Gorky 17

About

"Gorky 17" is a single-player Horror Role Playing game with a good plot and delightful mechanics, set in a former Russian secret base now overrun by grotesquely deformed creatures. As part of a NATO team, explore the dense atmosphere of the deserted town of Gorky 17, uncovering intrigue, betrayal, and even some romance, while dealing with bugs and enjoying compelling music. The mission: discover the terrible secret of Gorky 17 and survive to tell the tale.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 289 reviews

story33 positive mentions

graphics21 negative mentions

Engaging atmosphere with a campy story and entertaining monster designs.
Fun and simplistic tactical gameplay that encourages strategic thinking.
Works well on modern systems with some adjustments, providing a nostalgic experience.

Significant technical issues, including crashes and graphical glitches on modern systems.
Lack of depth in strategy and balance, making some encounters feel trivial.
Repetitive music and voice acting that can detract from the overall experience.

graphics
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The graphics of the game, originally released in 1999, are widely regarded as outdated and problematic, with many users experiencing significant issues on modern systems, including bugs and low resolution. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and atmospheric design, the overall consensus is that the visuals are poor by today's standards, making it difficult to recommend for players who prioritize graphical fidelity. Despite these shortcomings, the game's engaging gameplay and story may still appeal to fans of classic RPGs.
- “If you love RPGs and want a change from the normal sword/magic themes, I would definitely give this a go. Don't be scared by the 1999 release date; it plays way better than most new games of its type, and the graphics and amazing soundtrack still do it justice.”
- “Overall, Gorky 17 is a fine survival TBS/point-and-click hybrid game with semi-isometric graphics in a horror-sci-fi setting.”
- “The music is great, and to me, the background graphics still have their quality.”
- “The game is dated in terms of visuals and you have no options for graphic detail or resolution, so if you don't want to put any effort into it, that's what you get.”
- “The graphics are locked at the lowest resolution, and it will not look like the Steam store screenshots.”
- “The terrible visuals are somewhat forgivable given its age, but the broken state it's in is not.”
story
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
9%
The story of Gorky 17 is a blend of campy sci-fi horror elements, revolving around a post-Cold War investigation into mysterious events in a destroyed town. While some players find the plot engaging and atmospheric, others criticize it as simplistic and poorly executed, with a mix of intriguing character dynamics and cheesy dialogue. Overall, the narrative is seen as a secondary aspect to the gameplay, providing a decent backdrop for the tactical challenges players face.
- “The plot is told rather competently and does a good job at setting up its mysteries and creating a tense atmosphere of intrigue and horror.”
- “The creepy horror/thriller atmosphere grips you from the very first moment and, combined with an interesting story and voice-acted dialogues, makes Gorky 17 a relatively memorable gaming experience.”
- “A smooth fusion of RPG and survival horror, an intriguing story, wicked creature designs, more-than-suitable atmosphere and soundtrack, and well-developed strategic gameplay make Gorky 17 a flawed bundle of late-90's sci-fi horror goodness.”
- “The story is mediocre at its core, to say the least.”
- “Don't try to understand the plot reveal at the end; I don't think it even makes sense.”
- “The game is short, but the storyline is alright.”
gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The gameplay of Gorky 17 is a mix of turn-based strategy and RPG elements, offering a blend of tactical depth and engaging combat mechanics, though it suffers from technical issues and a clunky interface. While some players appreciate its strategic elements and atmospheric design, others find the mechanics unbalanced and the overall experience marred by interruptions and a lack of polish. Despite its flaws, the game is noted for its fun, albeit simplistic, gameplay that can be enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “Gorky 17 is the good kind of jank: fun but exploitable gameplay with some genuine strategic elements.”
- “The gameplay is stellar, monster design and variety is stunning, boss fights are amazing and characters are entertaining.”
- “While simplistic in its design, Gorky makes up for it with solid, challenging gameplay and an intriguing plot which won't require a lot of time to invest in seeing through to the end.”
- “While the gameplay experience is commendable, the absence of technical polish undermines the overall appeal of this product.”
- “I'm hoping as I go further into the game I'll have more fun with it, but due to the technical issues, poorly explained mechanics, and awful UI, I really don't think I could in good faith recommend it.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is extremely dull.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
23%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its haunting and immersive qualities, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack and engaging storytelling. Reviewers highlight the blend of horror and intrigue, with desolate environments and well-designed creatures contributing to a memorable experience. Despite some dated graphics and gameplay mechanics, the overall ambiance captivates players, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The plot is told rather competently and does a good job at setting up its mysteries and creating a tense atmosphere of intrigue and horror.”
