Amygdala
- March 15, 2024
- Stigma Studios
"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.
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and beautifully crafted character designs that enhance the horror atmosphere.
- The creature designs and overall concept are unique and intriguing, providing an immersive experience for players.
- Despite its short length, the game offers enjoyable gameplay with a mix of puzzles and exploration that keeps players engaged.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it difficult to progress and enjoy the experience.
- Voice acting and tutorials are poorly executed, leading to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, primarily revolving around finding keys without substantial puzzles or challenges.
- graphics33 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals, intricate character designs, and a striking dark aesthetic that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some players noted minor optimization issues and occasional graphical glitches, the overall artistic effort is evident, creating a surreal and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlighted the impressive creature designs and environments, making the visuals a standout feature of the game.
“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 game’s atmosphere is meticulously crafted, combining eerie visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that immerses you in its world.”
“First off the pros: the atmosphere was really well done and the creatures were unsettling but cool to look at, and the story was really well written, as well as the music was good and the graphics were amazing.”
“Atmosphere: so far I loved it and it really had great body horror elements, but it could really use some polishing on graphics since sometimes some enemies look rough around the edges.”
“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.”
- gameplay31 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its lack of depth, as it primarily involves walking around and collecting keys, which some find dull. Additionally, issues such as poor optimization, choppy performance, and unclear mechanics detract from the experience. However, the game's atmosphere and monster designs are praised, suggesting that while the gameplay may be simplistic, it has potential for engaging storytelling and artistic elements.
“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.”
“I'm so tired of this buggy, unoptimized horror game 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.”
“Game is unoptimized, full of bugs as my continue game point spawns me outside of the map that is only within 0.3 minutes of gameplay.”
“From a gameplay standpoint, there is almost no gameplay; your only job is to find keys!”
- story31 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its atmospheric and abstract narrative, encouraging players to engage in environmental storytelling and piecing together cryptic messages. While some players found the plot intriguing and well-crafted, others criticized it for being confusing or poorly executed, with issues like AI-generated dialogue detracting from the experience. Overall, the story offers a mix of horror elements and psychological depth, making it a compelling, albeit flawed, journey for those who appreciate a more enigmatic narrative.
“The story unfolds through environmental storytelling and cryptic messages, encouraging players to piece together the narrative themselves.”
“Amygdala is an atmospheric horror game, with a gripping story, deep-rooted lore, stellar sound design, and drop-dead gorgeous visuals.”
“The world and setting is fascinating with an interesting story that definitely had my attention from the beginning.”
“All the dialogue and text is clearly AI-generated garbage; the story is boring and only given through borderline unintelligible exposition dumps.”
“Story is very half-baked and doesn't make any sense; voiceovers are really bad and make the atmosphere suffer.”
“There were some parts of the story that I felt could have used more fleshing out.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by exceptional sound design and haunting visuals. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of body horror elements and unsettling creature designs, creating a unique and gripping experience. While some technical issues and narrative shortcomings are noted, the overall atmospheric execution is considered a standout feature that makes the game worth playing, especially for fans of atmospheric horror.
“Amygdala is an atmospheric horror game, with a gripping story, deep-rooted lore, stellar sound design, and drop-dead gorgeous visuals.”
“First off the pros: the atmosphere was really well done and the creatures were unsettling but cool to look at, and the story was really well written as well as the music was good and the graphics were amazing.”
“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.”
“Story is very half-baked and doesn't make any sense; voiceovers are really bad and make the atmosphere suffer.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with players reporting numerous bugs, performance issues, and clunky controls that hinder the overall experience. While some minor visual glitches were noted, many users expressed frustration over the lack of timely patches and the game's overall unpolished state. Despite a few positive remarks about graphics and atmosphere, the consensus is that significant optimization improvements are needed.
“The graphics are good, models and scenery are disturbing, and it's optimized well enough (not great but not bad), and I only saw a few minor visual glitches in my playthrough, and no game-breaking bugs.”
“Upon fixing the dialogue and story, and improving the mechanics and performance issues, it is now a short horror game (around 2 hours) with a great atmosphere that you can finally enjoy!”
“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'm so tired of this buggy, unoptimized horror game 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.”
“Game is unoptimized, full of bugs, as my continue game point spawns me outside of the map that is only within 0.3 minutes of gameplay.”
“On top of that, it has performance issues despite the specs listed and a few interface issues (bad inventory, bad inexplicable health system, bad choice of mouse cursor - it doesn't show well, bad hitboxes, etc).”
- music7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % 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 replay certain songs and the choice between voiceovers, while the use of AI-generated music and voiceovers sparked mixed feelings, with a preference for traditional music and voice acting noted for potential future updates. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's unsettling yet captivating ambiance.
“The game’s atmosphere is meticulously crafted, combining eerie visuals with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that immerses you in its world.”
“First off the pros: the atmosphere was really well done and the creatures were unsettling but cool to look at and the story was really well written as well as the music was good and the graphics were amazing.”
“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.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its beautifully crafted and original designs, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere of unease and intrigue. While the visuals are impressive and stand out for the game's low price, some users note that the game is buggy, which may detract from the experience. Overall, the character design is a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal.
“Beautifully crafted character designs and an interesting, original premise.”
“The attention to detail is impressive, with the environments and character designs contributing to the overall sense of unease and intrigue.”
“I haven't had a chance to play too much yet, but from what I've seen, the visuals and character design are top notch.”
“Love the idea of making a game about scary character designs; I wish there was more in this style, but it's very buggy.”
“As a game that is only $15 at full price, it stands out for character design alone.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and game-breaking issues, while others report only minor visual glitches. Many users express frustration over the game's optimization and the prevalence of bugs, particularly in gameplay mechanics, suggesting that the game would benefit from a more streamlined experience. Overall, while some players found their experience relatively stable, the consensus leans towards a need for better optimization and bug fixes.
“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.”
“Buggy mess, got to a locked door that I had already picked up the key for, but the door still would not open.”
“Its more walking simulator than game, and honestly the game would be better served by being strictly that and removing any kind of monster/hiding mechanic as it's pretty buggy and the map layouts aren't well-suited for it.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users generally find the replayability of the game to be high, citing multiple branching storylines, diverse character builds, and various difficulty levels that encourage multiple playthroughs. Many appreciate the inclusion of unlockable content and dynamic events that keep the experience fresh. However, some players feel that certain gameplay elements can become repetitive over time, slightly diminishing the overall replay value.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, featuring a mix of quirky elements and clever easter eggs that enhance the overall experience.
“I really enjoyed the bits of humor and craziness, along with the small easter eggs scattered around.”
“The game is filled with clever jokes and hilarious moments that kept me laughing throughout.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd situations made for a truly entertaining experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a wholesome narrative that enhances the emotional experience, combining elements of a walking simulator with puzzles and minimal survival mechanics, allowing players to engage deeply with the story.
“The game beautifully weaves a wholesome story that resonates deeply with players, making every moment feel meaningful.”
“The emotional depth of the narrative draws you in, creating a powerful connection with the characters and their journeys.”
“As a walking simulator with puzzle elements, it allows for a reflective experience that evokes a range of emotions.”