Spiral into audioreactive obscurity as you are transported to a mysterious and melancholy land of Kyoto. As the former ancient capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto is a truly magical place where anyone can easily be lost in its beauty. This game is an homage to the wonderful city that I currently reside in.
This game proves that a game can be seen purely from an artistic standpoint. The visuals are beautiful, and the whole experience is nothing short of captivating.
an excelent game, very relaxing and well made, the whole idea of interact with the game enviroment creating and composing the music it's just beautiful! GOOD JOB! I EXPECT ANOTHER PIECE OF ART LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE! :D
The Game was Beautiful, I felt compleately immersed in the small world.
Strangly it reminded me of Myst, that old point and Click game, although not as serious obviously, it was still enough for me.
For me it reminds me that games do not have to feel like games.
This felt like I was inside a peice of Art.
Never have I ever been absorbed into something like this.
When I closed my eyes, I thought I was their for a moment, I useually don't admit things like this but tears were forming in my eyes.
A perfect 10 from me.
Although more an audiovisual experience than a game in the traditional sense, Kyoto can still be considered as an example of interactive art.
The entire game takes place in a small scene consisting of a moon-lit rock with a tree growing on it, amidst a quiet lake. The great graphical effects are probably the most outstanding part of the game. Most of them are rather subtle, which ensures that the soothing atmosphere is only enhanced by them. Everything, from the effects to the color palette, makes up for an incredibly calm experience.
The audio only complements this, with the subtle sound effects being the equivalent of the graphical effects, and the smooth soundtrack enhancing the general feeling of the game.
Though it's not always clear what to do next, it seems like the experimentation is something the developer wants the player to do, in order to take the game world in. The game is fairly short, and even a player who takes his time to appreciate the experience can finish it in less than half an hour.
The question here is, whether it is fair to rate the gameplay compared to other, more traditional games. Kyoto is an interactive audiovisual experience in its own right, and this label is far more suitable than the label "game". But since this is a game-centered site, I will rate it as a game.
As a game, I give it a 7/10 (Good). The gameplay is fairly limited, and the game's goal isn't obvious. But then again, this might be a good thing, and playing around and embracing the game's atmosphere is surely more rewarding than progressing to the next stage. It just doesn't have enough content.
Game version: 1.0
Full review: Indiedb.com