Beyond Hanwell

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 244 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • atmosphere
Beyond Hanwell Game Cover
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"Beyond Hanwell" is a first-person exploration and combat game set in a richly detailed, atmospheric version of Westminster, London. The non-linear gameplay allows you to discover the world and its secrets in your own way, using a variety of weapons and environmental objects to take down enemies. With no HUD and immersive player feedback, the game keeps the tension high as you uncover the truth about yourself. Scavenge for resources and use creative methods to survive against anomalies in this intense, explorative experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 244 reviews
graphics46 positive mentions
stability15 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning graphics and a highly immersive atmosphere that effectively captures the horror elements.
  • The open-world design allows for exploration and discovery, with various locations offering unique experiences and lore.
  • The combat system, while needing some refinement, provides a satisfying challenge with a variety of weapons and enemy types.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including graphical glitches and unresponsive controls.
  • Combat can feel clunky and unbalanced, with some enemies being overly difficult or 'bullet spongy', detracting from the overall experience.
  • The inventory and crafting systems are not intuitive, leading to frustration when managing resources and items.
  • graphics72 mentions

    Overall, the graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, immersive environments, and impressive lighting effects. Many players noted the attention to detail and the atmospheric quality that enhances the horror experience, although some minor graphical issues and performance concerns were mentioned. Despite these drawbacks, the game's graphics are consistently highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal.

    • “Everything from the graphics, combat, exploration, weather systems, music/voices, lighting, etc. are amazing.”
    • “The graphics are stunning.”
    • “The visuals are beautiful, gameplay is fun, and I adore the ambiance of rainy London.”
    • “Beyond Hanwell is incredibly mediocre; the graphics are beautiful, but that's about it.”
    • “This is a game where the environment and attention to detail through graphics comes first, and game design comes at a significantly lower priority.”
    • “When I turned it 'off' in settings, it made the entire screen wonky and created severe graphical anomalies.”
  • story72 mentions

    The story in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated into the gameplay through environmental storytelling and side quests, while others describe it as lackluster or predictable. Many appreciate the atmospheric elements and the unique narratives within individual locations, though some feel the main plot could be more cohesive and impactful. Overall, the game is seen as a solid experience, particularly for fans of horror, with intriguing lore and a satisfying conclusion.

    • “The story and puzzles are really well written and designed.”
    • “The story was enjoyable and took you to some truly unexpected places.”
    • “The atmosphere of the city as well as the story and its development are done quite well.”
    • “The story was very lackluster and not really that creative.”
    • “The story is....in there somewhere, one would assume.”
    • “The story and especially the ending was a little disappointing.”
  • atmosphere57 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the effective sound design, detailed environments, and a strong sense of creepiness that enhances the horror experience. While some players noted issues with gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall tension, the general consensus is that the game's atmospheric elements, including its visuals and storytelling, create a compelling and engaging horror setting. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, making it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.

    • “The atmosphere is astoundingly great.”
    • “The horror aspects work very well due to the immersive atmosphere and unique enemy types, and the story so far is also quite intriguing.”
    • “Oozing with atmosphere, great sound design and superb graphics.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick.”
    • “It looks great, and it's got an absolutely creepy atmosphere but it's just... boring for me.”
    • “Beyond Hanwell's atmosphere is genuinely haunting.”
  • gameplay43 mentions

    Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that combat feels barebones and janky, often lacking immersion due to poor enemy animations and mechanics. While some appreciate the atmosphere and exploration elements, others criticize the fast-paced combat, unclear mechanics, and various glitches that detract from the experience. Despite its potential, many feel the game requires significant polishing and quality-of-life improvements to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

    • “Pretty decent story, really good atmosphere, pretty nice soundtrack, amazing environment, really fun levels, easy crafting system, gunplay is good, melee combat is decent, the game doesn't feel like a chore, exploring the open world to find new entrances to levels is fun and there's a good amount; it doesn't feel like you have to walk kilometers to find a new area, which is really good.”
    • “The game's immersive gameplay, stunning visuals, and intense atmosphere make it a standout title in the horror genre.”
    • “Great visuals and solid variety to the environments, creepy audio, nice pacing, overall smooth gameplay for my specs (3080+7800x3d).”
    • “The battery mechanic for the flashlight is unnecessary and should just be infinite.”
    • “Cons - poorly explained combat mechanics, bullet sponge bosses, unclear puzzle solutions and key items are easily missable.”
    • “Nice visuals, but gameplay is 'meh' at best and awfully clunky and bad at worst with weak combat, annoying character movement, and boring puzzles.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report great performance, especially with ray tracing and high settings, others experience significant performance issues, particularly in specific areas. Many users appreciate the ongoing patches from the developers, indicating a commitment to improving performance, but there are still notable frame drops and inconsistencies that detract from the experience. Despite these challenges, the game is generally considered enjoyable and playable on a range of hardware.

    • “Overall enjoyed my playthrough, and after doing a majority of it on a 1660 Ti from a laptop, I'd say the game is pretty optimized.”
    • “There are some performance issues, but this is to be expected being an early access title. However, it is way more refined than some of the other recent horror releases on Steam, and the dev is actively patching/fixing, which is great.”
    • “Additionally, it is optimized really well!”
    • “The biggest downside is currently the optimization, however that's something that can be fixed.”
    • “That game has huge performance problems.”
    • “Game has potential but I feel it could be optimized better for PC.”
  • stability15 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, such as doors malfunctioning, AI behaving erratically, and visual hiccups. Players report frustrating experiences with boss fights and interactions, often requiring restarts or workarounds due to these technical problems. While some find potential in the game's concept, the overall stability detracts from the enjoyment and immersion.

    • “Reloading also glitches out doors that are supposed to be open, closing them so you can't progress.”
    • “It has its moments where it's extremely buggy, and you have to 'end it' in order to fix it. If you don't get to a checkpoint, you're spat out at the start of the level. Combat has some slight fluid issues, and the theater is a buggy mess. I've had items vanish when I went back for them, and I see massive potential in this, but these bugs so early on have deterred me from pursuing further at this time.”
    • “Encountered a lot of glitches and stutters from simple interaction mechanics, and assets in the game weren't loading properly.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is consistently praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its haunting quality and ability to create tension. The soundtrack is described as "really good" and "top-notch," contributing significantly to the immersive experience alongside sound design and voice acting. Overall, the music complements the game's exploration and combat, adding depth to the narrative and environment.

    • “Narrative, visuals, music, voices - everything is top-notch.”
    • “The game's sound design adds to the immersion, with haunting music and ambient noises creating tension and unease.”
    • “Excellent atmosphere, scary environments and music, fast, terrifying enemies and well-developed lore.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its amusing references and relationships with other titles, but it can also lead to frustrating gameplay issues, such as text freezing that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Oh, and it has a funny relationship with another huge title.”
    • “The humor was entertaining, but it made the game unplayable at times.”
    • “The lore was so amusing that it froze the text on the screen, making it funny but impossible to play.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious rather than engaging, with players finding the repetitive item collection and usage to unlock areas more laborious than enjoyable.

    • “No tedious item grabbing to open certain areas that were boarded up; use a hammer, sledge, or crowbar – it doesn't matter, they all work.”
    • “I do believe this was a great attempt from a small development studio, but this was honestly more tedious than enjoyable.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I found myself spending hours on mindless tasks that offered little reward, which really dampened my overall experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is generally viewed positively, with users noting that the character designs are decent, suggesting a solid foundation for further growth and depth in the characters.

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

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