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
- The art style is stunning and reminiscent of classic cartoons, creating a unique and engaging visual experience.
- The story is intriguing and tackles deep themes related to mental health, providing a compelling narrative throughout the game.
- The game offers a large map with plenty of secrets to discover, along with a variety of unique abilities and items that enhance gameplay.
- Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustration during enemy encounters and boss fights.
- The difficulty curve is inconsistent, with some bosses being overly spongy and requiring excessive time to defeat.
- There are occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.
- story115 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a standout feature, offering a unique and engaging narrative that explores themes of fear, mental health, and personal growth through the perspective of a phobia tormenting a young boy. While the storytelling is delivered through comic strips that some find amateurish, many players appreciate the heartfelt and sometimes dark twists that make the journey compelling. Overall, the narrative is praised for its originality and emotional depth, despite some criticisms regarding execution and 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.”
“Cannot recommend this game; some of the art and storytelling is just very awkward, especially in the comic-style cutscenes.”
- music67 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 4 % 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
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fearmonium" is a mixed bag, with many players noting its clunky mechanics and lack of responsiveness, particularly in combat and platforming. While some appreciate the game's unique themes and art 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 enough, 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!”
“The gameplay is solid.”
“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 had potential and I like the world-building and overall design, but unfortunately it falls short due to the clunky gameplay; the controls don't feel great and overall aren't very responsive.”
“Enemies have cheap attacks that require you to try and dodge, using mechanics that are clunky at best.”
- graphics59 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and vibrant art style reminiscent of classic cartoons, particularly noting its charm and creativity. While some players appreciate the detailed aesthetics and variety of character designs, others criticize the visuals as being rough around the edges or lacking in fluidity. Overall, the art style is a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal, despite some technical shortcomings.
“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 is 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.”
“An extremely fun metroidvania with cool characters, a great art style, and an interesting story.”
“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.”
“Aesthetics are somewhat similar to what was used for Cuphead, but with a step down in quality.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % 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 that significantly enhances the gaming experience.
“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 to 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 leaves a lasting impression.
“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
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % 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, as well as facing overly tanky bosses. While some enjoy the overall experience, the excessive grinding required for progression detracts from the enjoyment for many.
“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 items requires a bit too much grinding for my tastes, especially if you're the sort to use a lot of items.”
“The developers 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 received mixed feedback, with some players reporting multiple game-ending bugs and glitches during their playthroughs, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some users still rated the game highly, indicating that the stability problems may not be universally detrimental.
“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 that includes amusing moments, such as a bass drop in the forest theme. However, the over-sexualization of female characters, with exaggerated features and animations, adds an unintended comedic element, contrasting with the overall quality of the game's animations.
“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.”
