Doorways: The Underworld
- September 17, 2014
- Saibot Studios
The scariest thing about this title is the horror of facing another “find the key puzzle.” Oculus support and solid voice acting doesn’t save Doorways from bad puzzles, poor monster design and ineffective scares.
Get on Steam"Doorways: The Underworld" is a first-person horror adventure game, where you play as special agent Thomas Foster, tasked with tracking down a missing psychopath in a terrifying and atmospheric underworld. The game features fast-paced gameplay, challenging puzzles, and high-quality visuals and sounds. It is the third chapter in the Doorways series, but can be played independently, with the option to explore many secret places and full controller support.
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Reviews
- The game excels in creating an immersive atmosphere with outstanding sound design and aesthetics.
- The story is more fleshed out compared to previous chapters, providing deeper background and context.
- There are some genuinely scary moments and unique mechanics that enhance the horror experience.
- Gameplay can become tedious and repetitive, particularly with the maze-like levels and similar puzzles.
- The lack of clear progression and feedback can lead to frustration, especially when searching for collectibles.
- Some mechanics, like the chase sequences, can feel unfair and disrupt the overall atmosphere of the game.
- atmosphere66 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and tension, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and sound design that contribute to a sense of dread. However, some players feel that the atmosphere suffers due to repetitive level design and gameplay mechanics that disrupt the immersive experience. Overall, while the game successfully creates a chilling ambiance, certain elements detract from its potential, leading to mixed feelings among players.
“Great atmosphere and a cold, bleak soundtrack.”
“The claustrophobic atmosphere and the excellent sound work really do give a sense of building dread and terror.”
“The game has an amazing atmosphere!!”
“They break the atmosphere and change the genre from puzzle adventure to frustrating trial and error racing game.”
“Time trials themselves are not necessarily bad, but for a game that relies on psychological horror, they need to be used only a few times at most, and making them too difficult and too overcomplicated only leads to frustrating the player and ruining the carefully crafted atmosphere that made Doorways popular.”
“The atmosphere that Doorways relies on was ruined.”
- story59 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as a mix of confusion and intrigue, with some players appreciating its atmospheric and well-paced narrative, while others find it generic and predictable. The episodic format allows for deeper exploration of the plot, but critiques highlight a lack of originality and motivation that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a double-edged sword, offering engaging elements for some while leaving others disappointed by its execution.
“It's a nice, new take on the detective story, a bright detective with an unknown past facing off against a twisted genius, but inside the killer's mind, rather than at the Reichenbach Falls.”
“The gameplay, graphics, atmosphere, and story make the saga one of the best PC gaming experiences currently available.”
“Moreover, the gradual reveal of the story was very well paced, and even though the story is a little generic, it suits the environments well.”
“The bare bones story element will leave you wondering why you are wandering around.”
“It actually cripples the entire horror experience and the lack of motive plus story does that plenty already.”
“Weak story, mediocre environment, terrible music, no 'thrill' of being chased, and no original ideas make this game a waste of time and money.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Gameplay in "Doorways: The Underworld" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its unique mechanics and atmospheric tension, while others criticize it for being repetitive and tedious. The introduction of various mechanics, such as the dying torch and inconsistent monster behaviors, often leads to frustration rather than enhancing the experience. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments and impressive graphics, its gameplay can feel linear and awkward, detracting from the overall horror experience.
“The gameplay, graphics, atmosphere, and story make the saga one of the best PC gaming experiences currently available.”
“The graphics are impressive, gameplay enjoyable, and difficulty just right.”
“Compare to chapters 1 & 2, chapter 3 was longer, chasers were more thoughtful, puzzles were harder, ambiance was deeper and more terrifying, and control mechanics were absolutely amazing (that flashback was just wow and sometimes really scary!).”
“Last boss' flashback mechanic can spawn her 10 cm in front of you, resulting in an instakill, despite the game's popups saying that she cannot spawn near you.”
“Unfortunately, towards the end, a new mechanic is introduced which is a little glitchy and awkward to control.”
“The real failing of the Underworld is its tedious gameplay, as the lack of diversity left me with a familiar sense of strict linearity.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the overall aesthetics, atmosphere, and level design as outstanding, while others describe them as basic or reminiscent of older console graphics. Many players appreciate the improved visuals and less darkness compared to previous chapters, though some still find elements difficult to discern. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they contribute positively to the game's immersive experience.
“The graphics are impressive, gameplay enjoyable, and difficulty just right.”
“Graphics are better and less dark, atmosphere in the lab is spot on and the ending of that part was a creepy surprise.”
“The gameplay, graphics, atmosphere and story make the saga one of the best PC gaming experiences currently available.”
“Graphically average, like something out of a PlayStation 2 console.”
“The graphics are basic, and it is most definitely not horrific.”
“The graphics look like Penumbra.”
- grinding26 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many players expressing that it detracts from the overall experience. Repetitive gameplay elements, particularly in the final levels and certain puzzles, lead to a loss of engagement and enjoyment, turning what could be challenging moments into monotonous tasks. Overall, the lack of diversity and linearity in gameplay contributes to a sense of irritation rather than fun.
“What remains is one of the most tedious and offensive final levels ever egested.”
“The real failing of the underworld is its tedious gameplay, as the lack of diversity left me with a familiar sense of strict linearity.”
“It's so tedious that it stops being scary 5 minutes into this section.”
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and creepy qualities, effectively enhancing the bleak environments and overall experience. While some reviewers noted the potential for improvement in the looping soundtrack, many found the score to be excellent and well-suited to the game's tone. However, a few critics felt the music was lacking, contributing to a weak overall impression of the game.
“The music, the environments, the designs, everything.”
“Music was still excellent and suited the environment well.”
“Overall, this gets a solid 7.5, since the music and voice acting were bloody brilliant.”
“These games have a lot of potential if they worked a bit more on the looping soundtrack by making it longer.”
“Weak story, mediocre environment, terrible music, no 'thrill' of being chased, and no original ideas make this game a waste of time and money.”
“Very dark corridors (a lot of people complained about this, but it just makes the experience more intense in my opinion) and very creepy music.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with few bugs or major glitches reported. However, users have experienced issues with achievements not unlocking, particularly on Linux, and occasional control slow-downs.
“Achievements did not unlock - buggy on Linux :(”
“Overall, this gets a solid 7.5, since the music and voice acting were bloody brilliant (same guy as Alexander from TDD), the environments were well made and there were few bugs or breaking glitches (apart from the odd control slow-down key thing (??)).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's last level has been criticized for poor optimization, particularly for players using a gamepad, making it frustrating to navigate.
“The last level was annoying and not optimized for gamepad play.”
