75
It's definitely a Westernized way of approaching the visual novel, but if you look at it just so, you can see how it might fit in that box.
70
As a debut for Storm in a Teacup, Nero is a partial success that you should try. While not free from defects and with puzzles that, in many cases, leave something to be desired in terms of originality and variation, the touching story told by Nero has been able to excite us in many moments.
63
Nero calls itself an interactive story, and does fine by itself with the story aspect, however interaction is sorely lacking.
8
N.E.R.O. Nothing Ever Remains Obscure A strangely calming adventure. It’s so hard to talk about NERO without spoiling it, so I’m not going to go into story details even a little bit. .. I will only say this is a story about acceptance… If you’re looking for awesome gameplay, don’t look here... this isn’t what Nero is about the magic here is in the journey and story telling... The atmosphere in this game really is perfect excluding 1 on the 4 chapters... This is a quote unquote walking simulator with light puzzle elements thrown in here… As you explore the beautiful levels with calming ambience, you’ll run into pieces of pictures and puzzles that completing them will give more insight into the story… It’s a real joy exploring these 4 levels so these collectibles do not feel like a chore at all to search for… The puzzles in this game are for the most part very simple and involve mainly pressure pads and throwing an orb of blue light to activate a switch… you’ll even get a companion early on to help with a couple puzzles throughout your journey… and a handful of these puzzles can actually be completely skipped… but if you want the most out of this 2 hour game, it’s definitely worth seeking all 29 out… I will say there were probably about 4 puzzles that I had to look up a solution to... not because I couldn’t figure it out. .but because I had no idea what the puzzle was asking me to do in the first place… which unfortunately does break the immersion the rest of the game did such a great job at placing me into… But the story makes it all worth it… it’s just as beautiful and mysterious as the rest of the world and even brought a few tears to my eyes.. NERO may not have the best puzzles... but the puzzles do their job at keeping the pace… And if there’s one thing NERO does have, it’s one of the most heartwarming experiences of the year. I give NERO Nothing Ever Remains Obscure an 8/10
8
What a way to tell a story! Well, it is true that N.E.R.O. is short, easy, too easy that is impossible to be stucked in a puzzle solving situation. All puzzles I managed to solve it in only one or two tries... Some may say a few puzzles take more time, which is true though, for me, nothing challeging at all. That hardest to me was not even the last one. Let´s talk about length. The game, to me, could last 1:30 hour or so, but it took me almost 7 hrs to finish it, because I simply explored the entire enviroment in the game, try to catch all the pictures and wonder around. The strongest points in N.E.R.O. is on the narrative elements, from the start I alreayd understood what I was doing, and what was my role. When the story started to emerge as I was diving in I already noticed who I was, who the companion was and what was happening around, the only true surprise I had was the end, which I did not expected at all. The game is touching but its music, narrative, slow paced gameplay, gorgeous and beautiful levels with awesome art design. I saw a trailer and thought as an instant buy because I started at atari, and we "oldies" are tired from the same of the same every day and when something like this just comes it looks like a "breeze of spring fresh air" coming to my console. If you like touching stories with that sense of wonder you only see in stories like "The Little Prince", that is totally for you. The game mechanics never fails though there are some few bugs but they don't ruin the experience, it could have been a little longer with harder puzzles to make the ending even more memorable, the game is a blast though... It just didn't reach 10 because it seemed fast at moments... I'm talking about the narrative here. Anyway, congrats to storm in a teacup for the excellence, and I wonder, if something like this couldn't be improved by then, because they really know how to amaze telling a simple drama, a beautiful story.
1
I was intrigued by this game and its visual novel premise, but I've sadly been very disappointed due to its uninspired design, technical flaws and nonsensical story, where storytelling (floating writings in the air? really? "visual novel" doesn't mean you get to write your story everywhere like in a book) and puzzles really don't blend together. Moreover, it took me a couple of hours to finish a 20 bucks game. Not great value for money.
N.E.R.O.: Nothing Ever Remains Obscure
Released On:
May 15, 2015
Metascore
Mixed or Average
64
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
16% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
68% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
16% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
May 13, 2015
90
It's a game that prioritizes emotion above all else, and it does so wonderfully. But as the boy at the heart of this tale learns, emotions are tough to understand, and thus NERO is tough to understand. You'll just know that you felt something, and that sensation alone is worth the journey.
Jun 9, 2015
70
As a debut for Storm in a Teacup, Nero is a partial success that you should try. While not free from defects and with puzzles that, in many cases, leave something to be desired in terms of originality and variation, the touching story told by Nero has been able to excite us in many moments.
