Arkham Nightmares
- April 6, 2016
- Tim Rachor
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreArkham Nightmares is an adventure game with rogue-like elements. You play Prof. Liebwerk the head physician of the Lovecraftian Arkham Sanatorium. Your task is to complete your journal with all the stories from the crazy inmates. But before they will tell you anything you have to win their trust.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique and unsettling atmosphere that some players find charming.
- The soundtrack is appreciated by players, adding to the overall experience.
- The voice acting, while considered bad, is entertaining and adds a layer of humor to the game.
- The game is extremely buggy and poorly assembled, leading to frequent crashes and technical issues.
- Gameplay lacks direction and depth, making it frustrating and tedious for players.
- The graphics are outdated and of low quality, failing to meet modern gaming standards.
- graphics8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's graphics rely on outdated retro pixel art, which many players find lackluster and unappealing. Although there are options to adjust the resolution, these merely upscale the simplistic 2D assets without enhancing overall quality, leaving little room for improvement in the visual experience.
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story is criticized for being unclear and uninspired, failing to engage players or provide a compelling narrative. Additionally, the voice-over work is deemed poor, with players feeling that disabling it is necessary for a better experience. Overall, the storytelling aspect lacks depth and motivation, leaving players disinterested.
“The story is unclear, the gameplay is some kind of overworked old-school, and the voice-over is the most terrible I've ever heard (only pro: you can disable them by unchecking 'sound' in the menu).”
“I know the story mode skips them, but I don't see why it makes sense to have to break a game to make it playable.”
“The story is uninspired or at least too minimal, as my time playing didn't give me any drive to want to know more.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being an overworked take on old-school mechanics, with unclear story elements and significant technical issues that can lead to crashes. While some players may find enjoyment in mastering the mechanics, the overall experience is marred by awkwardness and frustrating bugs, making it unsuitable for those seeking a polished and engaging gameplay experience.
“The story is unclear, the gameplay feels like an overworked old-school design, and the voice-over is the worst I've ever heard (the only pro: you can disable it by unchecking 'sound' in the menu).”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs and crashes that can freeze their PCs, necessitating force closures. Overall, the game's performance is described as poorly assembled and unreliable.
“This game is extremely buggy and badly assembled.”
“The game just freezes my PC and I have to force close it.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by Lovecraftian themes, creating a unique and awkward experience that some players find intriguing. However, this distinctive atmosphere may not appeal to those seeking engaging gameplay, as it seems to prioritize mood over mechanics.
“For the sheer awkwardness of this game and the weird atmosphere.”
“For the sheer awkwardness of this game and the weird atmosphere, but for those of you who want a game that is actually a good game and want some fun gameplay, that's not where to look for.”
“I bought this game for the Lovecraftian atmosphere.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its appealing soundtrack, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic. However, despite the enjoyable audio experience, players express frustration with the game's playability.
“I really liked it; it's good looking, and the soundtrack is very nice.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game remains largely unassessed due to the reviewer’s limited playtime of only 30 minutes. However, the voice acting, particularly the main character's, is noted for its peculiar and unintelligible accent, which adds a unique charm despite the overall negative impressions of the game's aesthetics and HUD.
“The voice acting is just so enjoyably bad; the main character describes and quotes everything you interact with in a terrible, weird accent that I can barely understand.”
“I can't criticize character development right now since I only played 30 minutes of the game, but the overall presentation is quite off-putting.”
“Everything looks so ugly, and the HUD is incredibly bad, which detracts from any potential character development.”
