Amygdala
- March 15, 2024
- Stigma Studios
Get on Steam"Amygdala" is a first-person horror game set in a haunting location filled with terrifying creatures. The game explores the dark depths of the nightmare realm, where lost entities from the universe end up. Players must confront their fears and uncover the secrets behind the mysterious dimension of Amygdala.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a surreal aesthetic and unique creature designs that create an immersive atmosphere.
- It offers a thought-provoking narrative that explores psychological themes, making it a memorable experience.
- Despite its short length, the game provides engaging gameplay with a mix of puzzles and platforming challenges.
- The game is plagued by bugs and optimization issues, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Many players found the gameplay repetitive, primarily revolving around collecting keys with little variation.
- The voice acting and story delivery were criticized for being poorly executed, detracting from the overall immersion.
- graphics53 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their striking, dark, and surreal aesthetic that enhances its psychological themes and immersive atmosphere. While many players appreciate the unique creature designs and overall visual quality, some report minor graphical glitches and optimization issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, showcasing the developer's talent and passion, despite some areas needing further polish.
“The game’s atmosphere is meticulously crafted, combining eerie visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that immerses you in its world.”
“The artwork and models are amazing, and you can tell the creator put a lot of effort into creating the world, which pays off with a surreal, visceral experience.”
“The creature designs, aesthetics, and environments are where this game really shines: the developer is clearly talented and passionate about their work, and has been relentlessly working to improve the game even after launch.”
“I had such high hopes for this game because the concept had so much potential, but that, along with some graphics glitches, should have been caught in alpha/beta testing prior to release.”
“First of all: don't go in expecting a fully polished horror experience with mind-bending puzzles or next-gen graphics.”
“So yes, the controls are a bit clunky, it has some graphical artifacts and optimization issues, and the gameplay essentially just consists of finding keys scattered throughout simple levels.”
- gameplay48 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its fast-paced horror elements and psychological depth, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and filled with bugs. Many reviews highlight that the core mechanics revolve around collecting keys and navigating through levels, which can feel repetitive and unengaging. Overall, the game offers a visually striking experience but suffers from optimization issues and a lack of substantial gameplay variety.
“Bringing your nightmares to life in a fast-paced horror experience with simple mechanics.”
“Amygdala excels in its gameplay mechanics, offering a mix of platforming challenges and puzzle-solving elements.”
“Each level introduces new obstacles and enemies, ensuring that the gameplay remains fresh and engaging.”
“Game is unoptimized, full of bugs, as my continue game point spawns me outside of the map after only 0.3 minutes of gameplay.”
“From a gameplay standpoint, there is almost no gameplay; your only job is to find keys!”
“I'm so tired of these buggy, unoptimized horror games made with one or two gameplay assets, with a heavy emphasis on walking and picking up items, but somehow released with game-breaking bugs and not patched ASAP.”
- story42 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by an intriguing backstory that explores themes of knowledge and madness, conveyed through environmental storytelling and cryptic messages that engage players in piecing together the narrative. While some players appreciate the atmospheric depth and abstract imagery, others criticize the story for being poorly executed, with unintelligible dialogue and a lack of coherence. Overall, the narrative offers a mix of fascination and frustration, encouraging multiple playthroughs despite its brevity and occasional bugs.
“The story unfolds through environmental storytelling and cryptic messages, encouraging players to piece together the narrative themselves.”
“This method of storytelling is highly effective, creating a sense of mystery and urgency that keeps you engaged from start to finish.”
“While Amygdala’s story can be completed in a few hours, its depth and complexity encourage multiple playthroughs.”
“All the dialogue and text is clearly AI-generated garbage; the story is boring and only given through borderline unintelligible exposition dumps.”
“The story is very half-baked and doesn't make any sense; the voiceovers are really bad and detract from the atmosphere.”
“There were some parts of the story that I felt could have used more fleshing out.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its meticulous crafting, featuring eerie visuals and a haunting soundtrack that deeply immerses players in its world. While the sound design and creature models are exceptional, some users noted graphical issues and a lack of polish that detracted from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the unique and layered atmosphere, combined with elements of body horror, makes it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror.
“The game’s atmosphere is meticulously crafted, combining eerie visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that immerses you in its world.”
“Amygdala’s sound design is exceptional, playing a crucial role in building its eerie atmosphere.”
