Once Alive – An Impressive Project by a Solo Developer

• DEVELOPER: Cem Boray Yıldırım
• PUBLISHER: GameDev.ist
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Walking Simulator
• RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2024
• STARTING PRICE: 11,79 €
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Once Alive is an impressive project, especially considering it was developed over three years by a beginner solo developer. While it may not deliver a spectacular experience, the game offers a solid foundation with a clear sense of direction. It’s a walking simulator with a few minor puzzles, primarily following a linear structure where players gradually unravel the story. That said, it’s best to approach the game with lowered expectations.

At the center of the story are two brothers. The younger brother is trying to find their missing father, while the older brother later decides to join the search. It is in his role that you embark on a journey that leads you to a hidden place called HaustVille, filled with secrets. Besides the linear narrative, the game occasionally introduces elements of mystery that further enhance the atmosphere.

Simple gameplay focused on narration

The gameplay in Once Alive is straightforward and minimal. You navigate through various environments, ranging from rooms to houses, while exploring letters and texts. Occasionally, shadowy fragments of past events appear, interpreting key moments of the story, often tinged with sadness. The primary objective is to uncover what happened to the town’s vanished residents, understand the mysterious disease plaguing them, and determine if a cure exists.

While the story is interesting, it sometimes feels shallow, as if certain sections were hurried to maintain momentum. Unfortunately, the gameplay lacks depth. The only truly thrilling moment, a tense escape from crows early in the game, is memorable but fleeting, leaving a sense of missed potential for similar adrenaline-filled scenes. Although the map is richly detailed with impressive décor and architecture, it feels empty due to the absence of characters.

With a completion time of about two hours, the game is ideal for fans of walking simulators seeking a laid-back experience. In this genre, game length is less important than the narrative, which here occasionally wavers. At times, you’ll find yourself reading letters; at others, solving small puzzles like uncovering a door’s password. Later, more intricate mysteries emerge. The game doesn’t dwell too long on any single element, offering casual yet effective explanations of its key aspects.

Technical Difficulties and Visual Impression

Once Alive uses Unreal Engine 5, which despite all its capabilities, shows certain imperfections. The graphics are very good, but suffer from occasional performance drops, stuttering, and even game crashes. Although the developer continually updates the game to optimize it, it is not fully executed in the best way, so if you do not have a very good computer, it will be very difficult to maintain a stable fps.

On the other hand, the animations are minimalist and often unfinished. Cut-scenes and conversations between characters feel unnatural – the synchronization of lip movements and subtitles is inaccurate, and technical issues such as the disappearance or sudden appearance of objects further diminish the impression. Also, from the player's perspective, the lack of hands or interaction makes the game feel more static than it should be.

The technical imperfections of the game can be tolerated, but the optimization problem, which is not at the desired level even a month after release, raises the question of whether Unreal Engine was the right choice in this case. An additional challenge is the voice acting – although the voice of the main protagonist is well done with a good balance of sound volume, the dialogues among other characters, particularly the shadows, are often quieter, which diminishes the overall gaming experience.

Ending thoughts

Despite this, as a debut project, Once Alive can be considered a success. Positive reviews on Steam attest to the game, while the fact that it belongs to a niche genre further highlights its contribution. However, the game is not ambitious – the developer did not venture into experimentation, but rather stayed within safe boundaries. The result is a solid, yet average title that, despite technical difficulties, justifies the time spent on its creation and play.

Review copy provided by the publisher

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