D1896
- November 15, 2019
- Arkhouse Telegraph
Get on Steam"D1896" is a challenging single-player Horror Action game with striking black-and-white graphics and piano music, offering tough battles, intricate puzzles, and long dialogues, relying on simple controls and inspired by early horror films, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Alice in Wonderland. There are no colors, HP bars, RPG elements, extra weapons, items, or optional content, besides a secret boss.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that evokes a vintage horror atmosphere.
- The character Alice is well-developed, with a sassy personality that adds some charm to the otherwise frustrating experience.
- The music is well-composed, enhancing the overall mood and immersion of the game.
- Gameplay is severely flawed, with clunky controls and frustrating platforming mechanics that make it nearly unplayable.
- The story is confusing and pretentious, filled with excessive dialogue that detracts from the overall experience.
- Boss battles and enemy encounters are often cheap and require pinpoint precision, leading to a frustrating and punishing experience.
- graphics19 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a striking black and white aesthetic that evokes the feel of an old monster movie, with unique character and monster designs that some players appreciate. However, the execution can be inconsistent, with certain areas being overly dark or washed out, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals are often praised for their gothic and artistic qualities, many reviewers feel that the gameplay does not live up to the high standards set by the graphics.
“The graphics are okayish; I liked the characters and monster designs and the black and white style of the whole game. It kind of makes it look like you're playing an old monster movie.”
“A fun brutal ballbuster of a Castlevania wannabe game with stunning gothic silent film visuals and a celluloid filter that really feels like you're playing a game set in the silent film era.”
“Everything is in black and white with appropriate use of grayscale. There are several gothic variations when it comes to shapes and aesthetics in general; sometimes everything looks minimalistic, other times baroque, and yet there are also elements of classical art.”
“While I did say the black and white graphics were okayish, there were some parts that were too dark, too gray, or too white. The best example would be for the final boss.”
“Okay, with that said, d1896 is absolutely one of the worst games I've ever played, and I've played some bad ones. The game does have some things to like, such as the enemy and bosses, the character Alice, and the black and white graphics, but all that is just bogged down with so much nonsense that it overshadows the good.”
“Aesthetic takes priority over gameplay, intentionally or not.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its clunky mechanics, finicky platforming, and frustrating controls, making it a significant drawback for players. Many reviewers noted issues such as broken hitboxes, awkward combat mechanics, and a lack of responsiveness, which detracted from the overall experience despite the game's impressive visuals. Overall, the gameplay is seen as the weakest aspect, overshadowing the game's potential.
“Because such gamers don't care about details and put gameplay value above everything.”
“Overall, I like the game for lots of things, but I'm highly disappointed that broken gameplay severely twisted my experience.”
“Aesthetic takes priority over gameplay, intentionally or not.”
“The gameplay is absolutely garbage; the platforming feels very finicky with a keyboard, and even with a gamepad, it still feels a little off.”
“Unfortunately, gameplay is the weakest aspect here.”
“Your worst enemies here are: broken hit boxes, terrible platforming in general, clunky jumps, weird and frustrating combat mechanics, and awkward, unchangeable controls.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story in D1896 is criticized for being confusing and pretentious, lacking focus and coherence, which detracts from the game's potential. In contrast, other games like Mirage of Dragon offer a unique narrative experience, allowing players to explore the story in a non-linear fashion, while some titles feature cryptic and artsy narratives that invite interpretation. Overall, the effectiveness of the story varies significantly across different games, with some delivering engaging and thought-provoking experiences, while others fall flat.
“It looks great, sounds great... damn, even the story.”
“A game of vintage horror, with a heavy dose of unforgiving platforming, unusual story, and a style you won't soon forget.”
“If you want a game that is cruel in difficulty, but ultimately fair, which combines a cryptic story with hilarious flair, as seen through a lens of vintage horror, I recommend you get this one right away!”
“The story is also really bad; it was extremely confusing and felt kind of pretentious, like they were talking about things like existence and purpose, but jumping from topic to topic made it really confusing.”
“What hurts the game the most is that it actually has some potential. If they cut down the dialogue, had a more focused story, and improved the gameplay a lot, I'm pretty sure this would have been a solid B plus. But as it is, this is just absolute garbage.”
“Nearly every level is 'that level', every boss is 'that boss', and even the story doesn't feel like it was proofread by the end.”
- music8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful tracks, fitting sound effects, and a well-executed silent-film motif. While the artistry and atmosphere are appreciated, some players feel that the overall gameplay experience detracts from the enjoyment of the music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's aesthetic despite other shortcomings.
“The music is incredible and the silent-film motif was done to perfection.”
“Beautiful piano music, appropriate sound effects, everything is great, with no voices though; the music goes perfectly with the battles, hazards, NPC interactions, all of it.”
“The soundtrack is a wonderful one though.”
“Control-wise, it's a needlessly stiff and plodding mess, the music is -okay-, design is linear enough to make the Netherlands look positively mountainous by comparison, and it's so disappointing for such a gorgeous game to be so unplayable.”
“Love the art style, music, and atmosphere, but the gameplay and the suffering I had to go through outweigh those positive sides.”
“Probably like most people here, I also grabbed the game for its visual aspects, style, music, and atmosphere.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique art style and music, creating an immersive experience that many players find captivating. However, some users feel that the gameplay issues detract from these positive elements, suggesting a mixed overall impression.
“I love the art style, music, and atmosphere; they create a captivating experience.”
“Like most people here, I also grabbed the game for its visual aspects, style, music, and atmosphere.”
“When I saw the trailer, I knew exactly who the developer was - the art style and atmosphere are so unique, it is unmistakable.”
“Love the art style, music, and atmosphere, but the gameplay and the suffering I had to go through outweigh those positive aspects.”
“Probably like most people here, I also grabbed the game for its visual aspects, style, music, and atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a consistent and unapologetically humorous tone, with witty dialogues and clever references to modern geek culture that elicit frequent laughter. Its blend of challenging gameplay and a cryptic story is enhanced by a vintage horror aesthetic, making it both entertaining and engaging.
“To keep the game from feeling too heavy, unapologetically ridiculous and funny exchanges are in almost all of the dialogues, and I laughed a little with each of these exchanges; the game sometimes pays tribute to modern geek culture through a few references, and is brilliantly tongue-in-cheek at times.”
“If you want a game that is cruel in difficulty, but ultimately fair, which combines a cryptic story with hilarious flair, as seen through a lens of vintage horror, I recommend you get this one right away!”
