EMPTY SHELL

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 560 reviews
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
  • story
EMPTY SHELL Game Cover
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In "Empty Shell," players enter a mysterious Japanese facility for a so-called "recovery operation." Armed with stealth and combat skills, they'll face unknown dangers and a labyrinthine environment. The game promises a suspenseful, atmospheric experience, with careful planning and strategy key to survival.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 560 reviews
graphics32 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Great atmosphere and unique art style that enhances the horror experience.
  • Engaging gameplay with a solid mix of roguelike elements and survival horror mechanics.
  • Variety of enemies and weapons, along with a compelling story that encourages exploration.
  • Character movement can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating combat encounters.
  • Death can be overly punishing, with significant loss of progress and resources, making it hard to recover.
  • Visual effects, such as pixelation and scanlines, can be disorienting and hinder gameplay clarity.
  • graphics110 mentions

    The game's graphics feature a unique VHS-inspired aesthetic that blends horror and mystery, creating an immersive atmosphere that some players adore while others find disorienting. While the minimalist art style enhances the game's eerie vibe, it can also hinder visibility and gameplay, leading to mixed opinions on its effectiveness. Overall, the visuals are praised for their creativity and mood, though they may not appeal to everyone and can pose accessibility challenges.

    • “Absolutely adore the style and visuals and the audio design is very well done and very well implemented, the environment groans and distant screams keeps you guessing, anxious and slow moving with weapon raised.”
    • “The black and white aesthetic tied with the old CRT filter gives the game's atmosphere a great boost in the 'unnerving' department.”
    • “Graphics: 10/10. This is just personal taste, but I love the graphical design of the world: abandoned, important, and ultimately, dangerous.”
    • “Though visuals get old quite fast as you dedicate most of your mental resources trying to see what's around you (bridges blend with surrounding water and feel like a corridor of invisible walls more than anything), a flashlight would be not just a lifesaver but simply a logical thing inside the game's universe.”
    • “My main gripe with it is its art direction/graphics: I think I understood what the dev tried to do with it, but I had to turn off most options, like the filter and shaking, and play the game at its most barebones, otherwise I risked getting a migraine.”
    • “The visuals are making it difficult to focus and find things, although I know that was a design choice.”
  • atmosphere92 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepiness and tension, creating an engaging and oppressive experience that keeps players on edge. The unique visual style, minimalist aesthetics, and effective sound design contribute significantly to the unsettling ambiance, making it a standout feature of the game. Many players appreciate how the atmosphere enhances the gameplay, providing a compelling backdrop for the horror elements and overall narrative.

    • “The unique visual style and crunchy audio design lends a lot to the game's creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The game is atmospheric and uneasy, with a level of uncertainty that haunts you to what awaits at the other end of each door.”
    • “10/10 it gives you the good horror atmosphere where paranoia is king and always watching your back and feeling like you could die at any moment type of feeling unlike cheap jump-scare horror games!”
    • “It isn't remarkable in many areas, but the atmosphere is definitely unsettling and creepy.”
    • “Hardcore level-based survival isometric shooter with inventory management and unique enemies and objectives, and a dreadful atmosphere.”
    • “I do appreciate the atmosphere and visuals of Empty Shell (which the game itself even recommends you tweak because the game is hard to look at with default settings), which Teleglitch lacks a bit.”
  • story86 mentions

    The game's story is generally praised for its intriguing and immersive elements, with many players appreciating the dark atmosphere and cryptic narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling and in-game documents. While some find the story engaging and well-integrated with gameplay, others note that it may not be the main focus, leading to mixed feelings about its depth and emphasis. Overall, the narrative is seen as a compelling backdrop that enhances the survival horror experience, despite some players feeling a lack of pull to revisit the game after completing it.