“It could have been a simple walking simulator, but instead, it has layers, and oozes atmosphere!”
“Story is very half baked and doesn't make any sense, voice overs are really bad and make atmosphere so bad.”
“The creature design is top notch, but, at least without global illumination turned off, I was getting shadow flickering issues, so expect some bugs, but I still think that for the creature design and atmosphere in the game the price is worth it.”
“If you like a horror atmosphere that delivers a really weird experience, then this is worth it!”
- optimization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, including issues with spawning outside the map and unresponsive controls in certain levels. While some minor visual glitches were noted, overall performance was deemed acceptable, though players with weaker systems may experience difficulties. Ongoing patches are expected to address these optimization concerns, but frustrations with the current state of the game persist.
“The graphics are good, models and scenery are disturbing, and it's optimized well enough (not great but not bad). I only saw a few minor visual glitches in my playthrough, and no game-breaking bugs.”
“And I did find some issues with bugs and optimization (both of which are already being worked on through patches, so I imagine they'll be ironed out in the future).”
“I can't say I had any performance issues, but the fans on my PC did spin up more loudly than I'm used to as I played, so perhaps people with weaker systems might have issues.”
“Game is unoptimized, full of bugs, as my continue game point spawns me outside of the map after only 0.3 minutes of gameplay.”
“Now I will say that the bonus level for the gramophone wasn't optimized very well at all. I kept failing because the keys wouldn't react properly when pressed, and I know it's not my keyboard because I played through three games last night. I'm also using the very same keyboard to write this review without fail.”
“I'm so tired of these buggy, unoptimized horror games made with one or two gameplay assets, with heavy emphasis on walking and picking up items, but somehow released with game-breaking bugs and not patched ASAP.”
- music12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's music is praised for its hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances the immersive atmosphere, blending ambient sounds with melodic pieces that evoke a range of emotions. However, some players expressed frustration with the inability to play certain songs after obtaining the vinyl and the challenge of choosing between conflicting voice-overs. While the use of AI-generated music and voice-overs is noted, there is a preference for traditional music and voice acting in future iterations.
“The game’s atmosphere is meticulously crafted, combining eerie visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that immerses you in its world.”
“Some of the creatures in the main room were singing familiar songs to themselves... if you get close enough to them, you can make out the songs.”
“Only complaints I have is I could not for the life of me play that song after obtaining the vinyl, not even on low settings. Also, at the end, you have a female and a male voiceover and you need to pick just one; otherwise, it's hard to listen to.”
“The dev admittedly used AI to generate voice-over and music. While I don't fully endorse this kind of generated content, this is an example of how AI can be used as a tool when backed by careful and tasteful supervision. I would still prefer 'real' music and voice actors in a hypothetical future, polished version of the game though.”
“The soundtrack is a mix of ambient sounds and melodic pieces that evoke a range of emotions, from tension to melancholy.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report minor visual glitches and no game-breaking bugs, others have encountered significant issues, such as locked doors despite having the keys. Optimization is deemed adequate but not exceptional, leading to frustration among users who expected a more polished experience.
“I had such high hopes for this game because the concept had so much potential, but that, along with some graphics glitches, should have been caught in alpha/beta testing prior to release.”
“Buggy mess, got to a locked door that I had already picked up the key for, but the door still would not open.”
“I'm so tired of these buggy, unoptimized horror games made with one or two gameplay assets with heavy emphasis on walking and picking up items, but somehow released with game-breaking bugs and not patched ASAP.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by impressive attention to detail in both environments and character designs, which enhance the overall sense of unease and intrigue. At a budget-friendly price of $15, the game is particularly noted for its standout character design.
“The attention to detail is impressive, with the environments and character designs contributing to the overall sense of unease and intrigue.”
“As a game that is only $15 at full price, it stands out for character design alone.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the game's replayability is high due to its diverse gameplay options, multiple endings, and varying character paths, encouraging players to explore different strategies and experiences. Many users appreciate the added content and updates that enhance replay value, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. Overall, players find themselves returning to the game for new challenges and discoveries.
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its quirky elements and the clever easter eggs that add to the overall enjoyment. The blend of humor and craziness enhances the gaming experience, making it both entertaining and engaging.
“I really enjoyed the bits of humor and craziness, and the small easter eggs scattered around.”
