Lucius
- October 25, 2012
- Shiver Games
- 9h median play time
A promising enough idea, Lucius shoots for the depths of hell but poor execution lands it merely six feet under.
"Lucius" is a single-player horror stealth game with a good story, wholesome starting premise, and phenomenal atmosphere. As Lucius, a 6-year-old boy who discovers he's the son of the Devil, use hellish powers to orchestrate fatal accidents in a luxurious manor. Despite a few bugs and repetitiveness, "Lucius" boasts pretty visuals, ingenious music, and moments that will make you laugh. The game is not very replayable, but it offers a unique and dark experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- story758 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of "Lucius" revolves around a young boy who discovers he is the son of Satan, tasked with carrying out sinister missions within a sprawling mansion. While the premise is intriguing and offers a unique take on horror, many players find the narrative predictable and linear, often feeling constrained by the game's rigid mission structure. Despite its flaws, including technical issues and repetitive gameplay, the story's dark themes and creative death sequences keep players engaged, making it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.
“The environment of the mansion was beautiful and varied, the music was on point, and the story makes for a great introduction into the world of Lucius.”
“What I liked is that you can continue to investigate the interior of the place even after finishing the game and how the story is not so 'cliché' in the sense that they knew how to carry out the story with deaths to keep it interesting.”
“The story is captivating.”
“The story is weird.”
“There is a lame and cliché story about cultists, the birth of Lucius, his connection with his devil father, and how he came to be the evil boy he is today.”
“The story itself has some potential, but when playing the game, it is a wasted effort and feels misplaced.”
- gameplay358 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lucius" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious, repetitive, and overly linear, often comparing it unfavorably to more engaging titles like the "Hitman" series. While some appreciate the unique premise and puzzle-solving elements, others criticize the clunky mechanics, technical issues, and lack of freedom in gameplay, leading to a frustrating experience overall. Despite its interesting story and creative kill mechanics, the gameplay often feels outdated and unpolished, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The gameplay in 'Lucius' is a mix of puzzle-solving and stealth, with players using Lucius's demonic powers to manipulate objects and people in order to carry out their objectives.”
“The game features a variety of mechanics, such as possessing other characters and using telekinesis to move objects, and does a good job of introducing these mechanics gradually and building on them over time.”
“It's unique and genuinely entertaining, and the gameplay and environment make you want to explore.”
“The gameplay itself was tedious and repetitive, with a lot of clicking around and performing the same actions over and over again.”
“A promising game held back with poor execution including bad voice acting, lame writing, and boring gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very linear, you have only one way to make it right.”
- graphics312 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Lucius" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are dated and often mediocre, especially for a game released in 2012. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and detail in certain aspects, others criticize the overall quality, including poor animations and graphical glitches. Despite these shortcomings, many players find that the engaging story and gameplay compensate for the visual limitations.
“The graphics are nice and clear, the controls are mostly pretty solid, the deaths are reasonably creative.”
“The graphics hold up really well.”
“The graphics can be stunning at times (even if a little outdated and buggy) the story pulls you in like no other game I have experienced.”
“The graphics are terrible (game was released in 2012, it looks like a late PS1/early PS2 game), the voice acting is bad, the physics engine is totally shot, most of Lucius' 'powers' are useless 99% of the time, the puzzles in the game are so poorly thought out that I had to resort to walkthroughs because I otherwise couldn't make sense of them.”
“Even holding it up to 2012 standards of graphics, this game looks terrible, with bad facial animations and very ugly characters.”
“The graphics are not that good, but it will have to do.”
- music130 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to create a creepy atmosphere and enhance the overall experience. While some players enjoyed the well-composed tracks that fit the horror theme, others criticized the repetitive nature of the music, which could become annoying over time. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as one of the game's stronger elements, despite its limitations in variety and occasional lack of impact during gameplay.
“The music is fantastic and really achieves the menacing, mischievous horror theme.”
“The atmosphere and music are excellent, but you have to like the assassin-styled / evil boy theme.”
“The voice acting, setting, and music really bring you into Lucius' world.”
“Sadly, the music is often on short loops and can get annoying during parts of the chapters.”
“The soundtrack drones on all the time, which means it doesn't work to build tension.”
“The background music was the most uninspired I have ever heard.”
- stability118 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration among players. While some users find the game enjoyable despite these issues, many report game-breaking glitches, crashes, and poor AI behavior that hinder gameplay. Overall, stability is a major concern, with players noting that the game's fun elements are often overshadowed by its technical shortcomings.
“The graphics are nice; it's not Crisis, but it's surprisingly pleasing to look at and runs great on maxed settings.”
“Runs great.”
“The game itself can get buggy, but not too buggy to still play it (at least not for me).”
“The game was riddled with numerous bugs and glitches that made it a frustrating experience.”
“It started out well, but it had numerous glitches and bugs; the last infuriating straw was when the game refused to unlock the last two achievements after 20 and 40 hours of gameplay.”
“Unfortunately, Lucius is buggy with a poor checkpoint system and has game-breaking levels that are just unacceptable.”
- humor113 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is predominantly dark and twisted, often stemming from the absurdity of the protagonist's actions and the creative, albeit gruesome, ways in which characters meet their demise. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend horror with comedy, finding enjoyment in the ridiculousness of the scenarios and the over-the-top voice acting, despite acknowledging its technical flaws and sometimes frustrating mechanics. Overall, the humor resonates well with those who have a morbid sense of humor, making it a unique and entertaining experience.
