At A Glance
Released: 10/17/19
Reviews: 7,276, net very positive, as of 8/2023
English Reviews: 2,209
Localized in:
Had Publisher: No
Majority of reviews:
Simp. Chinese ~28%
English ~26%
Russian ~18%
Price: $24.99
Review report:
Negatives: story starts off strong then gets worse, dragging and interacting with objects is not good, too many jumpscares, game had crashes and technical difficulties for some people
Positives: graphics are good, good scares, varied gameplay
Gameplay
If falling too far you will die
Past guy gets a gun, a welcome addition
In boss battles it looks like 1 hit deaths
Not 1 hit, but close (no meter to know how much damage you can take)
Chase sequence occurs in hotel by ghost people
Walking animation was a bit off (looked like sprinting)
Can injure player while reading document
Shadow that walks around corner forces player to slow down just enough that they can’t see what it actually is
When fat man chases, after unlocking door i turned back and he was far away, but after a second it appeared like he was much closer and i was killed
Without warning he breaks into a sprint and appears much closer when door is open
Chase sequence good until tracks, after falling the camera tilts down and you don’t see the minecart, no time to dodge
Adding an option to skip puzzles is very nice
The mines were dreadful and a pointless, irritating chore
Swamp monsters don’t kill immediately, adds confusion
Music
When changing menu options really fast the music resets
SFX is very deep and satisfying
Interesting music choice for the intro
Sounds
There is a spot near the front entrance where the clock ringing sounds distorted/far away
Art
No first-person model present outside of cutscenes
When cutting down deer in the barn, rope disappears and camera pans away from the animal (keeping the fall hidden?)
Animations are weird, a little too obvious, too much effort
Lighting changes considerably when inside soviet cabin
Really impressive mirror scene that also showed off a model of the characer
Writing
Main character is a decryption expert which gives credit to any puzzles encountered
Game switches characters between past and present
Stomping comes from upstairs
Old man is up there stationary, were the footsteps intended to be his? Or is there another intruder?
Top hat gentleman comes out of a room and protagonist falls over railing
Quantum tool is established and looks fantastic
Weird alt-game where you go into detective mode
Marital feud is cringey
Past character is just crazy and committed a bunch of murder
Choice at the end between acceptance and denial
Also a choice on the other end
Scare Factor
Jumpscare done through cutscene with crow
Other jumpscare occurred when walking back into the house (creepy old man)
Then another in the kitchen (effective, while i was exploring)
Banging coming from cellar door, protagonist practically begs to check (even though there is a ton of blood leading in)
As soon as door is opened the knocking ends
Crawlspaces seem to be one of the most exposed places to cause a jumpscare (exposed, claustrophobic, can’t get away)
Scare occurs in crawlspace on the way back out (Man crawls quickly towards player)
Unnerving and effective
Doorway out slams shut, unexpected jumpscare (vines appear)
Lady scares protagonist with hat, somehow hid a bucket of paint inside
Extra
My big problems with Ch. 3
Click and drag to open everything
Bounce back on windows
Can pick up everything
Unintuitive puzzle solving (navigating menus for the cipher)
For a puzzle like this or any it should have all info on the same screen/area
Unnecessary jump button
Gas light, more emphasis on hoarding items instead of focusing on story/exploration
Instructions for controls pause the game and stop the flow
Overall
Game was irritating
Good graphics
Super cheesy, cringey voice acting
Decent sound design and environment
Story about a couple of mentally ill middle-aged men
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