Beasts of Burden

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 91 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • monetization
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"Beasts of Burden" is a horror RPG with old-school combat and intricate puzzles, set in a Gameboy Advanced-inspired world. The game promises a dark twist on a classic childhood game, with a mysterious curse to uncover and a hidden ARG to solve. Brace yourself for disturbing events and thought-provoking challenges.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews
music4 positive mentions
monetization8 negative mentions
  • The game has a fun concept that pays homage to old Pokemon creepypastas, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
  • Despite its flaws, the game shows potential and passion from the developers, making it an interesting first project worth keeping an eye on for future updates.
  • As a free game, it offers a short but engaging horror experience that can be enjoyable for those looking for something quick and spooky.
  • The gameplay is overly repetitive, often requiring players to go through the same sequences multiple times, which can become tedious and boring.
  • The horror elements rely heavily on loud jump scares, which can be jarring and detract from the overall experience, making it less immersive.
  • The game lacks a cohesive narrative and direction, leaving players confused about the story and their objectives, which diminishes engagement.
  • gameplay13 mentions

    The gameplay is criticized for being overly short, with a duration of only 30 minutes, and lacking depth, as it primarily involves linear movement and command selection during battles. Players find it repetitive and suggest that a longer playtime, more interactive mechanics like monster catching, and varied events could enhance the overall experience. While the game has potential, particularly in its horror elements, the current gameplay structure detracts from its enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is engaging, but I would suggest extending the length. Thirty minutes feels rather short; something around 10 to 20 hours would enhance the story, characters, and overall enjoyment of the game. Additionally, incorporating the ability to catch monsters and varying events based on player actions would add depth.”
    • “While the gameplay is quite linear, it serves its purpose by allowing the story to progress. The game gradually becomes creepier, which adds to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “Overall, I think this game has potential, especially since horror in RPGs is underutilized. However, the experience could be improved with more interesting gameplay elements to avoid repetitiveness.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly repetitive, making half of it very boring.”
    • “There isn't much in terms of gameplay besides moving around and choosing commands during fights, as the game is very linear, even during fights, but this is done on purpose so the story progresses.”
    • “The gameplay length is only about 30 minutes, which is rather short. While the game doesn't need to be a 200-hour grind, something around 10 to 20 hours would enhance the story, characters, and overall enjoyment.”
  • story11 mentions

    The story is often described as vague and complex, primarily conveyed through generic jumpscares, leaving players wanting more depth and clarity. Many reviewers express a desire for improved lore and narrative development in potential sequels, as the current gameplay feels repetitive and lacks meaningful context. While some appreciate the creepy atmosphere, they hope future updates will enhance the storytelling experience.

    • “So my prayers go out to the developer of this twisted game for making a good horror story/game for the 'beast of burden.'”
    • “The gameplay is very linear, even during fights, but this is done on purpose so the story progresses, with the game getting gradually creepier the more it unfolds.”
    • “Great story, a couple of bugs with not loading, but going back to the menu and then back into the game makes it work again. Can't wait to see more of what they have to bring.”
    • “The story is vague and told mostly through generic jumpscares, but we can assume the main character killed somebody in the past.”
    • “It's understandable from a gamer's point of view that this game needs more story and lore rather than going through a repeat of the same area over and over. True, the view does change after each repeat, but there's no reason or meaning to why the player is going through the same 'limbo' repeats every time.”
    • “The story is a bit hard to understand, and it could use a bit of polish generally.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the reviews, but it is implied that the game is free and serves as a response to the misleading evertale ads. While the game shows potential and creativity, it lacks the polish and depth expected from a paid title, suggesting that it may be more of a promotional effort than a fully realized product. Overall, players feel that with more resources and development, it could evolve into a more substantial experience.

    • “This definitely tries to fill in the gap that Evertale's ads left behind, it just feels empty, and the idea of a Pokémon psychological horror game where 'you are the monster' is honestly a great idea, it just doesn't seem to have enough effort put into it this time.”
    • “With enough time, resources, and TLC, I could see this turning into the game that those creepy Evertale ads promised but never delivered.”
    • “This was more of a horror game based off of Evertale's ads, not really a game in itself.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics of the game are noted for their effective creepy visuals and unique aesthetic clashing, which some players appreciate despite its likely unintentional nature. While the overall appearance is enjoyable and complements the game's concept, the repetitive nature of the gameplay can detract from the overall satisfaction. Players who enjoy a "cursed nostalgic video game" aesthetic may find it particularly appealing.

