Half Dead

About

Half Dead is a single player and multiplayer action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Room710Games and was released on August 1, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Half Dead" is a first-person shooter horror game where players navigate through a dark and ominous asylum filled with supernatural creatures. The game features permanent death, forcing players to start over with each demise, and a variety of weapons to fend off the enemy hordes. With permadeath, rogue-like elements, and a grim atmosphere, "Half Dead" offers a challenging and intense experience for horror enthusiasts.

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,272 reviews

gameplay50 positive mentions

stability22 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay, especially when played with friends.
Unique concept inspired by the movie 'Cube', providing a mix of strategy and survival.
Affordable price point, making it accessible for casual gamers.

Repetitive gameplay that can become boring after a short period.
Limited content and variety in traps, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
Multiplayer experience can be hindered by a low player base and server issues.

gameplay
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and repetitive mechanics, which can lead to a lack of long-term engagement. While some players find it fun, especially in multiplayer settings, many criticize the limited variety of traps and the overall shallow experience, suggesting that it may only provide a few hours of entertainment before becoming stale. Despite its potential for humor and enjoyment with friends, the game is often described as needing more depth and content to sustain interest.
- “The game's unique mechanics and challenging levels kept me engaged throughout.”
- “The gameplay is funny, intense, and just fun in general.”
- “The gameplay is inherently simple but a fun time when playing with friends.”
- “Its not a bad game; it works fine, it's just incredibly simplistic and there is nothing to do after a few hours of gameplay.”
- “Broken, boring and repetitive gameplay.”
- “I'm sorry to say that at this point the game won't have much more to offer, neither in gameplay nor in content.”
graphics
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
44%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the clean visuals and impressive lighting effects, while others criticize them as below average or plagued by glitches. Many agree that the graphics are decent for a low-cost game, but they often feel basic or repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while some players find the graphics enjoyable, others believe they fall short of expectations, especially given the game's potential.
- “The graphics and sound design were top-notch and added to the intense atmosphere.”
- “The graphics and lighting are absolutely beautiful for a £1.59 game, and it runs very smoothly on high-end PCs - however, an optimization update is probably in order for people with rigs lower down the spectrum.”
- “Amazing grid styled puzzle gameplay with awesome graphics.”
- “The graphics are ugly and the sounds are not good.”
- “Graphics are terrible and gameplay does not make up for it.”
- “I've also managed to find some pretty painful graphical glitches that make the game unplayable, which is annoying when playing with friends.”
humor
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised, particularly when played with friends, leading to many hilarious moments and unexpected deaths. Players find the comedic elements, such as funny enemy sounds and bizarre traps, to enhance the overall experience, making it a great choice for group play, especially at a low price. However, some note that the humor may not hold up as well in solo play, and the gameplay can become repetitive over time.
- “This game is hilarious to play with friends.”
- “With a group of friends, this game is so funny that I can't concentrate half the time.”
- “Hilariously funny to play with friends as you watch them burn to death in lava with no escape.”
- “Not funny”
- “Not funny”
story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
59%
12%
The reviews highlight a significant divide in the game's storytelling aspect; some players express disappointment over the lack of a coherent narrative or backstory, while others praise the emotional depth of specific storylines, particularly one involving a character in a mental institution. Many users desire a more structured, linear story mode akin to other games, suggesting that the absence of a rich narrative detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game's storytelling is seen as inconsistent, with some players finding it engaging and others feeling it is severely lacking.
- “Gripping you into its world with its powerful story and immersive characters, this will surely be an experience you will never forget.”
- “Half Dead is a touching story of a man/woman who suffers from a mental disability and lives their life mostly secluded in a mental institution.”
- “This incredibly rich story has it all!”
- “I had hoped there was a story mode or something, but it's not.”
- “There is no flavor text or story.”
- “Wow, I wanted to start off by mentioning the complete lack of story, but then I read the description of this game and now I must say it's a shame that that story never actually gets told in the game.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of background music, which contributes to a feeling of boredom and an eerie silence during gameplay. While some appreciate the sound quality and find the menu music enjoyable, there is a strong consensus that a more extensive musical score and ambient soundtrack are needed to enhance the emotional experience and overall engagement. Players express hope for future updates that could address these musical shortcomings.
- “This game is well made, great music and graphics but most of all it's fun!”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Well, the music is pretty cool...”
- “It definitely has some great potential... one of the few issues I had with it at the time was... there was no background music... just an eerie silence.”
- “Music, there is no damn music which makes it get boring quicker.”
