Congo

About

Congo is a single player and multiplayer action game. It was developed by Big Red Eight and was released on March 21, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Congo is a local and online co-op action game for up to 4 players, focusing on Arm yourself and your friends with weapons and light to survive the dark jungle, as you fight off demons and explore towns, rivers, caves and more. Teamwork is crucial in this top-down horror action game, where every move could be your last. Light is your friend in this hostile environment, so make sure to stay in groups and use your supplies wisely.

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews

atmosphere11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Congo delivers a genuinely scary atmosphere with effective use of lighting and sound design, creating a sense of tension and urgency as players navigate the jungle.
The cooperative gameplay encourages teamwork and communication, making for intense and memorable moments when played with friends.
The innovative mechanics of light as a weapon against demonic creatures add a unique twist to the survival horror genre, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

The game suffers from repetitive objectives and a lack of variety in enemy encounters, which can lead to a feeling of monotony over time.
Technical issues such as poor optimization, clunky controls, and performance problems hinder the overall experience, especially for solo players.
The small player base and reliance on cooperative play make it difficult to find matches, limiting accessibility and enjoyment for those without friends to play with.

atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
22%
17%
The atmosphere in "Congo" is widely praised for its raw tension, immersive jungle setting, and effective use of lighting and sound effects, which enhance the overall experience of cooperative horror. While some players note that the atmosphere can diminish over time, many find it to be a distinctive and thrilling aspect of the game that significantly contributes to its enjoyment. Overall, the game's ability to create a genuinely scary and engaging environment is a standout feature, despite some critiques regarding depth and content.
- “From the very start, Congo presents an atmosphere of raw tension and unease.”
- “This game is a masterpiece; as soon as I launched it, I was immersed in this incredibly atmospheric experience.”
- “The atmosphere is genuinely scary, and I really like the fog of war type of setup where you only see clearly around your character(s), which amplifies the fear aspect of the game.”
- “Top-down view eliminates atmosphere.”
- “The scary atmosphere will wear off very quickly as well.”
- “However, the atmosphere and lighting effects carry much of the weight, making up for these shortcomings through mood and tension.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay is characterized by an innovative interplay of light and darkness that enhances exploration and teamwork, but ultimately suffers from repetitive mechanics and clunky controls. While the survival elements and environmental design create an engaging atmosphere, the overall experience is marred by performance issues, limited enemy variety, and a lack of long-term engagement. Despite some enjoyable co-op aspects, many players find the gameplay tedious and lacking in depth.
- “The interplay between illumination and darkness is not just aesthetic but mechanical.”
- “It’s a clever mechanic that creates a constant balance between exploration and security.”
- “Congo’s core gameplay revolves around teamwork and resource management.”
- “While the mechanics of light and darkness are innovative, they are not enough to sustain long-term engagement.”
- “Movement and shooting mechanics are serviceable but stiff, and some environmental assets feel repetitive or underdeveloped.”
- “Tl;dr, performance is poor, controls are clunky, repetitive gameplay.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
27%
20%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the impressive visuals and atmospheric design, particularly noting the interplay of light and shadow. While many find the graphics polished and suitable for an early access title, others describe them as merely adequate, with a few stating they are not particularly groundbreaking. The consensus suggests that while the graphics are generally good, they may not stand out compared to AAA titles.
- “The interplay between illumination and darkness is not just aesthetic but mechanical.”
- “The story is something to behold; it is somewhere between 'The Witcher 3' and 'GTA 5'. The graphics are some of the best I've ever seen, with models better than most AAA games.”
- “The visuals and art style are pretty spot on, and combined with the audio, it makes for quite a nice experience.”
- “Only three settings for graphics: high, medium, and low.”
- “The game uses Unreal Engine; the graphics are okay, nothing special, but get the job done.”
- “The graphics are decent for a game of this price, delivering on what it's supposed to while being nothing special.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The story aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its engaging narrative reminiscent of titles like 'The Witcher 3' and 'GTA 5', others criticize it for lacking depth, noting that it consists mainly of two mission-based levels with minimal storytelling. Additionally, the random generation of missions and scattered objectives can detract from the overall narrative experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- “The story is something to behold; it is somewhere between 'The Witcher 3' and 'GTA 5'. The graphics are some of the best I've ever seen, and the models are better than most AAA games.”
- “So Anakin Skyhumper, Borgie, and I finally beat the multiplayer mission.”
- “There is virtually no story.”
- “Only two mission-based levels.”
- “And now 'my' story begins..”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing poor performance and clunky controls, while others report no significant issues. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires improvements in optimization to enhance the overall experience.
- “Performance-wise, I haven't had any issues, nor have my friends, so no complaints there.”
- “I only played about half an hour so far, but after a crash and some performance issues, these are my first impressions.”
- “There's really awful optimization, but the game has demons, guns, and gasoline canisters, which makes for an interesting experience.”
- “But it needs improvements and better optimization.”
- “Tl;dr, performance is poor, controls are clunky, repetitive gameplay.”
- “- by far the worst part of the game is the performance.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it features impressive graphics for an early access title and runs well on some systems, users report numerous glitches and bugs that detract from the overall experience.
- “Great graphics for an early access game, runs great on my Phenom + Nvidia 960. I must try it on my much slower laptop.”
- “Early access... so many glitches and bugs.”
- “Buggy.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to a lack of variety in enemies and repetitive gameplay, leading to a sense of monotony in completing objectives.
- “Once you realize every strike and kill is the same and so is every enemy (two enemies. Such variety!) there is little else to do but complete the objectives that, without satisfying gameplay, are left feeling pretty tedious.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged; after a while, it feels like a chore rather than a fun activity.”
- “Grinding for hours only to receive minimal rewards can be incredibly frustrating and makes the experience feel like a never-ending slog.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Players appreciate the game's replayability due to the randomly generated resource boxes, which create a unique experience each time by keeping the locations of tools and weapons unpredictable.
- “Each playthrough offers a unique experience due to the random events and challenges, making you want to dive back in for more.”
- “The variety of character builds and strategies keeps the gameplay fresh, encouraging multiple runs to explore different approaches.”
- “The boxes containing resources are randomly generated, adding a bit of replay value, so you will not know where to find a specific tool or weapon.”
- “After completing the game once, there isn't much incentive to play again since the story remains the same.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a strong point, with players enjoying the comedic gameplay and clever visual gags, such as the ironic display of the main menu that humorously limits the screen size. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging graphics, contributing to an entertaining experience.
- “Great game, really funny gameplay and good graphics.”
- “So at launch, it goes full screen, different shades of black flicker, then the main menu comes up with 80% of the screen as black borders, rendering it to a small 2-3" screen that displays the word 'quit' (haha funny, right?).”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features minimal music, relying instead on ambient sounds like crickets and demon growls to create an atmospheric experience. While the sound effects are deemed reasonable, they do not stand out significantly, leaving players satisfied without the need for a musical score.
- “There is no music, and frankly I haven't noticed the need for it. The crickets in the background and the subtle growling from the demons are atmospheric enough. The sound effects are reasonable as well, nothing special and nothing to complain about.”