Dead Man´s Diary
- July 12, 2023
- TML-Studios
Playing Dead Man's Diary is simply a tedious experience, and unless you have an invisible wall fetish you should stay well away.
Get on SteamDead Man's Diary is a survival game with a dark story, set in a photorealistic post-apocalyptic world. You'll need to explore, scavenge for food and water, and upgrade your equipment to survive, all while uncovering the protagonist's tragic past through diary entries and soliloquies. The game features tricky puzzles, realistic needs for food, water, and sleep, and is built with the Unreal engine for stunning visuals.
Reviews
- The game features impressive world design and graphics, creating a visually appealing atmosphere.
- The storyline and voice acting are engaging, which helps maintain player interest despite gameplay frustrations.
- For players who enjoy survival mechanics and puzzles, the game offers a significant challenge and a large world to explore.
- The survival mechanics are excessively punishing, with constant needs for food, water, and managing radiation, leading to frustration.
- Many puzzles lack clear instructions, causing confusion and making gameplay feel tedious and repetitive.
- The game feels unfinished, with numerous bugs and a lack of quality-of-life features, making it feel more like an early access title.
- graphics4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are consistently praised for their beauty and the creation of a pleasant atmosphere, contributing to an inviting world design. Players appreciate the superb visuals, which enhance the exploration experience, although some feel that other gameplay mechanics, like survival elements, require improvement.
“The game has a really pleasant end-time atmosphere, nice graphics, an inviting world design, and very decent voice acting.”
“I'm so glad I persevered because this game has really grown on me now, and I'm addicted to it. The graphics are phenomenal.”
“It's a great exploration game, with superb graphics.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging due to its interesting story and impressive graphics, but it suffers from frustrating survival mechanics and poor wayfinding, which detracts from the overall experience, especially for casual players. While exploration is a highlight, the survival elements are considered the weakest aspect of the game.
“It's a great exploration game, with superb graphics, but the survival mechanics need a huge overhaul.”
“I've played quite a few survival games, and this one has, by far, the worst, most nonsensical survival mechanics.”
“Following the story was interesting enough to keep me playing, even if the survival mechanics and wayfinding were annoying right from the start.”
- story3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging and well-crafted, complemented by strong voice acting and a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested. Despite some frustrations with survival mechanics and navigation, the overall narrative experience is compelling enough to encourage continued play.
“I enjoyed the voice acting, and the storyline and atmosphere of the game made me want to play through it all.”
“The sounds are realistic and the story is engaging.”
“Following the story was interesting enough to keep me playing, even if the survival mechanics and wayfinding were annoying right from the start.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding highlight a divide among players: some appreciate the looting as a challenging element consistent with survival games, while others find it excessively tedious and detrimental to the overall experience, citing high costs and lack of replay value as additional frustrations.
“Horribly tedious.”
“Ok game but way too expensive for what it is and no replay value at all; grinding to find basic items prevents you from being able to enjoy the scenery as you are always hungry, thirsty, and radioactive.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its pleasant end-time setting, appealing graphics, and inviting world design, complemented by decent voice acting that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate how the atmosphere and storyline effectively engage players, encouraging them to immerse themselves in the game.
“Before that happened, I wanted to say that the game has a really pleasant end-time atmosphere, nice graphics, an inviting world design, and very decent voice acting.”
“I enjoyed the voice acting, and the storyline and atmosphere of the game made me want to play through it all.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with players feeling that the high cost does not justify the experience. The constant need to grind for basic items detracts from enjoyment, as it forces players to focus on survival rather than exploring the environment.
“It's an okay game, but it's way too expensive for what it offers and has no replay value at all. The constant grinding to find basic items prevents you from enjoying the scenery, as you're always hungry, thirsty, and dealing with radiation.”
“After finishing the game, I found no reason to go back. The lack of meaningful choices and variety makes replaying feel pointless.”
“The game feels like a one-and-done experience. Once you've seen everything, there's no incentive to play again.”
