Fear the Dark Unknown
- December 2, 2019
- Dreamlight Games Studios SL
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Fear the Dark Unknown" is a psychological horror adventure game that follows the story of a detective investigating a mysterious asylum. The game features challenging puzzles, multiple endings, and a gripping narrative filled with suspense. Players must unravel the dark secrets of the asylum and its patients while facing their own fears and insecurities.
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic survival horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, with two distinct character campaigns that provide replayability.
- The atmosphere and design of the mansion are well-executed, creating a creepy and engaging environment that enhances the horror experience.
- Some puzzles are creative and unique, providing a challenge that can be enjoyable for players who appreciate intricate problem-solving.
- The game suffers from poor voice acting, awkward animations, and a lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players have reported frustrating bugs, glitches, and confusing camera angles that make gameplay difficult and can lead to game-breaking situations.
- The story is often criticized for being convoluted and poorly translated, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and confused by the narrative.
- story25 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and rich, particularly appreciating the dual narratives of the two protagonists. However, many criticize the execution, citing a confusing and unsatisfying ending, lackluster character development, and a narrative that feels disjointed or poorly translated. Overall, while the game offers intriguing elements and a spooky atmosphere, its storytelling often falls short of expectations.
“It's a nice game for survival horror fans; both stories have enough differences to enjoy them without feeling like you're playing the same story twice with just another protagonist.”
“The story is very rich, and you really have to pay attention to understand it.”
“It has unique challenging puzzles, an engaging story that wants you to know more about what's going on, fun gameplay, and well-developed characters.”
“The story isn't interesting because there are wooden blocks instead of characters and wooden blocks instead of scenarists.”
“But in the middle of the story, I came across a game-breaking mistake by the game designer.”
“As many other reviews have said, the combat, movement, dialogue, general storytelling, enemy movement, AI, and puzzles are all a bit lackluster.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of old-school survival horror mechanics with modern updates, offering a satisfying experience in combat and puzzle-solving. While some players may find the fixed camera angles and emotional detachment of characters off-putting, others appreciate the nostalgic feel and engaging story, which provides 20-30 hours of classic gameplay. Overall, the game is considered fun and challenging, particularly for those seeking a fresh take on familiar mechanics.
“For one, I did enjoy most of the gameplay; taking down enemies is satisfying, and until the ending of this game, I really was interested in the story.”
“With the new updates, it is quite stable (only got stuck one time and had two crashes in 6 hours of gameplay so far), and being able to select combat and puzzle difficulty lets you fine-tune your experience.”
“20-30 hours of classic survival horror gameplay with a quality story and a really nice and spooky atmosphere is what you get when you buy this little indie gem.”
“Characters are like mindless puppets - completely devoid of emotion, and all the drama here is artificial and mechanical, like parts in a car engine.”
“This is evident by gameplay mechanics, fixed camera angles, and story elements.”
“Younger gamers will probably not like these mechanics, as seen in some of the negative reviews, but that's not the developers' or the game's fault; that's how it was before everything became dumbed down for the masses.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric detail and creepy style reminiscent of Silent Hill, while others criticize the faded textures and low-quality character models. Players report performance issues, particularly at higher resolutions, suggesting that a decent graphics card is necessary for an optimal experience. Overall, while the atmosphere and certain details are appreciated, the graphical quality leaves much to be desired.
“The graphics are good with some very nice detail, especially with the gore.”
“The graphics are great, the atmosphere is incredible, so many creepy moments, this game can be quite scary.”
“Background artwork and lighting were good.”
“The graphics are faded and grainy with muddy textures.”
“I also could not play in 4K resolution no matter what graphical setting because the frame rate was in the low 40s with an RTX 2080 and i9 processor.”
“Character and enemy graphics are terrible.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie design, particularly within the expansive mansion setting, which is filled with smart puzzles and distinct character development. The music enhances the experience, evoking a range of emotions from unease to dread, while the graphics contribute to numerous creepy moments that keep players on edge. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating and spooky ambiance reminiscent of classic survival horror titles.
“Smart puzzles, beautiful atmosphere, and an intriguing psychological plot.”
“The music is also a decent highlight that provided a good atmosphere and managed to evoke feelings of unease, calmness, or dread.”
“The atmosphere and the little cut scenes are great; the mansion is huge and interesting to explore, and the characters are very distinct and have real development through the documents and notes you find.”
“The atmosphere and design of the mansion interior are lacking depth and creativity.”
“I loved the style of this game and the creepy atmosphere reminiscent of Silent Hill, but I must warn you that you should have at least a Radeon RX 590 graphics card to fully appreciate the game's offerings. Otherwise, you might be disappointed by the graphics.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for creating a fitting atmosphere, evoking feelings of unease and dread, reminiscent of classic titles like Resident Evil. However, some players noted that while the background music enhances the ambiance, it cannot compensate for other gameplay flaws, such as poor voice acting and combat mechanics. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight amidst a mixed reception of the game's other audio elements.
“The music is also a decent highlight that provided a good atmosphere and managed to evoke feelings of unease, calmness, or dread.”
“The music for the game was very good and had a nice Resident Evil feeling.”
“Background music created a nice ambience.”
“Started out fine for the first hour or so, but it's just a bit too broken to be really enjoyable. I got killed because I didn't realize the music in a room meant an enemy was sneaking in, which would instantly kill me when it got there!”
“Even if I could forgive the awful voice acting, the awful combat, the awful puzzle design, the bland sound and music, the inventory system (bullets not stacking is just idiotic), and the amount of bugs that range from stupid glitches to game-breaking... it's not at all scary or even interesting.”
“Aside from the background music and scenery, the sound and animations are terrible.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous game-ending glitches, crashes, and instant deaths, compounded by a limited save system that exacerbates the frustration. While some players find enjoyment in the experience despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights a significant lack of reliability, making it difficult to recommend.
“And there are game-ending glitches, which are terrible in a game with limited saves!”
“I'll try the game a bit more and see if it improves, but glitches, crashes, instant deaths, and limited saves don't give me high hopes for an enjoyable experience going forward, when there are so many games out there.”
“As such, I can't recommend this buggy mess filled with developer logic puzzles and enemies that will get up and start attacking you in the middle of a puzzle and take away half your health while trying to get the game to stop glitching out.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through the inclusion of two playable characters, encouraging players to experience different playthroughs with each character.
“Both characters offer unique experiences, enhancing replayability.”
“Two character playthroughs significantly boost the game's replayability.”
“The game offers two playable characters, but the replayability feels limited.”
“While there are two character playthroughs, the overall replayability is lacking.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game to be a positive aspect, as it contributes to an enjoyable experience, even when faced with frustrations like refund issues. Laughter during gameplay helps mitigate negative feelings, enhancing overall enjoyment.
“The stream was a blast because we were laughing, so I wasn't too upset about not being able to refund it.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, making even the toughest challenges enjoyable.”
“I found myself chuckling at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations throughout the game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for being subpar, with users reporting various bugs that hinder the overall experience.
“What holds the game back is the optimization and the bugs.”
