Kredolis is a first-person adventure puzzle game developed and published by Pharos Interactive. The title doesn’t provide much background or context in the beginning. We start with our unnamed protagonist manning a ship when suddenly a voice pleads for your help. Shortly after, you find yourself shipwrecked on a colorful island filled with puzzles and secrets. You must explore, find collectibles, and solve puzzles in order to escape and assist the aforementioned voice. Although everything sounds good on paper, it isn’t quite executed well.
The story was a bit hit-and-miss for me. The lore doesn’t unfold with traditional cut scenes or through conversations. Instead, you collect scrolls and notes that expand on the island’s long-gone inhabitants, the story, and hints to the puzzles around the island. I initially was impressed with the voice acting – however, these monologues faded into the background fast. Instead, I preferred the notes as they provided hints and were more succinct in their delivery.
I appreciated the variety of puzzles provided, but they weren’t always engaging enough. Some are a breeze like three-ring puzzles, while others will require sharper deduction skills like adjusting sundials to reflect to a specific point. The transition from deadly simple to extremely obscure can be a bit jarring. It came to a point in my playthrough where I had to rely on notes to figure out the next steps – which annoyed me and as I didn’t collect the specific note required, resulting in minor backtracking. This didn’t impact the difficulty but rather screwed up the overall pacing.
I’m a sucker for interesting and vibrant visuals that knock it out of the park. From the moment you’re on the island, you’re greeted with this beautiful atmospheric setting very reminiscent of Myst. The difference between internal and external locations is night and day, offering some fantastic diversity. The same can be said for the audio design, which is subtle and effective. The background sounds are natural, voiceovers are strong, and the music brings a calm yet inspiring feel to the title.
My biggest gripe with Kredolis is how short the title is. It took me less than an hour to complete the game, which is a big red flag. At one point, I expected to explore more of the island, but instead, the credits began to roll. Even with the great visuals and decent lore, there isn’t enough content to justify the price tag. With no replayability outside of collecting achievements, it’s difficult to recommend checking out what feels like an extended demo or preview.
Ultimately, Kredolis didn’t move the needle for me. Though I’m a fan of the visuals and audio, there simply isn’t enough of an experience throughout. A bulk of the story can be missed or ignored via scrolls, the puzzles are bland at best, and the title can be completed in an hour or less. Though the foundation set is decent, the overall product needed a bit more nuance and engaging gameplay to make Kredolis worthwhile.
Kredolis is available now on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Humble Store for $19.99.
Watch the Review in 3 Minutes for Kredolis.
