4 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 3.3 hrs on record
Posted: 9 Oct, 2021 @ 5:43pm
Updated: 9 Oct, 2021 @ 5:54pm

Coldside – Review by 188man

Spoiler free

Coldside is an indie psychological horror game. It was made in 2020 and was developed/published by AdrovGames. Unfortunately this game is only available on Microsoft windows so if you have Mac/Linux/Consoles you're out of luck I'm afraid.

It's personally not a disappointment especially for a price as low as 6.55 euro on steam (No discount). You definitely get more than you pay for here. This is my first time playing a game of theirs and I must say I was impressed.

Control wise the game could not be simpler. You use a mouse & keyboard, although controller support is also available if you want to use that. Simple and basic functions are allotted to you like jump, crouch and use; very basic stuff.
This might sound underwhelming but I assure it isn't, it's not a complex game thus it doesn't need complex controls. Adventures such as Amnesia or Penumbra spring to mind when playing this regarding the controls, it's almost identical in how it operates.

The Visuals are obviously the highlight of the piece. This game was built using Cry Engine 5 and it shows, it's gorgeous. Dark, creepy and highly atmospheric; I really liked what they did with it. This title is almost all in darkness for it's entire run time so the colors and lighting really get to shine here.

When it comes to visual options, it's not bad. You get the basic standards like Anti-Aliasing, V-Sync, Resolution, Windowed mode and FOV etc... However Anisotropic Filtering and Border-less Fullscreen are missing here sadly.

Audio & OST are excellent; I liked it very much. Largely the game is set in an underground environment so the reverb and surround sound is quite remarkable. Playing with headphones are a given if you want to experience this game correctly; it is a horror story after all.

The sound design is used to great effect when you travel through the hallways; voices can be heard through whispers and the very structure seems to creak and crack until duress; just superb. If you're interested in the music, you can check out the composers website here: http://www.mikkotarmia.com/ or even visit youtube to listen to the full OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Zb65MvVoQ

As far as story & plot go, it's quite sparse. You have a simple plot framework which is not all that important. I think you're preoccupied most of the time to think about the narrative; trust me it's not that crucial. It services the game well but I wasn't indeed captured by it, nothing seemed to grab me, besides the game itself of course. This would be the biggest let down honestly.

A good game but it has some flaws and is somewhat weak in the story department..

7/10

A flawed but a decent horror experience.
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