Fearmonium
- May 20, 2021
- Redblack Spade
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Fearmonium is a single-player horror platformer game with a fantastic story set in the inner world of a boy's consciousness. Explore a huge map of abstract images and memories, engage in dynamic battles, and uncover the nature of human consciousness as you battle unique enemies and form new phobias. With good visuals, a marvelous soundtrack, and a delightful atmosphere, Fearmonium offers a wholesome story with a psychedelic Metroidvania experience."
Reviews
- Great art style reminiscent of classic cartoons, enhancing the game's unique atmosphere.
- Engaging story that explores deep themes of fear and mental health, providing a compelling narrative experience.
- Variety of abilities and items to discover, encouraging exploration and adding depth to gameplay.
- Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive, with hitboxes that may frustrate players during encounters.
- Boss fights tend to be overly long and can become tedious due to their high health pools.
- Some players may find the controls awkward, particularly when jumping or navigating tight spaces.
- story114 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Fearmonium" is a unique and engaging exploration of mental health themes, particularly focusing on fears and phobias, presented through a mix of comic-strip storytelling and gameplay. While some players found the narrative execution to be somewhat amateurish or heavy-handed, many appreciated its depth and emotional impact, particularly as it evolves from a dark beginning to a more hopeful conclusion. Overall, the narrative is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, despite mixed feelings about the gameplay mechanics.
“The story is really good, not just with its heartfelt and scary moments, but how it talks about and uses the themes of fear and phobia; it just does it all in quite an interesting way.”
“Fearmonium is an excellent and very interesting story-rich metroidvania game, with a really good story, very good gameplay, and really good enemies and bosses.”
“The story is an interesting look at fears and various other issues caused by mental trauma.”
“The gameplay is decent, but the story is dumb in ways that are hard to even put into words. I could probably go into a ten-paragraph rant about all the ways I disliked the writing, but I'll spare the details as most of that was simply my highly subjective opinion anyway.”
“Good art, okay gameplay, horrendously bad storytelling.”
“The plot deals with some really heavy topics, and maybe it's a translation issue, but a lot of it feels very... heavy-handed.”
- music67 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its diverse styles, including dark-electro-synth and ambient tracks that fit the game's themes perfectly. While some noted moments of repetitiveness during backtracking, the soundtrack is often described as superb, engaging, and capable of evoking a range of emotions, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's immersive experience and encouraging players to revisit it for the soundtrack alone.
“The dark-electro-synth and sometimes eerie ambient OST also slaps!”
“The music is very good with a lot of great tracks that just fit the game so well.”
“The music not only sets the tone perfectly throughout the game but often finds new meaning when you arrive around the end game as well, crazy!”
“The only flaw in this game I believe is the music, which is pretty bland and too electronic, which is detrimental for the game's atmosphere.”
“Music could use a bit more, but is tolerable.”
“Music and graphics are a bit weak in my opinion.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fearmonium" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its clunky mechanics and lack of responsiveness, particularly in platforming and combat. While some appreciate the game's unique themes and artistic style, others criticize its difficulty curve and awkward controls, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, many still find the gameplay enjoyable and engaging, especially for fans of the metroidvania genre, highlighting its potential for improvement with future updates.
“So yeah if you feel like clowning around, and you want a solid metroidvania filled with clowns and fun gameplay, go ahead, this game is for you!”
“Fearmonium is a good metroidvania game overall; it has a good story, good art style that resembles Cuphead, a superb soundtrack, and now good gameplay after the patches.”
“This is a solid metroidvania that has a very original story with some interesting mechanics and items.”
“Despite loving some aspects of the game, I still can't recommend it because it fails at the most important part: gameplay.”
“The game really can't handle its difficulty curve, and it makes the gameplay flaws even more visible.”
“Enemies have cheap attacks that require you to try and dodge, using mechanics that are clunky at best.”
- graphics59 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique and appealing art style, reminiscent of classic cartoons like Cuphead, with vibrant colors and creative enemy designs. However, some reviews note that the visuals can be rough around the edges, with occasional animation issues and a lack of fluidity in gameplay. Overall, while the art style is a highlight, opinions vary on its execution and quality compared to other indie titles.
“The graphics are really good; they have a sort of classic rubber hose/cartoon feel to them, while also being brightly colorful. Even in the darker and spookier areas, there's a nice color palette that makes you want to just look at it.”
“The art style is fantastic and really leaves me wanting more of these cartoon platformers.”
“The artwork of the game and the 'memories' you encounter in the game brought the world to life, making them memorable.”
“I had rather low expectations about that, based mainly on crappy graphics. If you saw any videos of the infamous Enchanted Portals game, you would recognize the same low-budget Cuphead wannabe cartoonish art style.”
“Visually, it's pretty bad even for a one-man low-budget game. I've seen one-man indie titles with way better graphics.”
“The art style reminds me of flash games from the early 2000s, but I was willing to look past that if the gameplay was good, and the gameplay is only so-so.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its creepiness and immersive qualities, enhanced by well-designed environments and engaging character interactions. While some players find the music to be a weak point, others appreciate its atmospheric contribution, creating a compelling backdrop for exploration and gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere, dialogues, characters, and music here work for amplification of that feeling.”
“Music tracks are quite atmospheric in each area while exploring through them.”
“Totally loved the atmosphere!”
“The only flaw in this game I believe is the music, which is pretty bland and too electronic, which is detrimental for the game's atmosphere.”
“About the story and atmosphere, I have controversial feelings.”
“Creepy world and atmosphere.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative and character evolution, which range from cheesy to genuinely heartfelt moments. Players appreciate the exploration of themes like fear and phobia, alongside impactful messages that resonate personally, making the experience feel deeply invested and emotionally engaging. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster that effectively combines creativity with personal storytelling.
“And we constantly see the evolution of the boy in the real world, with quite a touching story.”
“Now let’s talk about the likes, the story is really good not just with its heartfelt and scary moments, but how it talks about and uses the themes of fear and phobia, it just does it all in quite an interesting way.”
“It's an emotional rollercoaster; it's great, and you, reader, have messed up if you haven't played it.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when it comes to acquiring health potions and items, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Some bosses are considered overly tanky, adding to the grind, while navigating the map is described as a chore. Overall, while there are fun elements, the grinding can feel excessive and detracts from the experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“But grinding for health potions is a chore, so you still end up frustrated now and then.”
“Gaining balloons is relatively difficult, and buying stuff requires a bit too much grinding for my tastes, if you're the sort to use a lot of items.”
“The devs have done an excellent job of making it atrociously tedious to get around.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for having several game-ending bugs and glitches, with one user reporting 4-5 significant issues during a 20-hour playthrough, leading to a lower score of 9.5/10. Overall, while the gameplay experience is strong, the presence of these technical problems detracts from its overall stability.
“9.5/10 just because of glitches.”
“I had about 4-5 game-ending bugs and 2-3 glitches during my 20-hour playthrough.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by a fitting soundtrack, particularly a forest track that elicits laughter, while the over-sexualization of female characters, with exaggerated features and animations, adds an unintended comedic element due to the contrast with the overall animation quality.
“The soundtrack is alright, definitely fits the vibe of the game, special mention to the forest one with the bass drop that made me laugh a couple of times.”