- “The atmosphere of gorky 17 is uneasy and haunting, you explore desolate streets and abandoned buildings as portrayed by some beautiful, but typically industrial, backgrounds all accompanied by a fitting soundtrack.”
- “The creepy horror/thriller atmosphere grips you from the very first moment and, combined with an interesting story and voice-acted dialogues, makes gorky 17 a relatively memorable gaming experience.”
- “The atmosphere of Gorky 17 is uneasy and haunting; you explore desolate streets and abandoned buildings, portrayed by some beautiful, but typically industrial, backgrounds, all accompanied by a fitting soundtrack.”
- “The creepy horror/thriller atmosphere grips you from the very first moment and, combined with an interesting story and voice-acted dialogues, makes Gorky 17 a relatively memorable gaming experience.”
- “Good turn-based action game with horror elements and a gloomy atmosphere.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The music in "Gorky 17" is widely praised for its atmospheric and engaging qualities, effectively enhancing the game's eerie ambiance and campy narrative. However, some players note the repetitiveness of the combat tracks, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its dated graphics, the soundtrack remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere of gorky 17 is uneasy and haunting, you explore desolate streets and abandoned buildings as portrayed by some beautiful, but typically industrial, backgrounds all accompanied by a fitting soundtrack.”
- “The creatures are adorable, the dialogs are funny, and the music is a masterpiece.”
- “A smooth fusion of RPG and survival horror, an intriguing story, wicked creature designs, more-than-suitable atmosphere and soundtrack, and well-developed strategic gameplay make gorky 17 a flawed bundle of late-90's sci-fi horror goodness.”
- “The music is repetitive.”
- “From today's perspective, the game engine and the graphics are very dated, but the real appeal of the game is its ambience and atmospheric soundtrack.”
- “To get the game to run on Windows 7, I had to do stuff suggested in the forums and I also turned off the music.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and compatibility issues across various systems, rendering it largely unplayable. Many players experienced crashes and significant technical problems, particularly on modern PCs, while some noted that older installations worked better. Overall, the game's technical issues severely detract from the experience.
- “I installed this on 3 different computers (2018 Win10 high spec, 2009 WinVista low spec, and 2013 MacBook Air with Sierra OS) and it did not work (Vista and Mac did not even start up, Win10 is very buggy) while my original disc installation worked flawlessly, at least on the Windows PCs.”
- “Game itself is alright but tech issues kill the joy - low res and buggy, mine keeps crashing on the last level.”
- “This is a problem with some older games on Steam; I had no real warning the game would/could essentially be unplayable due to graphical glitches.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its hilarious dialogue, particularly from a Russian character, and a blend of Slavic wit that resonates with players. While some lines may come off as cliché, they often elicit laughter, especially with the inclusion of broken English and amusing character interactions. Overall, the game's mix of adorable creatures and comedic elements creates a nostalgic yet entertaining experience.
- “The dialogue is hilarious, especially anything the Russian guy says, lol.”
- “Aaah, Gorky 17, the game that used to terrify me as a kid and made me laugh as an adult.”
- “The creatures are adorable, the dialogues are funny, and the music is a masterpiece.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers solid value and decent playtime, others criticize it for being repetitive, with identical battles and environments in each playthrough, making it feel like a one-time experience for many.
- “It has decent playtime of about 10 hours and has solid replayability value.”
- “+ replayable.”
- “It is a good deal, but there is really no replayability.”
- “Low replayability: in every playthrough, the same battles with the same monsters, everything is in the same place - basically, it's a one-stop game for most gamers.”
- “Replayable.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's optimization is rated highly at 9/10, with users noting stable framerates and minimal drops during gameplay. However, some stuttering issues were reported during cutscenes, which slightly detracted from the overall experience.
- “The performance is impressive; the more stable the framerate is and the fewer framerate drops I've encountered, the higher the score.”
- “Performance - the more stable the framerate was and the fewer framerate drops I've encountered, the higher the score.”
- “9/10 (stuttering during cutscenes)”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding in the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring a significant time investment that feels disproportionate to the rewards. Many suggest that the mechanics are poorly designed, leading to a lack of enjoyment in the grinding process.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Even if you get the graphics working halfway (pro tip: choose software rendering), the mechanics are tedious and nonsensical.”