The Fidelio Incident

Release Date: May 23, 2017

Adventure, thriller, indie games, exploration games, singleplayer

7.2

OpenCritic

78%

Steam

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An adventure game featuring elements of the so-called walking simulators and developed by the independent studio Act 3 Games. The protagonist - Stanley, is a man whose past is unclear to the player. The plane he had been using to travel with his wife crashed on a frozen island near the coast of Iceland. The two survived the crash, but end up separated.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

The Fidelio Incident for PC is an adventure game featuring elements typical for the so-called walking simulators. The Fidelio Incident was created by Act 3 Games – an independent studio founded by Ken Feldman (artistic director for God of War III) in 2014. The creators had their source of inspiration mainly in such titles as Gone Home or Dear Esther, as well as in different, popular TV series, primarily Lost.

Plot

The player assumes the role of Stanley – a man whose past is unclear for us. The plane the protagonist had been using to travel with his wife Leonore crashed on a frozen island near the coast of Iceland. Although the two survived the crash, they were separated. Now the only way for them to contact each other is a phonecall.

The goal of the protagonist is to find his wife trapped somewhere inside the wreck of the plane, which is located on top of a mountain. Also, Stanley will have to remove any evidence that could allow a rescue team that is heading towards the crash site to identify the survivors or get to know about their secrets. Over time, the situation gets more and more complicated – what can be hardly explained, the island seems to be trying to make it harder for the protagonist to reach his destination.

Mechanics

The Fidelio Incident for PC is played from the first-person view. Exploration of wildlands covered with snow and collecting notes from Leonore's journal (which are scattered throughout the island) constitutes the core of the experience. The notes contain pieces of information concerning the characters' past. Apart from frozen, open areas, the player mainly visits an abandoned building site, as well as places which seem to be taking the protagonist to an alternative reality. Furthermore, the player often solves environmental puzzles – which is the main way of overcoming different obstacles in the game.

Additionally, the game features elements of survival – since the island is a very cold place, the player needs to make sure that Stanley can regularly get warm by a fire or thermal waters; otherwise, the screen gets gradually covered with more frost and when this process ends, the protagonist freezes to death.

Technical aspects

The Fidelio Incident for PC utilizes the Unreal Engine 4, which gave the basis for delivering high-quality visuals. Above all, the game impresses with its detailed environments, but one will also appreciate realistic lighting, as well as advanced particle effects.

Last updated on July 12, 2017

Videos and Screens

[2:21] The Fidelio Incident launch trailer

7.2

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 48% of Critics. There are 11 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

GameSpew: 8 / 10 by Richard Seagrave

With the credits rolling, sat in the dark having begun playing when it was light outside, I felt fulfilled with what I'd just played; a game that is assuredly made by a very talented group of people wanting to make something different.

Full Review

God is a Geek: 6.5 / 10 by Dale Emasiri

The Fidelio Incident offered little beyond a well-written and well-acted story that was far too sparsely scattered around disappointingly uninspiring gameplay.

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Digitally Downloaded: 3.5 / 5

The Fidelio Incident is a game that tries hard to tell a tale of guilt. It mostly works, but unfortunately, it tries a little too hard, with the end result lacking the genuine emotional impact that the work and material deserves. The way The Fidelio Incident approaches the traditional tale of loss and guilt – but importantly not redemption – through the largely unexplored lens of the Irish Troubles is fresh, and the fundamentals are strong enough to make the two hour experience worth the price of admission, if not a necessary investment.

Full Review

78%