Entity Researchers

About

"Entity Researchers" is a sci-fi horror game where players conduct research on otherworldly entities. Use a variety of tools and equipment to analyze and contain these creatures, while avoiding being killed or possessed by them. The game features a procedurally generated research facility and a range of entities with unique abilities, providing a challenging and intense experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 108 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

grinding26 negative mentions

Entity Researchers features a captivating atmosphere, unique visuals, and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The gameplay combines elements from various genres, offering a strategic combat system that rewards experimentation and character customization.
The developer is actively involved in improving the game, addressing bugs, and adding new content based on player feedback.

The game can be excessively grindy, which may lead to boredom and frustration for players who dislike repetitive gameplay.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, with some being game-breaking.
The combat mechanics can feel simplistic and repetitive over time, lacking depth and variety in gameplay.

gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
6%
The gameplay is a blend of familiar mechanics from franchises like Pokémon and Diablo, featuring a simplistic yet engaging combat system that relies on timing and clicking. While the core loop is enjoyable and the aesthetics are praised, many players find the mechanics repetitive and opaque, leading to a grindy experience that may not sustain long-term interest. Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique atmosphere and potential for fun if players are willing to invest time in understanding its systems.
- “Extremely good combat mechanics though, makes the RPG aspect far less tedious and actually somewhat action-packed.”
- “The core gameplay loop is very fun and it reminds me a lot of an old Fallout style game, except with a more DRPG style battle system.”
- “Having only played a handful of hours so far, I'm already absolutely loving the game; the gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying and comfortable to play with, everything meshes so well, the combat is addicting, getting your affinities up and refining new items is great fun.”
- “The gameplay for the game is relatively rudimentary, borrowing from other franchises like Pokémon and Diablo for many different aspects.”
- “Full disclosure, I refunded this game - as of level 10, this game isn't really fun because you just cast the same move repeatedly (unless your foe is weak to lightning in which case you cast the lightning move). I didn't get any additional moves even when I visited all the 2-star areas and scanned everything, and a lot of the mechanics are straight up opaque, so I don't know for example what +25 affinity does and what it affects - meaning that the gearing system feels pretty lackluster.”
- “The two combat mechanics (scanning and timing attacks correctly) wear thin, and you're left wondering why you're still playing.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The game's graphics are a standout feature, effectively capturing a unique "dark sci-fi" atmosphere with a captivating 90s aesthetic that appeals to fans of classic CRPGs. The visuals are complemented by a memorable and eclectic soundtrack, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Players appreciate the blend of trippy visuals and engaging art styles, which contribute to the game's distinctive and alive world.
- “Being a self-described 'dark sci-fi RPG', the game nails its atmosphere, visuals, and music to an extent few other indie games ever achieve.”
- “While primal, the visuals presented by entity researchers are also simultaneously captivating for their 90s aesthetic, meaning any old-school CRPG lovers (such as Diablo 2, Fallout 1 & 2, etc.) will feel right at home.”
- “The aesthetic is super unique and really captures the 'inhuman alien invasion' vibe.”
- “I really appreciate the schizocore aesthetics, but the gameplay is just too thin.”
- “Do you like 90's CD-ROM graphics?”
- “While primal, the visuals presented are also simultaneously captivating for their 90s aesthetic, meaning any old-school CRPG lovers (such as Diablo 2, Fallout 1 & 2, etc.) will feel right at home.”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its unique and catchy tracks, heavily inspired by electronic artists like Aphex Twin and various genres such as techno and 90s trance. Each entity type features its own distinct soundtrack, enhancing the game's atmosphere and complementing its visuals and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the strongest aspects of the game, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.
- “The music is clearly heavily inspired by electronic British musician Aphex Twin, as well as a lot of different genres like techno. I would even state that it is the strongest part of the overall package of the game alongside the visuals and atmosphere, as every single track is unique, catchy, and memorable in its own way.”
