A very amazing atmosphere, haunting at times, the atmosphere give you chills down your spine and the story is perfect for you dark minded people. The surrounding and sounds is a perfect mix together and is best played alone in a dark room. good voice acting and story.
8/10

Absolutly beautiful game. Focuses on Story, but adds other things to it. The voice acting was magnificant and the music was amazing. The game is pretty much just your characeter and the world. Probably the best abstract game ever created. The game is short but I want to play it for the next few weeks. Definitley a MUST buy...

First of all, I should be clear that this is NOT a game for everyone. If you like action packed games or clear, strutctured linear stories (because those are fun too, right?), then you might want to think about buying this game.

If you have a pretty open mind, like narrative driven stories that make you really think and you enjoy immersing yourself in an environment, then this is a great game for you! The Old City: Leviathan is a narrative-driven game which some have deemed a 'walking simulator' which I feel is rather unfair. It's a unique game, to be sure.

The Old City Leviathan is, first off, a beautifully crafted game. Very few games, even AAA titles today, can really pull off the amazing sense of atomsphere and environment. As you, the player, walk around this world of the Old City, it carries a strange air of eerie beauty. Even the sewers you find yourself in have a charm to them, having been turned into tempoary abodes by the sparse population. Perhaps its beauty lies in the sense of decay and the lonliness of the character as he explores an empty shell.
Now and then, you alternate from 'reality' to dream although it's difficult to tell sometimes. You may find, as I have, that re-visiting areas yield changes, some marginal, some noticeable.

There are no puzzles, no traps and no enemies in this world and this is very deliberate. Your role is not to fight, but to explore, to immerse yourself in this strange and exotic world.

The in-game story is a little vague at times, partly due to the mode of storytelling which is told through monologues and pages. As you explore and read the notes left for you, things become a little clearer. The monologues and many of the notes are generally philsophical in many ways although you do receive some backstory into the main characters.

The theories esposued are not altogether clear or easy to understand, but as I mentioned above (and as the developer explainned) this isn't a game for everyone. The theories are interesting though and as you learn more, you might form your own theories. The main one, or rather, the one I latched onto, was seeing the game in a biblical sense but there are probably many theories in this game.

This is a game that is very different from many other games. I might go so far as to call it a 'therapy game' because I found exploring the Old City and the dream worlds quite relaxing. It is a beautiful, detailed and thought-provoking story-driven game and I hope big game developers are taking notes on this.
I am certainly looking forward to more from this developer. Keep up the good work.

This game is fantastic. I spent a lot of time wandering through its beautiful world full of various fragments of events and information. The soundtrack and effect sounds are perfect, they build fascinating atmosphere. The surroundings change as your knowledge deepens. However there's a challenging amount of reading of non-trivial English. That is what I liked about the game surprisingly much, beside the sceneries. The overall philosophic message of the game is an unexpected bonus which demands to think about it in much greater frame than in puzzle games.

You're not going to have fun per se. There is quite a bit to appreciate in the exploratory narrative however. The visuals are a marvel to behold, and the sound design and music are fantastic. Seriously, this game has a choke hold on atmosphere.

It's probably the best example (that I've played so far) of what this subgenre of adventure games can be. Unlike say Dear Ester, a lot of the details throughout the world actually matter, it's not just esoteric ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crammed in for the perception of depth. Likewise the level structure ensures that you're not getting too much out of order, making it considerably easier to piece it all together in your mind.

So if you've tried similar first person graphic adventures in the past and thought you might enjoy them were they better fleshed out, give this a try.

And one last note, in order to get a deeper understanding of the world, be prepared to read, a lot.

Beautiful game, The first person perspective is very well executed, But needs to be experienced first hand, I recommend checking this game out and giving it a go.
+The visuals and the artwork combined with the narration and the environments are excellent, plus the music is really beautiful and gives you a tone to the atmosphere on the game,
+The story is very interesting, as you listen to the voices throughout the course of the game, it keeps you on your toes and keeps you wanting more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12M_5TWRaA

"Unfortunately, telling a group of people that they're doing something wrong communicates that you're doing it right. If only that were true. If only I was above all this, instead of beneath everything..."

