Antarctica 88
- April 14, 2023
- Euphoria Games
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Antarctica 88" is a horror-adventure game where players must explore a research station on the continent to uncover the fate of a missing expedition. The game is filled with puzzles, weapons, and terrifying creatures, and players must make decisions that will affect the outcome of the story. With multiple endings, players can replay to discover the full story.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Web Browser
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Antarctica 88 offers a short, engaging experience with a mix of action and horror elements, reminiscent of classic films like 'The Thing'.
- The game features a charming retro aesthetic, decent weapon variety, and multiple endings that encourage replayability.
- Despite its flaws, the game is enjoyable and showcases the developers' passion for the genre, making it a fun choice for fans of indie horror.
- The game suffers from bugs, including enemy respawning issues and unintuitive level design that can lead to confusion and frustration.
- Voice acting and audio balancing are subpar, detracting from the overall immersion and quality of the experience.
- With a playtime of around 1.5 to 2 hours, some players feel the game is too short and lacks depth, making it hard to justify its price.
- story21 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging and well-crafted, particularly appreciating its intriguing elements and atmosphere. While some noted its straightforward nature and brevity, others highlighted its ability to captivate through cutscenes and environmental storytelling. Overall, the narrative is seen as enjoyable but could benefit from further development and refinement to address plot inconsistencies.
“Very intriguing story with fun gameplay and good atmosphere.”
“The story is straightforward and enjoyable, playing out through abandoned shelters, blizzards, and claustrophobic tunnels.”
“This was a fun game with some nice story.”
“It is an escape the area while shooting your way through monsters game while finding some pages with story content and a couple cut scenes.”
“No game is perfect but with a few tweaks to the animations and a bit to the story to sort of round it out and to get rid of some plot holes like the doctor being outside of the cave when you find a discarded hat in the cave and you have to blow open an obstruction to get out.”
“- the story is extremely short with under 1 hour.”
- music16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its homage to John Carpenter's "The Thing" and its ability to set a tense atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and not effectively enhancing the horror experience. Some players noted that the soundtrack lacks variety and fails to create a lasting impression, suggesting that a more ambient approach could have better suited the game's tone. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's aesthetic, it may not fully meet the expectations of players seeking a more immersive horror experience.
“The intro music is very reminiscent of John Carpenter's 'The Thing', and I guess that's the whole spirit they're going for.”
“Good music, really sets the tone.”
“Nice sound effects and music, which add to the atmosphere and pay homage to 'The Thing' from '82.”
“Nope, I think it's only one music track which isn't atmospheric.”
“I thought it was a horror game, not like the style of music in Kao the Kangaroo (I love that game <3) - so basically the soundtrack doesn't leave a great impression and you forget it; you need to be scared... booooo.”
“The developers created the soundtrack to the game, which is a never-ending unsuccessful attempt at making the player feel pressured and rushed; a more ambience-centric OST could've done a lot more to add to the game's atmosphere.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the atmosphere of the game is described as intriguing and immersive, with hand-drawn visuals and sound effects that enhance the experience, particularly in the night setting. However, some players feel that the soundtrack detracts from the atmosphere, suggesting a need for more ambient music. Despite dated graphics, the game successfully evokes a menacing survival horror vibe reminiscent of classic films like "The Thing."
“The level design is simple yet atmospheric, and the hand drawings really gave it personality, in my opinion.”
“The developers created the soundtrack to the game, which is a never-ending unsuccessful attempt at making the player feel pressured and rushed; a more ambience-centric OST could've done a lot more to add to the game's atmosphere.”
“Antarctica 88 has a survival horror 'what is going on here' atmosphere.”
“There is a day and night cycle, all dependent on your PC's own clock; the night version of the game looks far better and adds much more atmosphere than the day version.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, featuring solid mechanics, engaging combat, and a variety of weapons that enhance the experience. While some players found the normal difficulty too easy, they recommended trying harder settings for a more immersive challenge. The level design and atmosphere contribute positively to the overall enjoyment, with particular praise for the vehicle-based elements.
“Very intriguing story with fun gameplay and good atmosphere.”
“Great little survival horror game with all the mechanics you could want.”
“The mechanics of the game such as looting, fighting, and moving about all work very well, making the game fun to play.”
“Would recommend that you play on a harder difficulty though as normal difficulty was pretty easy and did not require me to completely engage with the game's mechanics.”
“But level design in gameplay?”
“The gameplay itself was solid as well - it's not a bad feeling FPS, and has multiple available weapons.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as dated, reminiscent of older titles like those from the N64 era, yet they possess a certain charm that contributes to the overall atmosphere. While some players find the visuals to be "meh" or reminiscent of early 2010s quality, others appreciate the retro aesthetic and atmospheric design, particularly in specific environments like underground tunnels. Overall, the graphics evoke nostalgia but may not meet modern standards.
“Within 8 chapters, we collect ammunition survival-style, solve little puzzles, fight a cast of fearsome enemies, and, of course, explore a world that is somewhere between retro and beautiful modern aesthetics.”
“Antarctica 88 has some charming 'old' graphics.”
“It reminds me of an N64 game with better graphics more than anything else.”
“Very dated graphics, but it was very atmospheric and reminded me of 'The Thing,' which was a good thing.”
“Graphics feel like they are from 2010.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marked by occasional bugs, such as dead creatures respawning unexpectedly after quick-loads and some animation glitches. While these issues can be distracting, they do not significantly hinder gameplay, leaving the experience largely solid.
“It's also a bit buggy, particularly with dead creatures respawning all at once following a quick load.”
“Bit buggy; for example, some monsters resurrect on reload, but otherwise solid.”
“There are some weird animation glitches sometimes, but nothing is broken.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its dorky and entertaining approach, reminiscent of a B-horror film, with hilarious cutscenes and voice acting that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements, which add a lighthearted touch to the horror theme.
“I got the bad ending and I'm going to work on getting the good ending later, but as a fan of the genre, I actually really liked this a lot, even with the hilarious cutscenes and voice acting.”
“Mainly, this is a dorky and funny, yet very entertaining horror game.”
“It's hilariously fitting of a B-horror film style game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple endings influenced by player choices and optional goals, alongside a real day-night cycle that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the variety and cohesion in gameplay, making it a compelling survival-horror shooter that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“A tight and cohesive survival-horror shooter with plenty of variety and replay value.”
“A cool, inspired video game that isn't long to beat and features multiple endings depending on what you collect and whether you complete optional goals. The developer is pretty neat, and the real day-night cycle adds at least a small degree of replayability.”
“Cool game inspired by video games; it's not long to beat and has multiple endings depending on what you collect and if you complete optional goals. The developer is pretty neat, and they have a real day-night cycle which adds at least a small degree of replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional impact of the snowmobile sections to be profound, often evoking strong feelings that can lead to tears, indicating a deep connection to the game's narrative and experiences.
“Every snowmobile section made me want to cry; I spent more time trying to get past that than the rest of the game combined.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting that it runs exceptionally smoothly, providing a seamless experience.
“That's not to take a knock at the optimization; this title actually runs as smooth as butter, but it has that unmistakable, unshakeable quality to it.”
