Sometimes a bad experience is still worth having.
Vane, a highly hyped indie release from developer Friend & Foe, hit gaming platforms last week only to be met with a resounding and less-than-complimentary "pass" from players. Although Vanedelivered many of the stunning visuals promised in the 2016 demo that first gained the attention of gamers, its glitchy mechanics, frustrating design, and tedious gameplay made the experience for many (myself included) pretty awful.
So of course, I'm recommending you play it anyway. Hear me out.
SEE ALSO: 'Resident Evil 2' almost broke meI agree with Vaneplayers' complaints about the game's playability—or rather lack thereof. I began the Vaneexperience eager to soar through its advertised expanse of mystery and wonder only to be met with an entangled mess of half-baked mechanical concepts wrapped into a fundamentally underwhelming narrative. The game's protagonist, a young boy who can (inexplicably) morph into a bird, intrigued me at first. But after less than 20 minutes of Vane, I'd had enough of him and his antics.
Sure, the landscape was very, very pretty and the story occasionally hit on some novel concepts, but overall I was having a terrible time. When I wasn't stumbling through the desert completely lost on the ground, I was fighting with my controller to keep the whole game level enough for me to be lost from the sky. In the first half, Vaneand its sloppy flight mechanics left me repeatedly diving into the sand, beak-first. In the second, its boring pseudo platform style left my boy avatar shuffling from rock face to rock face while I longed for credits.
Ultimately, I pushed through the end of the roughly three-hour experience, uninstalled Vane, and moved on with my evening. Ready to forget the disappointing play-through entirely, I popped in one of my go-to indie games. The comparison, while arguably unfair to Vane, was instant.
My tried-and-true favorite wasn't nearly as aesthetically appealing as Vane, but the gameplay worked and for that I was immeasurably thankful. As I played through beats I had experienced many times before, I found myself more and more grateful for its well-executed functionality. When I wanted to jump, I jumped. When I needed to look at a map, I had one. When I wanted to start a section over, I actually could. Comparatively, it was a delight.
As a gamer wading through an increasingly diverse array of purchase options, I have recently found myself more and more fixated on games' flashier selling points. The disappointing reality of Vane's final form, however, allowed me to truly appreciate the too-often unsung heroes of clean and effective game design. While Vanealone may not be worth its $25 price tag, the lesson it can teach about the art form of game creation and its essential ingredients absolutely is.
Here's hoping Vane's clearly talented creators had similar takeaways, and that their next release will merit a beaming review all its own.
Vaneis available on PlayStation 4.
Topics Gaming Reviews
Great white shark leaps into tiny boat, fisherman treats it like NBD
Best Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 deal: Save $50 at Amazon
Best Bose headphones deal: Save $100 on the QuietComfort Ultra
Best Amazon deals of the day: Apple iPad 10th gen, Roku wireless soundbar, Sony SRS
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
Best Beats deal: Save $70 on Solo 4 headphones
Best Apple deal: Save $100 on the iPad Mini
Best Travel deal: Score JetBlue flights for as low as $49 each way
Report: Match Group dating apps conceal assault cases
Club America vs. Cruz Azul 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Champions Cup for free
SpaceX is so close to turning its rocket headquarters into an actual city
Best Fire TV Stick 4K deal: Save $20 at Amazon
Nintendo brings Gamechat live chatting to the Switch 2
Best smartwatch deal: Get the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra for 42% off at Amazon
Even Trump's Earth Day message was anti
Best soundbar deal: The Sonos Arc is down to $599 at Amazon
Massive breach of Elon Musk's X allegedly leaks over 200 million users' email addresses
28 of the best mystery movies on Netflix
Then and Now: Six Generations of $200 Mainstream Radeon GPUs Compared
Best Buy Nintendo Switch game deal: Get $20 for every $150 you spend
The Bernie Sanders doppelgänger wants you to know he's not Larry David, eitherScreenJunkies adds daily live news broadcasts to YouTube and FacebookScreenJunkies adds daily live news broadcasts to YouTube and FacebookLady Gaga channels the suffragette movement in electionSharing economy for the rich now includes horsesDude who took selfies in the middle of a forest fire gets scolded AFSmog selfies capture New Delhi's deadly air pollutionThe technology that may finally make ‘clean’ cookstoves a realityThe underrated presidency of George H.W. BushThe college basketball star who never was but can't be stoppedPavel wins the 2016 'Hearthstone' World ChampionshipThese scientific breakthroughs could help address the world's water crisisGirl beautifully trolls dude asking for nude photosA 'puppuccino' changed this adorable pup's lifeJohn Lithgow dadGrannies settle their dispute the Muay Thai wayDude who took selfies in the middle of a forest fire gets scolded AFThis letter to Americans has an important message ahead of electionsThe first 'Valerian' trailer docks in 3 days, and we got a sneak peekGirl beautifully trolls dude asking for nude photos I took out a loan with cryptocurrency and didn't sign a thing This is the best time in human history. We're designed to think otherwise. Facial recognition cameras to be rolled out in London amid privacy concerns India is now the second largest smartphone market in the world Justin Theroux gave Jennifer Aniston an empty piñata because being famous is terrible Samsung's new foldable phone already sounds way better than the Galaxy Fold This hot new boyband from China is made up entirely of girls Lyft just came out with its biggest innovation yet: buses Art supply sales are up, because protest signs don't make themselves The internet works its Photoshop magic on that bizarre Cristiano Ronaldo bust U.S. Senator calls out Tesla over Autopilot safety issues 'I Lost My Body' is Netflix's underrated Oscar nominee of 2020: Netflix "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" Part 3 wins by going full "Riverdale" In the internet era, public libraries are more vital than ever Surprise, Ring for Android reportedly shares your data with third parties Uber, Lyft are officially up and running in British Columbia Facebook finally launches 'Clear History' button for real Facebook official struggles to explain Bezos' WhatsApp hack Hulu's 'Shrill' disappoints with timid Season 2 Tesla leaks suggest some helpful updates could be incoming
3.3655s , 10194.890625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【audre lorde eroticism as power】,Information Information Network