User score
Generally Favorable
68% Positive
42 Ratings
42 Ratings
15% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
May 18, 2015
10
“What are you willing to sacrifice for the one you love?” That's maybe the key of the game. NERO is unique, it’s an experience. Amazing story, a beautifully drawn world, very good gameplay, fantastic soundtrack. Honestly, I really recommend it, love it! I would especially like to congratulate Carlo Bianchi, Alberto Belli and the team at Storm in a Teacup are capable of doing amazing things! good job guys!
May 17, 2015
10
I just finished playing this game, what can I say. It's dense, emotional and the atmosphere is awesome. The music is absolutely amazing and does a lot. As soon as I finished it I started crying, it touched all my senses. Considering that the game it's been made in Unity the team was able to push it and take the most out of it. It's a small great piece of art. Good job Storm in a Teacup ;-)
May 15, 2015
70
Nero is a flawed but admirable project, a clear labour of love, and absolutely an experience worth having. One in the win column for self-publishers everywhere.
May 17, 2015
68
A peculiar and highly niche experience, which explores a new way of storytelling in video games at the expense of a more "playful" interaction. More novel than game, its story can be really touching but an almost irritating exploration slowness and several technical problems keep it from reaching its full potential.
May 19, 2015
59
An emotional experience, NERO is also a brief and expensive game, hampered by a myriad of technical issues and uninspired mechanics.
May 15, 2015
50
Nero is a flawed non-game, with boring puzzles and lackluster visuals. Its interesting and captivating atmosphere is not enough.
May 29, 2015
35
A few interesting puzzles can’t save Nero from being an overwritten, mawkish plod that runs so poorly on the Xbox One it’s tough to play without feeling sick.
May 17, 2015
10
After just a few seconds I felt home. It instantly reminded me the Myst series, particularly Myst Exile, my favorite. I always liked story driven games and this one is no exception. Love the puzzles, everyone give a little emotional reward and keeps you going. Always, with this type of games, the biggest disappointment is when the game finish. You would like to keep going forever. Great mood, great visuals, loved the music and the storyteller. Waiting for the next one. :)
May 16, 2015
7
I like indie games a lot and this is on of the reasons why! It is a "dark" game. To gloomy for journey, to colorful for limbo, something nice in between. A good story, with a nice soundtrack that fits the mood.
May 16, 2015
7
As usual indie development is a breath of fresh air and ideas in a world of triple A. I'm old (...) and it reminds me Myst in some way, glad to read that the developers pitched the game as a sort of new Riven. I read about puzzles around and what i've to say is that someone could find them easy and it's true, but if they refer to the blocking ones to change environment and not the optional. These are really difficult and well designed, even for an aged player like me that loves spending time reasoning on how to solve stuff. Took 30 mins on the last one and i'm happy for this. Kudos for the heartpuzzle too and timed stuff. Good ideas. Maybe the price is too high but if you're on for some challenge and a great story, it's worth the price. You spent 70 bucks for Call of Duty, come on!
Oct 18, 2015
1
I was intrigued by this game and its visual novel premise, but I've sadly been very disappointed due to its uninspired design, technical flaws and nonsensical story, where storytelling (floating writings in the air? really? "visual novel" doesn't mean you get to write your story everywhere like in a book) and puzzles really don't blend together. Moreover, it took me a couple of hours to finish a 20 bucks game. Not great value for money.
May 31, 2015
0
I am completely lost in this game. Nothing makes sense. The story line doesn't even flow logically at all. One minute the son is dying, the next it's the mother. The narrator tells a story that has no meaning nor plot. There are glowing words just randomly painted on walls that do nothing for the game play. The puzzles aren't really puzzles, just distractions that have no logical progression. Often you're just doing random things until whatever the "puzzle" is finally unlocks. Then you move on with no idea what you've done. The physics engine in the game is barely adequate to move about the story. I've played thru about 4 levels (I'm not certain because there's no clear beginning or ending to levels). The entire experience reminds me of using a translator app.... you can read the translation, but it has no meaning. Maybe this game is better in it's native language? So far the only emotion the game as elicited in me is frustration. I wish there was a guide or walk thru that helped explain what my goal in the game is... because the story is leading me nowhere. I only keep playing it hoping there will be a sudden revelation that explains what I've been doing. But, on a positive note, the graphics are quite pretty....
SummaryNERO is a fully story driven first person game filled with puzzles that are heavily connected with the environments and with the past of the main characters. The more the player is going to explore, the better he will be rewarded with pieces of narration that will help him to understand the truth behind this next-gen visual novel. [Storm... Read More
Rated Efor Everyone
Platforms:
- Xbox One
- PC
- PlayStation 4
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date:May 15, 2015
Developer:
Publisher:





























