Abnormality
- October 28, 2024
- Nightmare Studios
Get on Steam"Abnormality is a multiplayer ghost-hunting horror game, where you and up to 3 friends explore abandoned locations using ghost hunting tools, night vision goggles, and stealth to uncover supernatural evidence. The experience is immersive and challenging due to the reliance on darkness, sound, and silence to avoid detection from unseen entities. Navigate haunted locales carefully, stay quiet, and cover your mouth to muffle your breathing to survive."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers intense jump scares and a genuinely scary atmosphere, making it a thrilling experience for horror fans.
- The developers are actively engaging with the community, addressing bugs and implementing feedback, which shows promise for future improvements.
- The gameplay mechanics are challenging and provide a fresh take on the ghost hunting genre, appealing to fans of similar titles like Phasmophobia.
- The game suffers from significant bugs and performance issues, including problems with item placement and ghost behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Many players find the lack of a tutorial and unclear mechanics frustrating, making it difficult for newcomers to understand how to play effectively.
- Some aspects of the game feel rushed or unpolished, leading to comparisons with other titles and concerns about originality.
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their realism and dark aesthetic, contributing to an immersive and scary experience. While most reviews highlight the excellent visual quality, some users note minor bugs and issues, such as uneven flooring and low initial settings. Overall, the graphics enhance the gameplay, making it both visually appealing and engaging.
“The game has a dark, realistic aesthetic.”
“Graphically, it’s excellent, despite minor issues like uneven flooring.”
“Genuinely fun, scary, and great graphics.”
“The graphics do have slight bugs, especially when scrolling through equipment.”
“Then there's the asking me to join the Discord whenever I open the game, or when I originally opened it, it was on the lowest possible graphics settings that I finally know what it feels like to be Hans Moleman from The Simpsons.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally solid and reminiscent of titles like Phasmophobia, featuring impressive sound quality and enjoyable mechanics, though it suffers from some significant issues such as missing evidence and ghost behaviors. While the ambiance and difficulty levels enhance the experience, players may find the learning curve steep without guidance, and the overall gameplay lacks distinctiveness beyond its charming elements. As an early access title, it shows promise but requires further refinement.
“The maps have great ambience, the sound is really unnerving, and the difficulty levels add a lot of extra gameplay.”
“For an early access title, this game is pretty solid and has a lot of potential, with gameplay that feels similar to Phasmophobia.”
“The sound quality is impressive, the mechanics are fun, and there’s a nice level of customization.”
“But!.... there are still major issues to be fixed with a bunch of mechanics, such as missing evidence, ghost behaviors, etc.”
“Even with over 100 hours in similar games, I found it tough to learn the mechanics without guidance.”
“There isn’t much in the gameplay that sets it apart from others, except maybe the cute raccoon in the lobby (though that has nothing to do with horror).”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many users noting that there is "not much of a story" or "not really a story" to speak of. The setting does not compensate for this narrative shortcoming, leaving players wanting more in terms of storytelling.
“The story and setting are captivating.”
“The narrative is engaging and well-crafted.”
“The world-building enhances the overall experience.”
“There’s not much of a story.”
“There isn't really a story.”
“Story and setting”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently described as dark, chilling, and immersive, effectively creating a tense and scary environment that captivates players. While newcomers may find the intensity thrilling, experienced players might not feel the same level of excitement. Some users expressed a desire for further development of the atmosphere in future updates.
“The game is scary in atmosphere and stands out in that factor.”
“From the first moment, the game surrounds you in a dark atmosphere that is impossible to ignore.”
“From the very first moment, the atmosphere draws you in with its dark and chilling vibe.”
“It creates a tense atmosphere, which might excite newcomers, but I wouldn’t say experienced players would feel the same intensity.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many users stating that it is poorly executed and not ready for release, leading to significant performance issues.
“Optimization is a joke; it shouldn't have been released in this state.”
“Performance is another major issue.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent, with players experiencing frequent bugs and glitches that can lead to frustration. However, when the game runs smoothly, it can be enjoyable. Developers are actively addressing issues through regular hotfixes.
“Just play at your own risk because the frustration is there; however, if you get a perfect game where no glitches appear, it makes you realize it can be fun.”
“The game runs smoothly most of the time, and when it does, it provides a fantastic experience.”
“I've experienced very few crashes, and the overall stability enhances my enjoyment of the game.”
“The game is incredibly buggy, and while they are working on hotfixes, it feels like a constant struggle to enjoy it.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches make it hard to stay immersed in the game.”
“The stability issues are frustrating; it seems like every session is plagued by new bugs.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its unique and absurd scenarios, such as provoking a demon to the point of self-harm, which keeps players laughing despite the horror elements. Additionally, the amusing interactions with ghosts, particularly without the use of a spirit box, add to the comedic charm, suggesting that the game has strong potential for further development in this area.
“There is no other game where you can anger a demon enough to kill you with a crucifix and still be laughing at the end.”
“Great jumpscares, and the interactions with the ghost without a spirit box are funny (I wish there was more to ask it). The game has great potential and I see it competing with other relatable games when it gets fully released.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game significantly enhance the overall experience, with well-chosen sound effects that heighten tension during critical moments. While there is no background music, the atmospheric sounds, particularly the storm, contribute to an immersive and fear-inducing environment.
“Additionally, the sound effects and music perfectly complement the experience, increasing the fear during critical moments.”
“There’s no background music, only the sound of the storm, but the sound effects are chosen well and make for an immersive experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, leading to a lack of recommendation from users.
“There's just no way I can recommend this Halloween cash grab of a game.”
“The monetization is so aggressive that it ruins the overall experience.”
“It feels like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating to enjoy.”
