Doorways: Prelude
- September 20, 2013
- Saibot Studios
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Doorways: Prelude" is a horror adventure game where you play as Thomas Foster, a special agent on a mission to track down four psychopaths. The game features fast-paced gameplay, breathtaking visuals and sounds, and a complex story. It offers horror exploration, puzzles, and challenges to test your reflexes, with full controller and Oculus Rift support, and inspired voice acting by Sam A. Mowry. This chapter includes the first two episodes of the game.
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Reviews
- The game has a great atmosphere and sound design that effectively creates a creepy and immersive experience.
- The puzzles are unique and challenging without being overly stressful, making for an engaging gameplay experience.
- The story, while somewhat confusing, offers an interesting premise that draws players into the dark minds of the characters.
- The game is excessively dark, making it difficult to navigate and often frustrating for players.
- There is a lack of replayability, as the game is quite short and doesn't offer much in terms of new content after the first playthrough.
- The controls can be clunky and unresponsive at times, detracting from the overall experience.
- atmosphere82 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its dark, eerie, and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of tension and foreboding. However, some reviews note inconsistencies in the atmosphere, often undermined by poorly integrated puzzles and a lack of narrative depth. Overall, while many players appreciate the creepy ambiance and sound design, opinions vary on its effectiveness in delivering a truly scary experience.
“I loved the atmosphere; it is dark, it is eerie, and even though there aren't any jump scares per se (which is great because I hate those!), there were a couple of moments where I was glad I wasn't taking a sip of my drink or a bite to eat at that time!”
“This game excels at creating an unsettling and foreboding atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is just mind-blowing... some of the best ever created.”
“Doorways: Prelude establishes a powerful and suffocating atmosphere and then completely squanders it with threadbare characters, shiftless puzzles, and a dearth of threat.”
“It's harmless, and doesn't try anything new, deciding instead to stick to the tried and true 'creepy atmosphere with no real sense of danger, rhyme, or reason'.”
“There is a lack of atmosphere and it seems very bland.”
- story71 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing premise and atmosphere, while others find it confusing, underdeveloped, or lacking depth. Many appreciate the unique storytelling methods, such as notes and visuals, but feel that the narrative could benefit from more clarity and fleshing out. Overall, while the story has potential and engages some players, it often falls short of expectations, leading to a range of opinions on its effectiveness.
“Great atmosphere and story, and the puzzles are unique and challenging without being overtly stressful.”
“I love the darkness of the story, good soundtrack, voice, and effects.”
“I know this game for a while now, it's short and with not that much action or horror, but still so good and awesome, that I couldn't stop playing until all the pieces of the story were together and I had all achievements.”
“The thing that I dislike most about the game itself is the story; I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't make sense to me and it doesn't interest me enough to dig deeper, but the gameplay generally makes up for that.”
“Boring, lame, and predictable story which has zero original content.”
“The plot was also a tad confusing, as the opening exposition makes it seem like you're some sort of detective, though as the story progresses it seems like something more is going on that the player hasn't been made fully aware of.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the high-resolution textures and eerie atmosphere, while others criticize the overall quality as outdated or inconsistent. Many players appreciate the level design and artistic direction, but note that the overly dark visuals can hinder gameplay. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but not the main focus, with some memorable moments overshadowed by technical shortcomings.
“Sound design (including the voice acting), overall aesthetics, level design, all creative/3D artist work, genuinely outstanding stuff here.”
“The graphics use high resolution, high detail textures with a good amount of contrast, heavy on the shading.”
“Great atmosphere, amazing art, good graphics, and outstanding voice acting.”
“The main obstacle, though, is just how dark the visuals are; even with the brightness cranked all the way up to max and all of the special effects turned off, sometimes it's nearly impossible to see what you're doing.”
“The overly dark shadowy graphics mentioned by others is making everything harder than it needs to be.”
“The visuals look like a 2004 game.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of mechanics, with some innovative features like a dying torch and varied environments, but also frustrations such as limited monster threats and inventory issues. While puzzles are generally well-received and add to the experience, many players find the gameplay lacking in depth and scares, leading to a perception of it being overpriced for the content offered. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a blend of enjoyable elements and significant shortcomings, resulting in a polarized reception.
“The gameplay is pretty well done and the puzzles were challenging and a little fun.”
“One of the things I really liked was the huge variety of gameplay environments.”
“The atmosphere of the game is really well done; the levels take a bit of time to be out, but you can feel the quality and passion in them. The echoes and sounds are actually terrifying and immersive, making your heart race as you try to stay awake from the dark or run away from someone.”
“The gameplay is simple; you move through dark forests and dark castle corridors, avoiding a few traps and collecting various objects so that you might, in turn, pull levers and activate switches.”
“If you find this game on sale, snatch it up, but with only about 2 1/2 hours of gameplay, lack of scares, and some glitchy moments, this game is just not worth the original price.”
“The gameplay, as far as I experienced, was not great (with a controller).”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as effective in creating a tense and atmospheric experience, with a mix of creepy sounds and well-timed crescendos that enhance the overall tension. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive and short, with a few expressing dissatisfaction over the inability to turn off the background music. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the dark atmosphere, it may not appeal to everyone due to its looping nature and occasional lack of variety.
“The musical background is felicitous, not repetitive, sometimes tense, sometimes gliding and imponderable.”
“The music and tone of the entire game also lend well to the atmosphere.”
“Great soundtrack (and voice acting), really contributes to the game's dark atmosphere.”
“Mostly just a bunch of scary music and creepy sounds.”
“The soundtrack loops and is also shockingly short.”
“The first hour or two of the game consist of trudging through an unexplained strange terrain, with 'spooky' music and sound effects, while occasionally picking up extremely vague and disjointed notes that appear to have no connection at all.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report no significant graphical glitches, others experience bugs, particularly with achievements on Linux. There are ongoing concerns about known issues that have not been addressed, leading to frustration among users. Despite these problems, some still find the game enjoyable, especially for newcomers to the horror genre.
“Achievements did not unlock - buggy on Linux :(”
“They've known about bugs and glitches for months but are too busy stealing money from people with 'chapter 3'.”
“Overall, the game wasn't scary; it was a little too dark, a tiny bit buggy, but an alright starter game for anyone easing themselves into horror games, as long as it isn't full price.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some users report improved performance, others highlight significant issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and poor overall optimization, particularly in dark environments.
“It increased my performance quite a bit!”
“This game seems to be poorly optimized, and aside from the pitch black environment, stuttering makes it unplayable.”
“- poorly optimized - a lot of frame drops during checkpoint saves.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding highlight a mixed experience; while some players find it builds anticipation and prevents tedium, others feel that certain areas become excessively repetitive and tedious, particularly when dying forces them to repeat already monotonous tasks.
“Some areas become very, very tedious.”
“The only punishment for dying is having to go back through an already tedious task.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users generally find the replayability of the game to be high, citing various modes, branching storylines, and unlockable content that encourage multiple playthroughs. Many appreciate the ability to make different choices and explore alternative outcomes, enhancing the overall experience. However, some note that certain aspects may feel repetitive after several runs.
“The replay value of this game is incredible; every playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
“I love how each decision I make leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay the game multiple times.”
“With various character builds and story paths, the replayability keeps me coming back for more.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for misleading consumers, as it continues to promote full VR support despite failing to deliver on promised features, leading to frustration among users.
