Damned
- October 6, 2014
- 9heads Game Studios
- 10h median play time
"Damned" is a horror action game that supports up to 5 players, including 4 survivors and 1 monster, in online co-op gameplay. Survivors must escape haunted places by finding keys and items, while avoiding the monster. The monster, with unique hunting styles, aims to kill survivors. However, the game is poorly optimized, very buggy, and has a lot of grinding, but it also offers a dense atmosphere and some humor.
Reviews
- The game is incredibly fun and scary, especially when played with friends.
- The atmosphere and sound design create a genuinely terrifying experience.
- The concept of a player-controlled monster adds a unique twist to the horror genre.
- The game is riddled with bugs and crashes frequently, making it frustrating to play.
- There is a lack of clear instructions and objectives, leading to confusion during gameplay.
- The optimization is poor, resulting in low frame rates and performance issues even on high-end systems.
- gameplay122 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is characterized by its unique asymmetrical mechanics, where players can experience both monster and survivor roles, each with distinct abilities that contribute to a tense, horror-filled atmosphere. While many players appreciate the innovative design and cooperative elements, criticisms arise regarding balance issues, repetitive maps, and technical problems such as lag and bugs, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers engaging moments, especially when played with friends, but may become stale or frustrating over time due to its simplicity and lack of depth.
“The gameplay with friends is golden.”
“The variety of monsters is great, all with different rules and gameplay mechanics that makes the game feel fresh for everyone.”
“The gameplay is fantastic, and having a monster that is played by an actual player adds a new element of intelligence that AI just can't bring.”
“The gameplay is laggy, the maps are repetitive to a point beyond annoying.”
“The lack of a 'second chance' mechanic for survivors means a lot of sitting around if you die early.”
“Gameplay is boring, game runs poorly.”
- stability109 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues that severely hinder gameplay. Many describe it as "buggy as hell," with some stating it feels unfinished and abandoned by developers, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game requires significant improvements in stability and polish.
“The game is unfinished, buggy, but the idea was fun.”
“We have never had a gaming session that hasn't been marred by game crashes, freezes, etc. It can be tricky to recover from some of these crashes, and sometimes they'll require a hard reboot.”
“The current build of the game, however, is a buggy, horrible mess.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as poor, buggy, and reminiscent of older titles. Frame rate issues and lag are common complaints, significantly impacting gameplay experience. However, some players appreciate the simplistic design for enhancing the game's spooky atmosphere, suggesting that while the visuals are lacking, the overall gameplay can still be enjoyable.
“The creepy graphics and sound are good enough to create a chilling ambience, and there are effects that make you hallucinate after a certain time has passed.”
“The low-res visuals make it a better game in a way by enhancing the spook factor, so don't let the looks fool you.”
“Visually, the game isn't ridiculously impressive; although, its graphics and effects do fine at achieving the game's spooky atmosphere.”
“The graphics are, frankly, very rough.”
“Exceptionally poor graphics.”
“The graphics are choppy and still need work.”
- atmosphere44 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and terrifying qualities, with players highlighting the effective use of sound, lighting, and well-designed monsters that enhance the horror experience. Many reviews note that the ambiance creates genuine feelings of suspense and fear, making it a standout title in the multiplayer horror genre. However, some players mention that technical issues and the use of voice chat can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
“The atmosphere is great, the ambiance is on point, and the monsters are terrifying.”
“The atmosphere, insanity, differing monsters are all fresh and well thought out.”
“Damned is frightening and succeeds in bringing chills up your spine with great atmosphere and fitting design choices.”
“The problem, though, is the VOIP feature which rips the atmosphere right out of the game, coupled with the god-awful framerate which makes playing as a survivor difficult, and playing as a monster impossible.”
“The atmosphere is no better inside of the dining room as it was in the lobby.”
“I always need some rounds to get used to the atmosphere of the game.”
- humor40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently highlighted as a major draw, particularly when played with friends, leading to moments of laughter amidst the scares. Players find the combination of terrifying elements and comedic interactions—especially with the player-controlled monster—creates a uniquely entertaining experience. Overall, the game is described as both scary and hilariously fun, making it a great choice for group play.
