Follia: Dear Father
- April 29, 2020
- Real Game Machine
Get on SteamFollia: 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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere and provides genuine scares, making it enjoyable for fans of horror titles like Resident Evil and Outlast.
- Despite its indie feel, the game showcases great work in monster design and environments, contributing to an unsettling experience.
- The story, while not overly complex, is engaging enough to keep players invested throughout the gameplay.
- The game suffers from various technical issues, including bugs that can prevent players from starting or progressing, and controls that can feel unresponsive.
- Pacing and gameplay mechanics are frustrating, with monsters often being too aggressive and the character's movement feeling sluggish.
- The lack of options for adjusting settings, such as look inversion for controllers, can hinder the overall experience for some players.
- story34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered engaging but lacks depth, with some players appreciating its atmosphere and monster designs while others find it weak or confusing. Many reviewers noted that the narrative encourages exploration without overwhelming players with details, though some expressed disappointment with the ending's lack of clarity. Overall, while the story has its merits, it may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate plot.
“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”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % 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 balance of jump scares and mystery, enhanced by mechanics like the flashlight battery system that heightens the feeling of vulnerability. Overall, the dark ambiance and engaging visuals create a captivating experience for horror enthusiasts.
“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.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Follia" is criticized for its lack of originality, relying heavily on familiar mechanics such as key finding, switch hitting, and flashlight management, which can feel tedious. However, the game does offer some engaging moments through its monster encounters and limited weapon use, allowing for a mix of stealth and aggressive tactics. Despite these elements, the overall experience is hampered by resource limitations, particularly the quickly draining flashlight battery, and a less dynamic feel compared to similar titles like "Outlast."
“There is a very small amount of weapons to find that you can slash and defend with, which makes tangling with the hideous college dropouts a bit more exciting than just finding the next locker and waiting for the school bully to pass. Follia actually allows for touches of aggressive gameplay that enable you to lure monsters close, slash or block them to stun their ugly mugs, and then try to get to your next mundane objective.”
“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.”
“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.”
- music12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback; while many players appreciate the atmospheric quality and integration with the game's setting, some find the continuous piano music grating and wish for the option to turn it off. Overall, the sound design, including music and voice acting, is praised for enhancing the game's immersive experience, though some users suggest that background sounds could be more prominent.
“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.”
“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.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their gorgeous visuals and atmospheric design, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, some users noted that certain elements can appear cheesy, and the intensity of monster encounters towards the end may detract from the visual enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are a highlight, complemented by great music and gameplay.
“Gorgeous graphics and great music did not leave me indifferent.”
“Nice story, great graphics, good gameplay, good sounds.”
“The atmosphere and visuals are fab.”
“The graphics are sometimes cheesy.”
“The atmosphere and visuals are fab, but the monsters are too much 'on you' towards the end.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of stability, with multiple users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. The consensus suggests that these issues significantly impact gameplay, making it feel generic and poorly polished.
“This game is generic, buggy, and visually unappealing, reminiscent of 'Outlast'.”
“The game is plagued with bugs.”
“Overall, the game suffers from significant stability issues.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game has been noted for having performance issues and a lack of strong optimization, but these problems are not considered game-breaking, allowing players to still enjoy the overall 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 development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a lack of character development, with multiple users noting that the characters do not evolve or grow throughout the game.
“There is absolutely no character development in this game.”
“The game lacks any meaningful character development.”
“Character development is non-existent in this title.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and effective, with funny puzzles that add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise intense horror setting. Players appreciate the blend of humor and challenge, which enhances their overall experience despite initial weirdness.
“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 unexpected and adds a delightful twist to the horror elements, making the experience both thrilling and entertaining.”
“I love how the game balances its creepy atmosphere with hilarious moments that keep you on your toes and make you chuckle.”
