Dinsun Review
Look, I’ve seen enough 'atmospheric platformers' to last a lifetime, and Nocturnals fits the mold a bit too snugly. It nails the mood—the lighting and the sense of isolation are genuinely well-crafted—but once you get past the visuals, the gameplay loop is fairly pedestrian. You sneak, you wait for a patrol to turn around, and you move. It’s a formula we’ve seen executed better in titles that actually challenge the player's intellect rather than just their patience.
The narrative is where it tries to hook you, and Arlo's journey is serviceable, but the pacing feels sluggish. On a mobile screen, the precision required for some of the stealth sections can be frustrating due to the touch controls. It’s a short experience, which is a blessing because the mechanics don't have enough depth to support anything longer. It’s fine for a single sitting, but don't expect it to stick with you after the credits roll.
Overall Stats
Pros & Cons
- Strong atmospheric lighting and art direction
- Intriguing premise
- Short, focused runtime
- Touch controls lack precision for stealth
- Mechanically simplistic
- Slow pacing in the mid-game
Technical Report
Performance: Occasional frame drops in scenes with heavy particle effects; touch-to-move can be finicky.
- Subtitles
- Visual Cues for Audio
- Brightness Adjustment
Audience Fit
Buy if: You value art style and atmosphere over complex gameplay mechanics.
Skip if: You want a challenging stealth game or have no patience for slow-paced walking simulators.
- Inside
- Limbo
- Little Nightmares
Reviewer Context
- Reviewer: Dinsun
- Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
- Playtime: 3 hours
- Status: Finished Story
![NOCTURNALS | SOLE SURVIVAL ENDING | FULL GAME Walkthrough [4K UHD 60FPS] No Commentary - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_yVsFUgKSpc/hqdefault.jpg)
