It’s great at the outset, the enigmatic narrative slowly revealed by seeking out diary entries and other clues along the way. None of the story is fully explained and that’s almost a good thing, the pay-off often a disappointment compared to the overall set-up.

The general sense of intrigue is also heightened by the impressive world, a retro-modern landscape with a meticulous sense of design, using everything from cinematic angles to bits of dirt on the floor.

The sound effects are impressive as well, a disembodied voice guides you through much of the process, even if the acting can be wooden at times.

Empathy promises fairly great things, until the gameplay kicks in. Atmospheric worlds are all well and good, and they’re a dime-a-dozen when it comes to walking simulators. There has to be at least a little bit of interaction to back it all up, but the puzzles here are sadly one-dimensional. They start out well, and involve matching up the many wavelengths you come across. But then you have to do it again. And again. So much so,that what starts out quite interesting eventually becomes boring.

It’s sad that they couldn’t think of something better to keep the interaction alive. Games should be first and foremost about the way you play, but developers desperate to tell their tales are clouding the marketplace with overly moody releases.

Empathy is better than most, and at least attempts to round out its striking design with a bit of contact, but doesn’t quite cut it.