Recent reviews by creeppire

Penumbra: Overture succeeded in scratching that horror itch in spite of its outdated graphics and a couple of hilarious bugs. Although developed by a small indie team, I must say this is a very high-quality game in comparison to those of similar kind, thanks to its well-thought-out survival elements, inventory management and puzzles. The price-quality ratio is excellent, so I recommend grabbing this epic adventure game to visit the darkest corners of Greenland.

The sound design is one of the assets, especially the tension-building background music that lets you know when an enemy is nearby. The story is there for the intrigued, but Penumbra: Overture is heavier on puzzles; they are practical and require the ability to think under the constant pressure of being stalked by deformed, bloodthirsty creatures. There are three enemy types all of which act differently. You’re actually able to fight back some of them, but it’s not recommended because the spiders are so fast and plentiful, and an injured dog will howl for back up, outrun you and tear your flesh apart in an instant.

Despite being a huge fan of Frictional Games, I was still torn between buying this old, clunky-looking game and leaving it be, but I’m glad I gave it a try. It's optimally scary, not in the way that makes your knees buckle and skin crawl with utmost dread but it's enough to give a fix to an adrenaline junkie as it will put you through some very unpleasant situations.

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☑ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☑ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☐ Amazing
☑ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☑ Potato
☐ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☑ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☑ Average
☐ Good
☐ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☑ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☑ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☐ Has its moments
☑ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

This is the first visual novel I’ve played in my life so I won’t be able to make comparisons. I wouldn’t have bought CORPSE FACTORY if not for the promises of amorality, mental illnesses and gore. The art style is beautiful, the soundtracks impeccable. Don’t be alarmed by the voice acting; at first I was concerned about that too, but I soon realized that it actually adds depth to the characters and is anything but awkward.

The story is slow-paced, down-to-earth and fascinatingly sickening as you'll never know what kind of a skeleton someone has in their closet. The elements of shock and disgust are the main components of CORPSE FACTORY; instead of being a haunting horror tale with supernatural elements and jump scares, it relies on unearthing the dark secrets of its multi-dimensional characters and taking you on a disturbing ride you won’t forget. There are only three choices to make, and you can decide whether or not that’s a bad thing in the ten-hour campaign. I personally wasn’t bothered by the lack of gameplay.

However, there were some moments when I wished the game would’ve taken a different route in terms of its plot because there’s not much mystery to it. CORPSE FACTORY started off strong but the second half fell a bit flat because of the sheer amount of plotholes. I also got the feeling that the writing was becoming more and more rushed and lazy, but the breathtaking chain of events snowballing down the narrative hill partially made up for that. You don’t get to play such a disgusting visual novel every day, especially from the perspective someone so utterly f*cked up, and that’s precisely the reason why I recommend it. Going to therapy after playing this might not be such a bad idea…

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☑ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☑ Potato
☐ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☑ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☑ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☑ No
☐ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☑ No replay value
☐ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☑ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

If you are up for a dystopian cyberpunk adventure delving deep into the darkest corners of human psyche, Observer: System Redux is here to fulfill your dreams. Perfected with unbelievably artistic visuals and creative environmental details, this game will offer you an experience like no other. The characters’ life stories are engrossing, some of them containing extremely dark and disgusting topics that could as well be reality in the near future.

The gameplay is nice enough to keep you invested, varying from inspecting the gorgeous game world by using Daniel’s special abilities to interrogating tenants, finding collectibles and hacking into people’s minds. There are some stealth sections here and there involving a creepy enemy, but they’re no nightmare fuel. Still, I would say Observer: System Redux is the scariest Bloober Team title so far - the way it creates a constant sense of uneasiness is truly worth mentioning. The clunky controls irked me to some extent, because the protagonist’s slow reactions sometimes resulted in frustrating deaths, but they didn’t hurt the overall experience.

In a nutshell, Observer: System Redux is a great and entertaining horror game with some minor flaws in it. It’s that type of game where you must stop and marvel at the genius execution of the cyberpunk-themed work of art. The dream eater sequences might make you nauseous due to the overuse of flashing lights, but if you can stomach them, you are about to find yourself in one of the most memorable scifi-rides.

