Разработчик: ArkHouse
Описание
Memories, dreams... I realized at one point, that the darkness... This darkness was my own body - the endless desert, the reflection of the ancient mirage I was looking for - the dragon. It came to me as I followed it into the silent blaze, "that" which breaks to pieces.
Immerse yourself in a dreamy, unique, 2D world with the Mirage of Dragon. Explore a true open world that gives you an absolute freedom of exploration. Traverse the maze and discover the mysterious place step by step, piece by piece.
In Mirage of Dragon, there is no "beginning of the story" or "order", you can explore the game in whichever way you want, it is entirely up to you. You start exactly in the middle of all the game's events, both gameplay-wise and story-wise. There is no set goal, you may discover your very own - either playing through all the endings or just simply admiring the beautifully designed environments and slowly uncovering the story.
EXTRAS: game includes Game Manual, Design Book, Secret Guide and OST in a game installation folder. You may also download it via the link in a righ-hand bottom panel on Mirage of Dragon Steam Store page.
Key features
- True open world that will give you an absolute freedom of exploration.
- Detailed 2D graphics with a unique style.
- Original soundtrack.
- Classic platforming, mazes and puzzles.
- Includes Game Manual, Design Book, Secret Guide and OST in a game installation folder.
Поддерживаемые языки: english
Системные требования
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: 900 Mhz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: supports all DirectX video cards
- Sound Card: supports all DirectX compatible sound
Отзывы пользователей
Very interesting game. If I had more free time, I could see myself putting hours into this game until I find all its secrets.
This isn't a video game
dark souls for nintendo ds
A very fun abstract atmospheric 2D platformer with multiply endings.
The game can also be played on the Steam Deck however the game unintentionally runs twice at the intended speed making the precise platforming jumps very difficult if not nearly impossible but luckily this can be adjusted via Steam Deck performance mode settings :)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2987543823
Game has very good artwork, but the gameplay is awful. lots of cryptic trail and error puzzles/platforming that usually reset all or most progress making for very tedious portions of the game. Game speed is also tied to the framerate which can make some platforming near impossible when everything is 2-3 times faster then intended. You need to limit the framerate via external means.
If you can handle the puzzles/platforming and the framerate issue is not a problem there is a very good game behind it all.
Trash gameplay.
Understood nothing.
Still enjoyable, somehow worth it.
You need to figure out how to jump...I definitely get lost at the beginning.
You can do wall jumping at certain places. Jumping on the stars. And some paths are hidden in the map
I would say this is an precise platform game. But this art style is really attracted me. I am willing to spend time to dig through the game.
I really can't say it any better than one of the previous reviewers did:
"This developer also made a point&click adventure called GhostDream. Which is very odd because this platformer has the same problems. He makes these unique visual games and somehow manages to make them unnecessary hard to play."
That's it. That's exactly how I feel about both Mirage of Dragon and Ghostdream -- yet another case of someone being a much better artist than they are a game designer or programmer. I paid around 50 cents for this game, and for that price I would rather have an interactive art gallery where I could just click through the images and be done with it in ten minutes, rather than have to endure hours of tedious, badly designed platforming in order to see everything. I really would like to see more of what this game has to offer visually, but I just can't be bothered with any more of the clunky gameplay that is required to get there.
Someone Cared
Someone cared a lot while making this game. The way the background scrolls with you made me queasy when I first started playing, but I've gotten used to it. There is not much in the way of a tutorial, so I'll add a tips section to this review. The art is top tier. I love it!
Atmosphere
There's atmosphere in this title that is not quite seen in other platformers. This is partially due to the art, and partially due to the vignettes that appear on almost every screen. If you press X or K on the keyboard or B on the controller, a unique vignette appears on almost every screen in the game with text detailing a story. Grammar and spelling is occasionally wrong, and word choice is occasionally odd as well, but the dev obviously doesn't speak English as his primary language, so I give it a pass. There's quite a bit of music tracks as well that lend nicely to the atmosphere.
If you buy this game, here are some tips that you'll want to try.
-The jump button, J and Z on keyboard, A on controller.
-The vignette button, X and K on keyboard, B on controller.
-Jump on everything. If there's an orb, jump on it. If there's a wall, spam jump on it. It just might do something.
-Some paths require dropping through platforms to progress even if it doesn't look like a conventional drop-down pathway.
-There are ladders in this game that look like a train-track mixed with a ribbon. Some ladders go sideways as well. Press keys in different directions to experiment in the beginning.
-Press the vignette button on every screen for new story.
-In the Steam files are a set of Books with a Manual, Art Book, and a Secret Guide that requires a password to see it.
Conclusion
Do I think people should buy this game? Yes! It's $5, it has great art, there are plenty of secret areas to uncover and by extension learn more story, and it's just plain charming. If you don't like it, there's always Steam's Refund policy, but I recommend giving Mirage of Dragon a shot.
