EMPTY SHELL: PROLOGUE

About

EMPTY SHELL: PROLOGUE will throw you in a dark industrial environment, a secret facility on a Japanese island in the middle of nowhere. Each volunteer has signed a contract for a "recovery operation" without being privy to too many details. They said the facility had been abandoned for decades, but once in place it was immediately apparent that something was wrong. Discover the dark secrets of t…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 447 reviews

graphics24 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features a unique art style and atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
Gameplay is challenging yet satisfying, with a good balance of melee and ranged combat.
The random mechanics and roguelike elements keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

The pixelated graphics and visual effects can make it difficult to see enemies and navigate the environment.
Some players experience issues with controls and camera movement, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The writing and worldbuilding can feel immersion-breaking at times, with some exposition being too on-the-nose.

graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The game's graphics feature a unique and striking art style that blends black and white visuals with retro aesthetics, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the horror experience. However, many players find that the minimalist design can hinder visibility, making it difficult to distinguish enemies from the environment, which detracts from gameplay. Overall, while the visuals are praised for their creativity and atmosphere, they may not appeal to everyone due to their potential to strain the eyes and obscure important gameplay elements.
- “Really fun, interesting art style which makes it unique and scary.”
- “The unique visuals are very pleasing to look at and I've got spooked a few times, which is rare because I never get spooked in horror games like this.”
- “Beautiful game, amazing gameplay, and the art style really adds to the environment and makes the game more intense.”
- “The actual graphics style and reliance on post-processing effects actually hurts my eyes.”
- “The grayscale mixed with the pixel graphics also makes it kind of hard to differentiate the enemies from the ground.”
- “The only downside is how hard it can be to navigate and understand what is around you due to the art style and limited use of colors.”
gameplay
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The gameplay is widely praised for its engaging mechanics, random dungeon generation, and a mix of horror and action elements that create a tense atmosphere. Players appreciate the fluid combat and the strategic choices required between melee and ranged attacks, although some have noted issues with enemy visibility and balance. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun and addictive, with room for improvement in polish and clarity.
- “I love everything about this game, especially the gameplay, combat, and how the levels are not the same every time you play it.”
- “The combat feels fantastic and fluid, and feels frantic and messy at first before becoming comfortable and natural as you ease into the mechanics.”
- “This game far exceeded my expectations for it, this game is atmospheric, has strong and intense gameplay, that feels good to play and tense at the same time.”
- “The gameplay is quite hard if you have no idea what you are doing, and ammo is scarce.”
- “I dig the gameplay idea, but everything around it is a bore to look at and listen to.”
- “If I can't just choose my favorite weapon to carry me through the game, I'm forced to learn the mechanics of the other weapons. If my inventory limit is low, I have to decide every time what I take with me, e.g., if I choose the health pack or a good weapon which I don't have ammo for yet.”
atmosphere
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
29%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its intensity and immersive qualities, with many players noting that it effectively creates a sense of tension and dread throughout the experience. The sound design and visual style contribute significantly to this ambiance, enhancing the overall gameplay and making players feel on edge. While some reviewers mention minor issues, the consensus is that the atmosphere is a standout feature that elevates the game.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, and I was always on edge; the ambiance was always on point and never felt misplaced.”
- “The atmosphere is phenomenal: I was basically on edge the entire time I played.”
- “Atmosphere is top notch; it takes skill to make the player feel helpless and afraid even with a gun in their hand.”
- “But at the same time, the atmosphere is completely different.”
- “The atmosphere killed it.”
- “Atmosphere is crazy, I have no clue what the hell is going on.”
story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
The game's story is generally described as intriguing and well-integrated with its horror elements, though some players feel it could benefit from deeper exploration and clearer visual storytelling. Many appreciate the captivating lore revealed through notes and environmental cues, while others note issues with visibility that detract from the narrative experience. Overall, the story has potential and keeps players engaged, leaving them eager for more content and clarity as the game develops.
- “I found the story to be captivating, and really hooked me into wanting to know more about the world in which this game takes place.”
- “Story is amazing in this game, it is well thought out and adds to the atmosphere very well.”
- “The story is creepy and leaves you extremely curious as to what's really going on, and the combat is fun and satisfying when you really get it down.”
