Amber Alert

About

Amber Alert is a single player action game. It was developed by VirtualVillain and was released on July 4, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Amber Alert," a challenging survival horror game, play as a determined policeman investigating a late-night missing person call. Armed with only a bodycam, navigate a deserted neighborhood filled with sinister women abductors. Expect a tough, fear-inducing experience with unpredictable attacks in an unfair environment. Proceed with caution.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game has a great atmosphere and is genuinely scary, providing a tense experience that keeps players on edge.
The randomization of enemy and item locations adds replayability, making each playthrough feel different.
The gunplay mechanics are enjoyable, and the game successfully creates a sense of urgency and challenge.

The game suffers from significant bugs, including enemies spawning on top of players and poor AI behavior, which can lead to frustrating deaths.
There are no checkpoints or save options, forcing players to restart from the beginning after each death, which can be tedious.
The audio design is inconsistent, with important sounds being too quiet, and the overall darkness of the game can make it difficult to navigate.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
59%
18%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the immersive horror setup and realistic gun mechanics, while others criticize it for being plagued by bugs, repetitive tasks, and frustrating AI behavior. Many find the gameplay loop monotonous and the mechanics lacking fluidity, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall. Despite its atmospheric elements, the execution often feels flawed, detracting from the intended tension and engagement.
- “Super immersive gameplay.”
- “An experience with great atmosphere, unique gameplay, and enemies that spawn out of nowhere.”
- “The gameplay follows the conventional first-person shooter template, which involves moving around, shooting with the left mouse button, and reloading.”
- “I get that it’s a horror mechanic to keep players on edge, but it breaks the fiction and feels more like a 'clown car' than creeping dread.”
- “Some of the negative reviews you see on the store page regarding the gameplay are true; they were not exaggerating about the issues in the game.”
- “The gameplay loop quickly becomes a monotonous chore: locate key, head to fusebox, repeat within a tight time limit, rinse and repeat.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
67%
20%
The game's story is described as dark and disturbing, centering around a missing child, but opinions vary on its depth and execution. Some players find it lacking in narrative substance, while others appreciate its tension and surprise elements. Overall, it is noted that the story may require a trigger warning due to its unsettling themes.
- “Game has a truly disturbing story too!”
- “About the story, it's structured; I won't launch myself into it to avoid any spoilers, but you will be surprised.”
- “There basically isn't a story behind this game if you're looking for story.”
- “So take this as your trigger warning, there's a storyline to this game that goes very dark and could be very upsetting to many.”
- “Unfortunately, I have not yet to actually beat the game yet, so I am not entirely certain on the story or the other difficulties/game modes.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
Overall, the graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the decent visuals and atmospheric design, while others criticized the lack of customizable settings and screen fitting issues. Many noted the graphics as good or great, particularly praising the realistic effects reminiscent of police camera footage and nostalgic retro styles. However, the absence of comprehensive graphic options was highlighted as a significant drawback.
- “The graphics are great and closely resemble the image from a police camera.”
- “Very fun enemies and top notch graphics and very fun and spooky.”
- “The graphics and sound are of the usual high quality provided by the devs, their games all use the Unreal Engine and provide superb lighting and effects.”
- “The settings don't save, I cannot find the graphic settings and the screen is not fitting to my monitor.”
- “This could also be partially due to issues stemming from the game not having ample display and graphics settings, which is honestly unacceptable in any paid game.”
- “Similar graphics and gameplay style to Ready or Not and Fractured Mind.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its intense and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting its stunning visuals and effective pacing. While it successfully creates a tense environment that enhances the horror experience, some players feel that predictability in enemy movements can diminish the overall scare factor. Overall, it is recommended for its strong atmospheric presence and unique gameplay elements.
- “It's tense, it looks great, and its atmosphere is amazing.”
- “Extremely intense and atmospheric game.”
- “An experience with great atmosphere, unique gameplay, and enemies that spawn out of nowhere.”
- “As for the game’s atmosphere, it’s hard to be scared when you can predict the intruders’ movements like clockwork.”
- “Can this game scare with atmosphere?”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs such as enemies spawning unexpectedly, glitches affecting gameplay, and visual issues like duplicated images and obstructive objects. These technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating for players despite the game's potential for fun and scares.
- “Buggy, enemies will spawn on top of you.”
- “Had to find a buggy part of the map in the safe room; I got the garage key and put my back to that part of the wall immediately, which glitched the spawning enemy out of the map. Hope this helps anyone else having this same problem.”
- “Window panes and TV screens with duplicated images, random cardboard boxes blocking your path, and glitches where intruders noclip through walls or your shots fail to register—it’s a mess.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players praising its quality and intensity, which enhances the overall experience. However, some users suggest improvements, such as adjustable brightness and separate audio settings for game and music. Overall, the soundtrack and character themes contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “I would play more, and the first time it was scary, but in the end, it had dope music and intense vibes.”
- “The soundtrack and characters are cool.”
- “Music: good”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I wish there were more options for customizing the soundtrack; it gets old quickly.”
- “The audio mixing is off, with music often drowning out important sound effects.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with users noting significant performance issues that make it difficult to play, despite its short and straightforward nature. Overall, the lack of optimization detracts from the experience, leaving players frustrated with their system's performance.
- “Not optimized at all, pretty short and straightforward game, but by no means a bad experience.”
- “Your PC will loathe you the entire time you are using this; there is no reason this game should be this unoptimized.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from the absurdity of the intruders, whose repetitive designs and comical death animations—where they spasm and sometimes take flight—create an unintentionally funny experience.
- “The intruders themselves look copy-pasted, popping into existence out of thin air, and their death animations are unintentionally hilarious as they spasm and occasionally take flight.”
- “The dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud, making even the most intense moments feel lighthearted.”
- “The absurd situations you find yourself in are so over-the-top that it's impossible not to chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to the randomized enemy and item locations, which ensure that each playthrough feels fresh and unique. This randomness contributes to a varied experience, encouraging multiple sessions.
- “The enemy and item locations are randomized every time you play, giving the game a great sense of replayability.”
- “Random spawns keep each playthrough fresh and provide more replayability.”
- “Replayability is somewhat present; every time you play the game, the enemy and item locations are randomized, giving it some replay value.”
- “The random spawns help keep each playthrough fresh and provide more replayability.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively tedious and repetitive, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the initial excitement promised by the game's premise. Players feel that the gameplay involves running in circles without meaningful progression, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Amber Alert lured me in with promises of thrilling bodycam footage and intense horror, but what it delivered was a tedious, cookie-cutter experience that had me running in circles—literally and figuratively.”