere. It's not too scary, but does give you the creeps on certain parts.

If it goes on sale again I would definitely reccomend it.

The atmosphere in this game is simply fantastic, it reminds me of condemned criminal origins another unappreciated gem.

Before the most recent patches it suffered from problems with certain graphics cards but that seems to have been fixed so now you have no excuse not to buy it!

Condemned: Criminal Origins mashed with Metro 2033: This is the feeling I get from this game. The atmosphere is suffocating, oppressing, and claustrophobic, and it's just great. The story is compelling enough to make you advance forward since a lot of reviewers can agree that the actual combat is not the highlight of the experience. Aside from the bad optimization, monotonous environments(which is to be expected from a game that takes place in a ship in the middle of the Artic Circle) and unsatisfying combat, the game stands out as a true hidden gem that no horror fan should pass on.

I would give it 5 stars just for its originallity but due to technical problems gave it 4. I miss this kind of games ,very few nowadays. Creepy, dark atmosphere, strange, nice story. Its about the story and although the melee battles are ok the rest is a bit disappointing ,especially with all this lag because of the very heavy engine. Still strongly recommended and im sure this studio is capable of much better games.

It's sooo cold.

Creepy Horror FPS that works best with Nvidia cards with Physx. DOnt even think of enabling physx if you have and ATI card as it will be a slideshow. The atmosphere is well done and the time travel puzzles are usually interesting.

Singularity used the same gamplay mechanic but this game did it first. Well worth a look if it's on special.

I simply *loved* this game.

The atmosphere is great; also dialogues, sounds and graphics are ok.

But it is its originality and its unique storytelling that make this product a 5 star game to me.

The story unfolds step by step. And you do not really understand the meaning of it all until the very end of the game.

Which is beatiful.

I almost shed a tear watchin the ending ;)

A must have game!

ps: note that the prospective is in first person.

But this is NOT a FPS. At all.

It's an adventure game.

With fights (you're right) but still an adventure game.

Hardcore shooter gamers are warned :)

This was a very good effort. The graphics are good, and the emphasis on atmosphere over action helps make it more than just another "monsters pop out and shout 'boo!'" sort of exercise. The flashbacks where you play as other crew members is an especially effective method of getting the player into the story. It's a little unpolished, but in the end, this is a great title for the horror fan looking for something a little different.

Cryostasis is a game with a good idea, but poorly executed. It has an excellent atmosphere of terror, but his argument ends up being dull and predictable. Graphically it is still very powerful and at the time, only very powerful computers could with him.

Recommended if you get a good deal.

Possibly one of the most terrifying games I've played, and not the gory sticky boring type of terror normally associated with games.

this game is far more phychological and deep than other games of the genre.

If your looking for a fast paced shooty shooty bang bang sort of game, this isn't for you. However if you want a slow, powerful and very artistic first person game, this is definatly a game you should be buying!

This game is interesting. I seem to be attracted to games that are not so much frightening and "Boo!" type scary, but more toward the games that are simply tense the whole way through. This game creates that tension in me quite effectively and I find myself sitting on the edge of my chair just wondering what the heck just happened and what will happen next. This tension is made possible by the clearly well designed environment you play through. However, powering that environment is one of the game's weak spots. The graphics engine in this game may be pretty, but it is not the easiest on your system. I by no means have a weak system with a Phenom II x3 processor and Radeon 4850, but my game was very laggy at points. It was enough to take me out of the game, and that's a major bummer in this kind of game. However, when the graphical slow-down goes away, I am pulled right back in and happily (and apprehensively) play further. I give it a B-

A First-Person Shooter game that is all about atmosphere and tries to spook you rather than being all action-based.

The graphics are good, however be aware that Physics-Effects may need to be disabled for performance unless you have a dedicated Physx card.

The setting takes place in an arctic base so there won't be lush outdoor landscapes, however the game is still moody. It starts a little slowly, however is engaging throughout.

I bought the game just few days ago, but I played enough to share my opinion with all of you.

When I first run the game I was disappointed by the fact, that the game has really poor optimalisation. On a quite good PC with X2 5200+, 2GB RAM, 8800GT it is just impossible to run this game with more than medium details and all effects turned off. But anyway, even then the game looks fine.

Cryostasis is a kind of fresh air to the FPS genre. The idea of rescuing dead people by taking their roles in past and not letting them die was very interesting for me.

The thing which I liked the most is the feeling of winter - here you will definitely feel the feeling of freezing cold :) Just for this impression it's worth buying it. Especially now, when it's just for 2,50 euro.

A must try!

Very unique and terrifying First Person Adventure, focused more on exploring the frozen Russian icebreaker than fighting stuffs. Most interesting system in this game is Flashbacks, which you have to replay former crew's lives to solve certain puzzles(e.g. "What if he actually made it and opened the door before it freezes shut?"). This game is a little too easy since there are always heats(THE SOURCE OF YOUR LIFE! even Light bulbs give you some heats to survive this cold) before nearly every battles or dangerous parts, and there are plenty of ammo as well. Recommended if you like Adventures, rather a pass if you claim you're a trigger happy FPS player.

