Bedlam

An ambitious and fascinating wander through gaming’s history, but one that can’t replicate the addictive gameplay of the forefathers it documents.

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"Bedlam" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with a unique genre-jumping feature, based on Christopher Brookmyre's novel. As the character Heather Quinn, players navigate an interesting plot while experiencing up-to-date graphics and nostalgic gaming references. Despite some humorous elements and good mechanics, the game is very grinding and has several bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 546 reviews

story118 positive mentions

stability29 negative mentions

The game features a unique concept of jumping through different video game worlds, providing a nostalgic experience for players familiar with classic FPS titles.
The voice acting, particularly of the protagonist, is well done and adds charm to the game, with humorous dialogue that keeps players engaged.
The variety of weapons and environments keeps the gameplay interesting, allowing players to experience different styles reminiscent of various classic games.

The gameplay suffers from poor level design, with many areas feeling repetitive and lacking clear objectives, leading to confusion and frustration.
The AI is often unbalanced, with enemies having pinpoint accuracy while the player's weapons feel weak and unsatisfying, detracting from the overall combat experience.
The game is plagued by technical issues, including bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in the final levels, making it feel unfinished.

story
283 mentions
42 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally regarded as engaging and humorous, with a unique premise involving a protagonist trapped in a video game world, drawing on nostalgia from classic FPS titles. While some players appreciate the clever dialogue and character development, others find the narrative somewhat clichéd or lacking depth, with mixed opinions on the voice acting and pacing. Overall, the story serves as a strong motivator for players, even if the gameplay itself may not be as compelling.
- “The story is enjoyable.”
- “The story is very well written and the general feel of the game is nice.”
- “With an interesting and unique story, that follows through with excellent execution, I heavily recommend this game for any lovers of the genre.”
- “The story is... I think based on a book, and not great.”
- “The voice acting isn't the greatest and the story isn't all that clear.”
- “The story is really just being trapped in a game world and trying to get out.”
gameplay
168 mentions
27 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its reliance on basic first-person shooter mechanics that can feel repetitive and uninspired. While some appreciate the nostalgic nods to classic FPS titles and the humor embedded in the gameplay, others criticize the level design, lack of depth, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for its story and humor, but the gameplay itself often falls short of expectations.
- “Awesome game with an interesting story and simple yet great gameplay.”
- “The mechanics are basic FPS, think Quake or Unreal, but during the game you travel to different worlds and get to use a wide variety of weaponry which made the journey much more interesting and drives you to see what is coming up next.”
- “The gameplay is fun but it can get repetitive after a while.”
- “Buried under mediocre, boring, tedious gameplay, 'where the fuck do I go' level design, missions that feel like chores, and a frankly ludicrous amount of bugs.”
- “The gameplay feels like a mediocre quake-like where you're always in these massive sprawling environments that are filled with a lot of cut and paste geometry that are themed after the various FPSs I mentioned and sparsely populated with some truly brain-dead enemies.”
- “However, bad level design and mediocre and repetitive gameplay really hold it back.”
humor
95 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its clever references to 90s gaming and funny dialogue, particularly from the Scottish protagonist. While some found the humor genuinely entertaining and nostalgic, others criticized it as cringeworthy or inconsistent, with jokes that often fell flat. Overall, the game is noted for its humorous moments and engaging narrative, but opinions vary on the effectiveness of its comedic elements.
- “Funny dialogues and story.”
- “The sense of humor here is spot on, including hidden 'levels' that often offer some lore and comedic memes.”
- “Hilarious (and excellently voiced) dialogue, inventive and humorous levels, intriguing story, and most important of all, fun gameplay.”
- “But what really keeps me from giving this another chance are the unfunny jokes and the stupid voice acting.”
- “Constant sarcasm is not funny.”
- “Whoever put the image macro things in there is super unfunny.”
graphics
90 mentions
19 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of retro and modern styles, intentionally reflecting the evolution of first-person shooters over the decades. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and the artistic design, many criticize the graphics as outdated, with frequent glitches and performance issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as a charming homage to classic gaming, though they may not satisfy those seeking contemporary graphical fidelity.
- “The art styles are outstanding and the game plays very well.”
- “The graphics and gunplay in the early part of the game is very basic, but the humor of the situation and the voice exchanges between the protagonist and other game characters were enough to keep me amused and interested to see where things would go.”
- “The graphical fidelity in each world matches its era, and it's really neat seeing the progression as you go along.”
- “This game is time traveling through the game ages from JPEG 30x30 pixels wide textures type graphics to what Half-Life 3 will look like when it gets released type of game graphics.”
- “The graphics are complete shit (crashes, black screens), the animations are also not very good (invisible hands in the ego perspective ?? !!), stupid opponents who are sometimes too strong even on the level of difficulty 'easy'.”
- “Seeing the game's minimal graphics, I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but this game is so poorly optimized that even on the lowest settings I'm experiencing lag and slowdowns if there's a large area or a large number of enemies, which is absolutely crazy when I can run more demanding games at the same resolution with higher graphics settings.”
stability
32 mentions
