Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder
- November 13, 2014
- Stormling Studios
- 31h median play time
Get on Steam"Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder" is a chilling point-and-click puzzle horror adventure game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. As a detective, you must investigate a mysterious murder with ties to the occult, while facing a series of terrifying dreams and supernatural experiences that threaten your sanity. Delve into a rich, psychological world filled with Lovecraftian horrors and intricate puzzles.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures a strong Lovecraftian atmosphere with its eerie sound design and immersive storytelling.
- The puzzles are challenging and thought-provoking, requiring players to engage deeply with the narrative and clues.
- The writing is well-crafted, providing a compelling and intricate plot that keeps players invested throughout.
- The user interface and inventory system can be clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- Some puzzles are overly obscure, making it difficult to progress without consulting a walkthrough.
- The game ends abruptly without resolving many plot threads, leaving players feeling unsatisfied with the conclusion.
- story182 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its engaging and intricate narrative, rich in Lovecraftian themes, and filled with twists that encourage players to piece together clues from various documents. However, many reviewers express frustration with the convoluted storytelling and gameplay mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to fully appreciate the plot without resorting to walkthroughs. While the atmosphere and voice acting are well-received, the story's execution suffers from pacing issues and unresolved plot threads, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied by the end.
“The plot is great and full of twists, the puzzles are challenging, and the whole investigative aspect of it, having to inspect documents, is very well done.”
“I was absorbed into the story the whole time; the graphics are very good for the time, and it really captures Lovecraft's essence.”
“The story and writing are oozing with love for the Cthulhu mythos and will hook you in!”
“Even though the game tries to tell a compelling story, the interface and the gameplay ruin it all.”
“If you play at standard difficulty, you cannot find out the entire narrative; you have to pick hard mode to get the full story, and that's just terrible design.”
“The main problem with the story is that a lot of threads are created, but by the end of the game, only a couple of them, and the obvious ones at that, are resolved.”
- atmosphere102 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively capturing a quintessentially Lovecraftian vibe through its art, sound design, and environmental storytelling. Reviewers highlight the absence of jump scares, instead noting a pervasive sense of dread and psychological horror that enhances the overall experience. While some mention gameplay issues and dated graphics, the atmospheric elements remain the standout feature, drawing players into a chilling and engaging narrative.
“Quintessentially Lovecraftian with incredible atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is the main draw of the game; it's mature, isolated, and really does well to portray a sense of madness in the main character.”
“The atmosphere is truly fantastic; I can almost feel what's intended to - chill, thrill, the smell of old books and mold.”
“This game has decent story elements and atmosphere, but it's an absolute mess as a game.”
“An obtuse, lovecraftian point and click title that does a decent job of capturing that dread atmosphere but is held back by bugs and the occasional puzzle (as well as needed objects which can be missed and you can't go back for).”
“The atmosphere has a sense of foreboding and oppressiveness about it, like any good lovecraftian tale should.”
- gameplay76 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Darkness Within" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the mechanics clunky and unintuitive, leading to a frustrating experience. While the game features interesting puzzle mechanics and a compelling story, the point-and-click interface and the "Howard's Mind" mechanic can be confusing and cumbersome, often requiring players to consult guides to progress. Despite its atmospheric setting and engaging narrative, the overall gameplay experience is marred by tediousness and outdated design elements.
“Puzzle mechanics are interesting and the Lovecraftian mood is brilliantly executed.”
“True to its professed Lovecraftian-esque gameplay and atmosphere, I was impressed with how immersive and spooky it managed to be, despite being a point-and-click style game.”
“I really enjoyed the underlining mechanics for clues and piecing together objects to form ideas!”
“The rhythm and pacing of the game are not very good, and unfortunately, the very basic point-and-click gameplay did not age well.”
“Even though the game tries to tell a compelling story, the interface and the gameplay ruin it all.”
“The gameplay is awkward and in some cases annoying.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, often described as reminiscent of 90s quality, but they effectively contribute to the dark and atmospheric experience. While some players appreciate the artistic design and mood created by the visuals, others find them lacking in polish and consistency. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in enhancing the story and atmosphere, despite not being top-of-the-line for contemporary standards.
“The graphics are a bit jank but actually help the atmosphere because things happen jerkily, often jarring you with a bit of fear when they do.”
“The visuals create a dark and mysterious vibe that brings the story to life.”
“It successfully creates a dark, spooky atmosphere through graphics, sounds, and the story.”
“The graphics are atrocious for when it came out, but the voice acting is really good.”
“Graphics quality is poor.”
