Depths of Fear: Knossos

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 293 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Depths of Fear: Knossos Game Cover
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In Depths of Fear: Knossos, become the Greek hero Theseus and navigate procedurally generated labyrinths filled with mythical creatures. Collect gold, build your armory, and seek out medallions to unlock the master sword. With ever-changing layouts, each stage is a unique challenge as you make your way to face the Minotaur and save Athens.

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  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 293 reviews
graphics18 positive mentions
stability30 negative mentions
  • Unique blend of Greek mythology and horror elements, providing a fresh experience in the gaming landscape.
  • Atmospheric sound design and music enhance the tension and immersion, making encounters with monsters genuinely frightening.
  • Randomly generated levels add replayability and variety, keeping the gameplay experience engaging over time.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches, including AI pathfinding issues and getting stuck on geometry, detract from the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics feel clunky and unsatisfying, with basic attacks lacking weight and impact.
  • The game can be excessively dark, making navigation difficult and frustrating, especially without proper brightness controls.
  • graphics87 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive a mixed reception, with many players noting their low-quality, glitchy, and dated appearance reminiscent of older titles. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and how it contributes to the game's atmosphere, others criticize the animations and overall visual presentation as sub-par. Despite these graphical shortcomings, many players find that the unique gameplay and immersive sound design compensate for the visuals, creating an engaging experience overall.

    • “The graphics fit the setting perfectly, with standard to good animations (that don't really matter in that constant darkness).”
    • “The visuals themselves, while not having all the newest bells and whistles, actually harken back to the high contrast, solid color Italo films before the turn of the century and really work together with the stylings and music to create something one of a kind.”
    • “While some will criticize Depths of Fear: Knossos for its shortcomings such as the average combat or animations, I for one am incredibly pleased with this title as it holds some charm many other titles don’t with genuinely fun fast-paced gameplay, impressive indie visuals and a fairly solid playtime depending on player skill and luck.”
    • “Visuals are terrible.”
    • “The graphics are not the greatest.”
    • “For 2014, the graphics are piss poor and noticeably so.”
  • gameplay82 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a unique atmosphere and a blend of combat, stealth, and exploration mechanics that can be engaging but often feel janky and inconsistent. While the procedurally generated levels and diverse bosses add variety, many players find the combat unsatisfying and the stealth mechanics lacking, leading to frustration with bugs and random generation issues. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic dungeon-crawling experience, but its execution leaves much to be desired, making it a hit or miss for players.

    • “There's plenty of raw gameplay on top of that, with a hefty campaign that sees you taking on eight or so unique monsters in randomly-generated levels, plus an endless mode for when you finish that.”
    • “The gameplay is satisfying, and playing the main game through to completion is a task that only takes a couple of hours.”
    • “Even once you start to gain a little gold and arm yourself properly, the game will find ways to catch you off guard with various deadly traps, new bosses, or even the obstacle courses need to nab some of the keys, all of which will be a different experience each time with procedurally generated levels adding rogue-like elements along with frantic gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay sucks, controls work but apparently only when they want to, there is no direction for the game whatsoever, and upon not so close inspection seems like it was made on the same engine as Doom.”
    • “The combat sucks, the stealth mechanics fall apart when discovered, and enemies either don't spawn, or hallways are filled with them for no reason.”
    • “The idea and premise of the game are cool, but the actual implementation and gameplay are poor, which makes me sad since this could have been something pretty damn cool.”
  • music61 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its intense synth-wave soundtrack that evokes 80s and 70s horror film aesthetics, enhancing the game's atmosphere and tension. While some players find the music to be catchy and fitting, others criticize it as simplistic or out of place, noting that it can clash with the game's themes. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's unique vibe, despite some technical issues and varying opinions on its quality.

    • “The intense synth-wave soundtrack is also highly underrated, which you get for free with the game.”
    • “The music adds immensely to the feeling of tension in the levels and the calm yet anxious tone when you are in between floors.”
    • “It somehow manages to take the visual stylings of a movie like 'Clash of the Titans' (the original) and enhance it with an unexpected soundtrack that uses 70's/early 80's synth music to create a mood that feels both retro and fresh at the same time.”
    • “Music is terrible.”
    • “Music, what little there is, is simplistic and repetitive.”
    • “The music is forgettable and probably more annoying than intense since it sounds like it belongs in a game from the PlayStation or something like it.”
  • atmosphere59 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of lo-fi Grecian horror, effectively creating a tense and immersive experience reminiscent of classic horror films and mythology. Despite its technical flaws and sometimes excessive darkness, players appreciate the eerie sound design and the ability to evoke genuine fear, making the atmosphere its standout feature. Overall, the atmosphere is described as compelling, surreal, and integral to the game's appeal, even if the gameplay itself is janky or unpolished.

    • “The atmosphere is done perfectly, despite poor graphics, bugs, and performance issues.”
    • “Depths of Fear is a breath of fresh air with a long-forgotten mythical Greece setting and a combination of smooth textures, clever lighting, and surprisingly colorful backdrops, creating a really nice blend of atmosphere consisting of horror, fantasy, and adventure.”
    • “The sound is very atmospheric and scary.”
    • “Way way too dark, though can set an atmosphere at times.”
    • “I get that this is a part of the game's atmosphere, but at times it just gets too dark that it's bothersome.”
    • “While this game has a number of flaws in terms of gameplay, it scores all the more points on atmosphere.”
  • stability30 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with animations, AI, and combat mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these stability problems, many players find the unique concept and gameplay engaging enough to overlook the flaws, though it often leads to a frustrating experience. Overall, while the game shows potential, its stability issues significantly impact playability.

