Centralia: Homecoming
- October 26, 2019
- indie_games_studio
Get on Steam"Centralia: Homecoming" is a horror game based on true events from Centralia, PA, where an underground fire led to the town's abandonment. You play as Henry Nelson, whose wife disappeared 7 years ago, and must uncover the terrifying secrets hidden beneath the town while facing the supernatural consequences of a coal mining accident. This psychological horror experience will test your sanity and leave you questioning reality.
Reviews
- The game has an immersive atmosphere and a gripping storyline that keeps players engaged.
- The graphics and eerie visuals effectively bring the horror elements to life, reminiscent of classic survival horror games.
- The variety of challenging enemies and puzzles adds to the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues, including performance drops, crashes, and lack of customization options.
- Many assets are reused from previous titles by the developer, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness and lack of originality.
- The voice acting quality is inconsistent, and there are numerous gameplay mechanics that are poorly implemented, such as keybinding limitations and unclear objectives.
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, intense storyline, and effective use of horror elements, drawing comparisons to classics like Silent Hill. Players appreciate the combination of good graphics, music, and a spooky ambiance that enhances the overall experience, although some feel it may not sustain its initial promise.
“Immersive atmosphere and intense storyline will have you hooked from the start.”
“Atmospheric horror with good graphics.”
“The atmosphere in the beginning reminds one of Silent Hill, but that's already all the good this game has to offer.”
“This is an interesting game with quite a spooky and at times creepy atmosphere.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the horror experience, with some users noting the visuals evoke a Silent Hill-like feeling. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of graphics options and the need for performance adjustments, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The top-notch voice acting and eerie visuals really bring the horror to life.”
“Atmospheric horror with good graphics.”
“The game has a Silent Hill feeling and pretty good visuals.”
“No hotkey controls, no graphics options.”
“I limit the frames and knock the graphics down to medium.”
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and immersive, featuring a strong atmosphere and good voice acting, particularly for an indie title. However, some reviewers feel that while the central plot is compelling, it ultimately lacks originality and may not be worth the investment of time.
“Immersive atmosphere and intense storyline will have you hooked from the start.”
“The story, the atmosphere, the music.”
“The voice acting is good for an indie title and the backstory is not too shabby.”
“The plot is basically the same.”
“The better half of the Centralia story, but still not worth your time.”
“The story lacks originality and depth.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives positive feedback, with many praising the original soundtrack and ambient sound for enhancing the atmosphere and creating a stressful experience. However, the voice acting is generally considered subpar.
“The ambient sound and music are very good and create a stressful atmosphere.”
“The OST is pretty good.”
“Voice acting is also terrible, although I will say the OST is pretty good.”
“The story, the atmosphere, the music.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, as it involves aimlessly searching for items across multiple floors and buildings while dealing with poorly designed enemies. This monotonous task detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.
“You are just looking for items in each room of each floor of each building, which definitely gets a bit tedious.”
“Boring, tedious walking around, looking for documents and other stuff, while super-scuffed zombies attack.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players report significant performance drops when exiting buildings, indicating that the game's optimization may need improvement to ensure smoother transitions and overall gameplay experience.
“Nearly every time you walk out of a building, there’s a huge performance drop for a few seconds.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in crowded areas.”
“Loading times are excessively long, making the experience frustrating.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally considered satisfactory, though it may not stand out as exceptional.