The Old City: Leviathan is a project I've been following for a while now. It captured my attention from the moment I read that it focused entirely on story and exploration without the obsessive combat or jumpscares that plagues the common formula for big-budget-quick-profit games today. My intrigue was instantly sated from the moment I ran the game. I'm obsessed. It's an addicting breath of fresh air that is so desperately needed amongst today's games.

This game instead slows you down, sets you free to explore, and unfolds its story through its beautifully crafted environment. It places its trust in human curiosity, and quickly ensnares you in its abstract, fragmented story told through the eyes and ramblings of a madman. Everything done and narrated in this game is terrifyingly meaningful and deep. The intellectual depth and immersion of this game is just absolutely stunning, and combines for one remarkable experience.

This is the kind of game that makes you want to write down everything you see, every question you have, and every reoccuring object in hopes of piecing everything together. It's just confusing enough to addict you into finding the truth, yet clear enough to keep you on the hunt for more. This is the kind of game that you can easily spend hours on without realizing. It just might leave you laying awake at night mulling over what you've experienced. It combines gritty, realistic, post-modern elements with whimsical pieces of myth and mystery, and amongst it all you'll find insight that truly transcends anything in the gaming universe today.

Unlike a lot of current story-based games, you don't feel like a tourist, you actually feel like an adventurer. You feel like you're the one making the discoveries, not being read to on a forced, one-track story. Leviathan is tangible, it's interactive, it feels real. The music and ambiance is on an entire different level as well. It really immerses you into the game. The environment you explore actually feels like a living, breathing beast, and it will send shivers down your spine.

It's an experience unlike anything I've ever known in gaming. Do yourself a favour and buy it.

I don't write reviews. So this is minimal.

This game is just beautiful. I have never taken so many screenshots of an actual game before. You completely get lost while playing it. Immersion is at 150% and has a fantastic soundtrack with that being said though I have not the slightest idea what was going on. Is this good? I don't really know. I do want to play through it again to figure more out... That seems like a positive to me.

Someone had asked and yes it is a walking-simulator but one with complete immersion, a lengthy story, fantastic soundtrack and a damn pretty world.

Skip through to the 2 hour mark for gameplayt - http://www.twitch.tv/itsgime/b/595422168

The Old City: Leviathan Review

Premise: A man with an unstable mind finds himself seemingly alone in a collapsed society. The player sees the world through his manic eyes, unfolding a narrative concerning themes of uncertainty, love, and, most importantly, the nature of dreams.

Gameplay: Nonexistent, but this is a mercy. Any puzzles would disrupt the game's pace; the only challenge exists in finding the notes composing a 30,000 word novella (which I'll get to later), and trust me, you'll want to find every last scrap. The game has a heavy emphasis on exploration, and little inhibits this. My only complaint here is that it is sometimes unclear when a door leads out of an area permanently rather than just to a smaller side room, which occasionally caused places to go unexplored, as I couldn't return.

Visuals: The graphics and art style strike a beautiful middle ground between DIshonored and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, making good use of the Unreal Engine. While textures themselves are slightly muddy, their stylized nature makes the environments easy on the eyes, and the art direction throughout the game, especially in the dream sequences, absolutely breathtaking. From the dank, oppressive atmosphere of the sewers to the melancholy desolation of the surface, there's never a dull sight.

Story: This is the real meat of the game. While the actual story behind the game is murky (a non-issue which will surely be cleared up in the already-announced sequels), the writing is simply on another level. I'm used to toning down my standards for small indie games when it comes to the quality of narrative delivery, but the novella bits in particular are--no joke-- life-changing. The writer/s have a remarkable grasp of incomprehensibly deep philosophical thought to the point where it will almost always feel like they're ahead of you. That is perfectly fine, as the point of the game is to define a new philosophy for yourself, determining the nature of your own reality. The novella pieces are absolutely vital to the narrative, and a couple playthroughs will likely be necessary to track down any missed sections. It's good to go into the game knowing that you need to scour every area as thoroughly as possible before moving on, because you don't want to miss some of the best writing ever put into a game.

Sound: This deserves a special little section. The ambient sound is consistently chilling, and I honestly felt scared at points upon hearing the rattle of a can in the wind even though I knew nothing would jump out at me. The music, especially during dreams, is spot-on, adding to the experience without overshadowing it at all. It's also very well-synced to your actions, which is impressive given the number of branching paths in the game world. Finally, there is only one voice-acted character--you, a.k.a. Jonah-- and the talent is very, very good. Far better, in fact, than any indie game has a right to. This guy should be doing voicework for higher-paying games, because honestly, this was one of the most surprising parts of the game. Good narration is hard to do, and this guy nails it. Props.

