PC Critic Reviews

Spate narrates of the existential pain of a man who found shelter within the embrace of absynth, neglecting himself and his wife because of his own weakness and incapability towards life. It is the story of a man drowning, a story that you will contemplate through evocative images. If you loved Limbo, Dear Esther or Gone Home, you will definitely love Spate.

Spate isn’t a game that is terribly concerned with action-packed or challenging gameplay. It isn’t going to keep you busy for very long either, taking only a couple of hours at most to play through. But the visuals, audio and narrative combine very nicely to create a strong sense of atmosphere and identity – one which is likely to remain with you long after you finish playing.

Spate is heavily focused on what it can best deliver: story and atmosphere. A desperate and alcoholic father who's seeking for the truth about the death of his daughter, in the desolate, steampunk location of the Xzone, is the perfect main character for an original and very inspired 2.5D indie platform.

Bluth's journey concludes with a choice, but you'll have to repeat the journey to see the other ending. The prospect of spending two more hours with this self-pitying drunk may be too much for even Spate's Kickstarter backers to take. [Issue#147, p.121]