I recommend it. As to why I do, you'll have to figure it out by yourselves.
Good game with an amazing art style. Kind of reminds me of Yume Nikki in its style of exploration but with platformer elements. It's also like yume nikki in that it explains very little to the player (although theres a lot more text concerning the story with the library section and the monologues if you press X) and some of the objects needed to reach endgame (effect in yume nikki, dragons here) could be near impossible to find without a little guidance although only maybe 1 or 2 are very easy to miss if you explore enough. Overall its a pretty neat adventure through beautiful scenes and creepy bosses.
controls are arrow keys and z x , upward do interactions , z jump x learn the current thoughts. about game , this is not a game. theres actually no playable content. this is more like a lot of dark art picture and a puzzle. if you like these type thing you will like . otherward dont buy
SPOILERS:
A post apocalyptic dark fantasy world where your soul wanders endlessly, forever chasing the very creature that filled your dreams in life. This game restored my faith in abstract artistic style games, from start to finish I was drawn in. From the stories if the grand kingdoms that came before, the terrible and awe inspiring creatures that roamed its wastes.
The music and atmosphere really help to feel like your in some kind of trippy dream state while exploring the halls of this massive labyrinth like world. The graphics are breathtaking and feel almost like something out of the crazy twisted worlds of lovecraft. Its short if you decide to gun for the exit, but take the time to explore every nook and cranny and you will find a world filled with immense lore of a world already at the end of its days.
This is quite a unique game.
Short review:
Pros:
+ Art and OST are absolutely amazing
+ Unique maze level design, where any encountered puzzle can be immediately solved, and every exit to the maze is also an ending to the game
+ Great puzzles and platforming without any kind of gimmicks
+ story, art direction and level design mesh together to produce a great atmosphere
Cons:
- This game is all about mystery and exploration, if you don't like being lost and asking yourself "where do I go", then this might not be for you. That being said, the game comes with a guidebook that helpfully points out where to go without fully solving the puzzles for you
- The no gimmicks design might feel a tad simple for people that want more in the way of precision and/or action platforming
Slightly more in-depth:
Gameplay:
It is basically platforming maze with 7 exits (one for each ending). You can reach any of the endings right from the beginning of the game - "all" you have to do is traverse the maze and solve the puzzles to do so. At the "gate" of each exit waits a dragon, a kind of puzzle-platforming boss.
Which sounds simple enough design-wise, but the way it plays out is actually pretty nice - if you find an oddity, you are always aware that you can solve it there and then; there is never any kind of spot that you need to revisit with the correct item or anything like that. one might argue that the 1st ending does require running around a bit more, but that's pretty much it
Because of this, it is also playable in nice small segments; once you know your way around, you can just sit down for 30 minutes or so and explore an area you haven't investigated fully yet, perhaps find a puzzle, perhaps solve it, and then put the game away again. There are no saves, but there's also nothing that really needs to be saved: once you know the location of a puzzle you want to solve, it takes maybe 1-5 minutes to reach again (depending on your platforming skills).
Atmosphere:
The visuals and soundtrack are all quite unique, bizarre and dark, with a slight arabian vibe and references to arabic mythology. The art especially is of an absurdly high quality, and it alone justifies the price of the game, if the rest of the gameplay weren't already quite fun!
The combination of the great visuals and OST with the way the maze/leves are designed gives a very satisfying, mysterious aura for an explorative adventure: every time a discovery is made, it feels earned and rewarding in itself.
Story
The story is fairly simple, told mostly through the musings of the protagonist, who finds himself without memory in some sort of personal hell, seeking to slay a dragon which he has been looking for all of his life. Some areas server as explorations of his past, giving you an idea of what he had done before falling into the hell he is now in.
There is very little in the way of dialogues, and other than the aforementioned reminiscences of memories, the protagonist mostly explores his philosophical thoughts on the hell, himself and his search for the dragon. It's a satisfying read, but certainly not a traditional adventurous tale of a hero. More like puzzle pieces and musings of someone who is lost - which fits the maze gameplay pretty well.
Controls:
Just cuz' someone here said that they feel clunky - can't agree with that. The controls were very smooth. Nothing special, but also not bad in any sort of way.