“Lucius is a comedy thriller that feeds into the humorously evil part of some players that find killing off unplayable characters in ridiculous ways to be fun.”
“The voice acting is so over the top, it's actually funny, even the lines the evil characters say.”
“Coupled with Lucius’ deadpan death-stare and the ludicrously lavish and ridiculous ways in which targets reach their bloody ends, there is often a sick, dark humor that pervades the game.”
“Almost comical, but not funny.”
“Which is, as you may argue, not funny.”
- atmosphere54 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and creepy qualities, enhanced by a well-composed soundtrack that adds to the sense of dread. While many players appreciate the unique setting and the thematic elements of playing as an evil protagonist, some criticize the repetitive gameplay and lack of character depth that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate horror themes.
“Lucius does suffer from a lack of guidance, but makes up for it with its distinctive horror atmosphere, and its massively immersive setting, which is a pleasure to explore.”
“The in-game music features some fun, weird, bugle-filled atmospheric tracks, sometimes employing the cellos, violin crescendos, and orchestral choirs that are common of the horror genre.”
“Overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this game, regardless of its dated graphics and flaws.”
“The entire atmosphere of impending doom and inescapable destruction all around you in your final battle is lost entirely as you wander between the same three rooms, pressing every button you can think of in every spot, desperately searching for a way to progress to the next sequence.”
“Sadly, it can't maintain the atmosphere it would need to creep you out.”
“Unfortunately, the puzzles are usually overly simplistic or counterintuitive and the dark atmosphere and gory spectacles seem forced at times.”
- replayability49 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits very low replayability due to its linear gameplay and lack of multiple solutions to puzzles, with many players noting that once completed, there is little incentive to return. While there are a couple of different endings, they do not significantly enhance replay value, leading to a consensus that the game is best experienced once. Players suggest that the game could benefit from more varied gameplay mechanics similar to those found in titles like Hitman to improve its replayability.
“There are two different endings I have discovered, which gives it a little replay value.”
“I think it would be cooler if Lucius had multiple ways to kill the targets like Hitman, as it increases the replayability.”
“It does have some replay value and a mini survival-like game at the end, which I liked.”
“Zero replay value; if you've already beaten it, it's no longer fun.”
“The puzzles have only one solution, so there is no real replay value.”
“The replay value of this seems to be 0; once you beat it, there is nothing new going to happen next time through.”
- grinding37 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often involving monotonous tasks and excessive backtracking. While some achievements can be easily completed, many players feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, turning gameplay into a chore rather than a fun experience. The lack of engaging challenges and frustrating mechanics contribute to a sense of tedium throughout the game.
“The gameplay itself was tedious and repetitive, with a lot of clicking around and performing the same actions over and over again.”
“It is quite short, unless you go for 100% achievements where getting the last one is really tedious; just have the game open in a mission for 40 hours when the game itself is less than 10 hours.”
“Running around the mansion looking for the right items is tedious and it just doesn't have a lot of fun to it.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with many players reporting frequent stalling, lag, and bugs even on high-end PCs. Despite some positive aspects like story and puzzles, the overall performance is hindered by poor graphics settings and inadequate controller support, leading to a frustrating experience. Many users express disappointment that the game remains unoptimized despite multiple updates.
“Although the story is good and the puzzles are solid, one of the things that bothered me was the fact that this game is not well optimized.”
“I think with the small size of the map it could have been optimized better.”
“Performance is great but I did experience a few visual and audio stutters that seemed to be triggered right before an NPC spoke, typically while I was sprinting past them.”
“Finally, the game is poorly optimized, often stalling or even crashing, and I've been stuck in the finale.”
“Optimization is also bad; my PC is quite strong but can only run this game in 1280x720 resolution and medium graphics.”
“Poorly optimized; even high-end PCs cannot play it smoothly.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from guilt and heartbreak over tragic events to a disturbing sense of detachment during violent acts. Players report experiencing a mix of shock and discomfort, particularly when faced with morally ambiguous choices, while others find the game's dark humor and absurdity to be unsettling yet engaging. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly, with some players feeling deeply affected by the narrative and character fates, while others dismiss it as lacking depth.
“Killing him in a horrific freak accident was genuinely heartbreaking.”
“There is a big emotional difference between 'an NPC gets killed by a player' and 'a god-loving nun gets her head crushed with a piano by a six-year-old antichrist.'”
“Has a surprising and emotional ending.”
- character development7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably inconsistent, with some reviews praising excellent character arcs while others criticize the lack of depth and personality, leading to a disconnect during gameplay. The character designs are described as both weird and descent, but the overall execution fails to create a compelling emotional experience. The mansion setting is visually appealing, yet it does not compensate for the shortcomings in character development.
“The visuals work well with fleshed-out character designs and a beautiful mansion setting, large enough to work as a world within the game and can be explored throughout.”
“Excellent character development.”
“But even if you haven't seen the film, you can tell it's pretty hokey, between the crap voice acting, the rusty gameplay, the maze of a mansion design, the lack of character development, the lack of subtlety regarding Lucius and his father Lucifer (not much of a spoiler), and the lackluster gore moments.”
“When there's no personality or character development with the characters, then there's nothing felt when you kill them.”
“Descent character designs.”
