FOREWARNED
- April 25, 2024
- Dreambyte Games
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"Forewarned is a 1-4 player co-op survival horror game where you and your team explore haunted ancient Egyptian tombs filled with cursed mummies and treasures. Each playthrough features procedurally generated tombs with unique mummy enemies and challenges. Your goal is to retrieve the sacred relic while surviving the horrors within and banishing the evil. Gear up, delve deep, and collect treasure in this thrilling expedition."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- gameplay696 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Forewarned" is often compared to "Phasmophobia," featuring a similar investigative loop where players explore ancient tombs, gather evidence, and identify supernatural entities known as mejai. While many players appreciate the unique mechanics and cooperative elements, some find the gameplay overly complicated or repetitive, with a steep learning curve and occasional frustrations in execution. Overall, the game offers a fun and engaging experience, especially in multiplayer, but could benefit from further refinement and additional content to enhance replayability.
“The gameplay revolves around exploring ancient tombs and deciphering cryptic clues left behind by the mejai.”
“Really fun gameplay loop for both solo and multiplayer.”
“The gameplay is terrific and finding the evidence for the ghosts is very intuitive and explained quite well in-game.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay can be boiled down to a simple wack-a-mole concept where you hit a monster over and over before they touch the altar you're using to banish the ghost.”
“The gameplay loop is just a wee bit too simple in its current state for long-term investment, and a lack of a way to increase the difficulty without ruining the relaxed, exploratory pace with a stressful time limit definitely doesn't help.”
“The puzzles suck, the gameplay is pointless.”
- graphics210 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the unique aesthetics, detailed environments, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the horror experience. While some reviews note that the graphics may not match those of AAA titles, they are considered solid for an indie game, contributing to a visually engaging experience. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a strong point, with ongoing updates improving both graphical quality and performance.
“The graphics in Forewarned are stunning, perfectly capturing the eerie ambiance of ancient tombs and deserted ruins.”
“One of the best things this game has are the graphics; they look so good that you could take a screenshot at practically any moment and it would be a nice screenshot.”
“The graphics are excellent, lighting being upgradable as well as situational.”
“Very unpolished UI with bad font choices, sound design is not great, and the overall level design and aesthetic is boring and uninspired.”
“VR needs some polishing, movement is a little clunky and graphics blur when looking around and can lead to motion sickness (Valve Index).”
“The only downside is that the graphics are not that great, but honestly, who cares when you're too busy trying not to die?”
- atmosphere177 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Forewarned" is widely praised for its immersive and spooky design, effectively capturing the essence of an ancient Egyptian setting. Players appreciate the combination of ambient sounds, engaging visuals, and the tension created by the game's mechanics, which enhance the horror experience, especially in multiplayer settings. While some reviews note that the graphics may not be groundbreaking, the overall atmospheric experience is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's enjoyment and replayability.
“Together with the very well crafted atmosphere, engaging gameplay and focus on quality in everything from the sound design to the interactions possible in the tomb, Forewarned gives you all you would want or need for a fun and spooky night with your friends and offers a lot of replayability as you unlock better gear.”
“Forewarned has fantastic atmosphere, is terrifying in every way, and is a very memorable experience.”
“The atmosphere is perfect and I can only see this game getting better as time goes on and more features are added to it.”
“Atmosphere-wise, it's just not scary.”
“This game provides no atmosphere and reviving as mummies is so unrewarding and unfun.”
“While 'Forewarned' boasts an Egyptian setting, the atmosphere fails to captivate.”
- story165 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily conveyed through collectible lore pages that reveal the history of the mejai and the tombs players explore, adding depth to the gameplay. While the main focus is on mission-based treasure hunting and monster investigation, players appreciate the procedural generation of maps and the variety of objectives that keep each mission engaging. However, some reviewers note that the story is not central to the experience, with many feeling it lacks a cohesive narrative or single-player campaign.
“There is a large collection of lore to be found, telling the story of the mejai, whose tombs you're robbing.”
“The story takes place in ancient Egypt and you (plus your friends if you have them) explore different procedurally generated ruins and try to figure out what the mejai is and escape with your life.”
“Instead, you can collect up to 100 lore pages that tell you the full story on how and why the mejai were locked away in these tombs forever.”
“It's not the point of the game; you can find some documents along your exploration journey, but you can't say it has a story.”
“You can play single player, but there is no single player campaign or story.”
“You basically do the same thing every mission, but it stays fresh because there are a good number of maps and the main enemy changes each trip, which changes up the level a decent amount with different mobs.”
- replayability157 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its procedural generation, diverse maps, and unique mechanics, allowing for varied experiences in each playthrough. Players appreciate the customizable difficulty levels and the engaging gameplay loop, although some express concerns about potential repetitiveness over time. Overall, it is frequently compared favorably to similar titles like Phasmophobia, with many reviewers noting its potential for long-term enjoyment.
“The wide variety of maps allows for good replayability, as well as tons of different outcomes.”
“This game is a lot of fun, with procedurally generated levels, randomized AI, the number of collectibles, possible upgrades to your equipment, and other challenges. I love how high the replayability of this game is.”
“The fact that it's all randomly generated gives the zones to explore and has tons of traps, secrets, and lore to find constantly, which gives this game heavy replayability.”