    • “It's a wonderful display of good mechanics and horror storytelling.”
    • “The story and world is quite interesting, with some well-written notes and emails, and the occasional bit of environmental storytelling.”
    • “The gameplay and story really sing, but the sheer atmosphere is what grabs you.”
    • “Currently I don't really feel much pull to come back to the game having beaten it and largely experienced the story.”
    • “There's not a ton of emphasis on story, but what's here in the in-game text documents is creepy and helps drive the gameplay.”
    • “The story, while not groundbreaking, is quite interesting, mainly in presentation alone.”
  • gameplay70 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its solid mechanics, engaging loop, and challenging elements, with many players enjoying the blend of horror atmosphere and action. However, some criticisms arise regarding specific mechanics, such as the dodge system and inventory management, which can lead to frustrating moments. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable and immersive, there are areas that could benefit from refinement and updates.

    • “Fun gameplay loop, interesting story.”
    • “The gameplay and story really sing, but the sheer atmosphere is what grabs you.”
    • “The core gameplay is amazing, it is very enjoyable.”
    • “The problems arise when you look at the actual mechanics at play around all of it.”
    • “The dodge mechanic sends you in seemingly random directions at times, potentially throwing you into a laser or enemy.”
    • “The ways Empty Shell is different have introduced pain points into the gameplay, such as a 'pick up where you left off' system if you die, where you stay in the same level you died but with a totally wiped clean character with none of the upgrades or weapons you previously had.”
  • replayability18 mentions

    The game offers a mix of replayability through procedurally generated maps and varying level designs, though some players note that the tasks can become repetitive. While the challenging gameplay can lead to a rewarding experience, the minimal upgrade options and lack of variety may limit long-term engagement for some. Overall, many find the game enjoyable and worth replaying, especially given its atmospheric design and tight mechanics.

    • “Procedurally generated maps give enough replayability to warrant long-term value.”
    • “Punishingly tough as nails, but therein lies the replayability; go in, gear up and kill everything, feel like a pro then die as simply as to a single spider or get jumped by a scissor at 12 hp.”
    • “I bought this game on sale but I feel I would have still felt like it was worth it even at full price; the game being replayable in at least a couple of different ways helps its case.”
    • “There's no need to finish the game in one run; very minimal and bland upgrade options, and not a ton of variety or replayability that the genre is known for.”
    • “Has a bit of replay value as the level layers change, but unfortunately the tasks remain the same.”
    • “Level design is randomly generated and not very unique; there is some branching, so some replayability is present.”
  • music10 mentions

    The music in the game significantly enhances its oppressive atmosphere, contributing to a sense of suspense and tension throughout. Players appreciate how the soundtrack, along with the absence of sound during combat, creates a creepy vibe that deepens the overall experience. The discovery of in-game music, such as from radios, adds a unique perspective and further enriches the ambiance.

    • “The vibe of the game is great; the atmosphere and music create an overall oppressive feel that something has definitely gone wrong in this facility.”
    • “The music gives a creepy vibe, especially when reading some of the notes, adding a bit of suspense.”
    • “The overall combat and the way the weapons feel, combined with the utter lack of sound and a soundtrack, builds really nice tension.”
    • “Give me a creepy vibe, especially reading some of the notes, and the music adds a bit of suspense.”
    • “I remember finding my first radio, and the little bit of music really made a difference in perspective.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal glitches or optimization issues, though some minor bugs are noted that may need addressing in future updates.

    • “I'd love to overlook a bunch of things; some of these are just glitches to be ironed out.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find that while the game is well-crafted, grinding becomes tedious and unnecessary on higher difficulty levels, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Nicely done; however, on difficulties higher than medium, it's senseless time grinding.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for not aligning with the expectations of a roguelite, suggesting that the approach may detract from the overall experience.

  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting that they did not encounter any significant glitches or issues affecting performance.

  • humor2 mentions

    Players find humor in the game's glitches, particularly enjoying the amusing ragdoll physics of enemies, which adds a lighthearted touch to their experience despite some reports of technical issues.

    • “I don't know why there is a review saying that they keep crashing because during two playthroughs, the only serious bug I found so far is an enemy ragdoll bug, which is actually quite funny, to be honest.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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