Vane

Gaming NexusRandy Kalista

6.5/10

Vane exists in an enormously stressed and jagged world of puzzle-platforming. Simply moving around feels rough and unfinished, and that's not always on purpose. If only Friend & Foe had more time to incubate its creation.

TheSixthAxisThomas Hughes

5/10

Vane is a strange game. Its art direction and visual design frame a grandiose, otherworldly affair, but its puzzle design and narrative squash those expectations, ultimately providing a frustrating experience with fragments of its original vision.

GameSpaceChris Bowman

5/10

Overall, this game lacks any specific direction beyond what you have to figure out for yourself. You get no introduction to the character or the situation they face. There are game breaking bugs and things that cause frustrations that make someone not want to play the game anymore. That being said, this game has good environments and music. The game is now available on PlayStation 4 and is priced at $24.99 USD. If you like clunky, buggy games that look good but make you fight for any meaningf...

Jump Dash RollRob Kershaw

5/10

While visually impressive at times, Vane suffers from an unclear purpose and far too many technical issues to recommend it.

Worth PlayingCody Medellin

4.5/10

Vane is an atmospheric adventure about unraveling the secrets of an unknown land, finding your place in it, and pulling at the threads of the world to make a change.

GameGrinAlan Wen

4/10

It can still look visually striking when viewed from a distance while its audio design, with a brooding electronic score, can also be wonderfully atmospheric. Sadly, it’s not enough to salvage a wholly disappointing experience that never reaches the lofty heights it begins with.

Gamer EscapeElton Rivera

4/10

Friend & Foe have released an abstract game that tries to stir the linearity of modern games, but its execution leaves players confused and disinterested. Vane may have strived to create an immersive experience for gamers, but its technical flaws leave it feeling disjointed and unpolished. It feels like a disappointment for what it could have been and it is hard to recommend the game in its current state. Fans of the genre may appreciate the artistic style of the game and find value in the at...

DestructoidChris Moyse

4/10

Vane has a very strong opening, some unique visual ideas, and an atmospheric electronica soundtrack. Unfortunately, all of this is quickly muted by aimless and frustrating gameplay. Though Vane‘s abstract approach to storytelling is genuinely liberating, the player remains caged with simplistic gameplay tropes, immersion-breaking technical problems, boring puzzles, and a terrible save system. Point your wings in another direction.

DualShockersTomas Franzese

3.5/10

I normally don't have problems with experiential games like this; in fact, I love games like Inside, Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus that Vane is clearly pulling from. That being said, Vane just ends up being a mishmash of impressive visuals and a few intriguing concepts that never really materialize into anything truly worthwhile. At its currently high price tag, I would definitely recommend skipping out on Vane and just marveling at some of its beautiful screenshots, removed from the technical problems and frustration Vane brings when playing.

Game SkinnyRobertPIngram

3/10

A beautiful world begging to be explored falls victim to unclear direction and clunky controls, making for a disaster instead of a delight.

ShackNewsLarryn Bell

3/10

Despite its deceptively intriguing prologue, Vane quickly goes from a journey of discovery to a laborious chore, mainly due to the abundance of technical issues and a lack of a decent save system. The game is relatively short–maybe four or five hours, sans glitches–but some parts can feel unnecessarily long when you’re meandering about with little sense of purpose or direction. The puzzles are lackluster, and whatever abstract narrative the game is trying to convey never really comes together at the end. Vane honestly feels like it could have used some extra care or attention to detail. You sh...

COGConnectedAndrew Gilbert

20/100

Vane opens by throwing you at the base of an enormous tower as an intense storm tears the structures around you apart. Carrying…soooommmeethiiinng, you brave the storm and debris as you make your way to the single light pouring from a doorway into the tower. When you arrive, you’re rejected at the door by a tall, cloaked figure, whose voice is powerful enough to send you flying, dropping whatever it is you’re carrying. The door seals itself before you get sucked up into the storm, and the screen fades to black.