Dreadhalls
- March 9, 2017
- White Door Games
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamDreadhalls is a single-player horror platformer game with pretty visuals and a dense atmosphere. It features procedurally generated levels, immersive sound design with positional audio cues, and a focus on survival through stealth and resource management. The game is not for the faint of heart and delivers an intense and scary experience.
PC
Phone
Virtual Reality
Windows
Android
Cloud
Mobile Platform
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Oculus Quest
Oculus Rift
Tablet
Reviews
- Dreadhalls is one of the scariest VR games available, providing a genuinely terrifying experience that keeps players on edge.
- The game features excellent sound design and atmosphere, enhancing the horror elements and immersing players in the experience.
- With randomly generated dungeons, the game offers good replayability and a unique experience each time you play.
- The continuous movement option can cause nausea for some players, making it difficult to enjoy the game for extended periods.
- Some players found the gameplay to be repetitive and simplistic, lacking depth in mechanics and variety in enemy encounters.
- The graphics, while effective in creating a creepy atmosphere, are considered low-quality by some, which may detract from the overall experience.
- atmosphere57 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its intense and immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to classics like "Amnesia: The Dark Descent." Reviewers highlight the exceptional sound design and the ability to create genuine fear without relying heavily on jump scares, with many noting the oppressive and claustrophobic environments that enhance the overall tension. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics, the game's atmosphere is described as haunting and effective in instilling a sense of dread and paranoia.
“Where the game shines is its fantastic atmosphere, with especially great sound design.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly tense with a variety of ways to not only scare you but to just creep you out.”
“The atmosphere in Dreadhalls is spot on -- super creepy without being gory.”
“The oppressive atmosphere of always walking into the darkness.”
“The atmosphere of this game makes it just terrifying without encountering any monster.”
“The atmosphere is haunting, the sound strips all sense of comfort.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and intuitive design, featuring procedurally generated levels that enhance replayability. While some players appreciate the unique mechanics and fluid controls, others find the overall experience repetitive and lacking depth. The balance of atmosphere and jumpscares, along with various enemy mechanics, contributes to a strong horror experience, particularly in VR, despite some minor criticisms regarding certain gameplay elements.
“Endless gameplay because all levels are randomly generated, making it different every time you play; no levels are the same.”
“The balance between atmosphere and jumpscares is maintained well, and the gameplay is very intuitive.”
“Having some roguelite mechanics - procedurally generated levels and no manual saves - is a really nice touch; it fits the game perfectly.”
“However, the gameplay is a bit too simplistic for me.”
“I was expecting more of an Amnesia: The Dark Descent type deal; a fully fledged story wasn't a must, but the gameplay is just repetitive.”
“Other thoughts - the lockpick mechanic is actually pretty silly, I never used it.”
- graphics45 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that while they are not AAA quality, they effectively contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere and immersive experience. Many appreciate the detail in textures and the overall visual design, despite some comparisons to older gaming systems like the GameCube or mobile graphics. Overall, while improvements could be made, the graphics serve their purpose in enhancing the horror elements of the game.
“Visually it is quite good, textures look real and generally the graphics are very good including the many foes that seek you just around the corner.”
“The visuals have gotten an upgrade since the last time I played the game, as the floating head and ghost girl in particular have gotten some much-needed redesigns to make them more menacing.”
“My short video 'review' speaks for itself, but I have to add that I'm amazed about Dreadhalls - it's a lovely VR horror experience with beautiful graphics, perfect sounds and music that adds to the immersion and gives the game a creepy feeling from the first minute of your gameplay.”
“Actually, the first impression was not good because of poor graphics.”
“Not a bad first impression, but the graphics and art just aren't good enough to be that scary.”
“Despite having graphics that look like they were designed for a cellphone (they were), Dreadhalls utilizes several very clever tricks and design elements to create one of the scariest experiences I've ever played.”
- story32 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story mode is described as short yet intriguing, with classic survival horror elements that encourage exploration and piecing together lore. While players appreciate the well-structured main storyline, many find it lacks depth and are left wanting more, especially given the repetitive gameplay and the presence of a randomly generated dungeon mode. Overall, the narrative offers a foundation for curiosity, but it may not satisfy those seeking a fully fleshed-out story experience.
“Classic survival horror elements: lantern that’s always running low on fuel, exploring twisting maze-like corridors, trying to piece together the story of what’s going on, and hiding from the monsters.”
“I'm genuinely curious to piece this world's story together.”
“There is a main storyline which is well put together and generates random labyrinths each time.”
“Can't tell you the plot or how it ends, but not because of spoilers; rather, it is that I cannot bring myself to finish as I rip my headset off.”
“Overall, I can recommend Dreadhalls with a warning: it seems like the 'main story' isn’t very long.”
“I was expecting more of an Amnesia: The Dark Descent type deal; a fully fledged story wasn't a must, but this game has some interesting lore, though the gameplay is just repetitive.”
- replayability19 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability primarily through its randomly generated dungeons and maps, providing players with a fresh experience each time. However, some users note that the predictability of enemy spawn locations may limit long-term replay value. Overall, it is regarded as a strong choice for those seeking a VR horror experience with decent replay potential.
“One of the better VR horror games I've played, good replayability with the option to play a randomly generated dungeon.”
“The game has a random level generator so you can have lots of replayability.”
“Because this game is created to produce a different experience every time, it has great replay value and will pay for itself without question!”
“Its a good game but I don't think it will have too much replay value as the creatures all spawn in the same spot and once you've gone through it once you'll know exactly where they will be.”
“There's probably replayability at least in VR, if you have it.”
“This game also has randomly generated halls you can take on for more replay value.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs smoothly on high settings with low resource usage, users have reported glitches and visual issues that detract from the experience.
“It runs great too; on max settings, I'm only using between 2 and 3 GB of VRAM and about 7 to 8 GB of normal RAM to run it smoothly.”
“Stealth is cool, but it was very bare bones and had a few glitches for me.”
“Play this game if you enjoy experiencing giant visual glitches.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the immersive and creepy atmosphere it creates, others criticize it for feeling low-budget due to repetitive ambient loops and abrupt sound effects sourced from royalty-free sites. Overall, the music contributes positively to the horror experience, enhancing the game's tension and immersion.
“My short video 'review' speaks for itself, but I have to add that I'm amazed about Dreadhalls - it's a lovely VR horror experience with beautiful graphics, perfect sounds, and music that adds to the immersion and gives the game a creepy feeling from the first minute of your gameplay.”
“It admittedly feels a little low-budget here and there, using the same ambient music loop throughout the entire game and a few sound effects that cut abruptly, letting you know they got them off of a royalty-free site at the end credits.”
“It's just walk around, see monster, hide, wait until danger music stops, try to progress.”
“The music lacks variety and often feels repetitive, which detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that "Dreadhalls" in VR evokes an exceptionally intense and tangible fear, with some describing the experience as making them feel physically sick, a rare reaction that highlights the game's powerful emotional impact.
“Playing Dreadhalls in VR made me feel the most intense, tangible fear that I can recall experiencing in my 47 years of life on this planet.”
“Made me feel sick, which is rare.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, particularly in the comedic moments related to opening doors. However, the frustration of closing doors during chase sequences detracts from the experience, suggesting that improvements in physics mechanics could enhance the comedic elements in a potential sequel.
“Opening them is quite funny, but closing them in a chasing situation is impossible. I can't, not even to save my life, close them. If this game gets a sequel, I would love to see some physics objects, especially with the doors.”
