Mental Echo isn't the only original feature in this game. Because the environment you are in is so cold, an obvious solution to fighting the cold is heat. This is used as your health meter. Whenever you come across a source of heat, you simply hold down your right mouse button, and you gloves will come off, and you will gladly accept the heat into your body, causing your health meter to rise. And, if your stamina is low, it will also rise much faster than if you weren't at a heat source. Clever, eh?
The only real problem with Cryostasis the fact that multi-core processors aren't utilized, making the game very slow, and appear rough and choppy at times, even making your character very jumpy sometimes, making it very hard to play the game much of the time. This sometimes isn't a problem, and other items it is. It just depends on what else you're running, I suppose.
Another problem is the game's lack of multi-player or free play, which normally makes playing time in a game much, MUCH shorter. But to compensate, the developers made sure the story mode was long. And trust me, it'll take several days to win, at the extreme least. And that's if you've played before.
Aside from that, there isn't really any other problem. The controls are easy to grasp, just the usual WASD and space bar, using the mouse the most. Left-click for attack, and right-click to get heat from a heat source, or to use objects such as handles, or to open doors. The only other important controls you need to know are the number keys, for quick access to your different weapons that you've previously picked up in the game. If you're out of ammo for your rifle and you want your ax, just hit the "3" key. That's about all you'll need to know control-wise.
Progressing through the game's many long levels is quite slow, and it doesn't help that the game runs so slowly at times, making the pacing very slow. As you continue on through the ship, you continue deeper into it. From the outside of the ship, to far inside it. The AI moves quick and isn't stupid.. Sometimes you find yourself running away from an enemy to get enough time to reload your rifle, to save your health because it's low, and you will find that you can't hide because no matter what, even if the enemy can't see you, they'll find you. But when playing the game, the AI isn't too much better than it should be, and it's not so dumb that you can stand in front of an enemy and they won't see you. The AI's just right.
Other than what's been said, there isn't much else that can be said about Cryostasis. An average game with a good story and some annoying bugs. But overall, worth playing, but after you win the game, you won't likely find any more reason to keep playing, unless you decide to play the story again.
C+
While the game is sometimes hard to play and the story is at times hard to comprehend, Cryostasis is definitely original. It's certainly worth a try, and perhaps a buy, although it's up to you whether it's a better-than-average story-based game, or just a below-average role-playing game.
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