NODE: The Last Favor of the Antarii

NODE: The Last Favor of the Antarii is one of those rare indie games that feels both familiar and completely new. At first glance, it looks like a cold, atmospheric puzzle-platformer in the vein of Inside or Limbo. But the deeper you get, the more you realize NODE is playing by its own rules.

Instead of direct control, you program your character's movements on a timeline, plotting out jumps, interactions, and dodges in advance. At first it feels strange, even frustrating. But once it clicks, the satisfaction of finally executing a perfect sequence is incredible. Every mistake teaches you something, and the trial-and-error loop becomes addictive in the best way.

The setting is just as strong as the mechanics. The decaying Soviet nuclear facility of Toska is dripping with atmosphere, silent corridors, flickering lights, and a sense of radioactive dread that lingers long after you stop playing. It's minimalist but deeply effective, with visual storytelling that hints at something much larger beneath the surface.

The narrative is subtle, layered through memory fragments and branching dialogue. It raises questions about AI, free will, and the consequences of human ambition without ever being heavy-handed. Combined with the haunting audio design, it creates a sense of isolation that perfectly matches the gameplay.

NODE isn't flawless. The steep learning curve and deliberate pacing may put off some players, and its indie price point might feel high at first. But the payoff is worth it. Few games capture both tension and triumph this well, and fewer still make you stop and think about what your choices mean.

Final Verdict: NODE is not just a puzzle-platformer-it's an experience. It rewards patience, embraces silence, and challenges you to think differently about control and consequence. A haunting and memorable journey, and easily one of the most unique indie titles I've played in recent years.

NODE tries to present itself as an atmospheric 2D sci-fi game with a unique visual style and an intriguing setting - an abandoned soviet nuclear facility in Siberia. However, beneath that façade lies a failure: the game is a serious letdown when it comes to gameplay and controls.

The control system is a nightmare in itself. You don't control the robot directly - instead, you issue commands via a panel: move forward for a set number of seconds, jump, turn around. Every single action must be measured with pixel-perfect precision - tweaking the timing and sequence of commands just to get the robot to move somewhat correctly. There's no need for quick reflexes or platforming skills - all you do is stare at the interface. Just a 0.2-second mistake sends your robot falling into a pit. Not because you played badly, but because the game doesn't let you play - it forces you to guess how its clunky engine "thinks." It's a frustrating and poorly designed control scheme that turns basic movement into endless trial and error.

The game world is made up of several repetitive zones with similar architecture and visual design. This lack of variety quickly becomes tiresome and boring, as the game offers nothing fresh or engaging in terms of level design. Combined with the awful controls, it completely kills any motivation to keep playing this monotonous challenge.

The atmosphere in NODE leans heavily on Soviet symbolism - which, for many today, is not just a historical aesthetic, but a symbol of repression, authoritarianism, and violence. In the context of the modern world, where russia is openly waging an aggressive war against the sovereign state of Ukraine, this kind of stylization isn't just irritating - it provokes deep moral disgust. Using elements of Soviet legacy today means shamelessly nudging players toward immersing themselves in the image of a country historically responsible for war crimes and aggression. Instead of evoking immersion or respect, this aesthetic only intensifies the sense of alienation and discomfort.

There's really nothing to praise here. NODE is disappointing in both its gameplay and visual design - which, under current circumstances, feels less like an artistic choice and more like an unpleasant, morally problematic backdrop. Simply put: it's awful. 1/10.

The game is quite fun once you get into it. The control system is very unique and interesting. You input controls in a sequence in an attempt to move NODE through the puzzles. The movement itself is based in physics though so you cannot just repeat the same input sequence as someone else and expect it to work, it could be slightly different every time depending on how you arrived to the start of each puzzle and how much inertia you build up with each action.

The story is also interesting, no spoilers, but you make choices as you go that actually affect the progression and outcome.

These two points actually give the game some replay value. Which is nice since the game is quite nice to look at so you may want to see all it has to offer. The atmosphere is chilling and easy on the eyes. The lighting and effects are cinema quality.