Dread Weight
- July 29, 2024
- Deer Dream Studios
In "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."
Reviews
- Dread Weight is a solid sequel that expands on the original Cooking Companions with beautiful animations, engaging characters, and a compelling story rooted in Slavic folklore.
- The game features high replayability with multiple endings and quality of life improvements that enhance the overall experience.
- The writing is praised for its humor and unexpected twists, making the narrative enjoyable and intriguing.
- Many players feel the pacing is rushed, leading to a disjointed story that lacks the atmospheric buildup and tension found in Cooking Companions.
- Some technical issues and bugs, such as confusing character interactions and unclear inventory mechanics, detract from the overall experience.
- The horror elements are considered less effective compared to the first game, with jumpscares feeling forced and lacking the same level of dread.
- story48 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging and surprising elements, as well as its beautiful animations and character depth. However, many found the narrative disjointed and confusing, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully grasp the plot and lore. Overall, while the game offers high replayability and intriguing folklore, it struggles with pacing and clarity, leaving some players wanting more coherence in the storytelling.
“The story is something I do not want to give away, but had my mouth slowly falling open at multiple spots as I realized what was going on, and a broad smile once I knew what was happening.”
“Dread Weight has lovely characters and a compelling story; this game was well worth the wait ^_^.”
“The story and the world have expanded a lot, and that's great!”
“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.”
“Story was bare minimum, none of the characters were interesting, nothing was surprising, nothing was scary, no tension, just me being bored the whole time.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling it lacks depth and pacing, particularly in comparison to its predecessor, "Cooking Companions." While some appreciate the well-crafted environments and endearing characters, others find the atmosphere more mysterious than frightening, with ineffective jumpscares. Overall, the sequel maintains a quirky humor and creepy intrigue but may not deliver the same level of tension and horror as the first installment.
“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.”
“Will update when I finish the game, but I’m not even an hour into the game because the atmosphere was already making me scared and I’d actually like to sleep tonight, so I turned it off.”
“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.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as beautifully written and effectively integrated, adding a comedic touch that some may find unexpected but fitting. Players appreciate the dark humor and puns, which enhance the overall experience, especially for fans of creative visual novel-style horror games. Overall, the humor is a highlight that complements the game's lore and storytelling.
“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.”
“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!”
“I recommend it for getting all the juicy lore and humor.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game feature a variable art style that can be jarring at times, yet overall, it is well-received for its beauty and effectiveness in enhancing the horror narrative. Players appreciate the captivating animations and the blend of different styles, particularly the pixel art, which contributes to both the visual appeal and the immersive storytelling experience.
“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 the pixel art style.”
“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 great while others feel outdated and poorly designed.”
“The character models lack detail and often appear lifeless, which detracts from the overall immersion of the game.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, with players expressing enthusiasm for multiple playthroughs due to its engaging story, well-developed characters, and appealing art and voice acting. Despite some feeling the story is shorter, the overall consensus highlights a strong desire to revisit the game for its exciting narrative and character interactions.
“Saw some nice endings, talked to the characters. This has extremely high replayability. Good art, good voice acting, good writing, excellent story. Very exciting, I love it.”
“Was not disappointed with the sequel and look forward to my 2nd, 3rd, 4th playthroughs, etc. Happy about the replayability and enjoyed the story.”
“It's a fairly quick game that has so much replay value and really cool characters.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for being exceptional and surpassing that of its predecessor, contributing to an overall impressive artistic experience. However, some players expressed disappointment over the absence of a new song featured in the demo for "Dread Weight."
“Everything in this game, including its art, music, writing, and endings, is amazing and definitely surpasses the first game.”
“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 experienced some bugs at launch, but these issues do not significantly impact overall enjoyment. Players report a generally stable experience despite a few notable glitches.
“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.”
- 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 unresponsive at times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character designs are praised for being both cool and cute, indicating a strong visual appeal that enhances the overall character development experience.
“The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
“The backstories and growth of each character are so well-crafted, it makes every decision feel meaningful.”