From Beyond Prologue

About

From Beyond Prologue is a single player action game. It was developed by SuckerFree Games and was released on December 7, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

"From Beyond Prologue" is a point-and-click adventure horror game set in 1910, featuring 8-bit NES era graphics and sound. Players join Professor Crawford Tillinghast on an expedition to a cursed European village, exploring a larger gameworld than "Shadowgate" with classic Macventure style gameplay. The writing is engaging and draws players into the story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic point-and-click adventures like Shadowgate and Deja Vu, providing an engaging Lovecraftian atmosphere.
Puzzles are intuitive and fair, allowing players to progress without resorting to guides, and there are multiple ways to obtain key items.
The pixel art and overall presentation are well-crafted, enhancing the immersive experience despite some minor graphical clutter.

The game is quite short, with a playtime of around 2 hours, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
The navigation system can be confusing, leading to aimless wandering and difficulty in determining where to go next.
Some aspects of the writing and music are criticized for being repetitive or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.

graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic pixel art and atmospheric design that pays homage to classic point-and-click adventures, while others criticize the cluttered visuals that obscure important items and make navigation challenging. Although the aesthetic is intended to evoke a retro feel, many feel that it sometimes sacrifices clarity for style, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, while the graphics are praised for their eerie and immersive qualities, improvements in visibility and screen size could enhance the experience.
- “The graphics are so good, it has so much atmosphere.”
- “It's a really good point and click adventure game with a strong atmosphere, beautiful pixel graphics, and challenging puzzles.”
- “The pixelated art style and the pixel palettes look well-thought-out.”
- “Ugly graphics in static screens where you can barely see a thing, scrolling text descriptions in a font that is difficult to read, chaotic inventory that will quickly get overcluttered with useless items, streams of screeches that were probably meant to pass for music, all this made playing this game not exactly a pleasant experience.”
- “The graphics feel too cluttered at times; I think more of the border could be sacrificed to make the game window bigger, offering more detail on each screen. Everything that is clear and visible looks the part, especially the more eldritch-looking things, but I just wish everything intended to be clear is fully clear beyond any doubt.”
- “My biggest complaint with the game would be that the art style maybe emulates old games a little too much, and sometimes something that seems completely benign and irrelevant is actually something you can pick up or smash.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and nostalgic vibe, particularly during tense moments, while others criticize it for being repetitive, glitchy, and at times, ear-piercing. Many noted that the music enhances the game's overall feel, but the choppy loops and lack of variety detract from the experience. Overall, while some players loved the music's ability to create tension, others found it irritating and in need of significant improvement.
- “The music has that vibe all the previous games do; it's cozy sounding when you're safe and absolutely terrifying when you're in danger. The death music is one of my favorites for drilling home that 'it's all over' feel. I absolutely love the music when it's without its glitchy side effects.”
- “The music and the art are great, really gives you the feel of it being a game made by a company back in the early days of video games.”
- “The music and environments create a tense and terrifying atmosphere.”
- “The music can get repetitive, but since there are very few sounds, you could possibly get away with muting it if it bothered you.”
- “Legit, it hurt my ears and made me physically jolt to yank my earphones out. I was less than impressed with it, and it comes up pretty frequently throughout the game. In the end, I had to simply turn down all the game volume, and I think this sound effect is near 10 decibels louder than the rest of the game. Genuinely, this needs to be removed entirely; do not do this in video games, it's not funny nor is it safe on people's ears.”
- “The music is sparse and on a short loop, so it's guaranteed to drive you to madness before the eldritch cosmic horrors do.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The story of "From Beyond" is a nostalgic homage to classic Lovecraftian themes, featuring a mysterious narrative filled with secrets and dangers that engage players throughout its brief playtime. While the plot is described as a solid and enjoyable pastiche, some players noted that the game feels more like a prologue to a larger adventure, leaving them eager for a more expansive experience. Overall, the writing and atmosphere effectively capture the essence of retro point-and-click adventures, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “From Beyond is a product that seeks to replicate the good old days with a new mystery of sorts, with the story at the forefront of gameplay as you immerse yourself into a world of many secrets waiting to be found alongside dangerous threats, reminiscent of ICOM Simulations' oldest titles from over 35 years ago!”