Definite recommendation from me not just for the great art and atmosphere, but the unique take on simple but effective gameplay/level design!
more like MIRAGE OF GAME lolol. start button exits the game instead of starting the game. the first 'boss' i encountered was a dragon monster that chases you through a corridor of extremely bad 'precision' jumps you'll have to try again and again until you hop through the hoops to get the shiny thing before dragon monster catches you. platforming is essentially meaningless other than making you work to read more cryptic stuff which sometimes hints at very poorly hidden routes through the game. that seems to be about it. it so clearly wants to be this surreal, profound and creative thing, but it's rudimentary in the extreme. so why am i giving this a positive review? well, because i actually like the game's artwork and sound effects and the overall weird, dreamy feel of it. plus i got it for 50 cents
hmm.. this game is very interesting. The most frustrating thing about it is that it doesn't tell you what all the mechanics are. It doesn't tell you you can wall jump in certain places and that you can double jump on certain things. Also the menu screens are a little confusing, But stick with it, it starts to become a better puzzle platformer game later on. The most redeeming quality(some may say only) is the story, the story is very interesting, although confusing. Overall I'd recommend because it's pretty cheap and pretty interesting if you stick with it.
i dont get what to do? its a shame cus the art is really nice. gameplay is just non existent. wish i tested it sooner so i could have returned it.
I instantly fell in love with the art style, but cannot play the game. the movements are too fast and sensitive to play with keyboard, and not all keys are mapped correctly for game controller. There doesn't seem to be a way to remap controls. I don't want to have to spend an hour programming an xinput remapper so I guess I'm giving up. Love to play it if I could.
One of the best indie games I've come across in a long time. I'd recommend reading the developer's artbook which comes with the game when you first start playing so that you'll understand it a little bit better and can get more out of it.
The biggest appeal for this game is of course the art, which is fantastic, surreal, and varies from area to area so that it never feels stale or reused. I've spent quite a bit of time already just staring at the backgrounds and all the intricate details.
The platforming is very fun and feels smooth. The learning curve might be a little steep but it's rewarding once you get the hang of it. I also enjoy the focus on "pure platforming" and not relying on gimmicks like many action platformers do.
The music is very good and the overall atmosphere is incredibly immersive. I've not found all of the endings yet but I love all of the story and writings I've come across.
I definitely recommend this game and it's a shame it hasn't gotten more recognition yet. I can't wait to see what comes next from ArkHouse.
Have only played an hour so far but I'm super interested. The gameplay is ok, its pretty basic jumping. But you can tell a lot of effort and love was put into the game. Wish there was a bit more instruction on how to move and interact with things, but you can work it out as you go. After reading through a bunch of stuff in the libary in game and the readme / secrets files in the install folder, its clear it was the creators intentions.
Mirage of Dragon is an abstract exploration game with some casual platforming gameplay. I kind of like it but unless you want to experience some of the most cryptic puzzles, I would not recommend it. When I say puzzles I mean more like jumping off the screen to find some secret hallway by complete accident. It has a lot of those "leap of faith" moments. If you played Zzzz-Zzzz-Zzzz it is very similar in format. Not exactly intuitive when it comes to mechanics and lack of proper hints. There are some very beautiful locations if you have the patience to find them. This is definitely the game that you buy for aesthetic reasons and writing (not so much for gameplay).
This developer also made a point&click adventure called GhostDream. Which is very odd because this platformer has the same problems. He makes these unique visual games and somehow manages to make them unnecessary hard to play. I really wish the game would just have a pop-up text that would explain new mechanics. I have been walking next to these light orbs for hours before I realized that I could jump on them. Same goes for wall climbing and ladder mechanic which is not explained and only possible in specific areas. Pro Tip: when you in the right area you have to click (B) to trigger monologue or events. After you learn all this junk the game becomes a lot more enjoyable.
I am not sure if the game has a goal. So far I found several endings that basically end in some philosophical views. I hope you like reading, otherwise, I don't see a point in getting this game. Although why all the text is in 3-word lines. What about utilizing the other 90% of the screen to make it easier to read? Aside from that, I do actually like the writing. Not that I have any idea what the character is talking about because his views are somewhat complex. As far as platforming elements go I have not encountered anything interesting.
The best part is the art style which is also inconsistent. Some levels look better than other and unfortunately the main area is one of the ugliest places. Sometimes it has too many effects which can make it hard for eyes to concentrate or even see the character.
Pros:
+lots of secrets/multiple endings
+a lot of beautiful environments (if you can find them)
+immersive atmosphere
+nice soundtrack
+interesting writing if you like complex views
Cons:
-very cryptic puzzles
-some unintuitive mechanics
-hard to navigate
-a character can be hard to see
-strange text formatting
Final Thoughts 6/10
One of the weirdest games I ever played and certainly very hard to figure out. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you looking for. Don't expect a lot of interesting gameplay. I think Mirage of Dragon will only appeal to those that like weird artwork and writing. While I generally would recommend a game that I give a 6/10, I must say that I just have a weak spot for games like this one. I like it for creativity even if it is kinda trashy.
Review By: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/
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Дополнительная информация
| Разработчик | ArkHouse |
| Платформы | Windows |
| Ограничение возраста | Нет |
| Дата релиза | 22.01.2025 |
| Отзывы пользователей | 77% положительных (22) |