UPDATE: We are happy to announce that AREA MAN LIVES is a: + "BEST NARRATIVE GAMES OF 2022" OFFICIAL SELECTION ON THE QUEST STORE + VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 OFFICIAL SELECTION + CANNES XR 2022 OFFICIAL SELECTION
AREA MAN LIVES. Or does he? If you could join a radio drama already in progress, talk to the characters and interact with the environments the story painted in your mind, you might find yourself in the world of the area man.
A quirky radio drama unfolds around you in VR while you do your best to keep the radio station humming along as its new DJ. You record commercials, interview callers and try your best to piece together how your actions inside the station impact your listening audience in scenarios so wild they can only live in your imagination.
If it all feels like too much, don’t worry, you’ll have your lonely producer, the resident skeptic, to guide you on your way, not to mention the vaguely British female voice inside your head.
When an unusual area man calls into the station asking for your help, you have to act fast. Will you trust the area man, or do your best to thwart his plans? Is there anything you can do to save the area man from himself?
I've awaited this. I remember messing around on steam on my computer looking at games when I stumbled upon this, Area Man Lives. I wishlisted it then never thought any more about it, until I was looking at the new games on the meta quest store and saw it again. I decided to buy it to try it out and it exceeded my expectations. Not only does it let you talk back, but that can drive the story. I thought it would be a visual novel where you sat and watched stuff happen but it was way more interactive than I expected. Good job Devs.
The only thing I would recommend is to update the grip points, some of them are really weird
An Odd But Awesome Experience. Honestly I've never been so stumped in a game in my entire life. The voice function is cool, but it often misinterprets what you're saying, and sometimes when I've responded positively to something the game acts like I've said something negative (for example, hank asking if I wanted to hear a joke, I said yes but game thought I said no), it could be implemented in more aspects of the game I think, its not used all that often or in a fun way except at the beginning. Now the gameplay can be incredibly confusing. Fun story and the voice actors are amazing, dialogue is witty and interesting (I like the option to skip dialogue previously heard from the pause menu) but a bit irritating at times. Solutions to puzzles are sometimes so out of the box its simply just picking everything up, moving it around, then going onto the next thing (which given the time can be a case of picking up a few things, failing and listening to his death on the radio, then rinse and repeat till you get it, often resulting in 4 or 5 or even more tries at the same level just picking up anything that's not nailed down). That being said, it's satisfying when you do finally figure it out, and it's sometimes just a case of listening very carefully to what they're saying for a clue. It's a very fun game, while annoying at times (especially cause I cannot find a walkthrough or even a hint guide online) it's still very fun to play, it's unique, and the different endings are fun to get. As of writing this, I still cannot find John's wife despite visiting every location on the map, and can't find any help online. Overall, I'd say play it, its worth it. I think there should be a longer part where you play as a radio DJ than a travel guide though, the intro was fun
投稿者:Alex
★3
※このレビューは翻訳表示しています。
かっこいいです。 理論的には楽しいゲームだが、バグが多いし、時々超わかりにくい。
投稿者:Kay
cool. it’s a fun game in theory but it’s buggy tbh and sometimes super confusing
So buggy/glitchy. I really want to enjoy this game. It sounds like my kind of game! However, it glitches almost every time I open it and am in the middle of trying to solve a task (ie, record stuck on record player, object I’m holding goes outside the room but is stuck on being held, unable to grab items I should be able to grab (pencils). I dislike I have to go through the same start up sequence every single time open the game (the alert for needing microphone and 360 degree view for play—unnecessary). I also dislike having to sit through voice sequences. I wish I could skip through bc the dialogue takes forever (especially since I can read it instead), and sometimes I’ve heard the dialogue already (like on a previous play through). It’s a bit of a busy game at times, so having the radio play while trying to do something while hearing conversation or narration is a bit much for me when I’m already feeling overstimulated.
It's such a good game but hard!! I would love to see a update for the game giving us players a ability to skip or simply request hints on how to solve some of the puzzles, I've been stuck on the moose in book two for almost half a year and I've done my research! No one! Not a single person! Has beat this game. Please!!! It's such a good game and it's in dire need of some help😭:'(
Repetitive. The game is repetitive and seems to go nowhere. Also glitches, like suddenly being unable to lift a record off the turntable when you need to change records to give area man a clue as to where to go next.