- “Also needs some kind of ambient soundtrack, something to break up the silence, otherwise it gets extremely boring.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and graphical glitches that can disrupt gameplay and make it unplayable at times. However, some users noted that the glitches are often minor and do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment, especially when playing with friends. Overall, while stability issues are prevalent, the game's fun factor remains high, and there is hope for improvement with future updates.
- “Very buggy and it gets old quick.”
- “I've also managed to find some pretty painful graphical glitches that make the game unplayable, which is annoying when playing with friends.”
- “The game was buggy and it really disrupted the gameplay.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its top-notch graphics and sound design, creating an intense and engaging experience, particularly for fans of the cube movies. While some reviews note a sense of foreboding and a sci-fi vibe, others mention that the online component feels lacking, impacting the overall atmosphere. Despite its simplicity, the game successfully delivers a captivating environment that enhances replay value and enjoyment.
- “The graphics and sound design were top-notch and added to the intense atmosphere.”
- “It offers incredible replay value, easy to understand strategy, plenty of laughs, and an awesome sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “If you're a fan of the cube movies at all you'll enjoy the very literal and deceptively simple atmosphere the game gives you.”
- “Atmosphere 4/10”
- “The maze is single-storeyed, unlike that in Cube, but the atmosphere is pretty similar.”
- “If you're a fan of the Cube movies at all, you'll enjoy the very literal and deceptively simple atmosphere the game gives you. As long as you accept the game for the simplicity that it offers and don't get caught up on the fact that this $1 game isn't as 'complex' as other titles, it's a fantastic game.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many users noting significant performance issues and unnecessary graphical effects that detract from gameplay. While it can run on older devices, players report lag and slow performance, suggesting that it is not well-optimized compared to other titles. Some users acknowledge impressive graphics but still express a desire for better optimization overall.
- “Impressive graphics but also seems to be well optimized.”
- “Also, I have a pretty bad laptop, and I have high FPS only while the game shows its logo, so I will wait for optimization too.”
- “Poorly optimized, with lots of unnecessary effects like bloom (aka vaseline on screen) for being what it is - essentially a cube game with one room. Think about it.”
- “Pretty much a hardware-dependent game, of which there are hundreds out there that are much better optimized and presented.”
- “It is quite literally a 3D poorly optimized minesweeper.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
36%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the various formats and difficulty adjustments that provide a degree of replay value, many feel that the core gameplay lacks depth and variety, leading to diminished interest after the initial playthrough. Despite some enjoyment from the concept and humor, the reliance on random guessing and limited trap types results in a consensus that replayability is ultimately lacking.
- “There are several game formats and difficulty adjustments (such as a map which records trap discovery, or doesn't) so the game offers a fair bit of replay value.”
- “It offers incredible replay value, easy to understand strategy, plenty of laughs, and an awesome sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “Love the concept, love the replayability, and love how it makes me want to drink.”
- “Very little replayability after you win the first time.”
- “The different game modes do very little to add replayability.”
- “It's fun and funny for a little while, but since it's not much more than random guessing a few quick decisions, it has almost no replay value despite being randomly generated...just too few trap types that (some of which) don't even matter that they are different since you aren't trying to survive them specifically but get them to activate and wait them out or run past them regardless of which trap it is.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and monotonous, with many describing the experience as boring and lacking excitement. After investing significant time, the repetitive nature of the achievements leads to a sense of relief upon completion rather than satisfaction. Overall, the grinding is seen as a major drawback that diminishes the game's appeal.
- “After nearly 18 hours of grinding through what seemed like an endless barrage of mundane achievements, I'm relieved to finally be finished.”
- “But be warned: the journey to completion may be more tedious than thrilling.”
- “Boring, tedious, and without any of the anxiety, anticipation, or intelligence that goes along with the movie 'Cube', which this game is fashioned after.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting the poignant narrative of "Half Dead," which explores themes of mental disability and isolation. The personal investment in the game is evident, with some users feeling genuine disappointment and sadness over technical limitations, indicating that the emotional impact extends beyond the storyline to the overall gaming experience.
- “Half Dead is a touching story of a man/woman who suffers from a mental disability and lives their life mostly secluded in a mental institution.”
- “So I found this game and it looked like something my friends and I could play and have a giggle, so I sold a bunch of my cards and saved up. Luckily, I only bought it for myself and one of my friends. Then I found out it isn't out on Mac, and I'll be completely honest, I cried a little on the inside.”
- “I became emotionally attached to my shoes.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game incorporates microtransactions, allowing players to purchase additional abilities, such as extra legs for enhanced gameplay mechanics. However, the repetitive nature of the suggestions suggests a lack of depth in the monetization strategy, potentially leading to player frustration.