Reviews

I wouldn't say this game is objectively poor. I think, if the player trying it out is a big fan of old-school point/click adventure type games, they may actually find a lot of enjoyment out of this one. Especially if they enjoy grinding through menial tasks for the sake of a higher level of realism.

However, for fans of more modern RPGs, this won't have the same impact. The beginning is dreadfully slow and poorly designed. Not only is the combat (melee specifically) absolutely dreadful, but the enemies are also in high volume within all the starting areas. Sitting through the combat is almost tortuous, and that's coming from someone who loved the KOTOR series (not all that different in its gameplay niche).

Normally, I can put up with sub-standard gameplay (although typically far, far better than the quality here) for an RPG's story and immersive world, but in this case, I found the world a torture to experience as well. The only credit I can give the exploration is the soundtrack, which might be the only element of this game that stands the test of time. Otherwise, it is every bit as dreadful as the combat. Exploration feels like traversing a lifeless, colorless void. I love the newer fallouts, but their feeling of traversing the waste, while still dark, is a positive sort of isolated wonder, danger, and feeling of dread. This game's version of that is more what I'd call ugly and uniform without much of an atmosphere beyond the soundtrack. Not an immersive element, just another chore to put up with. Even the towns feel dead and utterly lack immersive quality.

Overall, there are some positives to the story, but not enough to outweigh the fact that the main gameplay cycle (exploration and combat) is an absolute pain for me to experience. I understand this game has its niche fanbase that drives the "classic label", but I'm not in it, and I think the fans of it need to at least acknowledge some of the drawbacks in game design rather than just going everywhere touting this as the best RPG ever (often while directing hate towards newer RPGs). There is definitely a difference in taste between me and them that explains the contrasting opinions, but also some very, very rose-tinted glasses.

Don't be thrown off by the fact this game plays about 10 years older than its release date. It does have some clunk to it, but for the most part, it is dated in a positive way taking the aspects from older generations of horror games that fans of the genre appreciate.

It pretty much ticks all the boxes a survival horror fan might look for with the exception of combat. It has a deeply immersive atmosphere powered by a darkly captivating world, an eternal darkness-like sanity system that warps POV, and a fantastic soundtrack. The puzzles are creative and challenging without being frustrating for the most part. I also appreciate that some of them have multiple solutions including working the game's physics system into the puzzles. The level design is solid with a nice combination of linearity and non-linearity despite the confined spaces.

However, I do believe it is held back slightly on a few fronts. While, I am fine with minimal combat, they should have been more creative with the "action" around that idea. More sequences like the aquatic (leaving this intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) one early in the game could have elevated my rating. The variety is left lacking due to the designers not being imaginative enough with these interactions. Additionally, the ending, while satisfying for my playthrough on a narrative level, was anti-climactic in my opinion.

Overall, it's a damn good game that deserves the cult-classic label it has. While it is not near the top of the genre for me (LOU, Evil Within, Multiple REs, etc. Are better), it will most likely enter into the back end of my top 100 games after I've thought it over.

I gave this game a fair chance, as I was expecting it to deliver from my POV given that I am a big fan of survival horror. I love many installments of the resident evil series as well as LOU, Evil Within, etc. Unfortunately, this was not up to snuff with the standards I have for the genre.

I knew not to expect a game with any action to the gameplay going in, but even with that standard, this is a tremendous disappointment. The quick time events, unlike better horror games such as Until Dawn, are unexceptional. By a few hours in, they feel more like a chore than an immersive interaction.

That being said, I could have given it a break for that if there was other depth to the game that delivered. Until Dawn, for example, allows progression of relationships and has actual story choices that determine the fate of its characters. This game's death mechanic is limited to absurdly cheap button press deaths. Accidentally press x instead of triangle near a door? Sorry, you're dead.

I'm a hardcore gamer...I have no problem with permadeath and have greatly enjoyed some extremely difficult games that include it (Darkest Dungeon for example). The problem is that a mechanic like the one in SOH should serve a purpose instead of being introduced solely to try to force repetition and use of the other characters. It should be based on story logic, or just in-general, something more satisfying and less cheap. It doesn't help that the story itself is incredibly bare bones and has extremely minimal player influence. If you want a horror story game, I can't recommend Walking Dead and Until Dawn enough over this shallow, undercooked experience.

The one piece of this game that does deliver a bit is the environments. They're classic resident type levels, although I feel the puzzles are lackluster comparatively. Still, they just aren't even close to enough to carry the game for players who want more than a walking simulator. Even if I could overlook everything else and just focus on the environments, I'd expect the music to provide an exceptionally gripping atmosphere if that's what is supposed to carry the game. Instead, what was there was minimalistic and generic. One of the most forgettable game soundtracks I've ever heard.

Overall, between the aesthetic, the level design, and the character variety, there was the start of a good idea here. Yet, it didn't get the development and depth it needed to succeed. Survival Horrors are too plentiful for anybody but the absolute most niche to force themselves through this bust. Those games feel like eating a NY strip steak compared to this undercooked piece of flank. Dropping this halfway through and instead beating Dark Descent was a choice I'm incredibly thankful I made.