Graphics
☑ Stunning
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☑ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Bad
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☑ Eargasm
☐ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☐ Medium
☑ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☑ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☑ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☑ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☑ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

DARQ is akin to a surreal nightmare with its gloomy aesthetics and special artstyle that remind me of children’s horror cartoons. The game’s silent protagonist, Lloyd, will take you to a dark and dreary dream world full of mind-bending puzzles unbound by the laws of reality; you walk on the walls and morph your surroundings in ways never seen before. These creative mechanics solely make DARQ one of the most memorable horror games in recent memory.

The creepy atmosphere does its job well and leaves the immersion unbroken. However, the game seemingly wants to scare the player more than it eventually does. Apart from a few well-timed jump scares, I was not fazed by the monsters. Don’t get me wrong – they were uniquely designed but sometimes I found them rather hilarious. So don’t come here looking for action-packed terror, but for a taste of awe-inspiring surrealism.

I would’ve hoped for a more elaborate story, but in the end, this is one of those titles that don’t necessarily need to tell some lore when the world itself is enough to keep you intrigued. It’s almost a shame that DARQ is so short but luckily there are two DLCs to enjoy. And as the saying goes: quality over quantity!

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☑ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☑ Potato
☐ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☑ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☑ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☑ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☐ Minor
☑ Annoying (some items missing, blocking progress)
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☑ Try not to yawn
☐ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

Maid of Sker is a worthy experience for any horror fan willing to discover its unique creepiness and intriguing story exploring Welsh folklore in a macabre way. The plot was very clear and progressed at a perfect pace to keep the player in a constant state of interest. I loved the fact that almost everything in the game was sound-based varying from puzzles to enemies, even to collectibles! I really took in the marvelous atmosphere of the Sker hotel, topped off with beautiful graphics and amazing sound design.

This game requires patience and nerves to complete, for the enemies roam about the area pretty freely. The monsters’ behavior seems to be quite inconsistent and there are some unfinished game mechanics, which is why I understand the criticism. I didn’t like the fact that I’d have to visit a certain location to manually save while having to deal with a multitude of monsters, therefore I opted for the safe mode first. I will update my review once I finish the original mode.

But judging from the reviews I’ve read and the videos I’ve watched, Maid of Sker might be even better on safe mode as it removes the most frustrating encounters and lets you focus on the game itself that works just fine without all the sneaking. Considering this title is from the same creators that made the lackluster Don't Knock Twice, I have to say I'm positively surprised for this massive step-up.

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☑ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☑ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☑ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☑ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☑ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☐ Maybe once
☑ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☐ Has its moments
☑ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

INSIDE is one of those gems every one should put on their radar (and this comes from a person who disliked Little Nightmares). I’m not a fan of puzzle-platform games with trial and error gameplay but this one is quite forgiving and easy, making room for lesser frustration. Briefly, INSIDE’s strongest points are its linearity, simple controls and delightfully spooky atmosphere as well as the creativeness of the puzzles.

The gameplay is more focused on puzzle-solving than survival so instead of introducing ”sh*t your pants” type of scares, you’ll be immersed into a creepy, atmospheric world with artistic graphics and ideas that will chill you to the bone. That is to say, there is still a bit of sneaking and escaping, and you must have an understanding of the perfect timing to make a successful getaway, otherwise you’ll end up like mushed potatoes.

Also, the way the game’s narrative conveys itself without words is mind-blowing. Despite the main character’s silence, I sympathized with him very much – there’s no need for words when you see the world around him. So I recommend INSIDE for basically everyone out there. It’s short and while it gets a bit repetitive towards the end, it’s worth every cent.

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☑ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☑ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☑ Easy (some puzzles are harder tho)
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☑ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☑ No
☐ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☑ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

”Why is this game so positively rated? It looks kinda bland,” I said but decided to buy it anyway. And now I understand what makes it so good. What Remains of Edith Finch is a wonderful, touching, and imaginative tale of the Finch family. In many creative and novel ways, you will uncover the tragic life stories of each family member when you explore the well-furnished house and its numerous secret passages.

Yes, this is a walking simulator, a game type that has gotten a great deal of hate. Not being the biggest fan of the genre either, I found this one quite engaging because of its gripping narrative and mind-boggling ideas of storytelling. What Remains of Edith Finch is the result of letting a creative mind roam free. But what I personally loved in it were the subtle horror-ish hints scattered throughout the game that is not scary per se, but touches upon some dark topics that made me uncomfortable when I started to reflect on them.

