Dread Weight
- July 29, 2024
- Deer Dream Studios
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Dread Weight," survive a witch's relentless hunt in order to escape a crumbling mansion. Merging history with folklore, this sequel to "Cooking Companions" offers additional content for returning players. Solve puzzles, evade vengeful spirits, and delve deeper into the mansion's dark secrets with a new inventory system, all while outsmarting your supernatural pursuer. Note: This summary is based on the game's store page, as I couldn't find a video for the specific game titled "Dread Weight."
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Dread Weight expands on the lore and characters from Cooking Companions, offering a rich narrative experience with multiple endings and decision paths.
- The game features stunning animations and improved visuals, enhancing the overall atmosphere and engagement compared to its predecessor.
- Players appreciate the blend of horror and humor, with many finding the character designs and interactions enjoyable and memorable.
- Many players found the story to be confusing and disjointed, often requiring multiple playthroughs to grasp the plot fully.
- The horror elements, particularly the jump scares, were criticized for lacking buildup and tension, making them feel forced and less impactful than in Cooking Companions.
- Some users reported technical issues and bugs that detracted from the overall experience, including problems with inventory management and character interactions.
- story64 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, while others found it disjointed and confusing, often requiring multiple playthroughs to grasp the plot fully. Many noted that the pacing is rushed, leading to a lack of depth in key story elements, though some enjoyed the folkloric secrets and replayability. Overall, while the sequel builds on the original's lore, it struggles with coherence and clarity, leaving some players wanting more from the narrative experience.
“The narrative is strong, with a more traditional horror plot that remains enjoyable.”
“What Dread Weight does right is in making you want to unravel the story, and its fabulous animations.”
“Dread Weight has lovely characters and a compelling story; this game was well worth the wait.”
“The story is extremely disjointed, to the point that I had to do multiple runs to have any understanding of what was actually happening.”
“The story/plot of the game treads a path that is somehow both too bare bones and overly convoluted.”
“But the bigger problem is the staggering, overly hurried pace of the story.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its palpable tension and well-crafted environments, while others feel it lacks the depth and horror elements present in its predecessor, Cooking Companions. While the sequel offers a quirky mix of humor and intrigue, it seems to fall short in creating a genuinely frightening atmosphere, with some players finding it more mysterious than scary. Overall, the game's atmosphere is noted for its detail and character engagement, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more intense horror experience.
“Somehow they managed to improve in almost every way from Cooking Companions; the tension is absolutely palpable in every scene and decision, and the atmosphere is top-notch. The environments made for this game are stellar; I never expected the switch to 3D.”
“A pleasing environment was created by the well-crafted atmosphere and the endearing characters.”
“If you loved the first one, you'll love the second; it's more of that same quirky humor mixed with creepy atmosphere and intrigue that Cooking Companions established so well, with more characters to love and appreciate.”
“The whole thing feels like a full-pelt sprint to the end credits, atmosphere and detail be damned.”
“I managed to find a way to go in an endless loop at one point, which wasn't harmful to the playthrough but definitely harmful to any atmosphere it could have been building.”
“But on the whole, I just think this game's really lost out on atmosphere and pacing compared to Cooking Companions.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a diverse and variable art style, featuring both beautiful and jarring transitions between scenes. While some users appreciate the captivating and pretty visuals, especially in horror moments, others note the eclectic mix of styles, including pixel art, which adds to the overall experience. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's engaging narrative and emotional impact.
“The game is everything I want in a horror-driven narrative—a sensation that I can't quite put my finger on but can only refer to as 'the feeling.' It does this thanks to its distinctive artwork, captivating tale, and delectable writing.”
“Some parts have beautiful animation, the art style is very pretty (and terrifying when scares happen haha), so not only is it a fun and interesting story, visually it's great as well.”
“I like the variety of art styles, especially for those pixel art styles.”
“The art style is variable - there are some jarring changes in style from scene to scene, but generally it's not bad.”
“The graphics are inconsistent, with some areas looking polished while others feel rushed and unfinished.”
“The character models are poorly designed, making it hard to connect with the story or the characters.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as beautifully written and often comedic, adding a unique charm that some may find out of place but ultimately fits well within the narrative. Players appreciate the dark humor and puns, which enhance the replay value as they explore various endings and chaotic scenarios. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy creative visual novels with a blend of horror and humor.
“It takes everything I loved from the first game and adds so much to it as well; the writing is beautiful, and it is also very comedic at times, which some may say is out of place, but it makes sense why that humor is there.”
“That and the replay value of trying to get everyone's specific endings as well as the hilariously chaotic ones that may or may not have been intentional (note to self, always go looking for the fuel instead of tossing an active mine down the oven).”
“[b]tl;dr:[/b] If you like creative short visual novel styled horror games and are in for some dark humor (and puns!) sprinkled in, check out the game!”
- replayability5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts extremely high replayability, with players eager to experience multiple playthroughs to explore different endings and character interactions. The engaging story, combined with the opportunity for chaotic and humorous outcomes, enhances the desire to revisit the game. Despite some players noting a shorter narrative, the variety of choices and outcomes keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.
“Was not disappointed for the sequel and look forward to my 2nd, 3rd, 4th playthroughs, etc. Happy about the replayability and enjoyed the story.”
“That and the replay value of trying to get everyone's specific endings as well as the hilariously chaotic ones that may or may not have been intentional (note to self, always go looking for the fuel instead of tossing an active mine down the oven).”
“It's a fairly quick game that has so much replay value and really cool characters.”
“The replay value of trying to get everyone's specific endings is fun, but the chaotic moments can feel unintentional and frustrating.”
“While there are multiple endings to explore, the lack of significant changes in gameplay makes replaying feel tedious.”
“I found myself losing interest quickly; the game doesn't offer enough variety to make multiple playthroughs engaging.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its great and visually appealing designs, but many players feel that the narrative lacks depth, leaving them wanting to know the characters better. The artistic elements, particularly in the rendering of ghost attacks, are highlighted as a strong point, yet the overall experience feels somewhat rushed.
“Great character design; I would have loved to know them better, but this game felt a bit rushed.”
“Very cool and cute character designs!”
“The ghost attacks are very well rendered thanks to David Romero's art (look him up!). The backgrounds look very nice, and the character design works well.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with many reviewers noting its exceptional quality that surpasses the first installment. The sound design, including animated cutscenes and jumpscares, enhances the overall experience, although some players expressed disappointment over the absence of a specific song from the demo.
“Everything in this game, including its art, music, writing, and endings, is amazing and definitely surpasses the first game.”
“Animated cutscenes, animated jumpscares, great sound and music design; it's all amazing.”
“I really miss the new song that was part of the demo for Dread Weight.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game launched with some bugs and glitches, but these issues do not significantly impact the overall enjoyment of the experience. Users generally find it stable enough to appreciate the gameplay despite the minor technical flaws.
“On release, it's a bit buggy, but it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the game, in my opinion.”
“At the time of this review, I can say it was an enjoyable little game with a few notable glitches and bugs.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the need to repeatedly solve puzzles to unlock new routes.
“My final gripe comes from the tediousness of repeating the puzzles for new routes.”
“The grinding feels endless and often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“I found myself stuck in a loop of repetitive tasks that made progress feel more like a chore than a reward.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its basic mechanics and a lack of depth in the concept of escaping Baba Yaga, leaving some players feeling underwhelmed despite enjoying the overall experience.
“Though I did enjoy the game, I was let down by the rudimentary mechanics and the shallowness of the idea of escaping the Baba Yaga.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
“I found the controls to be clunky and unresponsive, which significantly detracted from the overall experience.”
