Dread X Collection 5
- May 19, 2022
- VisceralError
Get on SteamDread X Collection 5 is a horror anthology featuring 10 indie games, each with unique themes and scares. Explore creepy mansions, conduct chilling experiments, and survive sinister forces in these unsettling experiences. With varied gameplay and narratives, it offers a diverse range of frights for horror enthusiasts.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Dread X Collection 5 features a diverse range of horror games, showcasing unique concepts and creative storytelling.
- Standout titles like 'We Never Left', 'Karao', and 'Gallerie' offer memorable experiences that justify the price of the collection.
- The hub world, Outpost 3000, provides an engaging environment with puzzles and a comic story that ties the games together.
- Some games in the collection suffer from bugs and technical issues, affecting gameplay and immersion.
- The overall quality of the games is inconsistent, with several entries feeling underdeveloped or lacking in depth.
- The hub world lacks the polish and atmosphere of previous collections, making it feel less engaging.
- story274 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game collection received mixed reviews, with some titles praised for their intriguing concepts and emotional depth, while others were criticized for incoherence and lack of originality. Standout entries like "We Never Left" and "Vestige" were noted for their compelling narratives and atmospheric storytelling, whereas games like "Interim" and "Karao" suffered from confusing plots and disappointing conclusions. Overall, while some stories resonated well with players, others felt disjointed or underdeveloped, leading to a varied reception across the collection.
“The atmosphere is perfect and the storytelling is amazing.”
“Vestige – a story of trauma, hidden guilt, and radical skeleton bike tricks!”
“It somehow perfectly blends simple pixelated visuals with a deep and fun story that evolves into something beautiful.”
“The first guess you make at the story is almost certainly 100% what happens and there really aren't any twists along the way at all or any surprises.”
“It feels so supremely janky and unfinished, there's utterly needless and pointless FMV, the performance is bad, the gameplay/physics are buggy and borderline broken, and the story is weak and barely makes any sense.”
“Speaking of the end, it is really bland and doesn’t really conclude the story well.”
- gameplay224 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay across the reviewed titles is notably varied, with some games offering engaging mechanics and atmospheric experiences, while others suffer from clunky controls and repetitive tasks. Many players appreciate unique elements like puzzles and stealth mechanics, but express frustration with confusing gameplay and lack of polish in certain titles. Overall, the collection showcases a mix of innovative ideas and traditional horror gameplay, though some entries may feel overly simplistic or lacking in depth.
“The atmosphere and environments are amazing, the gameplay is quite fun, and the story/dialogue are quite interesting.”
“Karao: the gameplay was exceptional, and the art style itself beautiful.”
“Diverse gameplay that keeps you thinking yet unknowing, super super good balance of fun and fear.”
“The gameplay is stressful and repetitive but never quite outstays its welcome.”
“It feels so supremely janky and unfinished; there's utterly needless and pointless FMV, the performance is bad, the gameplay/physics are buggy and borderline broken, and the story is weak and barely makes any sense.”
“The game has three chapters (two chapters too long) with each chapter taking around half an hour or longer to beat and all chapters having similar gameplay; it gets stale after a while, which leads to the majority of the playtime being more boring than scary.”
- graphics186 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics across the reviewed games are generally praised for their unique art styles and atmospheric qualities, with titles like "Karao" and "Gallerie" receiving particular acclaim for their stunning visuals. However, several games also suffer from notable graphical glitches and performance issues, which detract from the overall experience. While many players appreciate the creativity and aesthetic choices of indie titles, some express frustration with confusing visuals and unoptimized performance that can hinder gameplay.
“Gallerie was absolutely stunning; the visuals were amazing and so beautiful in my opinion.”
“Beyond the curtain - I love the visuals and atmosphere of this game.”
“Colorfiction is incredibly good at creating cool visuals in games; I've never seen anything like what they do.”
“The biggest issue this game has is the visuals, as they all feel confusing and just genuinely unpleasant to look at.”
“I feel like the art style is the most mediocre part.”
“The one thing I gotta question a bit is that the game uses modern high-resolution graphics with a pixel filter on top, seems a bit pointless, especially when the pixel filter is removed for the parts where you play the game(s) within the game.”
- atmosphere76 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in these games is frequently praised for its immersive quality, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of visuals, sound design, and environmental storytelling to create tension and dread. While some players appreciate the slower, mood-focused experiences, others feel that the lack of dynamic gameplay can lead to monotony over time. Overall, the atmosphere is often considered the standout feature, enhancing the overall experience despite varying opinions on gameplay mechanics.
“The atmosphere is perfect and the storytelling is amazing.”
“Cool environment to explore, and for me it successfully built up a scary atmosphere over time, building great tension.”
“The atmosphere is honestly something else here; whenever I made progress, I would find myself anxiously checking every corner of the house to see if I would get jumped by a serial killer while being at the edge of my seat.”
“Puzzles were fun enough to solve but there was absolutely no horror for me here, not in the enemy design nor the atmosphere.”
“The monster itself isn't even scary, just the sound design and atmosphere really got me.”
“Beyond the curtain: atmosphere out the wazoo but a little light on gameplay with a fair bit more than half of it being a walking simulator with no interactions.”
- music54 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to set the tone and enhance the atmosphere, particularly in creating a creepy environment. While certain tracks, especially the main theme, are described as addictive and memorable, others criticize the repetitive nature of some songs and the lack of ambient sound in various areas. Overall, the sound design is noted for its effectiveness in contributing to the game's psychological horror experience, despite some inconsistencies in execution.