- “The story and setting are what kept me hooked until the end.”
- “The story is a simple and sturdy Lovecraftian pastiche that fits the 8-bit look nicely.”
- “The story of the game is about a guy who adventures into mountains in search of a lost village, and after his arrival, things start to go south.”
- “The story is thick with mystery and mythos, and quite a few references are fun to spot for those in the know.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay is a simple point-and-click adventure reminiscent of early 90s text adventures, featuring puzzles and exploration across various rooms filled with secrets and threats. While the game successfully creates an intense atmosphere and offers multiple ways to obtain key items, players may struggle with cluttered graphics that obscure important objects, leading to occasional frustration. Overall, it provides a nostalgic experience with a decent amount of content for its price, though some gameplay elements could be clearer.
- “On the plus side, there are sometimes multiple places to get a needed key item, and an experimental timed mechanic is used late in the game.”
- “From Beyond is a product that seeks to replicate the good old days with a new mystery to boot, as the story is at the forefront of gameplay. You immerse yourself into a new world filled with many secrets waiting to be found alongside even more dangerous threats, reminiscent of ICOM Simulations' oldest titles from over 35 years ago!”
- “The gameplay honestly lives up decently well; it's a simple point-and-click with puzzles to solve and lots of areas to explore. Every room feels like there's something to do, and there are enough clues to find your way around. The story and actual threats in the game felt intensely engaging, probably giving me the biggest chills out of any point-and-click I've tried, so I give it huge props for that.”
- “Gameplay mechanics reminded me of early 90s text adventures from Legend Entertainment like Frederik Pohl’s Gateway series or Eric the Unready (available on Steam), but even these oldies looked better on the technical side.”
- “The gameplay honestly lives up decently well; it's a simple point-and-click with puzzles to solve and lots of areas to explore. However, this game has a particular issue in that elements sometimes aren't made apparent to the player. The graphics feel too cluttered, and more emphasis should be made on objects that can be picked up. I missed several key items and got stuck for periods at a time.”
- “In terms of gameplay, it's very much just a simple graphic adventure game.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring beautiful pixel graphics, haunting music, and a tense, Lovecraftian vibe that enhances the overall experience. However, some reviews note that the writing could benefit from editing to match the strong atmospheric elements. Overall, the combination of art, sound, and environmental design effectively creates a captivating and eerie setting.
- “Great atmosphere, art, music, and game!”
- “It’s a really good point and click adventure game with a strong atmosphere, beautiful pixel graphics, and challenging puzzles.”
- “The music and environments create a tense and terrifying atmosphere.”
- “Strong atmosphere with a Lovecraftian vibe, where you slowly get deeper into the unknown.”
- “There are blood and dead bodies around the village, which further add to the atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often characterized by a trial-and-error approach and a poorly designed navigation system that exacerbates the experience.
- “While it looks great, the game itself is a tedious trial-and-error experience, and the navigation system is one of the most broken I've ever seen.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became boring and frustrating.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The demo of "From Beyond" is brief, taking less than two hours to complete, which limits its replayability due to its small scale.
- “The demo of From Beyond is quite short and can easily be completed in less than two hours for anyone who is remotely experienced with such games, with replayability being limited due to the small scale of the demo.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is criticized for being overly reliant on a jarring sound effect that detracts from the experience, with some players finding it not only unfunny but also potentially harmful to their hearing. This aspect of humor is seen as poorly executed, leading to frustration rather than amusement.
- “The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced, making it more cringeworthy than funny.”
- “I found the jokes to be repetitive and lacking in creativity, which made the experience dull rather than entertaining.”
- “The attempts at humor often miss the mark, leaving me feeling more annoyed than amused.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the emotional impact of the game, highlighting a sense of disappointment and futility when their efforts to engage with it ultimately lead to a negative experience.