- “Especially for the story part, it could be better.”
- “There isn't really a story other than small readings about a vague 'they sent us here' plot.”
- “If the developer expands the story and gameplay idea a bit more and makes the visibility more distinguishable, Empty Shell will be a really solid game.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game primarily consists of tense ambient sounds that effectively enhance the horror atmosphere, immersing players in a suspenseful experience. However, many users express a desire for more variety and distinct soundtracks, as the lack of traditional music can lead to monotony and detracts from the overall impact. While the ambient effects contribute to the game's eerie setting, some players find them insufficient for maintaining engagement throughout gameplay.
- “The distant, somewhat distorted ambiance and the muted music really made it very easy to get myself immersed in this broken down facility.”
- “For sure the game is horror themed in terms of the enemies, music, and storyline/lore that is revealed through the game.”
- “While ambient music and sound effects (walking, running, doors, looting, fighting, shooting ...) are pretty good, I miss some variety in the sound effects used to build tension and/or break the monotony of the ambient music.”
- “There is no music, only pressuring ambient.”
- “Really suspenseful, but it kinda sucks that there aren't any soundtracks.”
- “While ambient 'music' and sound effects (walking, running, doors, looting, fighting, shooting ...) are pretty good, I miss some variety in the sound effects used to build tension and/or break the monotony of the ambient 'music'.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game has a creative concept but suffers from significant bugs and glitches, including menu freezes and crashes. While it runs well on the Steam Deck, players have noted issues with sound design and repeated glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these stability concerns, many users appreciate the game's quality, especially considering it is free.
- “Really neat game, runs great on Steam Deck as well.”
- “Very cool idea but insanely buggy and random.”
- “In its current state it is a bit buggy (sometimes menu freezes or game crashes) but for a free game, holy crap it's good.”
- “Some of the sound design is a little buggy, like when you use a turret in level 2 outside, the rain keeps flipping directions while you turn.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever wordplay, such as the amusing translation of "resume" to "履歴書" (job resume) in the pause menu, and comical moments like a fire axe going splat. Players find the game both challenging and entertaining, making it a great way to pass the time with its humorous elements.
- “I'm surprised no Japanese review mentioned this; the funniest moment was in the pause menu where 'resume' is translated as '履歴書', which means 'job resume'.”
- “Funny fire axe goes splat.”
- “This game is hard, but it's very funny to play.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding in the game to be fair and challenging, providing a good balance that allows for meaningful upgrades and device enhancements. The inclusion of quality-of-life features helps to alleviate potential tedium, making the grinding experience more enjoyable.
- “The grinding can feel excessive at times, making progress feel slow and tedious.”
- “While the game offers a fair challenge, the amount of grinding required can become frustrating.”
- “The grind for upgrades is significant, and it often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Trepang2 is praised for its high replayability, even in its demo form, as it offers various difficulty levels that enhance the experience. Users appreciate the game's design, which encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “My favorite demo of all time is Trepang2. Although it only gives about 1/5 of the game, it is still sufficient as it includes all the difficulty levels, just like Emptyshell does. This makes the replay value of the demo top-notch!”
- “This game has high replay value based on how it's designed currently.”
- “The game lacks significant content to encourage multiple playthroughs, making it feel repetitive after the first run.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to go back and replay the game, as the side quests feel uninspired.”
- “While the mechanics are fun, the limited variety in levels and challenges means that replayability is quite low.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report noticeable lag when entering areas with numerous enemies, indicating potential performance issues, particularly on lower-end devices. Even at the lowest graphic settings, the game's optimization appears to be lacking, leading to a subpar experience.
- “It ran, but the performance was pretty bad even on the lowest graphic settings.”
- “Another smaller issue is some lag whenever entering a room with a big mob and lots of other mobs, but that might just be performance issues from my device.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game effectively evokes strong emotional responses, leaving a lasting impact on their feelings.
- “It actually hit me emotionally.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The game is praised for its lack of in-game purchases, with players expressing a willingness to pay for additional downloadable content (DLC) in the range of $5-10.
- “A true diamond in the rough, with no in-game purchases. I wouldn't mind paying 5-10 bucks for DLC to get more content.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
- “The constant prompts to buy in-game currency really detract from the overall experience.”