Absinth
- February 8, 2019
- Soulven Games
"Absinth" is a psychological horror-thriller game where players explore the chilling world of Zane Zaminsky, who disappears in the US California Redwoods in 2018 with no memory of the past two days. Zane discovers his fatherhood has been erased from his memory, and as the investigation unfolds, more clues suggest his past hides disturbing secrets. The game tasks players with uncovering the truth behind Zane's amnesia and experiencing his life-changing overnight.
Reviews
- The game has a strong atmosphere with effective jump scares and a creepy storyline that keeps players engaged.
- Puzzles are challenging and require critical thinking, adding depth to the gameplay experience.
- The developers are active and responsive to player feedback, showing commitment to improving the game over time.
- The game suffers from poor optimization and performance issues, making it difficult to play smoothly even on high-end hardware.
- Many players found the voice acting and dialogue to be subpar, with awkward translations and grammatical errors in subtitles.
- The game is criticized for being too dark and lacking clear navigation, leading to frustration and confusion during gameplay.
- story33 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and immersive, while others criticize it for poor character development and a lack of coherence. Many appreciate the suspenseful atmosphere and the potential for a deeper narrative, though some express disappointment over its brevity and the need for more content. Overall, the story is seen as a key element that drives engagement, particularly in the horror genre, but it requires further development to fully satisfy players.
“The game storyline is increasingly interesting and immersive, which creates suspense to know more of it by playing the next stage acts.”
“This game gives you goosebumps with its eerie atmosphere and creepy storyline.”
“Most horror games I played lately had a weak story and were not really story-driven, but it seems like Absinth has a solid story and is story-based. This is the most important thing for me as a gamer, since I just love a good solid story in horror games, and this is what keeps me playing a game at the end of the day.”
“The story is terrible, and just mashes a bunch of horror themes that don't match well.”
“Currently, you can’t complete the story because not all levels are released yet, but the story seems interesting so far.”
“Most horror games I played lately had a weak story and were not really story-driven, but it seems like this game has a solid story and is story-based. This is the most important thing for me as a gamer, since I just love a good solid story in horror games.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their high quality and aesthetic consistency, particularly for an indie title in early access. However, some users noted a decline in quality on the second map and mentioned that the game can be resource-heavy, requiring adjustments for optimal performance. While the visuals are not the most cutting-edge, they effectively contribute to the game's immersive atmosphere, with room for improvement in future updates.
“Although it is in early access and an indie game, it has very high-quality graphics.”
“The game is fully optimized and really fun to play... very realistic graphics.”
“While the game may not be the most graphically up-to-date, the lighting is superb and the overall graphics are more than decent enough.”
“The graphics get worse on the second map.”
“The graphics are not that good; it kinda reminds me of NFS U2, with similar specs.”
“It is true that the graphics are not the best, but the team did a very good job with the ambiance, and this keeps you immersed in the narrative.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and suspenseful qualities, effectively creating a haunting experience that keeps players engaged. Reviewers highlight the impressive ambient sound design and well-timed jump scares, contributing to a tense and immersive environment. Despite being in early access, the game successfully delivers a captivating atmosphere that enhances both the gameplay and storytelling.
“This game gives you goosebumps with its eerie atmosphere and creepy storyline.”
“The atmosphere of the game is exceptionally well done and keeps you on your toes at all times; very suspenseful and the jump scares are well placed and timed.”
“Overall the game has great scares with an atmosphere that will keep you on edge for just about the entire playthrough.”
“I would expect for the final game more events and atmosphere, less bugs, more play time and better voice actors.”
“While it may be around 30 minutes of gameplay, it nailed the haunting atmosphere around Zane, as well as the characters themselves were surprisingly thoroughly developed in such a short amount of time.”
“Atmosphere is well done and achieves an uneasy/eerie vibe.”
- music9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its ability to enhance the psychological horror experience, with a consistent and haunting soundtrack that effectively sets the atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the excellent sound design and ambient elements, noting that the music keeps players engaged and on edge throughout the gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, making it a strong recommendation for fans of the horror genre.
“The music theme is also very scary, relevant, and consistent throughout the game.”
“The music, atmosphere, and story kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through what is available in this early access release.”
“Dark scenes with scary music create an environment of a real psychological horror game.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and atmospheric, reminiscent of typical horror titles like Outlast, though it operates on a smaller budget. While some mechanics are well-executed, certain aspects are poorly explained, and the game is relatively short at around 30 minutes. Despite minor visual bugs, the overall experience is solid and recommended, showcasing strong character development and puzzle design.
“It was still under development when I streamed it, but the atmosphere, puzzles, and gameplay kept my attention all the way.”
“While it may be around 30 minutes of gameplay, it nailed the haunting atmosphere around Zane, as well as the characters themselves were surprisingly thoroughly developed in such a short amount of time.”
“As for the gameplay I've experienced: it's a typical horror game.”
“Gameplay is similar to Outlast, but on an indie budget.”
“Some gameplay is poorly explained.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its fun gameplay and realistic graphics, while others criticize it for poor performance, especially in later sections and during the intro. Many users noted issues with reused assets, bugs, and the need for additional performance patches, indicating that optimization remains a significant concern for the overall experience.
“The game is fully optimized and really fun to play; the graphics are very realistic.”
“The environments are creepy and unsettling, though they can be dark in some places, and the graphics are nice but they do need some more performance patches.”
“This game is full of reused assets and similar map structures, the voice acting and grammar is terrible and confusing (especially with puzzles), the enemies are dumber than a chicken stuck in a pillowcase, and the game is optimized poorly at times for no reason.”
“There are some bugs and optimization issues that I am sure the devs have already been tracking and looking at.”
“However, the poor optimization simply was too much, and I couldn't even get past the intro, what a shame!”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, including game-breaking glitches that require players to restart checkpoints, leading to frustration. While there are visual bugs present, the core mechanics function reliably, suggesting that the game's stability is somewhat compromised but not entirely detrimental to the overall experience.
“Decent horror game but frustrating due to some game-breaking glitches that make you restart a checkpoint to fix.”
“It's a little buggy.”
“Overall, while the game may be somewhat buggy (I'd rather call it slightly unclean rather than buggy, as it is purely visual bugs, the mechanics work without fault) due to its nature of being the product of a small team, it is very well done and a definite recommendation, an 8 out of 10 no doubt!”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often unintentional, with some moments being so poorly executed that they elicit laughter instead of fear, creating a unique and entertaining experience.
“It was so bad in some parts that rather than be afraid, you won't be able to stop laughing.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report feeling a significant emotional toll from the game, often describing a sense of mental and emotional exhaustion. This suggests that the game's narrative or themes may be particularly intense or impactful.