- “All of the different entity types have a different music track that plays depending on their element. I also think that the music is quite fitting with deep electronic basslines for the electric entity battles and dreamlike melodies for the light entity battles.”
- “The weirdness was a selling point for me in the first place, but then there is the schizotrippy aesthetics, an amazing soundtrack, and the simple but fun RPG mechanics which can be combined and exploited in different ways. There's something super relaxing in slaying entities and then collecting items, refining, and leveling up.”
- “Weird synth soundtrack, groovy visuals, and goofy mechanics.”
- “Very original feeling, the music is very 90s trance/trip.”
- “In general, I just like the aesthetic of the game and everything that comes with it - strange creatures, strange inventory, strange narrative, strange choice of music, strange UI, and a strange experience overall.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
83%
8%
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with players noting that it often feels like a grind to progress through missions. While some elements of the narrative become more engaging as players advance, the overall experience is marred by repetitive tasks and insufficient dialogue, leading to boredom between key story beats. Additionally, the progression system can be confusing, with important missions hidden among numerous side quests, which can frustrate players trying to follow the story.
- “The game does become more fleshed out the more you play it, though for most people the whole entity apocalypse should keep you hooked till the next story beat.”
- “The dev has responded to my two suggestions of more dungeon layouts and story improvement.”
- “The cases and actual story missions are fine; they offer different things, but the actual random jobs need some more to do and see.”
- “I saw less than a page of written dialogue, so it's not really a big story thing.”
- “As for completing the story... it's just one long grind of usually breaking genosacs to maybe get a single item 30 times, then the mission (and cutscene) will suddenly pop up once you finish the normal mission you're in.”
- “The mission to trigger that is hidden in the quest list; it's the one marked as urgent, just in case you go through 50+ missions and not realize that, and end up wondering why the story hasn't progressed yet.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its significant grinding requirements, which can lead to boredom, especially when paired with simple combat mechanics. While much of the grinding is optional, players who dislike repetitive tasks may find it unappealing. However, those who enjoy RPG elements and engaging combat may find the grind rewarding and worth the effort.
- “I found the game to be quite grindy indeed at times, which when paired with the simple combat led to a bit of boredom between missions which appear at certain level thresholds.”
- “The game requires grinding... and I mean a lot of grinding to move forward.”
- “A quick shout out: if you don't like grinding, this game is not for you.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The game excels in creating a captivating atmosphere, blending dark sci-fi elements with an 80's horror aesthetic, enhanced by unique and memorable music inspired by artists like Aphex Twin. The visuals and art style contribute significantly to the immersive experience, making it one of the standout indie titles in terms of atmosphere. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be a key highlight, elevating the enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “Being a self-described 'dark sci-fi RPG', the game nails its atmosphere, visuals, and music to an extent few other indie games ever achieve.”
- “The music is clearly heavily inspired by the electronic British musician Aphex Twin, as well as a lot of different genres like techno. I would even state that it is the strongest part of the overall package of the game alongside the visuals and atmosphere, as every single track is unique, catchy, and memorable in its own way.”
- “I would also like to add the atmosphere and tone, portraying an 80's sci-fi horror feel almost perfectly.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits notable stability issues, including various bugs and glitches, some of which can be game-breaking. Despite these shortcomings, many players feel that the unique experience offered by the game makes it worth persevering through the technical flaws.
- “There are also quite a few bugs and glitches I encountered throughout my time in Entity Researchers, some mild and some game-breaking, so be warned that the game may not be as polished as other modern titles you may have played (although I still think it's very much worth it to make it past these bumps and blemishes).”
- “While there are some missteps along the way (notably the amount of grinding and glitches), I would personally say the positives far outweigh the negatives for this extremely unique experience which has led me to recommend it in my review.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, allowing players to engage with whimsical creatures through psi powers, which some users find particularly entertaining. However, the reference to schizophrenia may raise concerns about sensitivity and appropriateness in humor.