At the Mountains of Madness
- March 25, 2016
- Team Clockworks
Get on Steam"At the Mountains of Madness" is a lovecraftian horror adventure game. Players explore an ancient Antarctic city, solving puzzles and fighting off monstrous creatures. The game features a rich atmosphere and a gripping story, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the essence of Lovecraft's 'At the Mountains of Madness' with its deep Eldritch atmosphere and RPG elements.
- The graphics and lighting are decent, contributing to an immersive experience in the frozen abyss.
- There is potential for improvement, and many players express hope that the developers will refine the game into a more playable state.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, performance issues, and poor voice acting, making it largely unplayable in its current state.
- Many players find the gameplay lacking in direction, with confusing dialogue and unclear objectives that detract from the experience.
- The game has not seen updates in a long time, leading to concerns about its development and overall quality.
- story87 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game based on "At the Mountains of Madness" has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the atmospheric and engaging elements of Lovecraft's original narrative, while others criticize the game's execution as vague and combat-focused, detracting from the intended horror and depth. Players noted issues with pacing and narrative coherence, expressing hope for future improvements to enhance the storytelling experience. Overall, while the source material is celebrated for its rich themes and chilling atmosphere, the game's adaptation has left some fans disappointed.
“I really enjoy the story this game is based off of - so, I look forward to trying it again in the future.”
“At the Mountains of Madness is an excellent story because it builds terror through gradual revelation, so that, though we guess much of what's going on much earlier than Dyer tells us, the point is that he has to nerve himself up to be able to say what he has to say.”
“The story is compelling and will have you devouring page after page from the midpoint to the end.”
“During my playthrough, my character would progress to chapter 4 in the story, take a few steps out of a cabin, and suddenly be in chapter 2 again.”
“Before the end of the story, I was getting a little peeved at the assumptions and the endless stretching out of the storyline.”
“100 pages of descriptions with almost no storyline.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the environmental design and lighting, while others criticize the overall quality, animations, and terrain as sub-standard and insipid. Despite decent visuals in certain aspects, many players find the graphical experience disappointing, particularly when it comes to performance and animation fluidity.
“The one positive I have for this game is that it has great graphics when it comes to the environment.”
“But even he cannot avoid slipping into admiration for the architecture and artwork – which he mass-labels ‘decadent’ for some unexplained reason.”
“The graphics are decent and the lighting is really good.”
“The graphics are sub-standard, but I could get past that if the story were engaging.”
“The longer you wander...the more fragile and thin your desperate mind becomes...as the insipidness of the graphics, terrain, and animation wear you down...you realize you've truly reached: the mountains of madness!”
“Turning down the graphics had no effect on the frame rate either time; it just made the game look even worse.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is currently criticized for severe performance issues, with users reporting an average of only 22 frames per second on capable systems that handle recent AAA titles well. While there is hope for improvements in the future, many feel that the game is not ready for release, especially given its price point and the significant bugs present. Overall, the initial impression suggests a lack of effective optimization strategies from the developers.
“I will keep an eye on this and hope it can be improved a lot, as in another half a year or year of changes to the performance, layout, voice acting, mechanics, UI, etc. If it does perform better eventually, I might change my review, but right now, this just isn't worth the money they ask for.”
“Of course, this is something that could be fixed in early access via optimization, but it leaves the initial impression that the developers have no idea how to go about doing that.”
“I am aware that optimization doesn't usually happen until the very late stages of development, and it might improve the performance, but right now, it runs terribly on a system that can run many current or very recent triple-A titles at medium to high settings.”
“I am aware that optimization doesn't usually happen until the very late stages of development, and it might improve the performance, but right now, it runs terribly on a system that can run many current or very recent triple-A titles (Division, Witcher 3, GTAV, Hitman, etc.) at medium to high settings.”
“I am sorry, but if this is considered close to being ready for release, it really deserves a downrating, especially at the current price. I don't mind big problems in an early access game if I know it's the very early stages, but 18 EUR to get into early access for a game that has severe performance issues and other bugs just isn't okay.”
“- The actual performance is terrible, sitting at about 22 frames on average.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being offputting and bland, with many players finding it difficult to engage due to poor mechanics and a lack of immersive atmosphere. The transition to a combat-focused style has disappointed longtime fans, leading to concerns about the game's overall value and potential for improvement in future updates.
“I found the gameplay extremely off-putting to the point where I couldn't go on.”
“The gameplay is pretty awful and bland so far.”
“Once you collect the plot-mandatory flashlight and walking stick and get into the main gameplay, you're dumped in a dark, hideous-looking ice cave.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers noting a lack of immersion due to poor voice acting and a shift away from the story-driven focus that is essential in horror games. The overall experience is described as lacking in scares and gameplay depth, leading to disappointment among fans who value atmospheric storytelling. There is hope for future improvements, but current sentiments suggest that the game falls short of expectations.
“Yes, there was a bit of action in 'mom' (the novella), but it should be only a small aspect, where story, setting, and atmosphere should be the focus.”
“Atmosphere is so important in HPL games, and this ruins any immersion.”
“I hope it can get improved a lot, as in another half a year or year of changes to the performance, layout, voice acting, mechanics, UI, etc. If it does perform better eventually, I might change my review.”
“Atmosphere, scares, gameplay...even the ability to finish the game are all sorely missing from the experience; and seeing as the last update was years ago at this point, it seems safe to say that it will remain this way.”
“The voice acting is terrible, and if this is more than a placeholder, it is a big minus, as atmosphere is so important in HPL games in my opinion, and this ruins any immersion.”
“Yes, there was a bit of action in the novella, but it should be only a small aspect, where story, setting, and atmosphere should be the focus.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its lack of stability, with users reporting it as unfinished, buggy, and completely broken.
“Unfinished, buggy, and completely broken.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are generally well-received, with users noting their quality and effectiveness.
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the novella is minimal, with some reviewers noting a tedious recounting of the extensive history of space aliens competing for Earth, which detracts from the depth of the characters.
“There is not too much character development in this novella, and there is a bit of tedium in the recounting of the billion-year history of space aliens jousting for Earth.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the story.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs; they seemed to remain static despite the events unfolding around them.”
