Arkhangel: The House of the Seven Stars

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 52 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Arkhangel: The House of the Seven Stars Game Cover
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In Arkhangel: The House of the Seven Stars, players navigate a supernatural mystery set in a snowy village, using point-and-click mechanics to explore, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth behind a mysterious force threatening the main character's family. The game combines elements of horror, adventure, and drama, with a heavy emphasis on narrative and atmospheric storytelling. Characters' fates are influenced by the player's choices, leading to multiple endings in this haunting tale.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews
story28 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features a well-told story with engaging characters and a unique blend of Lovecraftian themes and traditional religion.
  • The soundtrack is beautiful and enhances the atmosphere, making the experience more immersive.
  • Despite its flaws, the game offers a compelling narrative and a rich lore that keeps players invested.
  • The controls are clunky and can be frustrating, with awkward camera angles and movement that detracts from the gameplay experience.
  • Menus are buggy, particularly the controls and journal menus, which can lead to forced game closures.
  • The game lacks voice acting and has an overwhelming amount of text to read, which may not appeal to all players.
  • story71 mentions

    The game's story is widely praised for its engaging narrative, atmospheric setting, and Lovecraftian themes, with many players appreciating its depth and emotional resonance. While some noted technical flaws and predictability in certain plot elements, the overall storytelling, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack and immersive visuals, keeps players invested throughout the experience. Despite its linearity and occasional clunky controls, the well-structured and compelling story makes it a recommended choice for fans of narrative-driven adventures.

    • “The world created here is very immersive and the story was great.”
    • “This is a story-driven game with amazing atmosphere and a phenomenal score.”
    • “The story of the game is really good with its twists and turns, and the mystery was all so good and was well-paced.”
    • “The story is pretty predictable and full of clichés, though I did enjoy reading the bits and pieces of the lore.”
    • “The game is pretty standard fare, story-wise, leaning on standard horror-game tropes: ancient evil threatens our existence, family has a recent loss or death, family are unwelcome strangers in a strange place, town has hidden secrets, and family member falls sick or is otherwise getting manipulated in some manner.”
    • “There are cons: the game railroads the player to the story really hard, and exploration is limited.”
  • music43 mentions

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its beautiful orchestral and choral compositions that enhance the atmosphere and storytelling. However, some noted instances of inappropriate or repetitive background music that detracted from the experience, particularly in horror settings. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many players expressing a desire to purchase it separately.

    • “The soundtrack to the game is worth the price of admission alone.”
    • “The incredible orchestral and choral music is, somehow, both soothing and jarring in an eerie way.”
    • “The soundtrack perfectly helps with the flow of the game as well.”
    • “Some inappropriate background music.”
    • “There is no ambiance because of the lack of voices, music, and sounds.”
    • “No voices at all; the music is irritating and not really suited to the horror of the game.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the stylized environments and effective use of light and shadow to create atmosphere, while others criticize the overall quality as lacking polish, with simplistic visuals and clunky controls. While certain scenes and artwork are highlighted positively, many players express disappointment with the graphics, describing them as basic or reminiscent of low-budget indie games. Overall, the visuals are seen as adequate for the genre but not groundbreaking.

    • “The visuals are mostly great, with shadows and light used effectively in amplifying the uneasy atmosphere of the remote village setting.”
    • “I really love the art style!”
    • “To sum it up, Arkhangel has all the hallmarks of an old-fashioned point-and-click adventure game including lush graphics and a beautiful soundtrack, which can be purchased separately as DLC.”
    • “Then I was shocked by the bad quality of the game; the graphics suck, there are no voiceovers anywhere, just simple songs on loop, and the controls are bad with childish drawings.”
    • “I couldn't get past the graphics; the game looks awful (a bunch of Unity asset flips, basically).”
    • “For some reason, at the beginning, Arkhangel chooses to pretend to be your generic lazy indie game: we've got pretty basic visuals, simplistic dialogs, clunky controls (it's not even actually point-and-click, you'll have to use either keyboard or controller for movement) and no voiceovers at all.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its ability to create a foreboding and immersive experience, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and effective use of light and shadow. While some technical aspects may be lacking, the visuals and environmental design contribute significantly to the overall tension and sense of dread, making it a standout feature of the game. Despite minor criticisms, such as the cel-shaded character design, the atmospheric elements are considered a major strength, elevating the storytelling and gameplay experience.

    • “The visuals are mostly great, with shadows and light used effectively in amplifying the uneasy atmosphere of the remote village setting.”
    • “This is a story-driven game with amazing atmosphere and a phenomenal score.”
    • “The horror focuses on building a foreboding atmosphere, tension, and sense of dread.”
    • “The backgrounds, especially of the outdoor areas, ruins, and catacombs, are rendered quite well in a dark and foreboding manner which really helps build the atmosphere.”
    • “The creepy atmosphere affords it the gradual pace, and some of the 'cyclopean' architecture looks very impressive.”
  • gameplay8 mentions

    The gameplay is engaging and immersive, with a storyline that captivates players, making time fly during sessions. However, it suffers from issues like jerky animations and a linear structure, which can lead to a tedious experience at times. While the challenge level is well-balanced, the overall gameplay could benefit from more complex animations and a richer middle portion to enhance engagement.

    • “I loved the storyline and the gameplay; it got me playing for 4 hours, and it felt like 30 minutes!”
    • “Gameplay and unfolding the mystery required the right amount of challenge so that I didn't get frustrated or stuck, but when I figured something out, it felt really like I'd accomplished something.”
    • “That being said, I'm not for adding content simply for the sake of prolonging gameplay, and I'm not sure that there's much more of a story here that would benefit from additional puzzles or scenes.”
    • “Thankfully, it doesn't happen all of the time, but jerky lag mars the experience from time to time, and animations are rigid and rough throughout, unfortunately butting heads with the gameplay.”
    • “It is also the gameplay that gets tedious as well.”
    • “As such, the gameplay is quite linear.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The game effectively incorporates humor to relieve tension without disrupting the narrative, with players noting that it adds a lighthearted touch to the experience. Many found the humor enjoyable, particularly in relation to character revelations and the overall storyline.

    • “There is just the right amount of humor in it to occasionally break tension without altering the feel of the story.”
    • “The puzzles in the game were good and fairly easy, and the game has a sense of humor that made me smile.”
    • “By this time, I actually thought it was funny - especially when I learned who the 'good guys' are in this tale!”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for its ability to convey a wholesome yet Lovecraftian narrative, effectively blending elements of warmth with darker themes. This unique storytelling approach resonates emotionally with players, making it a standout experience.

    • “Tells a good, wholesome, Lovecraftian story.”
    • “The best kind of wholesome story.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often detracting from overall enjoyment, though they don't necessarily dislike the game itself.

    • “It is also the gameplay that gets tedious as well.”
    • “I didn't hate the game per se, but it was more tedious than enjoyable.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability, with most players completing it in 6-8 hours and finding little incentive to revisit it afterward.

    • “I'll probably finish in 6-8 total hours, with very little replay value.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game suffers from clunky controls and lacks proper optimization, which may hinder the initial experience; however, it compensates with fantastic music and an engaging story.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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