Length: About a five-hour experience if you really take your time. And please, please /really take your time/.

Final thoughts:

This game is a shockingly in-depth exploration of what it means to be isolated in a world where certainty is fleeting. It's a scathing critique of Dostoevsky's Underground Man (I'm gonna stress this: fans of Dostoevsky are going to love the novellas, because Solomon is essentially Raskolnikov), becoming a quest to find a replacement for certainty. I won't reveal what this replacement is, but suffice to say that the experience is absolutely brilliant and worth every minute you pour into it.

10/10

This is THE game I have been hoping to come across one day. Finally a story-driven game with an engaging (and beautiful) atmosphere that does not see the need to keep me preoccupied with puzzles or inherently useless gameplay mechanics. The game takes you on a walk through a world where fantasy dances around with reality in delicate coordination. Oh, it was SO refreshing! The Old City: Leviathan is full to the brim with satisfying contemplative fodder for the daydreaming or philosophical mind. I played through it once but it will require several playthroughs to get a decent grasp of everything it wants to say. I am going to add my opinion here of what the game was trying to say. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone so I will put a spoiler tag on it just in case. For me the game has mirrored my journey of seeking the absolute truth, my endeavor to find peace of mind and certainty, but in the end finding none of that. I have begged religion and science for the answers to life's mysteries as have the people spoken of in this story. Unfortunately, the closer you get to a more "objective" truth the more questions you end up with than answers. If any of that journey sounds familiar to you this game may make a lot more sense to you. Oh, boy here I go..... philosophical tangent..... Like I said this game is a mirror, maybe there is no objective truth...... can any of us see reality with complete objectivity? Don't we all look at life through some version of rose colored glasses, through some inherent bias? Maybe that is what the game is trying to say.... tangent finished Anyway, I love this game. I wish there were more just like it. I wish every "walking simulator" were just as engaging in story and in atmosphere. I wish other ones would take out their silly puzzles and just let me explore their ideas and the environment. Thank you developers for this incredible game.

(no spoilers)

It's gorgeous, atmospheric, the soundtrack is wonderful. As "passive participant walking simulators" go, it's got a lot going for it. It also has some evocative visual twists, as it has you repeat some familiar areas, but changes them subtly (or not subtly).

Definitely on the side of "wonder/mystery" and less "suspense/horror".

Ultimately, though, the story is extremely convoluted. While delivered by a great voice actor, and while it sells itself as having layers of meaning and metaphor... it ultimately doesn't make any sense, and there's no story payoff: The game suddenly ends at a black screen with no resolution and no real sense of what happened, what will happen, and what was happening the entire time you were playing. In the forums, the dev commented that they're thinking of later adding more content that ties things together, adds a payoff.

Quite disappointing, because there was a lot of unique ideas, and there are setting elements of a post-apocalypse background world (hints of "Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon"), but they never manifest or realize, much less complete, any more than temporary blotches on a confusing campus. Without any grounding, it's all just shifting sands.

Pretty sands, mind: Great graphics and sound. But ultimately disappointing. If the devs get back to grounding some story elements as aluded to in forum comments, then it might be worth a revisit.

Also: Wonky controller support (even setting buttons for Zoom, Run on an XBox controller does nothing); limited key assignment functionality (could not assign run button to Right Shift, only Left; and NONE of the mouse buttons other than Mouse 1 are assignable, what?); and finally walking is Extremely Slow, and running is Slightly Less than Extremely Slow. I kept my finger on the "run" button the entire game despite pausing frequently to take in all the beautiful landscapes, and even then it was too slow.

This game makes you think...makes you dive into the mind of someone who understands they are completely isolated, without anyone to even speak to. Imagine...all your friends are dead. Everyone; your loved ones, your pets, everyone and anything. This game tells the story of a long lost civilization, and how it fell because of events that I shall save for those who decide to play this game. This was NOT a waste of time, and you can definitely see the effort these developers put into making "The Old City: Leviathan."

