Dread X Collection 3
- October 23, 2020
- Basalt Tower
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Dread X Collection 3" is a single-player horror action game with an intriguing story and phenomenal game mechanics. Players help Leo and his alien consciousness, Prometheus, navigate through a sinister castle filled with 12 spoopy games, each created by a different indie developer. Despite good graphics, music, and humor, the game has numerous bugs, but its unique atmosphere sets it apart.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The collection features a diverse range of games, each with unique mechanics and styles, making it enjoyable for various players.
- The hub area designed by Akuma Kira adds a charming and cohesive narrative element that ties the games together.
- Several standout titles, such as 'Submission' and 'Disparity of the Dead', showcase impressive storytelling and gameplay, elevating the overall experience.
- Some games suffer from bugs and control issues, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and immersion.
- The shift towards a more lighthearted and 'cute' theme may disappoint players expecting traditional horror elements.
- A few games feel underdeveloped or too short, leaving players wanting more depth and content.
- story104 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game collection receives mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging and cute narratives, particularly in the hub area, while others find it confusing or lacking depth. Many players appreciate the intertwining plots and character development, though some criticize the storytelling for being predictable or rushed, especially towards the endings. Overall, the collection offers a variety of storytelling styles, from intriguing and emotional to nonsensical and simplistic, appealing to different tastes among players.
“The story is intriguing and has multiple endings.”
“Disparity of the Dead is the crown jewel here, combining not only excellent gameplay but unique world-building, storytelling, and a satisfying arc.”
“The story is where this one shines - I'm really impressed by the writing, voice acting, and development of the mini-plot in the hub game.”
“The storytelling got a little lazy at the end though as all endings just cut to black with the ending name instead of actually concluding anything.”
“The story of this collection is absolute garbage.”
“The story comes off of 2 and offers a much more cute spooky atmosphere than 2 did and I really really enjoyed that.”
- graphics81 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics across the reviewed games exhibit a strong emphasis on nostalgic aesthetics, particularly reminiscent of PS1 and N64 styles, often blending cute and spooky elements. While many players appreciate the charming and surreal visuals, some critiques highlight issues such as poor performance, lack of detail, and disorienting camera work. Overall, the art styles are generally well-received, though they can sometimes detract from gameplay experience due to technical shortcomings.
“I also really like the graphics and designs.”
“The graphics nail the PS1 aesthetic pretty well.”
“The visuals and experimentation gameplay were so cool.”
“First off, the visuals and camera almost made me hurl in the first five minutes, and when your accessibility setting is hidden through a repetitive press of a button, as well as the instructions to get them hidden behind the UI, that’s just a big no-no.”
“It sucks because the story and visuals seemed interesting, but the game was such a pain to play that I was barely able to finish it, let alone explore and enjoy it.”
“The graphics and controls made this a slog, and repeating the same three actions for six floors really felt like it just wanted to be a time sink.”
- gameplay79 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay across various reviews is characterized by a mix of innovative mechanics and frustrating elements, with some players appreciating unique concepts like investigation and coding, while others criticize repetitive loops and clunky controls. Many found the gameplay to be either too simplistic or lacking polish, leading to a disconnect between the intriguing story and the execution of gameplay mechanics. Overall, while some games offer engaging experiences with interesting twists, others suffer from jankiness and a lack of depth, resulting in a varied reception.
“The mechanics were interesting and unique, and the story was awesome.”
“Puzzles are fun, gameplay is innovative, and horror is on point.”
“Disparity of the Dead is the crown jewel here, combining not only excellent gameplay but unique world-building, storytelling, and a satisfying arc.”
“I really enjoy the biblically accurate angel designs and some of the visuals, but the game is both difficult to figure out as well as rather boring as the gameplay loop wasn’t very interesting.”
“I really hate platforming games where all your movements feel like you're walking on ice, and the jump mechanic wasn’t innovative, just frustrating.”
“The gameplay is padded with these annoying segments, and the actual gameplay felt tedious and unresponsive.”
- music40 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the music in the games reviewed is consistently praised for its quality and ability to enhance the gaming experience, with many users highlighting standout soundtracks that complement the visuals and gameplay. Titles like "Soul Waste" and "Reactor" receive particular acclaim for their engaging soundtracks, while others note that even games with less favorable gameplay can still shine through their music. The combination of catchy tunes, atmospheric scores, and unique styles contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment of these games.
