ARAYA

About

"ARAYA" is a single-player horror simulation game with an intriguing story that unfolds from the perspective of three different characters in a Thai hospital. The game boasts a good soundtrack and awesome atmosphere, but is held back by bad mechanics and numerous bugs. It supports both Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE headsets, but can also be played without a VR headset. The game is initially being released in English.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 230 reviews

story33 positive mentions

graphics10 negative mentions

The game has an intense and spooky atmosphere that effectively creates tension and fear.
The storyline is engaging, with multiple character perspectives that add depth to the narrative.
The sound design is well-executed, enhancing the horror experience with effective jump scares and ambient sounds.

The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs, clunky controls, and inconsistent door-opening mechanics.
The graphics and character animations feel outdated and lack polish, detracting from the overall immersion.
Some players found the pacing to be slow, with repetitive gameplay elements that can lead to frustration.

story
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its depth and the multi-perspective approach of playing as three different characters, which adds complexity to the narrative. While some found the plot to be somewhat typical of horror games—centering on uncovering a murder in a haunted setting—others enjoyed the cultural elements and emotional weight of certain character arcs. However, critiques include convoluted storytelling, pacing issues, and a lack of clarity in some plot points, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the characters and their motivations.
- “The story starts out great, spins the yarn well and pulls you in.”
- “The story really had depth and a sense of mystery and it kept me hooked into finding out what happens next.”
- “I love the story, it reminds me of Thai horror movies and gives me the creeps… it has jump scares and it has an eerie vibe to it as well.”
- “The story didn't leave me invested in any of the characters or their stories.”
- “I could've used more closure on almost every aspect of the story and it really feels like this was phoned-in.”
- “The architecture doesn't make sense, the story is not interesting and neither are the characters.”
atmosphere
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its creepiness and ability to create tension, effectively immersing players in a haunting environment, particularly within the eerie setting of a Thai hospital. While some reviews note issues with graphics and controls, the overall ambiance, sound design, and jump scares contribute to a memorable horror experience that resonates with fans of psychological and Asian horror. Many players find the atmosphere to be a standout feature, enhancing the game's storytelling and emotional impact.
- “Well to start, the atmosphere is great and creepy, and helps to keep you on edge throughout the game.”
- “The atmosphere walking around an abandoned location, along with all the sounds, makes this an incredibly immersive experience, especially with the volume up loud.”
- “Araya is an atmospheric horror adventure that takes place inside an extremely creepy Thai hospital.”
- “Atmosphere 4/10”
- “Camera does whatever it wants when the atmosphere is creepy.”
- “Let me begin by saying that this game has flaws and is not perfect by any means (much like this review), but let's focus on what the game gets right - atmosphere.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
63%
23%
The graphics across various games are generally described as a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting that while some titles exhibit impressive detail and atmosphere, others suffer from outdated visuals, glitches, and subpar character animations. Several players expressed disappointment with the optimization and performance issues, particularly in VR settings, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, some indie titles were praised for their attention to detail given their budget constraints, suggesting that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they still contribute to the game's horror elements.
- “Graphics and sound are very good and turn the old hospital into a place where you better not walk around at night.”
- “Impressive graphics for an old game.”
- “Overall, I'd still consider the graphics good just because of the attention to detail and because it's 'just' an indie title with a small budget instead of a AAA title from a big company.”
- “Graphics are also unoptimized and twitchy, with screen glitches and flickers causing a distraction.”
- “The graphics are horrible, the characters look like the only emotion they can show is plastic surgery.”
- “The graphics are really bad, and the sound is okay, but if you can look past that, you have a really good horror game.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
67%
21%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it below average due to clunky mechanics, frustrating controls, and a lack of engaging challenges. While some appreciated the atmosphere and story, the repetitive object hunting and chase sequences, combined with issues like glitches and poor AI, detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as tedious and lacking in depth, making it difficult for players to stay engaged.