Note that this is not a game that should be rushed - you will want to pay a lot of attention to the environmental cues because they just add to the mysterious, strange ambience. I’d say that if there’s one ”walking sim” you should play regardless of your usual preferences, it’s this one - good story, good aesthetics, and good gameplay!

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☑ Enjoyable
☑ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☑ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☑ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☑ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☑ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

I already sh*t myself with less than one-tenth of the game behind knowing it was only the beginning. The game’s soundscape and level design create a very oppressing atmosphere while fixing almost every weakness from Frictional Games' previous titles. All of these aspects combined I can say that this is their scariest one so far.

Each title in the Amnesia series is a must-buy for horror game hoarders out there. Unfortunately, some people expect every new Amnesia to be just like the first one, but I think it’s time to implement new gameplay mechanics, environments and stories while retaining some of the most typical elements, such as the sanity/fear meter that works here pretty well but is sometimes a pain in the ass. Amnesia: Rebirth gives you just about enough resources – matches and oil - that you’ll manage if you are careful but you will truly be fighting against the dark that is all around you.

Lovecraftian elements mixed with a refreshing setting and rich characters provide a unique experience, and the story was truly an emotional roller coaster. It was also nice to have a voiced female protagonist for a change. But what made the game utterly horrific were – surprise – the monsters. These creatures are notably harder to fool than before, creating moments of frustration, but there are no immediate penalties for dying. Nevertheless, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Amnesia: Rebirth is both addicting in its gameplay and storytelling and knee-shakingly frightening so you won’t be able to stay away from this horror treat even if it scares the living daylights out of you. Just. Buy. It. Now.

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☑ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☑ Eargasm
☐ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☑ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☑ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☑ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☑ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☐ Maybe once
☑ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☐ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☑ Nightmare

Mists of Aiden (formerly House On The Hill) is a true indie gem with a handful of good scares. I’m not fond of long-enough-for-a-cup-of-coffee-type of horror games because their fear factor is often reliant on cheap boogeyman tactics. I bought this one on Halloween sale since I wanted to have a snack before moving onto bigger meals that are more to my taste. I didn’t expect much from Mists of Aiden but I was positively surprised.

It manages to tap into every aspect needed to make a decent horror title from its great monster and level design to the impeccable execution. However, the description of the game is misleading as it’s quite linear and has little to no room for free exploration. With a rather weak ending, I’d say the story isn’t the forte here but the game is otherwise very enjoyable. More often than not, I felt anxious about the unnerving atmosphere and the monsters.

This isn’t the type of horror where you feel constantly haunted by creatures but is something that will throw many unpleasant surprises at your face. For a price this cheap, you’ll get very fine quality!

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☑ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☐ Amazing
☑ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☑ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☑ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☑ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Masterpiece

Length
☑ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☐ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☑ No
☐ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☑ No replay value
☐ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☑ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare

The Medium is a new entry to the list of the best story-driven horror games out there. While it’s not the scariest game under the sun, it has its blood-pumping moments of fear but the most of the creepiness comes from the mysterious ambience with a top-notch soundtrack. You take the role of Marianne, a girl capable of visiting two worlds simultaneously and your mission is to unravel the mystery of something unsettling that took place in an abandoned national park. On contrary to many other horror games I’ve played, I truly felt a connection with this many-layered protagonist.

I like the old-school game mechanics, meaning the third person view and the fixed camera angles, which despite bringing back the nostalgia, also resulted in me bumping into objects and walls because of the restricted vision and made it difficult to measure distances. There could’ve also been a bit more interaction between the player and the game world because the environment was so beautifully executed it awakened my thirst for exploration; but the versatility of the interactive tasks mostly made up for that. The Medium manages to bring something fresh to the genre with its split-screen dual reality idea. As we all know, there’s no end to Bloober Team’s creativity!

In brief, The Medium is a perfect horror game for those craving for a less gory and action-packed experience and rather hoping for a slow-paced, story-focused journey with a spooky atmosphere and some tense sequences here and there. Every minute I spent with this cinematic game was a joy. You should give it a try too; The Medium is probably by far Bloober Team’s strongest title on the market.

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☑ Enjoyable
☐ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☑ Eargasm
☐ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☐ Potato
☐ Medium
☑ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☐ Piece of cake
☑ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☑ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☑ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☐ No
☐ Minor
☑ Annoying (missing audio, glitches)
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

Scariness
☐ Try not to yawn
☑ Has its moments
☐ Very scary/tense
☐ Nightmare