Dread X Collection: The Hunt

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In "Dread X Collection: The Hunt," players assume the role of Artemis, exploring the abandoned ARK 2 research base after receiving a cryptic message. This horror shooter anthology features 7 short games from a diverse group of indie developers, each with 20 days to develop their ideas, resulting in a more polished and refined experience than previous entries in the series.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 282 reviews

gameplay41 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The collection features a wide variety of unique horror games, each with its own charm and gameplay mechanics.
The hub world is atmospheric and engaging, providing a cohesive narrative that ties the games together.
Several standout titles, such as Uktena 64 and The Fruit, showcase creativity and innovative gameplay.

Some games suffer from technical issues, including bugs and performance problems that can hinder the experience.
The overall quality of the games varies significantly, with a few titles feeling underdeveloped or lacking polish.
The main character's dialogue in the hub world can be grating and detracts from the overall tension of the experience.

gameplay
128 mentions
32 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay across the reviewed titles is generally described as a basic first-person shooter (FPS) with unique twists, such as manual reloading mechanics and ghost hunting elements. While some players appreciate the originality and atmosphere, many criticize the slow animations, repetitive combat, and limited enemy variety, leading to a feeling of monotony. Overall, the gameplay is seen as simple and functional, with some standout mechanics that enhance the experience, but it often lacks depth and variety.
- “Gameplay is simple and compact, but original in some mechanics and puzzles.”
- “The gameplay is fine, if a little bit slow for my liking, and I actually really liked the audio too.”
- “I enjoyed the survival-horror gameplay and it had some really creative mechanics that really upped the tension - notably the way you can use incantations and the way you need to manually reload your rifle.”
- “Overall, gameplay feels needlessly slow, with healing, reloading, and getting ammo having long animations.”
- “The gameplay loop does wear itself thin by the end as every encounter plays out the same, but then, the game is only 45 minutes.”
- “Middling and inconsistent frame rates, overtly boring world design, uninspired gameplay/mechanics and some of the most offensive visuals I've run into in a long time round out this bag of disappointment.”
story
119 mentions
29 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story across the various games in the collection is often inspired by classic horror themes, particularly "The Thing," and features a mix of environmental storytelling and character-driven narratives. While some players appreciate the unique and engaging plots, others find them convoluted or lacking depth, with a few titles criticized for their linearity and pacing. Overall, the collection offers a blend of intriguing concepts and varying execution, with standout moments in storytelling that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The story is straightforward but this is certainly a refreshing and unique horror short that is quite enjoyable.”
- “The story was the most complex of all in the collection and had some strong emotional depth to it.”
- “Very interesting story that culminated in an eldritch horror ending.”
- “The story is just nothing at all.”
- “The story is very confusing and it's hard to know what's going on.”
- “The main storyline was okay but failed to deliver the tension it tried to create.”
graphics
88 mentions
39 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the games are a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the unique art styles that evoke nostalgia for retro aesthetics like PS1 and N64, while others criticize the visuals for being overly pixelated or difficult to navigate. Some titles, such as "Black Relic" and "House of Unrest," are noted for their atmospheric and creative visuals, enhancing the horror experience, but issues like poor optimization and inconsistent frame rates detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are seen as both a highlight and a hindrance, depending on personal taste and gameplay context.
- “The graphics are fantastic and very atmospheric.”
- “The visuals are simple but eerie and it just makes this game an amazing experience.”
- “I really like the atmosphere and art style here.”
- “Strangely the art style is both the strongest and weakest parts, as a lot of times you have barely a clue where to go.”
- “The graphics are pretty bad, and not in the 'bad on purpose for a retro style' kind of way.”
- “Middling and inconsistent frame rates, overtly boring world design, uninspired gameplay/mechanics and some of the most offensive visuals I've run into in a long long time round out this bag of disappointment.”
atmosphere
65 mentions
60 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere across the reviewed games is generally praised for its depth and effectiveness, with many players highlighting its ability to evoke tension and dread, particularly in horror settings. While some titles feature minimalist designs that enhance the mood, others are noted for their rich environmental storytelling and immersive soundscapes. However, a few reviews mention that gameplay elements, such as repetitive tasks or poor character dialogue, can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
- “Great atmosphere and even though the world design is simple, it still feels interesting with enough surprises and variety.”
- “The atmosphere is varied and well made.”
- “The atmosphere is so good.”
- “A little hard on the eyes at first, but the atmosphere of this one can be dread-inducing and had me in a panic at times.”
- “1/5 for scares, but after the first 5 minutes the atmosphere is basically gone.”
- “Because the unskippable character dialogue/story is so comically bad that any attempt at atmosphere is immediately ruined.”
humor
31 mentions
94 % positive mentions
-3 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in these games is often described as a delightful blend of creepy and comedic elements, enhancing the overall experience without undermining the horror. Players appreciate the clever quips, unexpected scenarios, and tongue-in-cheek dialogue that provide levity amidst the tension, making for a memorable and entertaining gameplay experience. While some humor may not resonate with everyone, it generally adds charm and a unique flavor to the games, contributing to their appeal.
- “Each stage is terrifying, and the constant humor doesn't diminish it.”
- “Ngl, spoilers: being a priest and pulling out dual machine guns at a demon, and the demon going 'oh shit' made me laugh my ass off.”
- “The humor doesn't take away from the spook factor much.”
- “She's not funny, and she completely wrecks the tension and atmosphere almost every time she opens her mouth.”