“I would vote yes a few updates ago, but recent updates have tanked the replayability of this game for my friends and me.”
“It's very replayable as well - I just wish they didn't remove some of the original maps as they were my favorites; the new maps have too much going on in my opinion.”
“Not really... the game isn't bad but after 7 hours of playing the game, it loses its replayability.”
- humor144 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting the hilarious interactions and voice modulation, especially during moments of panic and chaos. Many reviews emphasize the comedic value of playing with friends, where unexpected deaths and funny animations lead to uncontrollable laughter. The blend of spooky elements with humorous gameplay mechanics creates a unique experience that keeps players entertained and engaged.
“The voice modulation when you die and come back as a mummy is hilarious.”
“I was crying laughing at my friend's screams echoing through the tomb but also crying myself because I was so scared.”
“This game has no business being this hilarious and entertaining.”
- stability108 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches, particularly in its early access state. While some users find the experience relatively bug-free and enjoyable, others highlight significant issues that disrupt gameplay, especially in multiplayer and VR modes. Frequent updates are anticipated to address these concerns, but players should be prepared for occasional instability.
“The game is fairly bug free, although there are a couple of minor issues that hopefully will get fixed in future patches.”
“Looking forward to seeing what they add to the game, considering it came out a week ago and is relatively bug free, smooth, and already releasing updates.”
“After playing countless indie horror titles, it is refreshing to see one so well made and bug free.”
“It's buggy and poorly designed, and there's a feedback noise for when you mouse over an option, but the noise is loud and jarring, and stacks on itself when you mouse over multiple buttons quickly, which is extremely annoying and even louder.”
“This might be the most buggy game I have ever played.”
“About the VR version, it's kind of buggy and not really playable since a lot of functions that you need do not work (can't navigate the journal and some other stuff that I don't seem to remember).”
- grinding49 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, often requiring excessive time and effort to progress, especially when it comes to collecting gold and upgrading equipment. While some enjoy the addictive nature of grinding for lore and XP, many express frustration with the repetitive gameplay loop and the need for significant time investment, likening it unfavorably to other games like Phasmophobia. Despite its potential, the execution leaves players feeling that grinding can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“And please don't bother grinding for lore pages, your mental health will decline.”
“It started getting tedious very fast and not fun for the most part.”
“The end game is running in a circle while your friend finds the blue lever because from what I can tell there is no other mechanic to dodge or evade the mummy, which is not a fun experience and feels just tedious.”
- music48 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the upbeat and engaging soundtrack, particularly the stereotypical Egyptian tunes that enhance the spooky atmosphere. Many users appreciate the in-game radio, expressing a desire for more song options and better volume control, while some suggest adding ambient music for a more immersive experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the gameplay, making it memorable and fun.
“The music in the office makes people dance and the enemies get a 'ah!' out of me.”
“You can banish spirits in this game to get a larger reward along with an achievement, it's an epic scene with cool music and the ghost taunts you while you play.”
“Stereotypical Egyptian music slaps and you can be a group of crusty grannies exploring some of the spookiest tombs you've ever seen.”
“The options do not even save; on every ritual, my music and ambiance gets reset to maximum volume.”
“The Egyptian music is pretty stereotypical.”
“Buy Phasmophobia, put on some Egyptian music on YouTube, and you've got something 200 times better than this.”
- optimization28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and minimal bugs, with many players noting it runs better than similar titles like Phasmophobia. While some users call for further updates and content to enhance the experience, the game's graphics and VR capabilities are highlighted as impressive. However, a few reviews mention that the performance could still be improved to match the graphical demands of the content.
“Forewarned is a wonderfully optimized, fully polished, and amazingly entertaining game that stands all on its own.”
“The upgrading of equipment feature is also super nice and optimized.”
“I must praise Dreambyte Games for actually releasing a game that is not littered with game-breaking bugs and performance issues - this game runs seamlessly on my rig and I have not encountered a single bug in my 9 hours of playing.”
“The overall performance seems drastically reduced.”
“Needs major optimization for the amount of content/graphical content it has...”
“Way more optimized than Phasmophobia for WMR VR specifically.”
- emotional19 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game vary widely, with some players expressing excitement and immersion in the VR experience, while others report feelings of fear and frustration due to gameplay mechanics and lack of clarity. The game elicits strong reactions, from wholesome enjoyment to distress, highlighting its potential to impact players' emotional well-being significantly. However, the overall sentiment suggests that improvements in gameplay and guidance could enhance the emotional experience.
“While it is still at a very immature point in development, I am willing to bet my emotional wellbeing again on an early access again like I did with Phasmophobia years ago.”
“VR made me feel like I was really in a tomb and it was exciting.”
“Really spooky 1/10, I cried and pooped a little.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for lacking in-app purchases, which some players view positively, but it is overshadowed by concerns about the influx of low-effort, cash-grab clones in the market. Players feel that the developers are not adequately supporting the game, leading to a decline in player engagement and interest.
“No in-app purchases.”
“No in-app purchases.”
“It's sad that the devs don't really care about it... no advertisement for the game... nothing to keep up the player base.”
“Ever since Phasmophobia (a game I love very dearly, for the record) hit the scene and made 1 trillion ghost dollars, dozens of asset flip cash grab copies have flooded into Steam just to try to get a slice of the co-op horror cake.”
