Dead Realm
- May 23, 2017
- 3BLACKDOT Games
- 5h median play time
"Dead Realm" is a first-person action horror game where players are divided into humans and ghosts. The goal is to either survive as a human or reap the living as a ghost in the haunted grounds of a long-dead electricity tycoon. With 5 terrifying game modes, 9 varying maps, and an emphasis on stealth and survival, players can expect a fun and immersive experience in this community-driven game.
Reviews
- The game is fun and scary, especially when played with friends.
- Great atmosphere and unique hiding spots that keep the gameplay interesting.
- The jump scares are effective and can lead to hilarious reactions from players.
- The game has been abandoned by developers, leading to a lack of updates and a dwindling player base.
- High mouse sensitivity and lag issues make the game difficult to play for many users.
- Limited content with only a few maps and game modes, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- gameplay133 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its fun hide-and-seek mechanics and horror elements, while others criticize its repetitive nature, lack of content, and clunky controls. Although the game shows potential with unique mechanics and enjoyable multiplayer experiences, many users express frustration over bugs, server issues, and a dwindling player base, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the gameplay can be engaging and entertaining, it suffers from significant shortcomings that hinder its long-term appeal.
“This game features realistic graphics and gameplay.”
“The gameplay is fun with finding good hiding places or trying to parkour up to cool places, and the chases are pretty invigorating.”
“The mechanics work great, and it gives you a sense of 'am I going to die?'”
“The devs should have never let videos about it be released while it was in such an early state, with only like 2 maps, a couple of monsters, and half-done mechanics.”
“Dead game, trash controls, boring gameplay, biggest regret I have in my Steam account.”
“The gameplay was tense and exciting, with ghosts using their abilities to hunt down human players hiding and trying to survive. However, the repetitive nature of the gameplay, combined with the absence of new content updates, led to a rapid decline in player interest.”
- humor75 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, particularly when played with friends, leading to numerous hilarious moments and reactions. Players appreciate the blend of comedy and horror, noting that the game often elicits laughter through jump scares and funny interactions, making it a fun experience overall. However, some reviews mention that recent updates have negatively impacted the game's humor, though many still find it enjoyable and recommend it for its light-hearted approach to horror.
“More hilarious than scary, but that's a good thing.”
“I've encountered so many funny things, I was crying with laughter!”
“It's very good for playing with friends and it is hilarious when someone gets jumped.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the atmospheric design and decent performance on lower-end systems, while others criticize the lack of graphical options and occasional frame rate drops. Some users highlight the game's unique art style and horror ambiance, but note that the visuals are not groundbreaking compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for an early access game, there is a consensus that improvements and optimizations are needed.
“This game features realistic graphics and gameplay.”
“The graphics were atmospheric, with eerie environments that complemented the horror theme.”
“I am completely happy and comfortable saying that the graphics of the game are really good and worth noting.”
“Would love to see better graphics, bigger maps, new monsters.”
“The graphics are really really bad for its price... and it's just generally not a fun game.”
“There are no actual settings in the game that allow you to change the graphics in the video settings, so if the game runs pretty laggy for you, then you just wasted 15 dollars until they add settings that allow you to make the game playable in your preferences or in your computer's handle spectrum.”
- stability53 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Players express frustration over the lack of updates and support from the developers, leading to a perception of the game as abandoned and unplayable. While some acknowledge minor glitches that do not ruin gameplay, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game is plagued by serious stability problems.
“This game runs great on Linux.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't experienced any crashes.”
“I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
“The developers are charging £11 for an abandoned, broken, buggy mess that they have no intention of fixing.”
“This game is buggy, abandoned, and dead.”
“No updates on a buggy early-access game in 5 months (as of this review).”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by effective sound design and detailed environments that evoke fear and tension. While some players note inconsistencies in execution and wish for better graphics, the overall experience is described as thrilling, with a strong sense of horror that keeps players on edge. Despite some criticisms, many agree that the atmosphere is a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of horror and cooperative gameplay.
“The graphics of Dead Realm don't shout to the miracle; however, the developers were able to reconstruct a horror atmosphere that inspires awe, fear, and frenzy.”
“Marvellous game with a good bit of content, fantastically atmospheric maps, and lots of little details that just tie the whole experience together; such as taunting as a monster and the use of sound to help you survive.”
“The haunting music and ambient sounds contributed significantly to the spooky atmosphere.”
“They added a slightly darker atmosphere, but the additions are garbage and poorly delivered.”
“The atmosphere can get unsettling for new players and the ambient sounds are not too shabby.”
“Bad atmosphere (I understand what they wanted, but the reality is definitely something different).”
- optimization21 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance, glitches, and connectivity issues, particularly on PC and Mac systems. While some players have managed to run the game adequately on lower-spec machines, the consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to justify its current price and enhance the overall experience. Future updates are hoped to address these optimization concerns, but many players remain frustrated with the current state of the game.
“Well optimized.”