    • “I love games that use crazy aesthetics and aesthetic clashing. It can have many crazy effects, especially when you play with individual aspects of an aesthetic. The game loop is also perfect, repeating the same things over and over but from time to time giving the player novelty. I always wanted to know what the next iteration of the loop would give me; I always had a sense of progress.”
    • “But overall, it's an enjoyable game with good graphics, a fun concept, and good music.”
    • “If you like the whole 'cursed nostalgic video game' aesthetic, or like creepy mysteries to solve, this may be right up your alley!”
    • “While the creepy visuals and scares were effective enough, I'm still left wondering what actually happened.”
    • “I find it sad that the crazy aesthetics and aesthetic clashing in this game were likely unintentional. It can have many crazy effects, especially when you play with individual aspects of an aesthetic.”
    • “If you like the whole 'cursed nostalgic video game' aesthetic, or enjoy solving creepy mysteries, this may be right up your alley!”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being well-suited to the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience without needing changes. However, some players found certain sound effects, particularly screams, to be excessively loud, detracting from the enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's ambiance, despite some minor criticisms regarding volume balance.

    • “The music is spot on, doesn't need any changing.”
    • “This took me about 40 minutes to play and I thought it was a great little experience - maybe I'm a little soft, but I liked the cheap jumpscares, music, environment, the little 'twists', and to be honest, the spelling and grammar errors add a little extra uncanny feeling.”
    • “On the one hand, the art and soundtrack are nice and there are probably some neat secrets you could find if you were more dedicated than me.”
    • “For example, when your beast kills the opposing beast for the first time, there's a wet, crunchy hit sound, and the music cuts out.”
    • “My only criticism is that the screams were too loud; the ariff scream in particular. I had the max volume turned down to 10% and then music and SFX turned down a further 50%, and yet it felt like the head-popping scene in 'Scanners' when it happened the first time.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often feeling that the repetitive nature of tasks and the lack of significant rewards diminish the enjoyment of replaying levels. Many express frustration with the time investment required to uncover secrets, leading to a reluctance to engage in multiple playthroughs.

    • “That said, just a bit of constructive criticism: sometimes the amount of walking you had to do and getting reset felt very tedious.”
    • “After a single playthrough (that took over half an hour), I honestly didn't want to go through all that again to discover the secrets, as it felt tedious to repeat things over and over again with little payoff.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game effectively evokes a dark and emotional atmosphere, particularly through its unsettling sound design, which enhances the impact of its premise that challenges the traditional portrayal of Pokémon. While the concept may not be entirely original, it successfully elicits strong feelings from players.

    • “The game is dark and emotional.”
    • “The concept of 'what if the Pokémon were actually hurting each other' isn't really original, but the sound design alone in that first instance made me feel unsettled.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report stability issues with the game, particularly noting that the Unity engine can lead to glitches, such as freezing text boxes during critical scenes. For a sequel, some recommend using RPG Maker for better support and fewer unintended errors.

    • “At the final scene when you walk near the rival, sometimes the text box freezes and everything freezes, and you can't progress without exiting and re-entering the game.”
    • “The engine, Unity, is a great engine, but if you want to do a sequel, I recommend getting something like RPG Maker. It really fits with the theme of a classic RPG and has good support for inventory systems, text boxes, and sprites, so that some unintended glitches don't occur.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere heavily relies on jumpscares as its main source of horror, complemented by a reddish visual tone, particularly towards the end. However, this approach may feel overused and detracts from a more immersive experience.

    • “The game relies too heavily on jump scares, which diminishes the overall atmosphere and tension.”
    • “The atmosphere feels overly simplistic, relying on a few visual tricks rather than building a genuinely immersive experience.”
    • “While the game attempts to create a spooky environment, it often falls flat, leaving players feeling more frustrated than frightened.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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