Blinded by Fear
- January 19, 2023
- TEMPER
Get on Steam"Blinded by Fear" is a challenging first-person shooter set in a brutal industrial world. Players must navigate through treacherous environments and face off against grotesque creatures using a variety of weapons and tactics. The game features a unique fear mechanic that affects both gameplay and story, adding an extra layer of tension and immersion.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique LIDAR mechanic that enhances the gameplay experience, allowing players to uncover the environment piece by piece, creating a tense and immersive atmosphere.
- The sound design and graphics contribute significantly to the game's eerie and claustrophobic feel, making it a standout in the horror/puzzle genre.
- Despite its short length, the game offers engaging puzzles and a compelling story that keeps players invested throughout the experience.
- The latter stages of the game introduce frustrating mechanics, such as chase sequences and tedious navigation, which detract from the overall tension and enjoyment.
- Some players found the puzzles to be mediocre and the plot predictable, leading to a lack of engagement with the story.
- The game lacks manual saving options, which can be inconvenient for players who want to take breaks during their playthrough.
- gameplay28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by innovative lidar scanning mechanics that create a unique horror/puzzle experience, blending suspense with solid level design and core mechanics. While the scanning feature is intriguing, some players feel its potential was not fully realized. Overall, the game offers a satisfying aesthetic and engaging challenges, making it easy to pick up and play.
“I really enjoyed the ending, which offered a unique gameplay challenge relative to the other lidar games.”
“The core mechanics, puzzles, and level design are very solid, and it feels complete as a game.”
“The core mechanic is very satisfying and the levels are designed strongly around it, and these two things come together to form a very neat aesthetic and experience all told.”
“I think any potential with the scanning mechanic was missed.”
“This is more akin to having a lidar strapped to your head and gives the entire game this horrible dreadful feeling of not really seeing what is there, akin to a motion scanner in Alien or similar mechanics like Fatal Frame where you know stuff is there but cannot see it without engaging in a mechanic.”
“I blasted through the game in one sitting; it has some mild puzzle features and easy-to-pick-up-and-play mechanics.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and tense qualities, driven by exceptional sound design and a dark, unusual graphic style. Players describe it as claustrophobic and unnerving, particularly in the context of exploring an abandoned ship, where every sound heightens the experience. While some feel the game leans more towards puzzle-solving than horror, the overall ambiance remains eerie and effective, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere was very immersive and tense most of the time, thanks to the great sound design, the dark and unusual graphics style, and the premise of being on a mostly abandoned ship where some bad things went down.”
“The atmosphere is extremely claustrophobic, limited visual input means you hear every single little sound the environment makes, which makes for an incredibly unnerving experience.”
“The station you are exploring is really creepy, and the sounds make for a really atmospheric game.”
“The atmosphere is extremely claustrophobic, reminiscent of an iron lung or capsule. The limited visual input means you hear every single little sound the environment makes, which creates an incredibly unnerving experience.”
“The puzzle elements felt quite nostalgic to me, and not in a derivative or negative way at all. With simple but effective sound design, a suitably eerie atmosphere is created throughout.”
- story14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story in Scanner Somber is described as visually compelling and lore-rich, with elements that are both generic and predictable, yet still engaging enough to maintain player interest over a short playtime of around three hours. While the use of lidar enhances storytelling, it can also lead to frustrating puzzle mechanics. Overall, the narrative includes intriguing backstory elements and unexpected surprises, contributing to a tense atmosphere.
“This game has it all: great visuals, amazing tension-building sounds, a lore-rich story, and a few unexpected surprises.”
“The storyline is compelling enough to keep you going, but not so confusing that you cannot pick it up in the length of time you play.”
“The story is pretty generic and predictable, but some elements of it are cool.”
“Scanner Somber uses storytelling in a way that the lidar helps it excel at, but this game uses lidar in a way that just makes mediocre puzzles frustrating and blinds you in a place that feels unfamiliar.”
“There are logs to find and read that fill in the backstory of what might have happened to the crew.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a dark and unusual style that enhances the immersive and tense atmosphere, particularly within the abandoned ship setting. Coupled with excellent sound design and a rich lore, the visuals contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic and experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The atmosphere was very immersive and tense most of the time, thanks to the great sound design, the dark and unusual graphics style, and the premise of being on a mostly abandoned ship where some bad things went down.”
“This game has it all: great visuals, amazing tension-building sounds, a lore-rich story, and a few unexpected surprises.”
“The core mechanic is very satisfying, and the levels are designed strongly around it, creating a very neat aesthetic and experience overall.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating that it avoids the pitfalls of being a typical cash grab, indicating a more thoughtful and fair approach to in-game purchases.
