Hektor

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 170 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
Hektor Game Cover
Hektor's level design mind games are cool, but its 90 minutes of jump scares would be better spent on so many other horror games.
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"Hektor" is a single-player Horror Action game with a good plot and impressive graphics, but held back by numerous bugs. As a former research subject, you must escape a shifting, monster-filled facility in Greenland, using pills to manage your psychosis and procedurally generated corridors adding to the fear. The eerie atmosphere and dark past of HEKTOR create a haunting, immersive experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews
story14 positive mentions
stability9 negative mentions
  • The game has a unique premise with a constantly shifting environment that effectively conveys a sense of confusion and disorientation.
  • The atmosphere is creepy and unsettling, with effective sound design that enhances the horror experience.
  • The story has intriguing elements that keep players engaged, and the game features some genuinely scary moments.
  • The monster mechanics are poorly implemented, making encounters frustrating rather than scary, as it often feels like a nuisance rather than a real threat.
  • The game is short, lasting only a couple of hours, which may not justify the price for many players.
  • The visual effects, particularly the screen distortion from the 'insanity' mechanic, can cause motion sickness and detract from the overall experience.
  • story54 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing and deep narrative, while others find it confusing, vague, and poorly executed. Many users noted that understanding the plot often requires collecting notes or seeking external help, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, while the atmosphere and potential of the story are acknowledged, technical issues and gameplay mechanics detract from its effectiveness.

    • “Good 1h-2h horror game with an amazing story.”
    • “The story is really amazing if you ask me.”
    • “It has a deep story, clever level progression, and is darn creepy too!”
    • “This game tries so hard to be a deep, narrative storytelling jump-scare with character connection, only to fall short as an expensive ($15 at the time of purchase), asset recycling, confusing and frustrating experience that attempts to hold a lighter to what was once the jump scare video game norm.”
    • “The game is glitchy (graphics, settings not saving), the story makes no sense at all.”
    • “It has a nonsensical story that is neither as sophisticated as it thinks it is, nor as interesting as it tries to be.”
  • atmosphere35 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently described as intensely creepy and immersive, effectively creating a sense of suspense and dread that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the dark, cold war setting and the chilling sound design, which contribute to a claustrophobic and foreboding environment. While some find the pacing slow, the atmospheric elements are praised for drawing players into a haunting and engaging horror experience.

    • “The story, taking place during the 1950s apparently, has a great Cold War atmosphere that history buffs like me will love; indeed, this added so much to the experience and I loved it.”
    • “This game has done a fantastic job at creating a truly creepy atmosphere.”
    • “When played at night, by yourself, with headphones it will freak you out, but only if you let yourself become immersed in the atmosphere (with great sound and good graphics it's not hard to do this).”
    • “The dark atmosphere is creepy at first, but I got used to it.”
    • “Hektor is an interesting game with a very well put together atmosphere and concept; however, what it makes up for in looks, it completely lacks in playability.”
    • “Furthermore, even though the monster might not be chasing you all the time, the eerie and terrifying atmosphere and sound effects make it seem like they're behind every corner, which frankly scares the shit out of me.”
  • gameplay31 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unpredictable and dynamic mechanics, particularly the non-euclidean map that effectively conveys themes of disorientation and dementia. However, many players find the mechanics confusing and frustrating, with issues such as unclear controls, a disorienting "insanity" effect, and repetitive level designs detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the horror elements and the challenge, others criticize the gameplay for being tedious and poorly optimized, leading to a mixed reception.

    • “I screamed out loud at one point, and I think the key to this game's horror is its unpredictability; so many horror games, even the greats like Amnesia, can become all too predictable once you know how the game mechanics work, and this breaks the illusion of the game world.”
    • “The mechanics of having a lighter with unlimited fuel and a torch with limited battery create a great dilemma... do you stay with a very short range of vision and end up running into a creature, or do you use the torch to see further ahead?”
    • “The core gameplay mechanic of the map being a constantly shifting, non-Euclidean space works very well at conveying dementia, often too well.”
    • “Gameplay is nauseating; the more 'scared' your character gets, the more the screen blurs and distorts, causing headaches and nausea.”
    • “The mechanics with the insanity, the changing hallways, and the predator that chases you don't make enough tangible sense for them to be stimulating and motivating.”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric effects, while others criticize the unoptimized performance leading to glitches and blurriness. Many noted that the graphics can enhance the horror experience, but issues like frame rate drops and inconsistent quality detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the visuals are described as decent to good, but not without significant flaws.

