Beside Myself
- July 27, 2021
- ASK_GAMES
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Beside Myself" is a first-person psychological thriller set in an abandoned hospital, where players uncover disturbing secrets from the past. The game focuses on exploration and tension-building, with two possible endings based on the player's actions. Warning: this game may cause photosensitive epilepsy in susceptible individuals.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a great atmosphere with creepy sound design and effective jump scares that keep players on edge.
- Puzzles are engaging and not overly complicated, making the game accessible for players new to the horror genre.
- The game runs smoothly and offers a decent playtime of about 1-2 hours, making it a good choice for a quick horror experience.
- The game suffers from poor lighting and visibility issues, often requiring players to adjust gamma settings to make it playable.
- Many jump scares feel cheap and predictable, leading to a loss of immersion and tension over time.
- The story is underdeveloped and lacks coherence, with some players experiencing bugs that hinder progression.
- story35 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally perceived as superficial and underdeveloped, with many players noting its cliche elements and lack of depth. While some found charm in its simplicity and enjoyed piecing together the narrative, others criticized it for being confusing, incomplete, and overshadowed by jump scares. Overall, the atmosphere and puzzles received praise, but the storyline left many wanting more elaboration and coherence.
“The story unfolds as you progress in the game, which makes it interesting.”
“The storyline and gameplay you have probably played before if you play horror games.”
“The story is intense and helps with the horror factor so much!”
“The story itself is very short and not very well fleshed out.”
“I feel like the story was either rushed or used as a second thought for the jumpscares, and even then they don't really make much sense.”
“It was like the rough outline of an idea became a game, with no actual driving details put into the story.”
- atmosphere25 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for being creepy, immersive, and effective in creating tension, with many players noting its ability to induce genuine scares. However, some criticisms arise regarding the excessive flickering lights and poorly chosen sound effects, which detract from the overall experience. While the atmosphere is a strong point, the reliance on jump scares and certain design choices can undermine its impact.
“First the good: a great atmosphere and smooth control make this one a lot of fun to explore.”
“Very atmospheric, this short horror game was full of 'nope' moments.”
“Creepy and unsettling atmosphere and sounds, great jump scares, intriguing story, good puzzles.”
“If you have to go to lengths just to not vomit or have a seizure to play a game, the flickering lights are actually very bad. There is no reason for every light to flicker this badly; it doesn't add anything to the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is made almost comical with the amount of random noises and lights breaking almost constantly.”
“Also, the lighting in the game does not complement the atmosphere at all.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the dark and atmospheric visuals that enhance the horror experience. While some commend the overall quality and special effects, others note issues with lighting and janky animations. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's ambiance, despite some technical shortcomings.
“Beside Yourself was an uncomfortable whirlwind made ever better by the sound design, disturbing graphics, and overall ambiance.”
“The graphics are good, making the game feel dark, and the change of lighting at points warns you something is coming to make you jump!”
“Excellent frame rate, nice puzzles, very nice graphics, and I've had 2 very welcoming jump scares; the atmosphere is dark and very creepy, I love the sounds!”
“The entire lighting system failed and I tried to reset the graphics.”
“There were many times where I would stagger through a darkened room and be subjected to a rapid succession of scare chords but miss their visuals because the game is so ridiculously impatient and relentless that it cannot restrain itself for more than a few seconds.”
“The graphics and sound design are done well, but some of the animations are janky.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally criticized for being simplistic and repetitive, often involving wandering in darkness and interacting with objects without much depth. While some players appreciate the jump scares and puzzle elements, many find the mechanics basic and the overall experience lacking compared to other horror games. Additionally, the game's short duration and limited replayability contribute to a perception of poor value for the price.
“It's a fine way to while away 2-3 hours with pretty okay graphics and basic mechanics.”
“The gameplay is suitable for the most part, and I thought the puzzles were implemented well, but the 'interact with object while something off-camera changes' gimmick was slightly overused.”
“No real gameplay, just run in the blackness till you find a cue.”
“The storyline and gameplay you have probably played before if you play horror games.”
“$7 USD for 90 minutes of gameplay is really expensive, especially because the game has no replayability.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both unintentional and situational, with players finding amusement in the quirky animations, cheap jump scares, and the absurdity of certain clues meant to guide players. While some appreciate the comedic elements that arise from frustration, others feel that the humor doesn't enhance the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness. Overall, the humor is a notable aspect that can elicit laughter, even if it sometimes detracts from immersion.
“However, I was laughing the entire way through.”
“I love this game for how unintentionally funny it is, and on that basis alone, it's enough for me to recommend.”
“The 'clues' they give you when the game realizes you're going the wrong way are hilarious because they're there to 'help' but not really?”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while it features some bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as unresponsive jump scare triggers and collectible issues, players noted a lack of game-breaking glitches, which is a positive aspect for an indie horror title. Overall, it appears to be relatively stable despite some minor technical issues.
“It was bug-free too, and that's a plus coming from an indie developer.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes, which is impressive for a title of this scale.”
“I experienced no glitches or performance issues, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“The game is a bit buggy; I had to restart a chapter because an object that I needed to collect and put down somewhere else bugged out on me.”
“You always have to trigger a specific jump scare to get to the next scene, but sometimes the trigger is just buggy and nothing happens.”
“Overload of cheap, goofy jump scares and buggy.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects are highly praised for their ability to create an engaging atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the level design effectively.
“The music and sound effects really stole the show as they set the right mood throughout, keeping you engaged.”
“The level design and music created some fantastic ambiance.”
“The music and sound effects really stole the show as they set the right mood throughout to keep you engaged.”
“And then we move on to the soundtrack.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as unoptimized, with users reporting significant performance issues, struggling to achieve 60fps even on low settings, and experiencing further drops to 30fps or lower, potentially exacerbated by running on Linux/Proton.
“I had problems with this game; the first was the performance. I could not get 60fps without turning every option to low, and it still dropped in places to 30fps and sometimes lower. This may be because of Linux/Proton.”
“It is just unoptimized.”
“I had problems with this game. First was the performance; I could not get 60fps without turning every option to low, and then it still dropped in places to 30fps and sometimes lower (this may be because of Linux/Proton).”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the game lacks replayability, making the $7 price tag for just 90 minutes of gameplay seem excessive.
“$7 USD for 90 minutes of gameplay is really expensive, especially because the game has no replayability.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again; the lack of different endings or choices makes it feel stale.”
“The game offers no new experiences on subsequent playthroughs, making it feel like a one-and-done deal.”
