In Nightmare
- November 29, 2022
- Beijing Magic Fish Technology Co., Ltd.
In Nightmare could have been great, but the atmosphere and environments aren’t enough to make up for the woeful frame rate, frustrating enemy encounters, and overall tedium of the gameplay.
Get on SteamClosing his heart to reality, our protagonist falls into a deep slumber and awakens in a nightmarish dreamworld. In Nightmare is a narrative-driven horror adventure game combining sneak action with diverse puzzles. It follows a young boy in search for the last hope of love who is working out his own salvation by navigating through his fear. Experiencing effects of a broken family, and the heartac…
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features a strong narrative that sensitively handles themes of child abuse, neglect, and trauma, making it thought-provoking.
- The graphics and art direction are well-executed, creating a visually appealing dream-like atmosphere with diverse and creative level designs.
- The puzzles are generally fair and engaging, providing a good mix of exploration and problem-solving that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The gameplay can be frustrating due to poorly designed chase sequences and trial-and-error mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Some puzzles, particularly one in chapter 3, are vague and confusing, leading to moments of frustration that can take players out of the experience.
- Performance issues, including frame rate drops and stuttery camera movement, hinder the overall experience and can be distracting during gameplay.
- story10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story in "In Nightmare" is praised for its sensitive handling of heavy themes such as child abuse, neglect, and trauma, which are intricately tied to the game's unique monsters and character development. While some players found the narrative thought-provoking and artistically impactful, others felt the gameplay detracted from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, the story is considered a strong point, even if the game lacks traditional horror elements.
“The story is good; I like how it addresses themes of child abuse and neglect without resorting to shock value. It's handled sensitively, also touching on topics like divorce and trauma.”
“The notes are really good; they do an excellent job of expanding the characters and the story as a whole, just like any good notes should.”
“The plot presented in the game shocked me and made me reflect on myself quite a lot, which elevated the artistry of the game to a climax.”
“The plot presented in the game shocked me and made me think about myself quite a lot, which pushed the artistry of the game to a climax.”
“[overwrought, garbled story riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, hide and seek stealth some of the worst in the business, actively sucks enjoyment out of your life, trial-and-error chase scenes and instakill view cones shouldn't exist...ever, fundamentally unfun]”
“In the story, Bill jumps over deep ravines, escapes dangerous monsters, and solves puzzles in order to get out of his psychological shadow.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and stealth elements, reminiscent of "Little Nightmares," but is marred by frustrating chase sequences and performance issues, including frame rate drops. While the game is polished and free of bugs, many players find the mechanics underutilized and the enemy detection inconsistent, leading to a more tedious experience than intended. Overall, the gameplay has potential but suffers from execution flaws that detract from the horror experience.
“The gameplay is good; it's a mixture of exploration and puzzle solving while also running and hiding from monsters. It has a nice Little Nightmares kind of vibe to it, although there are some frustrating parts.”
“With no bugs I've noticed in my hour and a half of gameplay, the game seems extremely polished.”
“The gameplay has its moments, providing a mix of tension and excitement, although some mechanics feel underutilized.”
“[Too many sections involve just running away from a pursuing monster. Cutscenes are regularly vague and require finding notes in-game to fully understand them. Gameplay comes off as more frustrating than scary.]”
“[Performance issues are hard to get past, with frames dipping throughout our entire playthrough. Gameplay, although it has its moments, is more frustrating to deal with, especially during chase sequences. Some mechanics, specifically those tied to bitki, felt underutilized and hindered the overall stealth. Enemies' cone of detection is very hit and miss.]”
“In Nightmare could have been great, but the atmosphere and environments aren’t enough to make up for the woeful frame rate, frustrating enemy encounters, and overall tedium of the gameplay.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their effective use of bright and dark colors, creating a dreamy atmosphere, along with well-designed characters and monsters. However, some users noted that the colors can appear faded and washed out, requiring adjustments through tools like reshade for optimal visual quality. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's horror adventure experience.
“The graphics are good; it has a great use and good balance of bright and somber dark colors, giving it a sort of dreamy quality. The designs are also quite good, not just the world, but the characters and monsters too.”
“Nightmare is a pretty good horror adventure game. It has a good story, good graphics, and good monsters. I recommend this game if you're looking for a game that's not really scary but has a very good story.”
“The graphics are stunning, with a beautiful blend of colors and intricate designs that enhance the overall experience.”
“The graphics are faded and washed out, and I had to use Reshade to get the shading to look right.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its haunting and mystical scores that enhance the atmosphere, fitting seamlessly with various levels, from eerie nurseries to forest chases. Reviewers note that the soundtrack effectively complements the dark fairy tale aesthetic, creating a tense and exciting experience that immerses players in the game's world.
“The music was really good; each haunting score from the first level as you creep around this weird childish nursery to the almost mystical soundtrack of the forest level, even during the chase by monsters, each score really fit the game well.”
“When I started the game, the scene that appeared in front of me had a style of dark fairy tales, which was very attractive with the special background music.”
“The atmosphere of the music and visuals are naturally integrated, fully capturing the tension and excitement.”
“The atmosphere of the music and visuals are naturally integrated, which fully interprets the tension and excitement.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during gameplay.”
“While the soundtrack has potential, it often feels out of place and doesn't match the game's tone.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its seamless integration of music and visuals, effectively conveying tension and excitement. However, in contrast, some players feel that the atmosphere in the nightmare sections falls short due to poor frame rates and frustrating gameplay elements, detracting from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere of music and visuals are naturally integrated, which fully interprets the tension and excitement.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its stability, with users noting that it is very polished and runs smoothly, particularly on the Steam Deck, with no reported issues.
“It's very polished; I had no problems with it, and it runs great on the Steam Deck.”
“The game is incredibly stable, providing a smooth experience without any crashes.”
“I appreciate how well-optimized it is; I've encountered no bugs or performance issues.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, including frequent frame drops that detract from the overall experience. Players find certain gameplay mechanics underutilized and frustrating, particularly during chase sequences, while the enemy detection system is inconsistent, further complicating stealth elements.
“Performance issues are hard to get past, with frames dipping throughout our entire playthrough.”
“Gameplay, although it has its moments, is more frustrating to deal with, especially during chase sequences.”
“Some mechanics, specifically those tied to stealth, felt underutilized and hindered the overall experience.”
Critic Reviews
In Nightmare Review
In Nightmare is a frustrating and dull horror experience that can't live up to the many ideas it tries to set up. This left me not only bored, but disappointed in what it could have been.
30%In Nightmare Review
A quaint art direction and an occasional well-conceived puzzle are not enough to redeem this painful slog through a child's living nightmare. Trial-and-error instakill sections and some of the worst hide and seek stealth since Sanity of Morris ensure the greatest nightmare will be your own.
30%In Nightmare Review – Scarily Mild
In essence, In Nightmare is a narrative heavy puzzle game where all too often you must engage in more action heavy scenes in order to progress. That coupled with frequent sections where you must navigate a room of either a single monster or multiple and avoid detection caused the game to wear out its welcome sooner than it should have. When it's just puzzles you have have all the time in the world to reason out is when the game works best, and I found myself wishing for more of that as the game went on.
40%
