Follia: Dear Father
- April 29, 2020
- Real Game Machine
Follia: Dear Father is a first-person psychological horror game set in a surrealist, ever-changing hospital. As protagonist Samuel, you'll explore your twisted past and struggle against sinister forces while uncovering the truth about your estranged father. The game features a unique blend of puzzles, combat, and narrative-driven gameplay to create an immersive, atmospheric experience.
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere and visuals, reminiscent of classic horror titles like Resident Evil and Outlast.
- It features a variety of monsters and jump scares that keep the gameplay engaging and unpredictable.
- Despite its rough edges, the game shows a lot of love and effort from the developers, making it enjoyable for horror fans.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including problems with controls and menu navigation.
- The pacing can be frustrating, with monsters often too close for comfort and unclear objectives leading to confusion.
- The story lacks depth and coherence, making it difficult for players to stay invested in the narrative.
- story17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered engaging but not particularly deep, with some players appreciating its atmosphere and scares while others find it lacking in originality and coherence. Many reviewers noted that the narrative encourages exploration, revealing details gradually, though some expressed disappointment with the ending and overall clarity. While opinions vary, the story is often described as interesting enough to maintain player interest, despite some criticisms regarding its execution.
“But it has fantastic atmosphere, really good in-your-face scares and a great story.”
“You are drawn along the story without being force-fed every minute detail, encouraging you to explore your surroundings to uncover more of what actually happened.”
“The story wasn't overly in-depth but was enough to keep me going and had me in the palm of its hand in the last scene.”
“I wish the ending explained the story more.”
“- the story makes very little sense.”
“- weak story”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively establishing a sense of dread and tension throughout. Players appreciate the combination of visual design, sound, and gameplay mechanics, such as the flashlight battery system, which enhance the overall experience of horror and mystery. While some find the monster encounters overwhelming towards the end, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates and engages players.
“But it has fantastic atmosphere, really good in-your-face scares and a great story.”
“The game does a great job establishing an atmosphere of dread at the start that carries through the game.”
“The tension, jump scares, and atmosphere are perfectly balanced, creating a great blend of mystery and horror.”
“The atmosphere just sucks you in.”
“I recommend this game to everyone who likes to tickle their nerves and those who like games with a dark atmosphere.”
“Even the flashlight battery system puts the pressure on you to actually search your surroundings if you want a better light source; I personally enjoyed the limited ambiance of the lighter as it added a darker atmosphere to exploration and what seemed like a better chance at keeping the monsters from noticing Marcus' lumbering behind.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Follia" is characterized by a mix of familiar mechanics, such as key finding and monster evasion, which some players find engaging despite its lack of originality. While the limited resources, particularly the quickly draining flashlight battery, can be frustrating, the game offers moments of aggressive interaction with monsters that add excitement. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking depth and immediacy compared to similar titles, but it still manages to motivate players to progress through its environments.
“There should be nothing to enjoy at all in Follia, but on some odd level, the core parts of the gameplay and the clashes with a variety of different monster types pushed me to get to the next area and see what troubles there were to solve.”
“Follia actually allows for touches of aggressive gameplay that allow you to lure monsters close, slash/block them to stun their ugly mugs, and then try to get to your next mundane objective.”
“I had zero issues with loading, saving, or any gameplay.”
“Originality is not a strong suit in the re-lifted door/gate opening animations, the aforementioned story, the Outlast-heavy quiet 'sneak into the building' intro, etc. You're going to be hitting switches, running from monsters, recharging a flashlight with batteries, finding keys, the works... There should be nothing to enjoy at all in Follia, but on some odd level, the core parts of the gameplay and the clashes with a variety of different monster types pushed me to get to the next area and see what troubles there were to solve.”
“This game could have been interesting; however, the gameplay is not good enough. The resources are limited, especially the flashlight's battery, which drains fast and is annoying because it's too dark.”
“Obviously, the gameplay and environments take this into account - and the ever-reliable 'e' button exists to enable you to occasionally hurdle over things and whatnot - but it still gives less of a sense of immediacy and agility than the frequently frenetic Outlast.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players appreciate its quality and atmospheric contribution, others find it repetitive and overly intrusive. The combination of music with the game's visuals and setting is praised, though some users suggest that certain sound effects could be more prominent. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the eerie ambiance, but its execution may not suit everyone's taste.
“Gorgeous graphics and great music did not leave me indifferent.”
“Love the setting of the game, music, and the monster with the young girl is creepy as hell!”
“Music, sounds, and voice acting are great.”
“The entire game is slow-paced; you can't turn off the piano, and I'll spare you the details of what that continuous game music makes me want to do to my monitor.”
“I think that some of the background sound effects and music could be a little bit louder, though.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are praised for their beauty and atmospheric quality, contributing positively to the game's experience. However, some users noted that certain elements, like the monster designs, can feel overwhelming or cheesy at times. The combination of stunning visuals and engaging music enhances the overall gameplay.
“Nice story, great graphics, good gameplay, good sounds.”
“Gorgeous graphics and great music did not leave me indifferent.”
“The graphics are sometimes cheesy.”
“The atmosphere and visuals are fab, but the monsters are too much 'on you' towards the end.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of stability, with users reporting numerous bugs and overall poor performance, leading to a frustrating experience.
“The game is still plagued by numerous bugs that hinder the overall experience.”
“It's a generic, buggy, and visually unappealing version of 'Outlast'.”
“The stability issues are a major drawback, making it difficult to enjoy the game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game has some performance issues and is not considered highly optimized, but these shortcomings do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the experience.
“Despite some performance issues, the game is great and I'm enjoying it!”
“I don't feel the game is super optimized, but it's nothing game-breaking.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a lack of character development, with users expressing disappointment in the absence of growth or depth in the characters throughout the game.
“There is no character development.”
“The game lacks any meaningful character development.”
“I was disappointed by the absence of character development.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and effective, providing a mix of amusement and frustration, particularly through its challenging puzzles set in a horror school environment. Players appreciate the blend of humor with the game's eerie atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
“After the start is a little weird, I found this game amazing! I had a really hard time progressing, but the funny puzzles made me laugh in this horror school.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, blending perfectly with the eerie atmosphere and keeping me entertained throughout.”
“I love how the game uses dark humor to lighten the mood, making even the scariest moments feel a bit more bearable.”