No gameplay whatsoever. No jump scares. Everything is pretty static. Sort of like an exposition in a museum. A dead city you walk through and read the tale. Takes you around 4 hours including peeking into every corner and reading the Solomon's notes. A misanthrope's story with beautiful but a little repetitive scenery. A little pretentious and very misanthropic - philosophical all way around. Worth about 2 or 5 bucks for those interested in despising humans.

I wish Agent K would use the Neuralyzer on me so I can relive this beautiful game.

Beautiful artwork, music, and great original concept. Atmospheric and spooky. Have you ever been playing a beautiful game and thought "man, wish that the jabberwocky or whatever would stop fighting me for 15 minutes so I could just look around at this environment and appreciate the mood, the composition, the lighting."? If not, this game will bore you. If you have, you'll savor every frame.

Any criticisms?

1. Would be nice if you had more control over saving progress.

2. The "narrative" is confusing and often quite pretentious. It's supposed to come from an insane perspective, but if you happen to be a sane person trying to enjoy it, it goes too far off the rails IMO. It helps to understand it if you're widely read in mythical and biblical lore to recognize many of the references. I can appreciate the artist's boldness at going for something so ambitious, but I often found myself laughing when the story was trying to be deep or serious.

Don't "play" it, wander through it. Take it slow, don't try too hard to understand, just explore every direction and take in the experience like a dream.

At anywhere between three to five hours, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a shallow game. But that could not be further from the truth. The story of a man trying to find Truth in his exploration of the remnants of a world long gone, The Old City: Leviathan is a hell of an experience.

If you don't like to read, I would have to suggest this game is not for you. I would recommend turning subtitles on and then just exploring the world. Read the pages scattered around the world, pick up Solomon's journals and follow his progression (digression?) across the course of his words and just feel the story.

The visuals, sound and all around atmosphere are completely absorbing. Though there's no enemies, no other living entities you encounter apart from some mythical beasts that form more set than interactive partner, at moments there was real tension, a terror of the unknown and what you may find next.

This story does not hold your hand. You have to piece it together as you progress, between your character's musings, the journals and scattered books and pages you find. It won't explain what The Fall is, it won't go into the reasons why the world is how it is... It just Is.

But if you are willing to let go, to engage in the story... it will take you all the way down and engulf you in its depths. I don't know if I feel elated that I finished, or heartbroken.

This isn't going to be a very kind review.

Very minor spoilers. Very minor.

Cons first!

The bad: The writing is a pretentious 2deep4me purple prose mess. Yes, I understand what they were going for. Yes, some parts were beautifully written, some very small, minor parts. Largely, though, cringy.

The ending is ambiguous to a point of stupidity. The game feels incomplete.

The game is very short. I read very fast, and I completed the game at my own pace in less than four hours. The maps are quite small, too. It's tagged as exploration, but there isn't much exploring to be done.

In general, the game feels unpolished. It feels rushed, it feels like given a month or two of development it could've been absolutely perfect. But it isn't. I ended the game disappointed.

The good: The maps are tiny, but absolutely beautiful. I was really floored by the tiny world they created. I'm looking forward to playing the game again just to look at all one more time.

I loved having to piece everything together with the notes.

The music is very well done.

The world they've created, without spoiling anything, is intriguing and believable.

Though it left me with a sour taste in my mouth, I'll be looking forward to the sequel.

In conclusion: make the leap.

Good: Very pretty game. Engaging, if you are into this genre.

Bad: NO SAVE FUNCTION. I played for 35 minutes then got interrupted and had to quit; lost all progress. Maybe the game saves at checkpoints but I must not have reached one yet. No way to manually save the game. Waste of my money until/unless they add saves at arbitrary time/location.

Response from dev (see comments): "I understand the frustration if you're stopping in the middle of a chapter, but there are currently no plans to implement a literal save image or stavestate"

I thoroughly enjoyed this game, even though it was quite short. The scenery is gorgeous looking and I loved just exploring every possible door and route I could, even if it meant back tracing my steps.

The only 'scary' bit would be the environments and sounds, and even those are really 'scary' just more like.. eerie.

Set in a desolate industrial world where the declining mental state of the protagonist has personified the walls and rendered the environment feverishly amorphous, 'The Old City: Leviathan' is a haunting, epistemological journey that touches upon the universal questions of truth and the human condition with startling acuity.