“Despite some small issues, the game runs smoothly and will probably only get better with the future updates.”
“Some people may say, don't get it if you have a low-end system, but don't worry about that. If I can run it, then chances are you could run it too, and it will run better when they update the performance and do some graphics optimizations.”
“Dead Realm is a joke with support and performance that it's stressful to even get running, and if you do manage to get it running, good luck finding a game.”
“It is a great concept, but the developers won't deliver for a long time and will likely not justify the current price tag for such a poorly optimized game.”
“I don't recommend this game for Mac users; the optimization sucks, and even people with Windows had a huge time running this. I had to refund it, if that tells you anything... 4 fps.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players enjoy the variety of maps and the thrill of discovering new hiding spots, others feel that the limited number of maps and predictable hiding spots diminish long-term engagement. Playing with friends adds to the fun, but the lack of dedicated servers and new content has led some to rate the replay value as low. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable in the short term, but may not sustain interest over time without additional updates.
“There are several maps with so many nooks and crannies and several options to choose from as the killer's perspective, providing a lot of replayability.”
“The game has lots of replay value and is always a laugh to play with friends; you can play with three or more and have hours of fun. The ghosts have distinct looks and can honestly frighten you when being caught off guard, creating tension throughout each round.”
“There are so many intricate and clever hiding spots within the game that continue to make it replayable. I'm still finding spots to camp in after nine hours of playtime, which shows that the developers put a lot of effort into making this game, its maps, and game modes.”
“There's an ok choice of character but there's only a few maps which takes out a lot of the replayability because you play with 2 friends, find their hiding spots then switch map because there's nowhere to hide and then when you're done doing that on the select few maps available you have nothing else to do.”
“There isn't much replay value due to the fact that after just a few hours every player knows where every hiding spot is.”
“Unfortunately, Dead Realm suffered from a lack of content and replayability.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the creative elements and backstory conveyed through radio broadcasts, while others find it underdeveloped and lacking depth. Despite its potential for a compelling narrative, many feel it falls short, comparing it unfavorably to other horror titles. Overall, the story garners a range of opinions, with some praising its fun aspects and others questioning its coherence.
“There's also a decent selection of player skins and multiple ghosts, with a little backstory told through radio broadcasts you'll hear now and again.”
“It really wants you to feel like you are the character you play as, with creative traps, ways to survive, and a compelling storyline.”
“Has good gameplay and a really fun storyline.”
“This game became another cautionary story of why early access is such a risk.”
“Underdeveloped story.”
“What is even the story of this game?”
- monetization11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized, with many players perceiving it as a cash grab due to the developers' lack of communication and halted updates. Initial hype quickly faded as the game was seen as abandoned, leading to skepticism about its value and long-term support. Overall, the game's marketing, heavily reliant on popular YouTubers, has left a negative impression, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over player experience.
“What really makes this sad is that they honestly had a great game on their hands, but due to the developers' silence and one of the longest wait times for a patch I have ever seen for a game, I now view this game as more of a cash grab than anything else.”
“This game's development and advertising were halted so suddenly that the community wasn't sure whether it was just a scam, with the developers making some easy bucks, promising to create a big game, halting development, and continuing to sell while telling their buyers that updates would be coming soon.”
“In hindsight, it feels like a quick cash grab, especially considering the involvement of popular YouTubers in its promotion.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its haunting and atmospheric qualities that enhance the spooky experience, while others criticize it for being almost non-existent at times. Notably, the soundtrack, attributed to Akira Yamaoka, is highlighted for its effectiveness in creating tension, although there are concerns about the game's music playing during black screens and issues with score tracking. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point that complements the game's graphics and gameplay.
“It had nice graphics and atmospheric sounds and music.”
“Pros: super fun, spooky, great music, lots of dark humor, new game modes, new updates, great to play with friends.”
“The haunting music and ambient sounds contributed significantly to the spooky atmosphere.”
“However, the music still plays like normal while on the black screen.”
“Music almost non-existent.”
“The music is so ambient yet terrifying.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, often experiencing heartbreak and tears due to its impactful storytelling and moments. The intensity of the gameplay elicits strong feelings, highlighting both the love for the game and the frustration with its mechanics.
“It is absolutely heart breaking to see this game get taken off Steam because of the amount of love I have for this game.”
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“Played this game for 5 minutes and it made me cry.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to issues like score resets after achieving wins, poor statistics tracking, and a tedious player search process. The experience is often unenjoyable, especially when paired with unskilled teammates, leading to a repetitive and discouraging gameplay loop.
“This game has stolen soundtrack from another game, statistics don't register well, and after grinding 35 wins with a specific character, the game resets your score to 0, locking all the progress you've made and won't register more wins.”
“When you cannot be spoon-fed where players are, you play through the tedious process of searching for players, and it isn't enjoyable.”
“It's terribly frustrating at times, but when you get paired up with random players who are really bad, it quickly becomes tedious.”