    • “It's graphically stunning and doesn't resort to cheap jump scares.”
    • “From the sheer beauty of the graphics to the suspense of not knowing what that sound around the corner is (or if it's even real), this game will blow you away.”
    • “The graphics are crisp and clean; I was never confused about what anything was appearance-wise with the exception of the can-shaped objects.”
    • “While I would like to give this game a better review, the visuals at one point in the game became so unbearable I had to stop the game while I was streaming.”
    • “I also had to turn down the graphic settings to make the game run smoother, which just made everything even more blurry, so that didn't help much.”
    • “Anyway, the story is meh, the graphics are okay (the game is very unoptimized, I got ugly FPS drops on a PC which can run twice as modern games way better); the gameplay is annoying.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its professional quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, effectively setting a suitably eerie and immersive mood. Many players appreciate the orchestral compositions and well-executed sound effects, which contribute to the overall horror experience, although some note that the repetitive use of certain music and sound assets can become tiresome. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with some players even purchasing it separately.

    • “Excellent music and sound effects.”
    • “Let me start this review off by saying this game has wonderful atmosphere and music.”
    • “And the music is so suitably depressing (and professionally recorded), I assumed it was simply canned music from some licensed collection.”
    • “Its music and art assets are frequently recycled throughout the entire game.”
    • “The use of sound and music is effective, though I have to say that the trippy, tilting screen effect throughout the entirety of the game gets a little annoying.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The game's stability is significantly compromised, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, such as broken achievements, unreachable collectibles, and instances of players getting trapped or unable to progress. Many users experienced frequent crashes and freezes, particularly when accessing certain features, indicating a need for substantial fixes to improve overall stability.

    • “I had to close and restart the game several times to allow myself to progress due to glitches; for instance, once I got trapped on the wrong side of an NPC and there was just nothing I could do.”
    • “Game is buggy and broken from the first act.”
    • “Then there's the glitches, like being unable to interact with in-game items that are necessary for you to proceed further, causing you to have to reload your game.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with players noting that once the story is completed and its mysteries unraveled, there is little incentive to play again. Many express disappointment in the absence of engaging elements that would encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “There is no replay value to the game, as once you've beaten it and figured out what's going on (as best you can), there's no incentive to play through again.”
    • “But when you finish the game and start all over... well for me it has no replay value.”
    • “No, and I'm disappointed that I can't :( ... 'one night' is more playable than this.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with players experiencing sluggish controls, significant frame rate drops, and various technical issues such as stuttering, sound loss, and crashes. Despite being run on capable hardware, the game's performance is deemed unacceptable, leading to a frustrating experience for users.

    • “I was pleasantly surprised by the game's depth and mechanics, but the optimization could use some work; I experienced noticeable frame rate drops even on a high-end PC.”
    • “The visuals are impressive, but the game is quite unoptimized, leading to frustrating performance issues that detract from the overall experience.”
    • “While the gameplay is engaging, the optimization leaves much to be desired, as I encountered significant lag and frame rate issues on a system that handles more demanding titles smoothly.”
    • “I thought it would be mediocre stuff from an indie developer, but the controls are sluggish. It needs quite a good computer to run properly; compared to the visual quality, it is very, very unoptimized.”
    • “The game is very unoptimized; I experienced ugly FPS drops on a PC that can run modern games much better. The story is mediocre, and the graphics are just okay.”
    • “If you're into constant stuttering, loss of sound, main menu crashing, random permanent black screens, and having to utilize Windows Task Manager to force quit the game, then this is the game for you!”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its unintentional comedic elements, such as the absurdity of the monsters and their repetitive audio cues, which can shift from shocking to laughable over time. While some players find the bugs and monster designs amusing, others feel that the humor detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration rather than fear.

    • “The first time you encounter one of these characters is a decently shocking experience, but later in the game, their presence can be quite amusing, especially when you see their ridiculous transition from person into a reddish specter.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for being underwhelming and poorly executed, leading to a disjointed experience that feels unnecessarily prolonged. Players find the narrative and character connections lacking, resulting in confusion rather than engagement.

    • “Character development and connection misses its mark, and what should probably be a 30-minute experience is thinly stretched to a 2-hour confusing roller coaster of level design and encounters with AI that always seem to know where you are.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game, making it hard to invest in their journeys.”
    • “Despite the potential for deep storytelling, the character arcs are poorly executed, leaving players feeling disconnected and unengaged.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game initially engaging due to its unique shifting corridors, but it quickly turns tedious as repetitive visits to the same locations become frustrating, especially when players are aware of their objectives.

    • “What is unique about this game is that it's constantly shifting and looping corridors, which is interesting and perhaps even fun at first, but becomes annoying and tedious later on in the game, especially when you know what you must do, but the game thinks you need to visit that location for the fifth time.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
    • “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again just to level up, which quickly turned the experience into a chore.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

45% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
1-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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