“The singular piece of music composed for this game is absolutely masterful in setting the tone for each section it's used in, and with it also serving as the main vehicle for the story made it feel super memorable.”
“It's great with environmental storytelling, and the main theme song is...addictive.”
“These games have everything you could ever want in a psychological horror experience: the music is eerie and sends chills down my spine, the voice acting in the games that have them are incredible and believable, and the gameplay itself will leave you wide awake at night, scared of the characters that you run into.”
“Also prepare to dread the sight of the karaoke machine as it has the worst song that you can't understand, but will be forced to hear it way too many times.”
“I don't know how else to describe the hub world besides empty; the most jarring thing that you will notice is the complete lack of ambiance and music (except in very specific scenes and the bar which has music but it quickly fades away once you leave the room, leaving you in silence again) and no voice acting. The monster has a handful of voice lines when it chases you, but nothing like in the other collections.”
“The only real damning things about it are the repetitive music at the beginning that I turned off (hopefully I didn't miss some good tracks later on) and an awkward section in which you need to try to move boards in place.”
- stability22 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the games varies significantly, with some titles experiencing minor bugs like controller issues and graphical glitches, while others suffer from more severe performance problems, including freezing and janky gameplay. Standout titles like "Book of Blood" are noted for being relatively stable, whereas games like "Interim" are criticized for their frequent technical issues. While many players express a willingness to overlook minor bugs due to the limited resources behind these projects, the overall sentiment suggests that stability remains a concern across the collection.
“The game isn't buggy, which is really the only good thing.”
“It feels so supremely janky and unfinished; there's utterly needless and pointless FMV, the performance is bad, the gameplay/physics are buggy and borderline broken, and the story is weak and barely makes any sense.”
“At the bottom, I'm afraid, is Phantom Sloth Games' Interim - the story (as much as I could get) is interesting enough, but technically, it's buggy - constantly freezing even on middling settings - and gameplay is obtuse and finicky, making progression difficult.”
“This one is unfortunately marred by bugs that keep me from smoothly playing through, especially returning to the hub which always, always freezes the game, forcing me to alt-F4 out and restart.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the games is criticized for being poor, with frequent bugs, low frame rates, and simplistic animations that detract from the experience. Many users attribute these issues to the overuse of Unreal Engine, leading to unoptimized performance and gameplay glitches. Despite these shortcomings, some players feel that the quality of the games themselves can outweigh the technical problems encountered.
“Despite some performance issues and a few forgettable entries, the sheer volume and variety on offer, ranging from a sinister Scandinavian-style folklorish horror to a surreal supernatural museum tour simulator, will provide a terrifying treat to savor for discerning fans of indie horror.”
“It feels so supremely janky and unfinished; there's utterly needless and pointless FMV, the performance is bad, the gameplay/physics are buggy and borderline broken, and the story is weak and barely makes any sense.”
“One negative thing I can say is that too much use of Unreal Engine often leads to unoptimized games with bugs. For example, in 'Rotten Stigma,' your melee weapon can disappear, and you might have to restart the game (try alt+tabbing out, then back in and scrolling the mouse wheel both directions to fix the issue). There are also a few examples of games in previous collections with pixelated graphics that are still running poorly (25-30 fps). Overall, it's not too much of an issue because good games outweigh the bugs and performance issues you may encounter.”
“The animations and performance were so simplistic and poor that it hurt the whole experience.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of comical and bizarre elements, often detracting from the intended scares, with characters like the field guardians being perceived as cute rather than frightening. Players noted memorable lines, such as the humorous take on being "sacrificed for the ratings," and found certain gameplay mechanics, like the peak button, to be amusingly ineffective. Overall, the game balances horror and humor, though the execution may leave some aspects feeling less impactful.
“The art style is a little more comical than funny at times, but specifically the field guardians really took me out of the scares (they were weirdly cute rather than scary to me).”
“Interim is super trippy and bizarre, but ultimately not too satisfying. The climbing section is clunky and most of the time you're better off ignoring what it wants you to do and just jumping along thin props. Not bad, but also not too memorable either... though you'll definitely remember the hilarious line of being sacrificed for the ratings.”
“I don't understand the opening advice 'take your time, only run when necessary' when a majority of the game is needlessly massive, endless stretches of copy-pasted areas and you walk at a snail's pace (running's not much better, plus it beats a hilariously loud stomping sound effect into your ears).”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that both "Beyond the Curtain" and "Ludomalica" suffer from excessive grinding, characterized by long, tedious walking segments and poorly designed environments that detract from the overall experience. While "Beyond the Curtain" eventually picks up after a slow start, players find the initial slog and navigation in "Ludomalica" particularly frustrating, suggesting that the gameplay could benefit from more engaging pacing and clearer navigation.
“I can't even begin to describe how boring and tedious Ludomalica is.”
“The beginning is tedious, especially if you're not used to the really weird way of navigating the house.”
“Still glad I played it, but maybe ignore the advice to only run when necessary, as getting lost or misdirected just makes the walk back more tedious.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
"Vestige" is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a tragic yet heartwarming story that stands out in the horror genre, especially with its uplifting ending. The game effectively balances horror elements with moments of beauty and fun, creating a memorable experience that resonates with players.
“Finally, the ending is surprisingly heartwarming.”
“A tragic yet heartwarming story that's a breath of fresh air after a slew of horror games with bad endings.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its unique visuals and engaging mechanics, making it suitable for speedrunning. The overall experience is described as short yet enjoyable, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
“I honestly really liked the way this game did it, with the way the game looks and the 'thing that catches you' being very different from any old monster. It's short but sweet overall, and also replayable; it could be a fun speedrun game.”
