LOCKED
- December 14, 2023
- Grumpy Pony
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Locked" is a horror-themed 2D side-scrolling game, where you play as Debbie, trying to escape a serial killer's basement by solving intricate puzzles. This intense, gripping experience is inspired by classic horror movies and games of the PS1/PS2 era, featuring high-resolution 2D graphics and a chilling atmosphere. The goal is to unravel the lair's mysteries and unlock the path to freedom.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a unique and appealing art style that combines cartoony graphics with dark themes, reminiscent of classic flash games.
- Despite its short runtime of 1-2 hours, the game offers engaging puzzle gameplay and a satisfying experience for its price.
- The atmosphere is effectively creepy, and the gameplay mechanics, such as hiding and item throwing, add to the tension of escaping from the killer.
- The controls can be clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay moments, especially when trying to interact with items or evade the killer.
- The game suffers from bugs, including crashes and instances where the player can get soft-locked, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The enemy AI can be overly intrusive, making it difficult to progress and creating moments of unnecessary frustration.
- story18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around an unnamed woman who must escape from a serial killer named Frantz, but it lacks depth and complexity, often feeling underdeveloped. While the cartoony graphics complement the dark themes, the narrative primarily serves as a backdrop for gameplay mechanics, with minimal exploration of the character's situation or motivations. Overall, players noted that the story is straightforward and could benefit from more substantial storytelling elements.
“The well-crafted cartoony graphics do not clash with the dark subject matter of the game and underline the few surreal aspects of the story.”
“The backgrounds are nice as well and filled with a little story of what has happened before you became trapped.”
“Good storytelling with puzzles.”
“The story itself is nothing to write home about; you are an unnamed woman who was captured, undressed (but not naked, this is not that kind of game), and locked up by a serial killer named Frantz, from whose house you now have to escape.”
“While this is a bit weird story-wise (how did Frantz put you in this room when he can’t enter it?), there is a bigger problem going on with your one and only opponent.”
“The usual stuff: find an item, open a door, hide, figure out how to escape, etc. There are some hints of a creepy mystery, but nothing more in terms of story.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a well-crafted cartoony art style that effectively complements its dark themes and surreal elements, reminiscent of early 2000s flash games. This combination of simple yet engaging visuals, along with a touch of gore, enhances the overall experience without detracting from gameplay.
“I thought the art style of the game was simple and good, and it reminded me of some 2000's flash games with a mix of good 3D.”
“Simple and interesting graphics style, a little bit of gore.”
“This in combination with the cartoony graphics and the 2D gameplay actually reminds me of old flash games, specifically the point-and-click game 'Free Ice Cream', in which a child has to escape the house of a serial killer.”
“The well-crafted cartoony graphics do not clash with the dark subject matter of the game and underline the few surreal aspects of the story.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay of [i]locked[/i] is primarily puzzle-based and features a simplistic, 2D design reminiscent of old flash games, which some players find nostalgic. However, the experience is marred by frustrating mechanics and abrupt gameplay changes that can lead to unfair deaths, leaving some users feeling that the overall execution does not justify its low price.
“This in combination with the cartoony graphics and the 2D gameplay actually reminds me of old flash games, specifically the point-and-click game 'Free Ice Cream', in which a child has to escape the house of a serial killer.”
“At its core, [i]locked[/i] is a puzzle game, but the gameplay, much like our player character, is very stripped down.”
“I hate to thumbs down an obvious solo project, but the frustrating gameplay really isn't worth the cheap price of admission.”
“There are also two situations near the end, where I was killed by Frantz because of temporary changes in the gameplay, but to be honest, I could have seen them coming, so this is partly on me.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have poor optimization for keyboard controls, with users specifically noting issues such as the inability to use the action key effectively.
“Not really optimized for keyboard; can't use action key.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is enjoyable and creepy, but players consistently report significant bugs that affect stability.
“Fun creepy game, but very buggy.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's dark atmosphere is generally well-received, creating an engaging and immersive experience; however, some players feel that certain shock elements, particularly nudity, detract from the overall ambiance.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as the tasks required to progress are repetitive and unenjoyable, despite the game being relatively short.
“Technically, you just do a few things and that's the end of the game, but actually doing those things is tedious and annoying.”