Great quirky fun. I'm have limited mobility, and appreciate a creative sitting experience such as this. This game is completely immersive, with good puzzles, wonderful voice acting, and lots of engrossing and humorous dialogue. A game that pulled me in with its oddness (that's a good thing!), this was just what I was looking for. Confusing at first, sure, but isn't that's the point of a puzzle game? Once you figure out what's going on, and what you're supposed to do in response to all the crazy, it's full speed ahead.! Loved it. Please make more games like this.
Enjoyed it for a bit but.. After I had played for about an hour and a half , just about every scenario was very repetitive, like if you only owned five legos. I understand you are a very small company but repetition throws people off.
However ,what I adore about this game is it’s intricate systems ,like speaking and the characters reacting accordingly . I also loved how in the little environment they give you , there is plenty to find.
20$ is a fair price for this game unlike games like Arizona sunshine and population one
I look foreword to seeing where this game could go but for now my review stands,thank you for reading.
Glitch. The idea is good but the game doesn’t pick my voice up. I’ve reset the game used different mics and turned the mic option on and off. It also won’t let me progress everytime I get to a certain point. Could you either tell me how to fix this or let me refund the game please?
This game is sooo immersive! A real gem! I wish more adventure games would offer such fully fledged scenarios. The game doesn't treat you as a kid but with respect by offering the immersive world that goes around you in dialogues. The game is full narrative adventure, but what it does does outstanding well.
It's not for everyone, because it needs time and patience, but once it's going you can't get enough of it. You need to create scenario in your head by putting little pieces that come from the things that go around you.
Like in every quality product, it is visible how much work and dedication was put into dialogues and scenario and it pays off. Wish more good scenario based titles are coming to Quest.
Confused. Played this game for a while already and was able to “complete” the game, saw the credit scene, when I went to main menu my progress showed as 35%? I have finished every scenario correctly aside from going down the River by carols house. Is there more to this game than the main goal?
A few issues: Needs a skip button, it took tons of trial and error in order to find the appropriate response, and going through the same thing over and over again is very exhausting since it’s soooo heavily based on just sitting and listening, u do one thing for 5 seconds and then you have what feels like a century of dialect to listen to then repeat x1000
Grabbing and pointing can be difficult, I had to restart the game numerous times just to reset the space to get what I needed, sometimes I can’t grab anything at all, and when I try too it will just click the record on and off or the phone by the darts on and off. Lots of glitches to work out
The objects the game gives you as clues don’t really make sense, and 2 records are seemingly useless…so far at least.
You hardly record anything, there’s a to do list…that you literally cannot do.
My biggest concern is the percentage, how can I be done at 35%, I went back and redid all of the locations correctly and no progress.
This game is SO WEIRD. In a great way. I haven't played for very long, and I haven't gotten far but the humor is fantastic. Totally laughing aloud.
You actually use your own voice, something I haven't experienced before in a VR game. It has that immediate sense of the traditional adventure/puzzle genre where you're dropped into it without handholding.
That said, there's a tutorial to get the hang of the controls.
Can't wait to see how this shakes out!
投稿者:DawnMonkey
★4
※このレビューは翻訳表示しています。
今までプレイしたことのないような作品です コミックとラジオドラマをミックスした風変わりなVRアドベンチャー」と自称する「Area Man Lives」は万人向けではないが、より冷静で受け身な、しかし内容の濃い物語体験を求める人には、十分な娯楽価値を提供してくれるだろう。 音声認識は没入感を高めるのに効果的で、このゲームの音声認識は今まで見た中で最も優れていると思う。 東京クロノス、ヒッチハイカー、プロジェクトルクスなどのゲームに興味があるなら、エリアマンリブを楽しめると思う。
Like nothing else I've ever played! Self described as a ‘quirky VR adventure that mixes comics with radio dramas’, Area Man Lives just won’t be for everyone, but for those that are looking for a more chill & passive but still meaty narrative experience, this delivers plenty of entertainment value. The voice recognition adds a really slick level to the immersion factor, and I think it’s use here is the best I’ve ever seen, though admittedly, that is limited to a few games. If you are into the games like Tokyo Chronos, Hitchhiker or Project lux than I think you’ll enjoy Area Man Lives, just be aware that your first playthrough is going to be confusing, but stick with it and you’ll have a good time!
VIDEO REVIEW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePqp2zf8LNc
WRITTEN REVIEW - https://www.thevrgrid.com/area-man-lives/