Grotesque Beauty
- October 3, 2019
- Digital Bento
Get on Steam"Grotesque Beauty" is a horror-themed visual novel that tells the story of a group of friends exploring an abandoned mansion. The game features a branching narrative with multiple endings, as well as unsettling atmospheric horror and mature themes. Players must make choices that will determine the fate of the characters and uncover the dark secrets of the mansion.
Reviews
- The game features a captivating story with multiple endings, providing significant replayability and engaging choices that impact the narrative.
- The art style and sound design are highly praised, creating an eerie atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- Players appreciate the unique blend of horror elements reminiscent of Junji Ito, with effective animations and a compelling aesthetic.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that the story could benefit from more depth and character development.
- There are frequent minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing in the dialogue, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Technical issues such as limited save slots and problems with screen mode transitions have been reported, affecting gameplay convenience.
- story18 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and well-crafted, effectively complemented by its artistic style, making it a captivating experience for players, especially around Halloween. While the narrative is short, it offers 30 different endings, providing a variety of outcomes that encourage exploration, though some players feel this fragmentation can detract from the overall coherence of the plot. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its eerie atmosphere and unexpected twists, reminiscent of creepypasta tales, though the limited save slots may hinder the experience for some.
“The story was pretty interesting and it kept me hooked.”
“With great style, and an almost perfect delivery of the story it wants to tell, it's definitely a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit.”
“The minimalist approach to the visuals shouldn't dissuade you, as each illustration is lovingly crafted and framed to maximize the accompanying text; this same approach is taken with the soundtrack and sound effects, both of which are admittedly sparse, but still manage to marry well with the story as it's being revealed.”
“However, a story that starts promising - subtle and eerie - can quickly devolve into an action-packed survival experience that requires picking the right choices to survive... and I think that's where it started to slip for me.”
“While I don't mind branching paths in video games, I think fragmenting a short story into 30 different conclusions (some being early 'bad endings') to be a bit too much.”
“In my nearly four hours, I've managed to get about ten of those endings thus far, and have every intention to continue playing until I've seen the rest, as the story tends to take some rather drastic, unexpected, and suitably sadistic turns.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a striking black and white hand-drawn art style that is both atmospheric and beautifully animated, drawing inspiration from creators like Junji Ito. The minimalist yet impactful visuals, combined with a carefully crafted soundscape, enhance the overall aesthetic and storytelling experience, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.
“I enjoyed the visuals and overall aesthetics of this game.”
“All of that is emphasized by a simple black and white hand-drawn sketching art style which is beautifully animated in certain sections of the game along with squeaking and humming sounds making it intense for me throughout the whole game, even while I was replaying it.”
“Grotesque beauty bears little aesthetic resemblance to the developer's colorful predecessor, this time being presented in a muted—though no less striking—palette of black, white, and grey.”
“The novel is created in dark colors; visuals look simple but quite atmospheric.”
“Grotesque Beauty bears little aesthetic resemblance to the developer's colorful predecessor, this time being presented in a muted—though no less striking—palette of black, white, and grey.”
“The minimalist approach to the visuals shouldn't dissuade you, as each illustration is lovingly crafted and framed to maximize the accompanying text.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are crafted to enhance the overall experience, effectively contributing to the atmosphere with a mix of unsettling sounds and minimalist compositions. While some users find the music to be scary and not particularly pleasant, others appreciate how it complements the narrative and visuals, creating a cohesive and immersive environment.
“The art for the characters and the music/sound effects were made really well!”
“The minimalist approach to the visuals shouldn't dissuade you, as each illustration is lovingly crafted and framed to maximize the accompanying text; this same approach is taken with the soundtrack and sound effects, both of which are admittedly sparse, but still manage to marry well with the story as it's being revealed.”
“The music was mostly sounds and not pleasant ones.”
“Trust me, it's very scary and it doesn't help when the music makes you scared more.”
“The minimalist approach to the soundtrack and sound effects is admittedly sparse, but it still manages to marry well with the story as it's being revealed.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is relatively brief, with a single playthrough lasting around 20 minutes, which some players noted as a minor observation during their experience.
“A single playthrough offers about 20 minutes of gameplay.”
“A single playthrough offers about 20-ish minutes of gameplay.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, with dark visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players find it to be a compelling alternative to bad horror movies, effectively creating a creepy and engaging environment.
“Trust me, having wasted similar amounts of time watching bad horror movies, I can say this is a safe bet for a spooky, fun, and atmospheric game.”
“The visuals are created in dark colors; they look simple but are quite atmospheric.”
“Creepy atmosphere.”
“The game has a creepy atmosphere that fails to deliver any real tension.”
“While the atmosphere is intended to be unsettling, it often feels more dull than eerie.”
“The creepy atmosphere lacks depth, making it hard to feel immersed in the game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with many surprising moments that keep players engaged. Its eerie, Twilight Zone-like atmosphere enhances the desire to revisit the experience.
“Definitely lots of replayability, and definitely some moments that leave you with your mouth agape.”
“Lots of replay value, and it has a creepy Twilight Zone feel to it.”
“The game lacks significant replayability; once you've completed it, there's little incentive to go back.”
“After finishing the main storyline, I found no compelling reasons to replay the game.”
“While the initial experience was enjoyable, the lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel redundant.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game for its emotional depth and thought-provoking narrative, highlighting it as a rewarding and impactful experience.
“I'm grateful for this emotional, thought-provoking ride.”
“The game took me on an emotional journey that I won't soon forget.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters, which made the experience incredibly emotional.”
- 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 absolutely no character development in this game.”
“The characters feel flat and lack any meaningful growth throughout the story.”
“I was really disappointed by the lack of character progression; it made the experience feel shallow.”