- “The humor falls flat and often feels forced, detracting from the overall experience.”
- “The jokes are stale and predictable, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
optimization
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game collection has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including high CPU and GPU usage, frame rate stuttering, and bugs that affect gameplay. While some players experienced no major problems, others found certain titles unplayable on modern hardware due to poor optimization. Overall, the collection is seen as a mix of well-optimized and poorly optimized games, with a need for improvements in performance across the board.
- “But since this hub is very resource demanding despite its visuals (like a lot of Unity games) and doesn't really pause when launching a game, your system is basically rendering two different games at the same time, which can make your performance drop significantly in certain situations.”
- “Okay, so with the latest drivers it runs better, but the lighthouse is still abysmally optimized; realistically, it should be simplified since it's difficult to see the details.”
- “The good thing now is that the games seem more optimized (have full settings) and offer mostly longer gameplay than some previous collections.”
- “But since this hub is very resource demanding despite its visuals (like a lot of Unity games) and doesn't really pause when launching a game, your system is basically rendering two different games at the same time, which can make your performance drop by a lot in certain situations.”
- “An un-optimized mess that attempted to use 80% of my CPU and almost 100% of my GPU.”
- “Seraphixial did not run properly on a 1660 due to abysmal optimization; I was softlocked by framerate until I looked away from the lighthouse. I love these collections, but when the first game I play is unplayable on modern hardware, I'm tempted to refund.”
stability
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting significant bugs, performance issues, and a lack of optimization. While some games in the collection are noted to have only minor glitches, the overall experience is marred by frequent technical problems, including resets upon quitting and excessive CPU usage. This inconsistency detracts from the enjoyment, especially given the expectations for indie games to be more polished and innovative.
- “Unfortunately, this is easily the least well-made game of the bunch, feeling very buggy, incomplete, and nonsensical.”
- “Decent games, not bad hub world but it seems to be a bit buggy; if you quit and come back later, certain things seem to be reset. It also seems very unoptimized; whenever you have one of the games open, the main game is still in the background using way too much CPU.”
- “The hub is really what soils this one, which is buggy and tedious.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the games is highlighted by their touching narratives and complex character development, often evoking nostalgia and heartfelt connections. Players appreciate the surprising emotional depth in compact storylines, with themes of personal struggle and relationships that resonate deeply, even amidst horror elements. Overall, these games successfully blend engaging gameplay with profound emotional experiences.
- “All in all, a nice, 30-minute ghost hunter adventure, with an astonishingly wholesome message at the end.”
- “It comes off as a heartfelt short story more than anything.”
- “The story was the most complex of all in the collection and had some strong emotional depth to it.”
music
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and effectiveness, enhancing the overall experience with a nostalgic and humorous touch. Reviewers highlight the great soundtrack, likening it to the works of Jessica Curry, and appreciate how it complements the game's visuals and atmosphere, particularly in moments of humor and horror. The piano music in the hub world is specifically noted as a standout element.
- “A gradual descent into horror, a great soundtrack, a sense of humor, and plenty of nostalgia and references to tie it all together.”
- “The piano music in the hub world slaps.”
- “Not the most remarkable game, but there's an undeniable charm to the visuals, music, and humor.”
- “The soundtrack really feels like something out of Jessica Curry’s work, and that is a huge bonus for me.”
- “There's also a little humor to lighten up the mood with the hunter's one-liners and the happy music that plays after level completion.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability, particularly for players interested in unlocking all lore pages through photo recreation, but many levels are designed for single-session play without saves, limiting long-term engagement. While the inclusion of difficulty tracking and retro cheat codes is commendable, the overall lack of depth and variety in gameplay mechanics detracts from its potential for replayability. Enhanced difficulty options and more creative challenges could significantly improve the game's replay value.
- “Something that's totally commendable about this game is the encouraged replayability, keeping track of difficulty levels you've played each level on, as well as having multiple N64-throwback cheat codes.”
- “It has some replayability and is difficult to start, but fun.”
- “Most of them are made to be finished in one sitting (and I don't mean that they're short, most games just don't have saves and none are that replayable; there is no reason to come back to them). They are buggy and absolutely shallow, which is disappointing for an indie game, because indies are supposed to be more experimental and creative than AAA games.”
- “If it had better difficulty settings that would change the levels in some way (like harder difficulty could add more enemies and so on; bigger health for enemies is stupidly lazy), and you could apply more than one cheat, it would have at least better replayability.”
- “Also, this is one of the few games in the hunt that has replay value, at least when you want to unlock all the pages in the book of lore, which is done by recreating photos.”
grinding
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspects of the game to be a mixed bag; while some elements, like navigating the hub and backtracking to the car, can feel tedious, others appreciate the tension introduced by certain mechanics. Overall, the experience is described as not overly lengthy or frustrating, with some fun moments that balance out the grind.
- “The hub is really what soils this one, which is buggy and tedious.”
- “Needing to walk back to the car at the end of every level was a little tedious sometimes.”
- “It wasn't terrible, but I found parts of the story hard to follow, and sometimes navigating around it was kinda tedious.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While the character designs are noted as good, the overall aesthetic is criticized for being unattractive, which detracts from the character development experience.