Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike
- January 6, 2022
- Rayll
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike" is a narrative-driven psychological horror game where you play as a hitchhiker in a small, eerie town filled with secrets and supernatural occurrences. The game features a unique day and night cycle that affects the story and the behaviors of the non-playable characters. Your choices and interactions will determine the outcome of the game, leading to multiple endings.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a great atmosphere and effectively builds tension throughout the experience.
- The story is engaging and relatable, tapping into real-life fears and scenarios.
- The VHS aesthetic adds a unique and nostalgic feel to the horror experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating restarts.
- The autosave system is poorly implemented, often forcing players to replay large sections of the game after dying.
- Driving mechanics are clunky and can lead to confusion or unintended outcomes, detracting from the overall experience.
- story412 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric tension and intriguing premise, particularly in the second episode of the "Fears to Fathom" series. However, criticisms include its short length, disjointed narrative, and reliance on filler content, which detracts from character development and overall coherence. While some found the storytelling engaging and reflective of real-life horrors, others felt it lacked depth and clarity, leading to a frustrating experience.
“The story is absolutely fantastic and explains just the right amount to keep you thinking about it for a while after you stop playing.”
“I really enjoy how the storyline isn't incredibly predictable, it leads you to assume one thing, then takes a swerve to another, then another and another.”
“The atmosphere is great, tension builds up, and the story is coherent.”
“The story is just nonsensical in my opinion.”
“The things the game requires you to do to progress the story just don’t make sense.”
“The whole first part of this is just filler, it's just backstory for the real game, which is at the motel (not very involved backstory either).”
- atmosphere266 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike" is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively building tension through sound design, retro graphics, and unsettling storytelling. Many players appreciate the game's ability to create a genuinely creepy environment, often likening it to classic horror experiences, despite some criticism regarding gameplay mechanics and story coherence. Overall, the game successfully delivers a chilling atmosphere that keeps players on edge, making it a standout in the atmospheric horror genre.
“The atmosphere is eerie, and the concept of hitchhiking horror works well for tension-building.”
“The ambient background sounds set the vibe immediately, and instantly creates an ominous atmosphere.”
“The grainy VHS aesthetic complements the lo-fi aesthetic of these games, as does the minimalist ambient soundtrack - it creates a tense, dread-filled atmosphere, that's artfully punctured with perfectly timed frights.”
“The atmosphere is intense all the time but it can be hard to know what to do at certain points in the story as there's no instructions.”
“Extremely creepy atmosphere, sadly hampered by a few major bugs.”
“The game even has a clever message if you manage to do so, but it doesn't teleport you back, you just have to restart the whole game which completely ruins the atmosphere.”
- gameplay168 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this episode has received mixed reviews, with many players noting the introduction of new mechanics like hiding and vending machine interactions, but also criticizing the driving mechanics as frustrating and poorly executed. Players have highlighted issues such as infrequent autosaves, slow movement, and unclear objectives, which detract from the overall experience. While the atmosphere and story elements are praised, the gameplay is often described as simplistic and lacking depth, leading to a sense of disappointment for some players.
“Once again everything is being kept very simple yet atmospheric and the controls and gameplay are working great.”
“It builds on a lot of the foundations established in the first episode while introducing fun new mechanics like driving and dialogue.”
“Cool mechanics are introduced and it's just all around done really well.”
“However, the game falls short in terms of pacing and gameplay mechanics.”
“Additionally, the driving mechanics are terrible, and the movement is frustratingly slow in areas where sprinting should be possible.”
“The setup and outcome come off as extreme, the gameplay steps were frequently unclear, the walk speed was painfully slow, autosaves infrequent, there was no pause button, the controls were occasionally super awkward, and there were many times I wanted to take a different option but was unable to.”
- graphics158 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the retro VHS and PS1-style aesthetic that enhances the horror atmosphere. However, several users noted significant graphical issues, including bugs and low-quality visuals, which detracted from the overall experience. While some found the nostalgic graphics fitting for the genre, others criticized them as subpar, suggesting that they could benefit from improvements.
“It utilizes the VHS film aesthetic to create a unique and scary experience.”
“The game is filled with deep atmospheric horror and beautiful VHS style graphic design.”
“The grainy VHS aesthetic complements the lo-fi aesthetic of these games, as does the minimalist ambient soundtrack - it creates a tense, dread-filled atmosphere that's artfully punctured with perfectly timed frights.”
“Save your money and play something else, unless your idea of horror is an NPC with PS2 quality graphics being weird to you.”
“No resolution settings and very bad and buggy graphics.”
