35MM

I happily add 35mm to the swollen pantheon of RPS’ highly-recommended games from the first half of 2016. It is janky at times, but it is something special.

35mm misses the mark when it comes to its survival adventure experience. The grayscale Russian countryside conveys the lonely brutality that comes with the game’s particular brand of post-apocalypse quite well. However, due to sluggish mechanics and all-too-similar repeated environments, the intrigue of exploration runs its course quickly. All of these things considered, I 35mm is challenging to recommend to any player that’s not seeking a niche type of “survival” game. Even then, there are much better experiences within the genre to be found.

Sergey Noskov's post-apocalyptic game packs several interesting elements within the frame, but the picture is out of focus.

35mm tries hard to be more than just a walking simulator. It stumbles in this endeavor and forgets that a good walking simulator can still be a pretty entertaining experience. The game falls short of the experience offered by popular titles in the same genre like Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture or What Remains of Edith Finch.

35mm is a game that shows promise, but largely feels rushed or unfinished. I can easily see something hidden behind the poor controls, dated visuals, and questionable design choices, but sadly, the cons severely outweigh the positives here.

35MM tries a lot of things but succeeds at only a few of those things. There's a unique tale here, but you have to get past many limitations along the way.

Boneheaded design decisions

Sergey Noskov has crafted interesting characters, a powerful melancholy mood, and a convincing sense of place. Regrettably, the gameplay elements that surround the narrative aren't up to par.

There has always been something intriguing with exploring a post-Apocalyptic wasteland, whether it being the sense of isolation, how it can make you reflect on your own current life, or any number of other reasons...

35MM is a messy blend of multiple genres lacking any clear definition or direction. The tense atmosphere that it builds isn't enough to keep you invested and definitely needs more depth in its gameplay, story, and performance. This is a real shame, as there is clear potential for this to be far better than what we have received.