Although its innovations only give air of creativity, providing nothing really new to the genre, those that play FP's really don't look for innovation, but an intese experience, thus this game is as good as any FPS currently on the market. Also with this games current budget price tag it provides more value than most current releases.

Cryostasis is an enjoyable game with a wonderful atmosphere. I personally do not care for horror style games and stayed away from this title after reading a few reviews, but in the end I figured I would try it out as the screens looked very nice.

I would not call this game scary, but I would call it a First Person Survival. There are moments where a few humans/creatures come at you, but by-in-large encounters are 1 or 2 at a time.

You are never really wanting for ammo in this game, but you do have to switch to different weapons if you waste the ammo as well. In fact in some locations you can pick up the ammo and simply wait a moment or two and it respawns for you to pick up more.

I would say this is a game survival puzzle game, but a fun one the whole way through. your real enemy in Cryostasis is the cold itself and the way in which the developers dealt with it was very nice. The storyline will keep you moving forward as you try to figure out what is taking place.

In the end Cryostasis is worth playing for the immersion, storyline, and fun walk through a large icebreaker ship that will take you places you never imagined. Have fun, and stay warm! :o)

Though Cryostasis achieves what it sets out to do, which is create a tense atmosphere and tell a story. It is plagued with show stopper glitches and bugs. The game is extremely poorly optimized, a quick scan of reviews, articles and forum posts on other media will reveal that everyone suffers from these issues. Cryostasis could've been a great game, had the developers taken the time to test it. It is a shame, everything else about the game is top-notch.

This game is a definite diamond in the rough, though sadly it will never get the attention it deserves. The closest thing comparable to Cryostasis would be Bioshock with a little bit of Siren Blood Curse through into the mix.

If you can get past the graphical hick-ups, Cryostasis is not only playable, but highly addictive, as it is hard not to be drawn in to its environment. Once I found a quick fix for the graphical issues I was having due to me playing on a ATI card, I quickly learned the game had not only beautiful visuals, but one of the creepiest atmospheres I've encountered in a game.

The melee combat is decent and holds up, gun-play while shortlived due to ammo shortage, is great and the time travel - body switching is where the game really shines with originality and puzzle solving. The need to stay warm to survive never becomes tedious but adds to the survival-horror element making you feel that much more attuned to your character's situation.

The story, while quite hard to keep up with still keeps you interested and guessing. Only real problem is that the ending will leave most people with more questions than answers. Though the game did feel adequate in length and layout.

The enemies are not particularly as varied as I would have liked to have had in a survival horror game. But of them, they are indeed disturbing and surreal, though some are quite cheap in terms of gameplay. They get the job done though as they leave you with quite a few "What the!?" moments.

Overall, I would say I desperately want a sequel or at least a spiritual successor to be made from this game. Great visuals and atmosphere. Good gameplay and enemy design. Hard to keep up with story. A must play for survival horror fans who posses computers that can handle a game that will try and make your system cry.

Whether or not you'll enjoy Cryostasis will depend on what exactly you're looking for from your first person shooters. If you're looking to play a nameless superhero in a plotless game who can shrug off bullets and shoot with perfect accuracy while sprinting then this is perhaps not the game for you.

Cryostasis is essentially more of a survival horror. Your abilities within the game aren't those of a super soldier. You're vulnerable and you actually have to try and aim to hit your target. This is something that makes a great deal of difference to the combat as it requires much more effort to take down enemies than in a game were you barely have to reload.

The storyline, which unfolds as you progress is very well told and very... human. Through your character's psychic abilities you get to see the story pan out from multiple perspectives and slowly but surely you manage to change the tragic outcome.

The graphics are also worth mentioning. As the environmental effects not only look very pretty, as ice patterns on slowly melt and dribble down walls, but they also depict your chances of survival. In this game warmth is life. It's that simple. You need to keep warm to keep alive. And on board a wrecked ship encased in ice and death there is precious little heat.

Water is also, naturally, fairly abundant and very impressively presented in the game. If you've got an Nvidia card then you can see water splash, pour and drip in full 3D, thanks to PhysX. There's even a water cannon so you can collect icicles and take your enemies down in style.

Sadly though, the game is not free of technical issues and especially those with ATI graphics cards are likely to be left with a more cut down experience. That said, I played right through the game with only one crash to desktop and no graphical issues.

Ultimately, Cryostasis is a highly atmospheric, well written and produced game that shows a lot of other modern FPS up as being too simplistic, backwards and immature. It's not free of technical issues. But missing it at this price would be mad.