“The graphics are bad and make it even less scary...”
- grinding62 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 81 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight significant issues with grinding in the game, particularly due to repetitive and tedious tasks like moving items and sparse auto-saves that force players to redo sections frequently. Many players found these elements detracted from their overall enjoyment, making the experience feel slow and frustrating, with calls for more checkpoints and streamlined gameplay in future installments.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I want to like this game, but the weird Google Translate dialogue and the tedious luggage hauling made the game less enjoyable for me.”
“One thing that was very annoying was that there is one autosave in the entire game, and it's at about the halfway point, right before you do the game's most tedious part.”
“I did complete the game, but I had to fight to keep going, especially when dying a few times and having to redo pointless and tedious sections.”
- stability52 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting numerous glitches, crashes, and graphical issues that significantly detract from the experience. While some players found enjoyment despite the bugs, the overall consensus is that the game is too unstable and buggy to justify its price, with critical issues like autosave problems and unresponsive controls being particularly frustrating. A few users noted improvements over previous versions, but these were often overshadowed by persistent stability problems.
“No glitches or bugs during the game for me.”
“The software itself is a huge improvement over the last episode: runs great and the weird enormous latency is long gone; I like the new font style and the way dialogues are managed and displayed.”
“I encountered many issues, such as the game crashing on startup, graphical glitches, vehicles getting stuck, and buttons not functioning.”
“Game is broken; had to refund, always freezes at the gas station.”
“Extremely buggy, what makes it worse is the fact that you can't skip (or fast forward) what you've already played, so if you experience a bug after 20 - 30 minutes, you're forced to replay it all.”
- music46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the horror experience with eerie and tension-building soundscapes. Many reviewers highlight the retro and minimalist soundtrack as a perfect fit for the game's aesthetic, contributing to a sense of dread and anticipation. However, some feel that the music could benefit from more variety and length to fully complement the gameplay.
“The eerie retro atmosphere it provides through both music and the environment created was not only immersive as hell but terrifying.”
“The grainy VHS aesthetic complements the lo-fi aesthetic of these games, as does the minimalist ambient soundtrack - it creates a tense, dread-filled atmosphere that's artfully punctured with perfectly timed frights.”
“Overall, it was great and the music was amazing!”
“I don't know why it's getting so many positive reviews - I'm guessing it's kids who've never played a real horror game before being wowed because the spooky music is on loop.”
“Though what takes it away is just the simple background music.”
“Definitely creepy as hell, and I love the ambient music, but it's way too short.”
- humor34 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of funny easter eggs, silly character sounds, and amusing bugs that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the self-deprecating humor linked to the game's glitches and enjoy engaging in humorous interactions, such as throwing items at NPCs. However, some found the humor overshadowed by rushed controls and scenes, leading to a mixed reception regarding the comedic elements.
“Absolutely hilarious.”
“If you haven't, I advise you to 'crash' when you're driving, or drive without filling your car with gas just to read those hilarious narrations.”
“It's more hilarious than anything, but in general, it's a pretty game, with a nice aesthetic.”
“Some funny bugs.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the multiple endings and varied interactions that enhance replay value, others find that the atmospheric horror elements lead to a lack of new discoveries upon subsequent playthroughs. Overall, the game's replayability may depend on individual preferences for exploration and narrative variation.
“Great replay value, much more playable spaces/interactable NPCs, and overall you'll get more than your money's worth playing through this short, but memorable experience.”
“The game has absolutely no replay value—once you've seen it, there's nothing new to discover.”
“The thing about atmospheric horror is that replayability is low.”
“Multiple endings which give you replayability as well.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting poor performance, particularly in specific areas like the gas station. Many reviewers highlight the need for extensive bug fixes and additional settings options to improve overall performance. Despite the game's positive aspects, the optimization issues detract from the overall experience.
“The game needs optimization and some settings options on the main menu.”
“The game is great overall, but performance issues and recording quality need improvement.”
“It just needs a lot of bug fixing and optimization.”
“I fear you won't be able to fathom how poorly optimized this game is.”
“Game is great and all but performance is pretty bad and recording is even worse.”
“Just needs a lot of bug fixing and optimization.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, including feelings of unease and intense foreboding, which contribute to a sense of dread. However, some also experience physical discomfort, such as dizziness and motion sickness, during certain segments.
“The game made me feel uneasy, and the sense of foreboding and dread was intense.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has not been specifically addressed in the reviews, focusing instead on its adherence to horror and psychological themes, while noting it falls short of the quality seen in previous titles by the developer, rayll.
