Cryostasis

The Good
In the 30 year history of video gaming, I can confidently say there has not been a game like Cryostasis, and likely never will be again.

Here is game that shatters every conception of what a story in a video game is capable of. Nothing gets in the way of it, and everything else is secondary to telling the extraordinary story of a Captain, a Crew, and a Ship. Yes, gentlemen, this is very well the closest thing to Moby Dick in video game form.

Subtext, symbolism, and metaphor are everywhere from beginning to end. Layered within the story is another folk tale of Danko, who's actions and flaws roughly parallel those of the captain.

The graphics of this game rival Crysis on maximum settings. Ice melts into water dynamically. Shadows looks phenomenal. Most importantly the game's art style looks unique. I can't think of another game that explores the interior and exterior of a ship so well.

Audio design is especially good as well. Headphones or a good surround system are required. Every gun sounds loud and powerful even though most of them are 50 years old. The ship echoes reverberate throughout the corridors. Each enemy has it's own distinct sound. Overall it is flawless.

All this however, is secondary to the story. The tale of an icebreaker trapped within the shackles of glacier near the North Pole. Every character portrayed is realistic, flawed, and somewhat virtuous. It is the only game I have ever seen where there is no true antagonist. You do fight enemies, but they are a symptom of a much larger problem the begins within the minds of individuals.

This is foremost a mystery game then, as you play the role of an outsider who finds himself on the frozen ship. But the game will never hand the answers to you. It is up to you to decide what happens and the meaning behind it.

The Bad
Because of the slow nature of Cryostasis' unveiling of it's story, it's gameplay suffers. It is repetitive and slow. It would be unwise to play this game simply for a quick run through a Russian horror game. It could hardly even be classified as a horror game because the horror is never explicitly shown. The horror of this game is terrifying because it speaks to the real life deterioration of the human mind in a crisis. How the ego and paranoia eventually rust and corrode every individual's mind. Do not go in expecting typical horror game scares.

This game is a performance hog like few others. An 8800 GT is a minimum requirement to be able to play this properly.

The Bottom Line
Understand that this is likely the most metaphor packed story ever committed to gaming. In my personal opinion, it is also the best. If you are looking for a comparison, it's closest would probably be Silent Hill 2.

Expect to think on this one, and examine every detail you see carefully. If you play this passively, it will be a forgettable title. But if you do take the time to seriously think about the events that occur, it will be among the most memorable journeys in gaming history. You will be thinking about this game long after you finish it. Were this story adapted from a Russian novel, it would be studied by English professors and academics for centuries to come. It really is that good, that unique, and that memorable.