I bought this game without knowing anything about it, beyond the description here on Gamersgate. A very atmospheric game. Slightly scary, but not very disturbing, aside from couple of things.

Pros:

- Atmospheric and interesting premises, with somewhat unusual stories to tell.

- Looks really pretty if you've got the hardware.

- Longer than I expected. Took me several evenings to finish.

- Tough enemies, but healing locations can be found regularly, and you can quick save, so it's forgiving enough to not stop progress because of difficulty.

Cons:

- Hardware requirements are quite high. (I was barely able to enjoy the game with my machine that can otherwise run games like Fallout 3 and Borderlands nicely on medium details. I recommend googling around for the ini file tweaks to get slightly better framerates for lower-end systems)

- Somewhat predictable events. (Only a few times was I completely surprised.)

- Also somewhat repetitive locations, but then again mostly what you'd expect from an icebreaker. (Hallways, cabins, engine rooms, deck...)

- A few minor bugs, like enemies/objects pushing the player inside pipes and other background objects, effectively providing a safe spot to attack enemies from. This happened to me three times during the game. I was always able to get out of those places though.

Overall a positive experience, highly recommended if you like first-person shooters that focus plenty on story and surroundings.

Score: 4/5

I enjoyed playing this game. It should be known that I had realistic expectations for this game, because if you don't you will likely be disappointed. Cryostasis is a slow paced, methodical shooter with low intensity combat. It is there fore not going to appeal to those looking for an adrenalin rush or those who favor fast paced combat vs. numerous enemies. In many ways it's more about puzzle solving and fighting the environment than combat.

In keeping with the below freezing environment the game plods along as the not so shabby storyline unfolds, and you'll rarely face more than two enemies at a time. But the game play is rewarding and you come to appreciate what a convincing world the developers have created. Even working the bolt on your rifle seems to take effort as you fight the cold, and your PPSh sub machine gun seems reluctant to fire and does so only grudgingly. Effects like these are likely to annoy some players, but if you let yourself be drawn in Cryostasis will provide you with a decidedly unique and memorable game experience.

Cryostasis is a first person shooter set aboard a frozen russian icebreaker, although first person puzzle may be more accurate. You will do your share of shooting as you explore the ship, using the well modeled weapons with you can aim with iron sights (No targeting reticle in this title!), but the emphasis is on finding the right path through the hostile environments, moving slowly and carefully, conserving energy, and solving the puzzles thrown at you via flashbacks where you briefly roleplay members of the crew before they died to prevent whatever killed them from happening.

The puzzles range from simply ducking to dodge a blow, to safely navigating through an underwater corridor to seal a bulkhead, to disarming a crazed crewman with a rifle. The variety of tasks keeps things interesting, although the difficulty is very inconsistent, with some tasks being almost trivial while others will require multiple attempts to complete, or even to figure out what you are supposed to be doing.

The Graphics in Cryostasis are appropriate and in some instances (lighting, shadows, ice and water effects) very impressive, while in other cases they look like a game from 5 years ago. In general the graphics feel slightly underwhelming compared to the processing power required to generate them. Occasional graphical glitching only exacerbates this effect. In addition, while there is a patch to utilize the Physx software package, I frequently encountered game crashing bugs which required me to turn physx off to pass them.

The plot is minimal, and what there is tends to be incomprehensible - but not in a bad way. While none of the strange events are ever explained at all as the game escalates to a manic crescendo of insanity, the resolution works and I didn't feel let down or betrayed - only slightly confused.

Combat is minimal, which is fortunate. Perhaps to enhance the "horror" feel of the game, most of the weapons feel underpowered and have staggering reload times. In a game with more combat this would be frustrating but in cryostasis the sparse encounters with enemies translate into workable, if unmemorable combat. The Physx patch introduces a new weapon which I would almost call game-breaking, as it trivializes combat against most if not all enemies - but it looks cool.

The game benefits from short levels with good pacing, a memorable setting, and the interesting puzzle mechanic. While I can't say it's a "good" game, I certainly am glad that I had the experience of playing through it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the right gamer at the right price.

7/10

From Omega, "...Actually, "scary" is inaccurate. I think "What the hell was that?! Did that wall just move??? I wanna go home! WAHHH!" would do my feelings more justice. Despite being able to predict nearly every point where something would attempt to leap out and surprise me, again and again I found myself falling deep into the immersive storytelling of Cryostasis. In addition to the flashbacks and the ability to replay parts of the former crew's lives, a tale about a courageous leader named Danko is told along the way through a set of scattered postcards. The postcards come with their own narration, too, which is handy. Danko, like the captain of the North Wind, attempts to guide his followers to better lands. However, Danko makes some bad decisions that result in disaster, spurring his flock to mutate into hideous monsters and turn against him. The parallel storyline was a welcome treat since it served to solidify my interest in the game's main plot and it helped to keep me involved and wanting more..."