Locked Fears
- November 4, 2016
- dekoga.d
Get on Steam"Locked Fears" is a horror puzzle game where players must escape a series of rooms while avoiding terrifying creatures. Each room features unique puzzles that must be solved to progress, and collecting hidden pages reveals more about the game's story. With limited resources and a tense atmosphere, survival depends on quick thinking and careful planning.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game creates a good and terrifying atmosphere with effective jump scares.
- For its price, the game offers a solid horror experience that is enjoyable for a short play session.
- The developer has shown promise with the visuals and sound design, making it a worthwhile purchase for horror enthusiasts.
- The gameplay is plagued by linearity, glitches, and a lack of a coherent story, making it feel frustrating and unengaging.
- Many players found the game too dark and difficult to navigate, leading to confusion and frustration.
- The trial-and-error gameplay combined with an insta-kill enemy and poor checkpoint system resulted in a frustrating experience for many.
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, terrifying qualities, effectively creating a suspenseful environment filled with unsettling noises and jump scares. However, some players feel that the atmosphere is undermined by linear gameplay, glitches, and a lack of a compelling story, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the setting—a horror-themed office complex—adds a unique twist to the atmosphere, making it engaging for fans of the genre.
“Creates a good and terrifying atmosphere with some good jumpscares.”
“This is a good horror game with a great atmosphere and a clear objective - escape the office and don't get killed by the monster.”
“The atmosphere, however, is amazing, very dark and scary - you'll hear noises all around you and have things thrown at you randomly.”
“The atmosphere seems promising, but altogether it is really hard to figure out what you're supposed to do in this game.”
“Let's start at the linear gameplay in disguise... this game has the atmosphere of a dark puzzle/escape/survival game.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its linearity and lack of depth, often feeling like a series of disconnected tasks rather than a cohesive experience. Players encounter frustrating mechanics, such as trial-and-error gameplay and an ineffective checkpoint system, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While the atmosphere is praised, the execution of puzzles and the minimal storyline leave much to be desired, leading to disappointment among players.
“The gameplay is hit and miss; you read emails on computer terminals and get directed by a mysterious person texting you. These will lead you to computer passwords, keycodes, or items you need to open doors while you gradually uncover spooky evidence about corporations meddling with forces they can't even comprehend. Surprise, something goes wrong, and a fog tries to kill you.”
“This game has the atmosphere of a dark puzzle/escape/survival game.”
“As for the storyline and gameplay, you work in an office, get attacked by ghostly figures, an unknown person texts you, you do some networking to restore the dude's Wi-Fi, and then you take the elevator out.”
“This game has good atmosphere, but it is plagued by linear gameplay disguised as something else, glitches, a non-existent story, and the shortest gameplay of any game I own.”
“As for the storyline and gameplay, there is no storyline; you work in an office, you get attacked by ghosts, an unknown person texts you, you do some networking to get the dude's Wi-Fi back, then you take the elevator out.”
“Trial and error gameplay + insta-kill enemy + poor checkpoint system = massive frustration.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and fragmented, requiring players to piece together the narrative through scattered emails and computer terminals. While some users appreciate the moral themes of perseverance, the overall execution is seen as lacking depth, with many describing it as linear and underdeveloped.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“This game has good atmosphere, but it is plagued by linear gameplay disguised as something else, glitches, a non-existent story, and the shortest gameplay of any game I own.”
“As for the storyline and gameplay, there is no storyline. You work in an office, you get attacked by ghosts, an unknown dude texts you, you do some networking to get the dude's Wi-Fi back, then you take the elevator out.”
“Story-wise, you'll have to check nearby computer terminals and check on your colleagues' emails to piece the story together.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the impressive visuals achieved by a single developer using Unreal Engine 4, others find the overall quality lacking. Despite the criticisms, many agree that the game offers a visually appealing horror experience, particularly when played on full graphics settings.
“And considering that this has been made by a single individual, he's done a marvelous job in achieving picture quality visuals thanks to UE4.”
“Full graphics settings, looks brilliant, control is awesome.”
“:) A very nice looking horror experience, visuals are good, sounds are good.”
“I was very disappointed that this game is a survival horror game. I didn't see that part in the game description; it says puzzle horror game with a creepy atmosphere. Sounds good except for the puzzle part, which is trying to get out of the office and avoid the invisible force. The graphics are not the best, neither is the gameplay. The cost of the game is okay, but why give money away?”
“The graphics are not the best.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by numerous glitches and bugs, including issues like invisible walls and checkpoint respawning of health packs. While some players attribute these problems to the limitations of a small indie development team, the overall experience is negatively impacted by the game's instability.
“This game has a good atmosphere, but it is plagued by linear gameplay disguised as something else, glitches, a non-existent story, and the shortest gameplay of any game I own.”
“Glitches, well, let me put it this way: if you like invisible walls appearing to block your way or the ability to just reload a checkpoint so all health packs magically respawn, then you'll love this.”
“There are currently a few bugs and glitches to be found within the game, but no more than you would expect to see from an indie game with a small team behind it.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its calming and soothing qualities, providing a relaxing experience that can help players feel at ease.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its unexpected glitches, particularly involving the monster, which appears as a dark cloud that humorously interacts with the environment, such as getting stuck to a chair. This blend of eerie and comedic moments adds a lighthearted touch to the otherwise dark atmosphere.
“The game has a unique sense of humor, especially when the monster glitches out and gets stuck to a chair, making it look hilariously out of place.”
“I couldn't help but laugh when the dark cloud monster killed me, leaving my screen surrounded by its shadowy presence—it was both eerie and amusing.”
“The contrast between the game's dark themes and the funny glitches adds a layer of humor that keeps the experience entertaining.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report excellent optimization, highlighting strong FPS performance and quick loading times during gameplay.
“FPS performance and loading times were great throughout my experience.”
“The game runs smoothly with minimal lag, making for an enjoyable experience.”
“I was impressed by how quickly the game loaded and how well it maintained frame rates.”
