XON Episode One

I started out with the initial free game, and then saw several reviewers note that these paid versions are longer, so I decided to give it a try, as I really enjoyed the freebie immensely. Now I am already on Chapter 3 and enjoying every moment of this journey so far! I consider myself to be a “graphics snob,” so I appreciate the beautiful graphics and attention to detail in these games very much. I also love that we are forced to explore every since nook and cranny of this strange world, looking for artifacts needed for game play. I also appreciate the complexity level of the puzzles. It’s not TOO hard, but hard enough that I did have to seek out some clues on a few occasions, and each game (so far) has given me more than a day of game play. I will be recommending this game to everyone for sure, and I don’t recommend many games! This rises to the level of The Taos Principal, The Room series, and House of DaVinci. Bravo! Well done, and please make more!

There are some truly great games like this out there, so I have to consider that when rating this just 2 stars. This is essentially just one puzzle. The puzzle is not as challenging as the controls, it's essentially like you are a rat in a maze and performing one rote action after another. Very limited interaction with the environment. There is a rope hanging from a wall that is really out of place in this stark environment - you can't climb it or anything. I mention it because there are so few items in the environment that it is odd to have this random rope. Maybe it is part of the next installment? Annoying part: It is possible to get into the pen by falling off a ledge, but once in you cannot get out unless you have previously opened the door from the outside, so you must start a new game in order to continue. The game took me 10 minutes after I restarted. This would be a fine part of a larger game, but it does need more interest and more interactive potential.I thank all game designers in this type of game. I appreciate the effort.

I loved this game. The scenery was beautiful and the puzzle was somewhat challenging while not being ridiculously recondite. My only nearly negative comment isn't really negative. It's just to recognize that, with only one puzzle to solve, the game was very short. The reason this isn't really a complaint is that it was free. I think it is being given away as a sample of what the series has to offer: what the developers are capable of, like a hint at good things to come. I think I'll buy the second episode (it's listed now for only $1.99). If that proves to be equally brief (the first took me about 30-minutes to solve), then I might have to reconsider my praises. But I've seen enough here to make it seem worthwhile to invest further.