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, it provides a decent amount of gameplay and nostalgia for fans of retro 8-bit games.
- The pixel art and soundtrack are charming, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere despite the game's flaws.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking glitches that can lead to infinite death loops and unresponsive controls.
- The story is disjointed and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
- Gameplay mechanics are frustrating, with floaty controls and hitboxes that often lead to unfair deaths, detracting from the overall experience.
- story42 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being disjointed, confusing, and lacking coherence, with many players noting that it feels more like a collection of random scenes than a cohesive narrative. While some find humor and enjoyment in the absurdity of the plot, others express frustration over its lack of depth and clarity, often describing it as a mere backdrop to the gameplay rather than a driving force. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its quirky elements while others deem it poorly executed and riddled with bugs.
“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 not worth the time or investment. Despite a few positive remarks about its potential, most reviews suggest that significant improvements are needed for a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
“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.”
“After the intro vibes this game gave me, and then the absolute letdown its gameplay gave me, I think I will.”
“The game 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, the text box for the dialogue was jumping around everywhere, and then I got to the gameplay and 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 entertaining, others criticize the writing and 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 gameplay.
“The developers tried their best to create this incredible world, full of absurdity and funny situations.”
“The game has no plot at all, but there are a lot of funny levels with the most unexpected tasks.”
“The game has a dose of humor that keeps you from getting bored.”
- 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 problems. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a highlight, though not without their flaws.
“Super game, cool graphics, well-drawn characters and objects, I can recommend it to everyone.”
“Great game about the western! I always dreamed of such beautiful graphics!”
“An attractive indie game in a retro style in the world of 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 pleasant, engaging quality. However, some users noted issues with audio layering and repetitiveness, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is often described as fun and fitting, enhancing 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.”
“Repetitive music, repetitive gameplay.”
“I'm not really sure what people are talking about with regard to the soundtrack.”
- 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 idea of a western atmosphere is appreciated, its execution is seen as inconsistent, affecting the game's ability to fully engage players.
“The music in the game conveys the atmosphere of the wild west.”
“Atmosphere, idea, implementation 10 points.”
“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 game's optimization 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.”
