The Fidelio Incident

COGConnectedJames Paley

90/100

The Fidelio Incident is a pleasant surprise from Act 3 Games, an independent studio formed by the Art Director for God of War 3. A first-person narrative thriller, pitting you against the elements and your own unraveling mind. The pacing is tight and blistering, the graphics are stunning and the atmosphere is crafted with expert care. Ken Feldman and his team have spun up a harrowing tale of one man’s walk through the wreckage of his wildest years.

Worth PlayingCody Medellin

8/10

The Fidelio Incident, inspired by Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, is a single-player, first-person thriller set off the coast of Iceland.

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.

PC GamerPhil Savage

67/100

The Fidelio Incident does little to stand apart from its contemporaries.

Game InformerJoe Juba

6.5/10

Video games have been telling stories for decades, but what makes recent narrative-focused titles like Gone Home and What Remains of Edith Finch unique is the role of player interaction. As you explore the environments and learn about the characters, you feel connected to the worlds in ways that aren’t possible in other media. That’s where The Fidelio Incident falters. The bulk of the story in this first-person adventure is confined to scattered diary entries, but the tasks players complete between reading them are unrelated and uninteresting.

GameSpotJustin Clark

6/10

Selfless, cold, and composed.

PolygonColin Campbell

Unscored

The Fidelio Incident makes an admirable attempt to approach a difficult subject from a unique angle. But it fails to capture the emotional subtlety or artful storytelling that games like Gone Home, Firewatch and Virginia have demonstrated within the same kind of framework.