9 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. While some find the glitches amusing or part of the charm, others describe them as frustrating and detrimental to gameplay, particularly with issues like disappearing objects and erratic controls. Overall, the game is seen as unpolished and in need of significant refinement, though it still offers enjoyable elements for those willing to overlook its technical shortcomings.
- “Runs great and even the retro game sections look awesome.”
- “So far, no glitches... well, nothing that isn't supposed to be there...”
- “The game is good, great idea, plays well with no glitches.”
- “The game does have glitches (not the actual glitches that were meant to be in the game) but it honestly suits the game.”
- “There is nothing glaringly 'wrong' with Bedlam so to say, but the experience as a whole is marred with glitches, inconsistencies, and overall weak game structure.”
- “The enemies sometimes jiggle and warp into or through objects; glitches resulted in my losing all of my ability to fight at least once in the final level where there are no decent autosaves.”
grinding
21 mentions
14 % positive mentions
-10 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious and frustrating, characterized by repetitive gameplay, uninspired level design, and unsatisfying combat mechanics. Many reviews highlight the excessive backtracking, poorly executed jumping puzzles, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from the game's potential. Despite some redeeming qualities, the grinding elements are often described as a significant drawback, making the game feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable adventure.
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
- “Buried under mediocre, boring, tedious gameplay, 'where do I go' level design, missions that feel like chores, and a frankly ludicrous amount of bugs.”
- “What could have been a great jaunt through the history of gaming - and with a somewhat interesting premise - is instead a poorly implemented, basic, utterly tedious and boring (not to mention buggy) trudge through level after level of crappy combat.”
- “The short: while the core ideas are great, the uninteresting and uninspired environments, terrible gunplay which never improves, ridiculously accurate and frustrating omniscient AI, and lousy jumping puzzles in a game that is incompetent at platforming, all add up to a tedious and frustrating game experience.”
music
19 mentions
37 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the ending credit music and the overall quality of the soundtrack, while others criticize the limited number of tracks and the lack of music during gameplay, leading to moments of silence. While some players find the music to be great and fitting for the game's atmosphere, others feel it is bland and forgettable, with a notable absence of music in many sections. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but its scarcity detracts from the experience for others.
- “It's sad because besides the awesome writing, the game had a lot going for it: good graphics, good music, good sound effects, great voice acting.”
- “The soundtrack is naturally shifting along with the genre of the in-game section it represents.”
- “The soundtrack is mind-blowingly good and I’m actually sad I can’t find it outside the game.”
- “The soundtrack is okay, shame there's only about 3 tracks.”
- “Pretty much all enemy AI just stands still trying to shoot you, the cover-shooter levels leave something to be desired, and a lot of your time is going to be spent just running around in dead silence, without enough music to fill the void.”
- “There's almost no music outside a few particular sections, which was weird since I don't remember early FPS games being so quiet.”
optimization
15 mentions
20 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent frame drops and performance issues even on low settings, despite its minimal graphics. Disabling fullscreen optimizations may help, but many users still experience lag and slowdowns, particularly in larger areas or during intense action. Overall, while the game has enjoyable elements, its poor optimization detracts from the experience.
- “Disabling fullscreen optimizations under the compatibility tab of the game's executable file helps prevent this.”
- “Beware, though, as it has some performance and graphical issues and can be frustrating at times.”
- “Some optimization issues in big open areas drop the frame rate, but still playable.”
- “For a game coming out when it did with graphics like these, it's unfortunate to say Bedlam runs somewhat poorly. Optimization was done poorly as throughout the game I would experience infrequent, however quite noticeable, hiccups and frame drops of 20+ frames when using certain weapons. The rather badass-looking fire-shooting sword received roughly halfway through the game would cause frame drops no matter where I was.”
- “Seeing the game's minimal graphics, I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but this game is so poorly optimized that even on the lowest settings I'm experiencing lag and slowdowns if there's a large area or a large number of enemies, which is absolutely crazy when I can run more demanding games at the same resolution with higher graphics settings.”
- “Overall a thumbs up, but I was disappointed by the poor performance of the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the engaging environment, character interactions, and humor. However, some critiques highlight that Bedlam falls short in capturing the essence of retro shooters and fails to effectively analyze the 90s FPS genre.
- “From the atmosphere of the game, the main character, the enemies, and the cheesy puns and jokes, it had me enjoying every minute of it.”
- “Bedlam fails to create the atmosphere of retro shooters or to even properly analyze 90's FPSs.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The helicopter game for Microsoft Excel offers similar replayability to Bedlam, which is noted for its short duration of around 6 hours and lack of replay value. Overall, both games are considered to have limited replayability.
- “The helicopter game for Microsoft Excel had about the same replayability.”
- “Bedlam is only around 6 hours long with no replay value.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is impacted by unexpected and jarring mechanics, such as sudden loss of momentum when interacting with certain objects, which can disrupt immersion and emotional engagement. Players may find these inconsistencies detract from the overall emotional experience, making it difficult to connect with the game's narrative or atmosphere.
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, with attempts at humor often resulting in cringeworthy moments rather than meaningful growth or engagement with the characters.
- “It tries to be funny and witty at times but ultimately falls flat on the humor and character development, ending up with cringey jokes about the gaming universe.”