Lex Mortis
- February 9, 2015
- Denis Esie
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Lex Mortis is a single-player, horror open-world game with exceptional graphics, taking place on the mysterious and deserted Berdwood island in Northern Europe. After a night on the island, you discover the horrifying fate of its 2000 inhabitants, and are faced with a difficult choice affecting their outcome. With two possible endings, the game lets you explore Berdwood island and uncover its secrets at your own pace, with the atmosphere changing drastically between day and night."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features impressive graphics, especially during the daytime, which enhances the overall visual experience.
- There are some effective jump scares that can provide moments of genuine fright.
- For a one-person development team, the game shows potential and has a unique atmosphere that could appeal to fans of indie horror games.
- The game suffers from severe lighting issues, making it nearly impossible to see anything at night, and lacks any light sources like flashlights.
- Gameplay is plagued by numerous bugs, including glitches that disrupt immersion and poorly scripted events that hinder progress.
- The story is clichéd and poorly executed, with a lack of emotional depth and numerous grammatical errors in dialogue and text.
- graphics28 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive high praise for their stunning visuals, particularly during the daytime, with many reviewers noting a strong atmospheric quality reminiscent of classic influences like the X-Files. However, the nighttime settings are criticized for being excessively dark, making it difficult to see and diminishing the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are marred by visibility issues that detract from gameplay enjoyment.
“Amazing graphics.”
“Beautiful graphics.”
“It feels like this game has been heavily inspired by the good old X-Files TV series and CryEngine 3 provides stunning visuals.”
“It had just its graphics talking; gameplay-wise, story-wise, and exploration-wise it was terrible, besides the poorly scripted stuff.”
“I'm very disappointed with this game. I will admit that the graphics and the whole concept of the game are lacking... that is, when you're able to see anything.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the initial spookiness and immersive elements, particularly during the first night, while others criticize it for being overly dark and frustrating, detracting from the experience. Many feel that the atmosphere becomes repetitive and uncomfortable, leading to a lack of engagement. Overall, while there are moments of effective tension, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a polarized reception.
“The game actually did an okay job of building an atmosphere, at least initially, and I genuinely was spooked a couple of times as I explored the first house at night.”
“Great overall atmosphere.”
“The scares and atmosphere of the first 'night' was awesome.”
“I guess they wanted to build atmosphere but instead adds only frustration.”
“It is not adding to the atmosphere, it's just annoying.”
“Also the game is far too dark at times; I get the darkness to set the mood and atmosphere, but I still need to see at least moderately in front of me or else I have no idea what is happening. There was a pitch black cutscene where a bridge collapsed and I had no idea that had happened until after the cutscene when I awoke in a river.”
- music20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is largely criticized for its limited selection, featuring only two repetitive tracks that often do not match the game's scenery. Players have noted that the music can overpower dialogue, making it difficult to hear the protagonist, and some find it annoying, especially since there is no option to turn it off. Overall, the soundtrack is described as uninspired and fails to enhance the gaming experience.
“Amazing music.”
“There is not much music, probably 2 songs which repeat over and over again.”
“The soundtrack was uninspired.”
“It is sometimes also not possible to understand what the protagonist says because the music is too loud and the voice is too silent.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable despite numerous glitches, such as controlling a boat while glitched and confusing controls for exiting vehicles. However, many others criticize the gameplay for being minimal and poorly scripted, with a lack of storytelling and exploration, leading to an overall perception that while the graphics are impressive, the gameplay itself is severely lacking.
“But the gameplay, I think, is awesome.”
“Within my 3 hours of gameplay, I was glitched out of a boat but was still controlling it... I flipped a car by turning... mind you the cars only go 30mph if you don't hit sprint, which for some reason also causes the car to sprint but wasn't listed in the car's instructions... speaking of which, you press F to bail out of cars but also press F to close the instructions window... I think you can guess what happened...”
“I still hold out hope for this game - I would give it an 8/10 for graphics as the daytime scenery is truly amazing and 5/10 for current gameplay issues.”
“Within my 3 hours of gameplay, I was glitched out of a boat but was still controlling it. I flipped a car by turning, mind you the cars only go 30 mph if you don't hit sprint, which for some reason also causes the car to sprint but wasn't listed in the car's instructions. Speaking of which, you press F to bail out of cars but also press F to close the instructions window. I think you can guess what happened.”
“Minimal storytelling, and virtually non-existent gameplay.”
“Sure it looks good, but what's the point when there's no good gameplay.”
- story16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely criticized for being clichéd, boring, and poorly executed, with minimal storytelling and a lack of engaging gameplay. Many players found the narrative unfulfilling, leading to a disappointing ending and a lack of replayability due to the absence of a new game option. Overall, the story detracts significantly from the overall experience, leaving players feeling frustrated and underwhelmed.
“The story was cliché and boring.”
“Minimal storytelling, and virtually non-existent gameplay.”
“Past that, it became a boring game with a lot of backtracking, and the entire 'creature' story was lame and only got worse by the end of the game.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, particularly related to terrain and wall collisions, which disrupt gameplay and immersion. Many players find the experience frustrating due to these issues, indicating that significant fixes are needed to improve overall stability and enjoyment.
“This game needs some serious fixing; it isn't a bad idea and has neat concepts, but it is really buggy and shows tons of flaws when running the game on ultra.”
“Currently, I am climbing the mountains and exploring the map; however, after I entered a cave through a mountain, the walls and mountains are very buggy. You can climb a mountain by jumping around, and at some point, you can pass through the wall of a mountain and get to an area where you are not supposed to reach.”
“Cons: the game is not fun, it is buggy, translations break immersion, and there isn't much of a real free roam experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected and absurd moments, such as vehicles being humorously tossed into the air due to invisible obstacles, creating a lighthearted and entertaining experience for players.
“And then just before I arrived at my destination in my car, I touched an invisible bit of geometry near the side of the road, and my vehicle was promptly tossed hilariously up into the air and onto its side.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many users express strong dissatisfaction, indicating that the optimization issues significantly detract from their enjoyment.
“Poorly optimized - out of my sight!”
“Poorly optimized - out of my sight!”