    • “Game play is a buggy mess.”
    • “In order to 100% the game, you must complete a long arduous journey, which is only prolonged by irritating and game-ending glitches.”
    • “I want to love this game, it's like Amnesia with combat and based in my absolute favorite setting, but it's completely marred with glitches, clipping issues, horrible AI, and horrible combat.”
  • story20 mentions

    The story of "Depths of Fear: Knossos" centers around Theseus navigating a labyrinth to rescue Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, while battling the Minotaur. While some players appreciate the connection to Greek mythology and find the lore engaging, many criticize the narrative for being simplistic, lacking depth, and poorly integrated with the gameplay. Overall, the storytelling is seen as minimal and repetitive, with little innovation beyond its ancient source material.

    • “You take on the role of Theseus, a name many may recognize from the Greek story, Theseus and the Minotaur.”
    • “The whole story can be summarized as Theseus (you) being cast down into the labyrinth to save the daughter of King Minos (the lord of the labyrinth).”
    • “Engage in the story of Theseus as he tries to escape the labyrinth to gain the hand of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, the dirtbag who threw you into this dump in the first place!”
    • “The developer was unable to come up with decent level design or game/story flow/plot, so they opted to try to use samey repetitive procedural generation as a substitute for adding content to the game.”
    • “The story is nothing special because it basically does not exist.”
    • “There is no voice acting, the models are not as good as they could be, and there is little of a plot (granted, the source material does not have much either!).”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players experiencing significant frame drops and performance issues even on low settings. Many report a lack of impactful graphic options and persistent bugs, which detract from the overall experience despite the game's strong concept and atmosphere. Overall, while the game shows potential, its technical shortcomings hinder enjoyment.

    • “Great concept, but performance and control problems keep it from being fun.”
    • “The graphic options don't make that big of a change in performance or quality, and resolution choices are very limited. The music doesn't blend well with the game's atmosphere; also, the volume option resets to 0 at every startup, requiring manual adjustment each time.”
    • “It's also poorly optimized; even with everything on low, I still get frame drops at times, anywhere from 20 fps to 4 fps.”
    • “The optimization is horrible; there are a lot of bugs and the options are few.”
    • “Very good game, but not optimized as well as it could be.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the infinite dungeon mode and procedurally generated environments that enhance replay value, others find it limited after completing the main content. Ratings vary, with some users giving it a score of 7/10 for replayability, while others describe it as having "very little" once the game is finished.

    • “The best part of the game is that it's very replayable.”
    • “Not only is this a great take on the monsters of Greek mythology, but the procedurally generated environments (as is a staple of rogue-like games) greatly increase replayability.”
    • “Depths of Fear takes about 5 hours to finish (it does have an infinite dungeon mode which adds to its replayability).”
    • “Low replayability.”
    • “Overall, it's a nice game to wind down to if you're up to nothing, but it has very little replay value once you beat it.”
    • “Depths of Fear takes about 5 hours to finish; it does have an infinite dungeon mode which adds to its replayability.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while grinding is present in the game, it is not excessively tedious or pointless, with players able to earn money through stealth mechanics and strategic gameplay. However, some find the reliance on grinding and luck to acquire better weapons for boss battles frustrating, suggesting that the game could benefit from a more balanced approach to progression. Overall, the grinding experience is mixed, with some players appreciating the challenge while others feel it detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “Grinding by sneaking the map collecting maybe 5 gold max per level.”
    • “Too much reliance on grinding and luck to get the good weapons needed to actually kill the stage bosses.”
    • “This isn't the kind of game that you spend hundreds of hours unlocking items or grinding; it is fairly short with only a few weapons and spells to help you slay the mythical beasts that hide in the dark.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of unexpected and absurd elements, such as funky music accompanying intense chase sequences and comically exaggerated monster designs. While some players find amusement in the game's quirky moments and the humorous ways they meet their demise, this novelty can wear off, leading to frustration with the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the humor seems to be hit-or-miss, with some players appreciating it while others feel it detracts from the game's intended experience.

    • “I also love that even if some area bosses are relentless with their chase, the music is quite funky and doesn't fit, which makes it hilarious.”
    • “Terrifying and sometimes funny.”
    • “(The monster looked funny by the way).”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, citing its dark atmosphere and immersive music as key elements that evoke intense feelings, even to the point of discomfort. The nostalgic texture style further enhances this emotional experience, resonating with those who appreciate late 90s gaming aesthetics.

    • “I actually love this game for purely emotional reasons.”
    • “The game's pitch-black nature, even in the hub with a lit torch, made me feel a deep sense of unease and discomfort.”
    • “The music complemented the game perfectly, enhancing the emotional experience and evoking a true late 90's nostalgia.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The game lacks significant character development, which some players find disappointing, especially in a rogue-like context where such growth is often expected. While the existing system serves its purpose, there is a desire for better representation of collectible items to enhance the experience.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly engaging, allowing players to truly connect with their characters and see them grow throughout the journey.”
    • “I love how the character development is woven into the gameplay, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
    • “The depth of character development adds layers to the story, making every character feel unique and memorable.”
    • “Given that the game does not have any character development throughout, this system does fulfill its purpose, but it would still be nice to see a representation of the items you can find and collect.”
    • “Regarding the character development as a 'rogue-like'.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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