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Review

Duration: 5:23

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3

This game took me on a rollercoaster that's for sure. At first, it wouldn't let me play it on anything but 720p or Native, if I tried to play on another setting (1080p, 1440p or 4k) it would crash. Not sure if that was the game or my computer but I think with my specs it shouldn't be me. It did not crash whilst playing, though, it was only the setup period.

The game has a few downfalls (setup and crashing being one of them). It has a large map, but doesn't use it to full potential. There is a very large expanse of empty seabed on one side of the map that has literally no purpose. If they'd spread the active area of the game around a bit more, they could have extended the play time of it potentially, just given people a little more exploration incentive. Sharks are also part of the game content, but again have no purpose other than underwater ambience. I know this isn't Subnautica and not every sea creature has to murder you, but there was potential for another mechanic there. Then again, if it wasn't needed, then there's no use putting it in. The game's purpose was really mechanics and more aesthetic appeal. Another qualm I had with it was the night sequence. The (moon?) was nice to watch going down, but after the whole map went dark, I found the exploration element a lot more fruitless, mostly because I could see nothing but the lustrous glimmer of moonlight on seaweed. I didn't stand a chance of spotting those underwater chests in the dark. I'm not sure to what extent the settings I had affected that, but I ended up just waiting until the sun came back up to look again. And that was about 5-10 minutes of waiting. I know it makes sense to have equal measure of day and night, or to attempt to, but when you can't see anything in an exploration game, it kinda hurts the point. My other issue with it was purpose. The first half an hour I spent playing the game I had no clue what I was meant to be doing. There are no tips on what the game is about, other than the information that it is a sort of advert for another game the creators made. At first there seemed to be no aim to the game and I was all ready to drop it after half an hour. I had to check the Store page for clues, in which I eventually found what the game was made for, but it wasn't easy to find. There was, I discovered, a clue somewhere on the map as to what you had to do. But it wasn't easy to find, and if you went looking in the water as soon as you spawned, you'd never find it. Then you might end up doing what I did at first and losing interest and dropping it. Also for those who get motion-sick, the sideways movement might be a little trouble for you. Things get a bit psychedelic.

The game's forte lies in aesthetic. Brilliant graphics. Brilliant ambiance underwater, realistic textures, and water effects. Excellent in that aspect. The mechanics are simple and can be figured out easily, and as an exploration game it holds its ground for the most part.
I have a lot of respect for it for meeting its purpose. It is, as it says, supposed to be a sort of test of the kind of theme you can expect for a game that the creators have released (or so I assume). And after you manage to complete the game, there is a great sense of fulfillment. I'll give it a lot of points for creative advertising, and I will allow it to confidently proclaim itself as "Intuitive" as it does. Because it is. It's quirky and, despite being a little poorly-executed in some aspects, overall works very well as a teaser for another game. I'd consider having a look at the released game. BREATHE had a lot of potential for more content, but that's what you're looking for in a teaser. You want people to want more of what you're offering, which in this case is simply a showcase of incredible graphics. And I'll add, making a game that is intended to be a showcase an exploration game is a guaranteed way to make sure people get a good look at what you're advertising, which is a smart move too. Kudos to the creators for their marketing strategy.

Unfortunately once you've found the treasure, you've probably seen all the game has to offer, so really the replay value is pretty low. As an advertisement, BREATHE is a tremendous success. As a game, it's sufficient, good-looking, but doesn't hold enough content to it for a higher rating, so sorry about that creators. My initial frustration with the game was also a little too much to shake with ease, and initially I intended to review it as a 2/10 because I was ready to be done with it. But I gave it the chance to show me what it was made of, and it charmed me to enough of a degree to throw itself into the zone of positive recommendation. So, reviewing this game as a game, I'd give it a 5/10. Good ambiance and visuals, but lack of spread, content and replayability. And some function issues. But all in all, it was a decent game and I did enjoy playing it for the brief time it lasted.

Steam Curator: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/31832786/