Desert of the Dead
- August 12, 2019
- Astralis Games
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Desert of the Dead," explore the wild west as a mysterious wanderer with the ability to fight zombies, but only in sunlight. Save people from a government-created virus turning them into the undead, while battling bandits and navigating narrow corridors. With a long, challenging journey ahead, remember that the desert is unforgiving of mistakes.
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and quirky experience with humorous dialogue and a unique setting in the Wild West.
- For its low price, the game provides a nostalgic 8-bit style that appeals to fans of retro games.
- Despite its flaws, some players found enjoyment in the chaotic gameplay and the challenge it presents.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking glitches that can lead to infinite death loops.
- Many players criticized the lack of coherent story and poor writing, making it difficult to follow the plot.
- The controls and gameplay mechanics are often described as frustrating and unresponsive, detracting from the overall experience.
- story42 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely disjointed and lacks coherence, with many players noting its randomness and lack of clear transitions between scenes. While some found the humor and unexpected plot twists enjoyable, others criticized the overall narrative as confusing and poorly executed. Despite its shortcomings, a few players appreciated the amusing elements and fun gameplay, suggesting that the game can still be entertaining even without a strong story.
“The story is kinda all over the place, but it's an enjoyable 2D arcade game about the wild west, bandits, and well, cacti.”
“Was a fun little adventure through the desert, I enjoyed the story, especially the ending!”
“Good game, amazing story, and lovely graphics.”
“There is no coherent story to speak of; the scenes are just jumbled together with no transitions between them.”
“What little story the game presented was disjointed and confusing.”
“The story is barely there, and the grammar is nonexistent.”
- gameplay35 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users citing issues such as frequent glitches, repetitive mechanics, and uninspired design. While some appreciate the retro style and humor, the overall experience is marred by long cutscenes, poor controls, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a consensus that the game is frustrating and lacks depth. A few users noted potential for improvement in future updates or sequels, but currently, the gameplay is seen as a significant letdown.
“The gameplay resembles RDR2 in a retro style.”
“A great game with simple gameplay and a minimalistic design.”
“Great little game with fun quick gameplay and charming characters.”
“I like the music, and the graphics, but the gameplay and just about everything else is just horrible.”
“The gameplay is a clunky mess with bad writing, jarring transitions, boring gameplay, and the potential to soft lock the game by not letting your gun shoot.”
“I started the game and instantly the game was stuttering, and the text box for the dialogue was jumping around everywhere. When I got to the gameplay, the second I fired my gun, the game froze, and when it unfroze, I was dead.”
- humor33 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, characterized by absurd situations, silly dialogues, and quirky characters, such as a cactus in a cowboy hat. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and find the gameplay relaxing, others criticize the writing and gameplay mechanics, suggesting that the humor may not be enough to compensate for the game's shortcomings. Overall, it offers a lighthearted experience that appeals to those who enjoy a mix of humor and unconventional challenges.
“The developers tried their best to create this incredible world, full of absurdity and funny situations.”
“The game has a dose of humor that keeps you from getting bored.”
“The game has very funny dialogues between the characters.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the attractive pixel art and well-drawn characters that fit the wild west theme, while others note issues like framerate drops and overall bugginess. Some players find the visuals charming and reminiscent of classic games, but others feel that the graphics, despite being visually appealing, are overshadowed by gameplay flaws. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a highlight, though not without their drawbacks.
“Super game, cool graphics, well-drawn characters and objects; I can recommend it to everyone.”
“Great game about the western; I've always dreamed of such beautiful graphics!”
“An attractive indie game in a retro style set in the wild west, made with nice pixel graphics, which is more suitable than ever for this setting.”
“The framerate chugs, which is baffling considering the visuals.”
“The pixel graphics are cute, but that's about the only positive about this.”
“The graphics are very unusual.”
- music23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its ability to convey the atmosphere of the wild west and its nostalgic 90s, 8-bit style. While some noted issues with audio overlay and repetitiveness, the soundtrack is often described as fun and engaging, enhancing the overall experience despite criticisms of gameplay and other elements. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, contributing positively to the game's charm.
“The music in the game conveys the atmosphere of the wild west.”
“The soundtrack is pleasant to listen to during the gameplay.”
“The music and the atmosphere of the old west is nice - it draws me in.”
“Audio is awkward as music will overlay sometimes and enemies will make no sound when they attack, so random shots will kill you.”
“I'm not really sure what people are talking about with regard to the soundtrack.”
“Repetitive music, repetitive gameplay.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, lag, and odd hitboxes that significantly detract from the overall experience. Players describe it as a "buggy mess," making gameplay frustrating and often unplayable, despite some enjoyable elements. Overall, the instability renders the game difficult to recommend.
“Don't buy this without expecting a lot of glitches.”
“Very low quality, numerous glitches, hitboxes are odd size, the game goes from trying to be a shooter to being atmospheric back and forth yet more or less fails at both.”
“I would have loved to play this game and like I said some really good artwork but the overall bugginess of this game is unbearable so I would not and could not recommend this game.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by its wild west setting, with music and visuals that evoke a sense of immersion and nostalgia for the cowboy experience. However, technical issues such as glitches and odd hitboxes detract from the overall atmosphere, leading to a mixed reception where some find it unintentionally comedic. While the core elements of a strong atmospheric game are present, the execution falls short, leaving players with a sense of lost potential.
“The music in the game conveys the atmosphere of the wild west.”
“All this atmosphere of the wild west, horses and revolvers ... what you need for an atmospheric game.”
“Subconsciously, the game immerses you in the atmosphere of the wild west, as if you really reincarnated as a real cowboy who bravely fights for his life and honor.”
“The game's English and buggy atmosphere make it more of a satire/comedy, unintentionally I'm sure.”
“The atmosphere of a western is a little lost because of atypical opponents, but it's even funny in some ways, so it's forgivable.”
“All this atmosphere of the wild west, horses and revolvers... what you need for an atmospheric game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe stuttering, erratic UI elements, and freezing issues during gameplay. Despite these significant performance problems, some users feel that the game's price may justify overlooking these flaws.
“Disgusting optimization, but for such money you can ignore it.”
“I started the game and instantly the game was stuttering. The text box for the dialog was jumping around everywhere, and then I got to the gameplay. The second I fired my gun, the game froze, and when it unfroze, I was dead.”
