Clinically Dead
- December 6, 2018
- Mogila Games
Get on SteamIn Clinically Dead, players navigate a grim, desolate hospital as a patient who has been declared clinically dead. The game is a narrative-driven horror adventure, where players must uncover the hospital's dark secrets and find a way to come back to life. With psychological horror elements, Clinically Dead challenges players to confront their own morality and the nature of death.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and innovative concept with engaging puzzles that challenge players' thinking.
- The visuals are vibrant and trippy, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The time manipulation mechanics are cleverly integrated into the puzzles, providing a fresh take on the genre.
- The game is rough around the edges, with unpolished elements and a lack of refinement that can detract from the overall experience.
- Players may experience frustration due to the save system, which only allows for one save slot and can lead to losing significant progress upon death.
- The story and dialogue can be distracting, with issues such as text-to-speech voice acting and grammatical errors that take away from immersion.
- gameplay38 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by unique and enjoyable puzzle mechanics, particularly involving time manipulation, which many players found clever and engaging. However, the overall experience is marred by a lack of polish, leading to feelings of frustration and eyestrain, especially with certain visual effects. While the game offers a captivating atmosphere and innovative ideas, players expressed a desire for a longer experience and improvements in execution.
“This is a great puzzler with unique mechanics, trippy graphics, and challenging puzzles.”
“The idea is basically space = time = health, which seems simple at first, but this game really does capitalize on these mechanics and does a lot of clever interplay with them.”
“I would be stuck on a puzzle for a while until I thought, 'What if I did this?' and would be amazed every time how much the same mechanics make for different and interesting puzzles each level.”
“The gameplay itself feels cheap; everything about the game screams trash, but the gameplay and puzzle ideas presented are very much enjoyable and unique.”
“I know the plot was a more secondary element to the gameplay, but still, I wanted to know what the outcome was, who was good and who was bad.”
“Some of the eyestraining mechanics could be toned down a little bit, and there are grammatical errors that should be fixed. The game's ending, while appropriate, felt a bit too soon and is a little lacking in the end.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as simplistic yet vibrant and trippy, effectively complementing its unique time manipulation mechanics and overall atmosphere. While some players appreciate the psychedelic visuals and their contribution to the game's narrative, others find them uncomfortable and distracting, with criticisms regarding performance and clarity. Overall, the visuals evoke a strong emotional response, enhancing the experience for those who enjoy the aesthetic, despite mixed opinions on their execution.
“As stated by other reviewers, the graphics are simplistic but there's a lot of effects to make it look really vibrant and trippy.”
“Beautiful concept and visuals, the time/colors mechanic is amazing.”
“The visuals, I would say, work for complimenting a story about going through a psychedelic journey through your dying brain; it definitely adds to the weird otherworldly feeling of the game, which I absolutely adore.”
“The visuals are decent and the audio is serviceable, but it runs poorly and the puzzles I solved were based on trial and error: not logic.”
“Except because of the awful graphics I couldn't tell if the door is open or closed from that far away because, as said, this game is hideous.”
“But the aesthetics do get trippy; the first 10 minutes or so are uncomfortable, then some other elements are uncomfortable and it's not too interesting beyond the aesthetics to me.”
- story14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story is a divisive element, with some players finding it unnecessary and overly lengthy, while others appreciate its intriguing concept and the unique setting of a character's final moments. The narrative features multiple endings and a significant twist, enhancing the overall experience, especially when paired with the game's psychedelic visuals. Despite mixed feelings about its importance, many agree that the story complements the creative gameplay and puzzles.
“Puzzles are also very creative, the story takes a turn at the halfway point which ultimately leads to multiple endings.”
“Excellent story concept too.”
“The visuals work for complementing a story about going through a psychedelic journey through your dying brain, it definitely adds to the weird otherworldly feeling of the game, which I absolutely adore.”
“The story is completely unnecessary and takes up far too much time to play out; the gameplay itself feels cheap. Everything about the game screams trash, but the gameplay and puzzle ideas presented are very much enjoyable and unique.”
“I know the plot was a more secondary element to the gameplay, but still, I wanted to know what the outcome was, who was good and who was bad.”
“The story takes a turn at the halfway point which ultimately leads to multiple endings, but I found myself more engaged with the creative puzzles than the narrative.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a sense of uncertainty and an uncanny feeling, enhanced by beautiful, atmospheric music that complements the visuals, which may be polarizing due to their highly saturated colors. Players are captivated by the otherworldly psychedelia and compelling narrative, which effectively immerses them in the experience despite occasional frustrations. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its clever design and ability to engage players, making it a standout feature of the game.
“I did experience some irritation playing through this game myself, but honestly I was so enamored by the atmosphere and the gameplay that I didn't really notice as I was going through it.”
“But honestly, that is just a testament to how cleverly made this game and its mechanics were. I really hope to see either a sequel or some sort of continuation of this idea in the future. I loved the world and the atmosphere of otherworldly psychedelia.”
“I recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed the Portal games, or any complex 3D puzzle game for that matter. It holds nice brain-stimulating challenges backed up by a lovely surreal atmosphere with a compelling narrative about you trying to die in peace with the help of your subconscious mind.”
“This feeling of uncertainty caused by the mysterious subconscious and the uncanny feeling of it all really complements the atmosphere of the game in general, with beautiful atmospheric music that fits the visuals, which might be hit or miss, as any style incorporating highly saturated colors would.”
“I did also experience some irritation playing through this game myself, but honestly, I was so enamored by the atmosphere and the gameplay that I didn't really notice as I was going through it.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its unique and unconventional designs that enhance the overall atmosphere, while the effective use of limitations contributes to engaging puzzle mechanics. However, specific details on character growth or depth are not highlighted in the reviews.
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is marked by inconsistent performance, with users noting that while it is not terrible, it fails to deliver a stable experience.
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as beautiful and atmospheric, effectively enhancing the overall ambiance and complementing the visuals. However, opinions on its fit may vary, particularly due to the game's use of highly saturated colors, which can create a sense of uncertainty and unease.
“The beautiful atmospheric music really complements the visuals, creating a feeling of uncertainty and an uncanny atmosphere that enhances the overall experience of the game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for greater replayability, particularly through features like level selection, which are common in other puzzle games. While some enjoy the unique moments in the game, the lack of options to revisit levels diminishes the overall replay value.
“I would love to replay some of the levels again, similar to other puzzle games that offer a level select feature. If there is a way to do this, I'll amend my review, but as it stands, I would prefer more replayability.”
“The game has a fun fourth-wall breaking moment, but I find myself wanting to revisit some levels. A level select option would greatly enhance the replayability.”
“Replayability is key for me, and I wish there were more options to revisit levels like in other puzzle games. It would definitely improve the overall experience.”
“I thought at surface it was a fun fourth-wall breaking moment, but I would love to replay some of the levels again, like in other puzzle games with a level select. If there is a way, I'll amend this review, but as it stands, I would prefer more replayability.”