“My friends were laughing so hard they cried.”
“Game is hilarious, scary and most of all, fun!”
“If you know where you have your survivors, it's just hilarious to play as the monster.”
- optimization33 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates, frequent crashes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Many users experience significant lag and stuttering, regardless of their hardware specifications, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players note occasional improvements, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance performance and stability.
“The game does seem to need a bit more polishing; it doesn't seem optimized, but while I can run Outlast on maximum settings, I have to leave this game on medium to get 30+ fps, which is weird.”
“But, if the developers fix the performance problems, then it's an instant thumbs up.”
“Optimization was abysmal; the main menu had me and my friends running at about 15 fps—if you could even make it to the main menu.”
“This game is horribly optimized and full of bugs.”
“Note: the game is very poorly optimized, so it will run like garbage no matter what high-end specs your computer has.”
- music31 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the horror experience, with many players noting its effectiveness in creating tension and signaling the presence of monsters. Composed by Matt Collins, the soundtrack is described as incredible and integral to gameplay, with specific themes for each monster that heighten the fear factor. While some players mentioned issues with sound quality and design, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's spooky atmosphere and immersive experience.
“The soundtrack is incredible.”
“Each monster has its own terrifying theme music when it appears near a survivor.”
“I really like the music and sound effects in this game, creepy, unexpected and makes it all much more scary, which is good.”
“The sound track could be higher quality as well.”
“Very misleading... I wasn't frightened one bit in this game, the only thing I could say that scared me much was the freaking music that plays when a person is running away from you while you're the monster, it just suddenly pops in, scaring the bajeezus out of you.”
“It is scary and spooky and creepy, it's supposed to be like this, very quiet sometimes but has creepy music with it.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as engaging and immersive, drawing players into a terrifying narrative reminiscent of classic horror tales. While it may not reach the depth of iconic horror franchises like Silent Hill, it effectively utilizes fetch quests to enhance the sense of fear and realism. Overall, the combination of a compelling premise and the dynamics between monsters and humans contributes to a captivating horror experience.
“This has all the qualities of a good 'scary story by the campfire.' It may not be a 'true' horror game like the Silent Hill franchise, but it's still a pretty neat idea.”
“Damned is an absolutely terrifying game that really pulls you in with its groundbreaking story.”
“All this fetch quest madness leads to a greater sense of fear and unease in the player.”
“With all the other monsters, the story is the same - you hear them, but they don't hear you.”
“It's true, there has been a trend in multiplayer horror games lately, namely rogue-likes, that force you to quest for keys.”
“The basic mission for the monster is to kill all the humans, which is often easier said than done.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of clues for puzzles and the need to frequently change settings for gameplay. While some appreciate the tension created by the key-searching mechanic, many feel it disrupts the flow and enjoyment of the game, leading to a frustrating experience.
“In reality, it seems to bring the game to a grinding halt for all parties.”
“Once you have your strategy in place, studied the monster to the point where there is nothing scary about it, and are ready to play, you will soon find the game becoming very repetitive and tedious.”
“I have to admit, I found that gameplay mechanic annoying and overly tedious at first.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of opinions on replayability. While some players find it enjoyable with friends and appreciate the random elements that enhance replay value, others feel that it lacks long-term engagement after a few hours. The consensus suggests that it is best experienced in multiplayer settings, but may not justify its price for extended solo play.
“Tons of replayability and an all-around good time if you get a kick out of terrifying people or enjoy a challenge.”
“This game is truly amazing, and the replay value of the maps and monsters is extremely impressive.”
“I would say it's a definite winner with a good amount of replayability either with friends or online with strangers.”
“Amazing game to play with friends, but it lacks replayability after about 5 hours of gameplay. Not worth $20 whatsoever.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting moments of vulnerability and fear, particularly in scenarios where sound plays a crucial role in survival. The intensity of these experiences can evoke strong feelings, leading some to tears.
“I cried.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for transparency in advertising related to monetization, indicating a preference for honest and straightforward practices rather than misleading tactics.
“Honestly in advertising please.”