“Overall would give it a 7/10: interesting story, good atmosphere, but sadly lacking in replayability and graphics are a bit outdated.”
- music35 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it effectively complements the environments and contributes to a moody, immersive experience. While some tracks are described as repetitive and not particularly memorable, the overall sound design, including ambient music and sound effects, is considered high-quality and fitting for the game's themes, particularly its Lovecraftian elements. The combination of chilling soundscapes and well-executed voice acting further enriches the game's narrative and emotional impact.
“The music adds so much to the ambiance of the game.”
“Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder can boast excellent high-quality voice acting and a pleasant ambient soundtrack which suits the moody and contemplative atmosphere of the game.”
“Creaking floorboards, whistling draughts, and oppressive bouts of silence are all used to great effect, and the hauntingly-crafted musical tracks provide excellent ambience to their respective environments.”
“I also saw that you can buy the soundtrack but I wouldn't recommend it; for me it wasn't memorable and it's quite repetitive in the game, so you don't want to hear it more than you already have.”
“It does not have bad atmosphere, the soundtrack is decent, the Lovecraft vibe is nice and strong... but...”
“The environments themselves blend with the musical score and come off as unsettling and believable, with a stark contrast between the falsely domestic and the absolutely bizarre.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with repetitive tasks, convoluted clue systems, and lengthy text passages contributing to a frustrating experience. While some appreciate the gameplay, many reviewers express that the tedious nature of clue discovery and inventory management detracts from enjoyment, making it difficult to engage for extended periods.
“Movement is tedious, clue system is tedious, linear and scripted gameplay, find the banana peel and use it on the doorknob hidden-object style.”
“The game is tedious and the use of Lovecraft's quotes really set the tone of this whole thing being a really bad fanfiction-turned game.”
“I can't really play this game for more than 20 minutes at a time because it's so tedious and mind-numbing.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with multiple users reporting significant glitches and bugs that render it unplayable. Many experienced crashes and technical issues that hindered progress, leading to frustration and a sense of wasted time. Overall, the game's stability issues detract from the experience, making it difficult for players to enjoy or complete.
“I remember a lot of glitches in this game, which, for a title that wastes a significant amount of your time anyway, is a slow drag of boring game mechanics that keeps flashing you possibilities of fleeting interest. Overall, having discovered all secrets and popped achievements, I conclude that past me wasted his time on this.”
“Can't finish the game because there are glitches where key information won't let you underline it, making the game unplayable.”
“Seemed like fun, but couldn't get far because it is a buggy, crash-ridden mess that forced me to hard reboot my computer a couple of times before I gave up.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability due to hidden secrets and achievements, but overall, reviews indicate it falls short in this aspect, with some players rating it a 7/10 due to an interesting story and atmosphere, yet noting outdated graphics.
“On a more detailed note, I really appreciate this game for giving me replay value.”
“There are a lot of hidden secrets, so it's replayable, and the achievements are nice.”
“Overall would give it a 7/10: interesting story, good atmosphere, but sadly lacking in replayability and the graphics are a bit outdated.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is hit or miss; while some players found it lacking and resorted to walkthroughs, others appreciated the amusing graphics and sound effects, such as the quirky ghost noises, which added an entertaining element to their experience.
“However, at times I was laughing at the graphics and sound effects (one area actually has 'woooooooo' ghost noises!), but hey, it entertained me!”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game effectively immerses them in an emotional experience, evoking feelings of tension and unease through its atmospheric design and unsettling environments. The sense of being a detective adds to the emotional depth, enhancing the overall engagement with the game's narrative.
“It made me feel like a real-life detective (well, as far as it's possible in a gaming medium).”
“The game has a good atmosphere and puts you in eerie and uncomfortable environments, including one hallway that made me feel like I should be falling even though my feet were still flat on the ground.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game's performance grading system frustrating due to its high difficulty, which can feel unfair. However, this challenge has led to the creation of extensive walkthroughs, suggesting that while optimization may be lacking, the community support is robust.
“The game grades your performance, which can be frustrating due to its difficulty, but this also leads to thorough walkthroughs being available, helping players optimize their strategies.”
“I appreciate how the game encourages players to optimize their approach, making each playthrough feel rewarding as you refine your skills.”
“The optimization mechanics in the game really challenge you to think critically about your choices, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
“The game grades your performance, which is frustrating due to the difficulty of meeting its expectations, but perhaps that's why there are so many detailed walkthroughs available.”
“Optimization feels like an afterthought; the game often runs poorly even on high-end systems, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“The lack of proper optimization leads to frequent frame drops and long loading times, which significantly detracts from the overall gameplay.”
