Stasis Review (Pooplayer1)
Buy it during a sale or try it if it came in a bundle IF you really want it. I would not recommend getting this game individually at full price. If you happen to get it discounted or in a bundle like I did, there's no harm in giving it a try, but I would not buy it alone for specific reasons.
Let's talk about the things the game does great. The horror in this game is done really well. It does not depend on jumpscares (though there are like 2 in game) but instead the atmosphere and details. It does not shy away from blood and gore. There's an aspect of body horror as well. Its the type of horror that makes you squirm in disgust. It will make you appalled. In fact, one of the scenes in game kept me up for a bit when trying to sleep. The game perfectly encapsulates what it hopes to deliver; a derelict research station, run by narcissistic, morally bankrupt personnel, owned by a megacorporation that probably doesn't really care. It does horror really well for an isometric game.
Worldbuilding, atmosphere and details. The artstyle is reminiscent of classic point and click games and definitely adds more to the atmosphere despite being dated. Rusted corridors, bloodstained walls, abandoned equipment with text descriptions. The soundtrack is wonderful and sound design immaculate. Background noises will definitely give you the creeps sometimes. There are also the scattered PDAs of the station staff, full of details about the station and the staff themselves. They tell of each staffs' motivations, personalities and paint a picture of what happened on the station. With each PDA you read, you will slowly piece together the background of the station as well as its former inhabitants. Of course, this is only a selling point if you like reading. But reading is one of the main quirks of point and clicks anyway, if not, why are you here?
Now the negatives. Despite having such great detailing in the form of text descriptions, the game fails to deliver a satisfying story, especially the ending. Its kind of cliche and has a few minor loose ends. Its really weird how background characters that are dead and don't appear in game have seemingly more detail and development in the form of PDA logs than the actual characters in the game. I can't say anything without spoiling it, but the ending was really lackluster. I feel like there was a lot more potential things we could explore about the antagonist(s) and their motivations.
Gameplay wise, it suffers from the pitfalls common in a lot of other click and point games. Seemingly unrelated objects needing to be used together, interactable objects blending into the background, vague solutions to some of the puzzles. If you are doing a blind run without a guide, you will find yourself running around like a headless chicken multiple times.
In summary:
I would recommend getting it on sale or trying it out if it came in a bundle; to experience the setting, worldbuilding, soundtracks and beautifully crafted maps and details. Do not hold any high expectations for the story or gameplay and you will be pleasantly surprised at the experience. There is a lot to be enjoyed here despite its inherent flaws, especially if you like reading.