- “But the story was fun and the gameplay overall wasn't bad, so if you are looking for a decent 3-hour horror experience, then look no further.”
- “Gameplay consists of moving around, pushing doors open with your VR controller, and picking stuff up and looking at it.”
- “The foundation of the gameplay relies on object hunting and chase sequences.”
- “So it's an older VR game, doesn't use motion controls which isn't that big a deal to be honest, but the game trailer is pretty misleading in terms of how the game feels to play. The trailer showing the wheelchair fly across the hall and chase sequence is the opening gameplay section.”
- “Gameplay never evolves into anything and since monsters don't have any AI, the majority of the gameplay is boring and without tension, since the player cannot die.”
- “The gameplay is so bad it gave me a headache; you can't even run over a chair that just moves by itself?”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The music in the game is generally praised for its effectiveness in creating a tense and creepy atmosphere, enhancing the horror experience, especially during chase sequences. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive and occasionally mismatched with the game's tone, leading to annoyance over time. Overall, while the sound design is considered a strong point, there are criticisms regarding the limited audio options and some low-quality sound elements.
- “It is directionally effective, so you can pinpoint exactly where the sound is coming from, and music, in my opinion, is one of the strongest scary elements here; it's so tense.”
- “A very enjoyable game; the scare scenes are great and the music goes well with the atmosphere.”
- “I also enjoyed the music, which takes a step back during exploration but kicks in with a hammering soundtrack during the chase sequences.”
- “By the time you are onto another 'scary' chase scene, you will be less scared and more annoyed at the loud and obnoxious noise/music choices for that bit.”
- “The music is also getting annoying after a short while.”
- “The soundtrack loops over after what seems like every 30 seconds, some of the sounds seem low quality, the voice acting seems off.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including screen flickers, delayed sound, and problematic mechanics like door openings. Players have experienced significant disruptions, such as camera glitches and unresponsive controls, leading some to consider refunds. While some enjoy the game despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish and stability.
- “The game is full of bugs and glitches.”
- “This game really moved me to request a refund because of all these glitches, terrible controls, and crashes during gameplay.”
- “Very buggy; in my case, the game saved when my character dropped under the ground and became unplayable unless I restarted the whole game.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging experience. The limited monster encounters and lack of meaningful progression contribute to a frustrating gameplay loop, leading some to abandon the game altogether due to the lack of saved progress and overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “Once you realize the only time monsters appear in the game is during scripted running sections, the game becomes incredibly tedious, since it can offer nothing more than jumpscares to break up the repetitive hospital walking simulator.”
- “I went back to the game and it had not saved my progress. It was only like 20 minutes, but it was so tedious the first time, I really don't feel like doing it again.”
- “Avoid, not very scary, gameplay is tedious.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game has limited replay value, though some players find it enjoyable enough to revisit. Enhanced controls, such as Xbox controller support, improve the experience, but the lack of touch support is noted as a missed opportunity for greater replayability.
- “So if you'll like to go back to it again, there's also some replayability.”
- “The game itself, in my opinion, has little replay value.”
- “So if you'd like to go back to it again, there's also some replayability.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its humor, featuring a mix of awkward moments and funny jumpscares, with players finding the jumping mechanics particularly amusing.
- “Pretty funny game with some jump scares.”
- “So awkward it was funny.”
- “Also, jumping is hilarious.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report experiencing significant motion sickness while playing the game in VR, which detracts from the overall emotional engagement and enjoyment typically associated with immersive gaming experiences.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for clunky mechanics, poor audio mixing, and abrupt cutscenes, detracting from an otherwise above-average horror experience.
- “This otherwise above-average horror game is marred by clunky mechanics, poor audio mixing, abrupt cutscenes, and bad optimization.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is generally viewed as average, with decent designs and animations, but lacks depth and uniqueness in the characters themselves. While the environments are noted to be visually appealing, they do not significantly enhance the character experience.
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “Each character has a unique backstory that adds layers to their personality, making the overall experience much richer.”