“I really liked the music in Soul Waste!”
“The music is an amazing banger, and the character designs are well done.”
“The dynamic music changing to the situation is nice, however, as well as some of the visuals being neat to look at.”
“It's not great, but the music (which is of a genre I usually don't like) is catchy, and the intro and three loading screens take longer than the game itself takes to play, so I didn't dislike it as strange as that may sound.”
“And this music combined with graphics straight from PS1.”
“I thought this one was going to pretend to be cute judging by the character's design and the fact that the title screen has Hatsune Miku music.”
- humor34 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in these games is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting their comedic elements and clever writing. While some games blend humor with horror effectively, others are noted for their silliness and parody, making them enjoyable despite basic gameplay mechanics. Overall, the humor is described as a standout feature, contributing to a fun and entertaining experience across the titles.
“This game is just flat out hilarious and awesome.”
“Pokes fun at children's educational games with a horror twist; while its gameplay is really basic, the concept and style make it absolutely worth a playthrough. Loved the humor.”
“Definitely more funny than scary, but I think that was on purpose.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere across the Dread X collection is characterized by a blend of lighthearted spookiness and unsettling elements, creating a unique experience that captivates players. Many reviews highlight the effective use of visuals and sound to evoke feelings of isolation and mystery, while some games successfully balance fun and horror. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its creativity and depth, though a few titles fall short in delivering engaging settings.
“It achieves a great atmosphere with very little.”
“The atmosphere in general is very well done and overall I would call it a nice time; this dev can do these visuals very well.”
“This game has amazing atmosphere.”
“The horror atmosphere of the hub in 2 is now replaced with a hub that feels like a mockery of the best part of 2, especially with the dumb bromance of the characters in this collection.”
“The atmosphere in general is very well done (even if I would've liked a few more textures rather than primarily pretty colors) and overall I would call it a nice time; this dev can do these visuals very well.”
“A novel approach to horror, this collection uses horror mostly as a fun gag in many of the games, and with an unsettling atmosphere in others.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the games is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and unresponsive controls that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many players experienced game-breaking issues, such as soft locks and forced restarts, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. While some elements show potential, the overwhelming consensus is that the games are poorly tested and riddled with stability problems.
“Of the games on offer here, only a few are fun, none are scary, and a couple are so buggy that they're effectively broken.”
“Further still, almost all of the games are shoddily made and poorly tested with constant issues and glitches.”
“I had to restart this game three times due to random glitches and soft locks.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and at times uninteresting, with some segments feeling overly padded and repetitive. However, many also note that engaging plot elements can help mitigate the frustration, making the experience worthwhile despite the grind.
“The gameplay is padded with these annoying segments and the actual gameplay felt tedious and unresponsive.”
“Interesting experience, but more tedious than fun.”
“Though it did get a bit tedious at points, especially after cleaning the sixth table.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The optimization of the collection is generally considered lacking, with some users noting performance issues that can cause the game to lag. While the graphics and overall presentation are appealing, there are suggestions for improvements, such as implementing a vsync function to enhance performance on lower-end systems.
“Some games might need just a bit of extra optimization; it can also be done by implementing a VSync function for lower-end computers.”
“This collection has some of my favorite games from all of the collections thus far, and while it is extremely strong with its games, the meta-game world is a little lacking. It looks nice and has nice puzzles, albeit easy, but it can chug a bit at times and feels a little poorly optimized.”
“Some games might need just a bit of extra optimization; it could also be improved by adding a VSync function for lower-end computers.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
While the game features creative and well-executed character designs, the overall character development is overshadowed by the bleakness of the world. Players appreciate the solid gameplay and engaging map design, but the focus remains more on aesthetics than on deep character growth.
“The world is very bleak, but the character designs are creative.”
“The music is an amazing banger, and the character designs are well done.”
“Gameplay is solid, map design and character design are fun, and it accomplishes its goal excellently.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
“I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
“Despite the interesting premise, the characters remain one-dimensional and fail to grow throughout the story.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that certain elements of the game, such as specific splash screens, evoke strong feelings of unease, highlighting the emotional impact the game can have on players.
“One of the splash screens in particular made me feel really uneasy.”
