Malice

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 87 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
Malice Game Cover
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"Malice is a horror simulation game that offers a chilling Japanese-themed, two-player co-op experience. Players explore an ancient mansion, uncovering its dark secrets and battling malicious inhabitants while relying on communication and wit to escape. With a unique storyline spanning multiple eras, Malice promises a thrilling journey through an ancient Edo era settlement."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 87 reviews
atmosphere10 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features creative and challenging puzzles that require teamwork and communication to solve, providing a satisfying experience when completed.
  • The atmosphere and sound design effectively create a creepy and immersive horror experience, enhancing the overall gameplay.
  • Despite some bugs, many players found the game enjoyable and worth playing, especially when shared with a friend.
  • The game suffers from various bugs and connection issues, which can lead to frustrating experiences, including soft locks and disconnections during gameplay.
  • Many players found the puzzles to be overly complex or unclear, often requiring trial and error or external guides to progress.
  • The inventory system and controls are clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to manage items and navigate through puzzles.
  • story21 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmosphere and visuals, while others criticize its brevity and lack of character development. Many feel that the narrative could benefit from clearer storytelling and a more cohesive connection between plot elements, as well as a longer overall experience. Despite these issues, some players still find the story engaging and worth exploring, especially in a multiplayer context.

    • “The visuals definitely fit the atmosphere of the story and are done very well.”
    • “Ending story was great, but I was thinking of sacrificing myself by using the item, but ended up I killed my girlfriend and she was pissed :)”
    • “And it has a story to tell, and I'm here for it.”
    • “Chapter 1 of the game should have a better introduction to the story.”
    • “The story was quite difficult to understand and follow.”
    • “Secondly, this game's story completely fell flat for me.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its chilling tension, immersive sound design, and beautiful graphics that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of creative puzzles and horror elements, although some note minor graphical issues that can detract from immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, effectively contributing to the game's co-op adventure and horror themes.

    • “The sound design and the unmatched atmospheric tension send chills down my spine.”
    • “The challenging puzzles, beautiful graphics, and tense atmosphere make for a fantastic co-op adventure.”
    • “The graphics and audio are top-notch, with beautiful, detailed environments that create a realistic and creepy atmosphere.”
    • “This leads to a lack of tension during most segments of the game despite the atmosphere of the game being generally very good.”
    • “I would recommend this game to people who are more interested in puzzle solving rather than the horror adrenaline rush; I think the priority here is the atmosphere, environment, and complexity, while horror is a complimentary theme.”
    • “The horror elements, atmosphere, and vibe the game is going for are, in my opinion, pretty well executed.”
  • graphics15 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful and detailed environments that enhance the horror atmosphere, while others report performance issues such as screen tearing and texture mapping flaws. Despite these drawbacks, many appreciate the overall visual design and its alignment with the game's themes, though some users experience overheating issues on lower-end hardware.

    • “The challenging puzzles, beautiful graphics, and tense atmosphere make for a fantastic co-op adventure.”
    • “The graphics and audio are top-notch, with beautiful, detailed environments that create a realistic and creepy atmosphere.”
    • “The visuals definitely fit the atmosphere of the story and are done very well.”
    • “The graphics could use more polishing; the audio is good for the horror theme.”
    • “The game is not that smooth for an RTX 2070 graphics card; there's a slight screen tearing while playing it on high graphics.”
    • “The atmosphere is pretty good, but there are strange texture mapping issues and other graphical flaws that can take you out of the experience when you notice them.”
  • gameplay14 mentions

    Overall, the gameplay is well-received, with effective mechanics that encourage communication and collaboration between players, enhancing the experience. While some minor bugs were noted, they did not significantly impact the enjoyment of the game, which balances puzzles and horror elements without overwhelming jump scares. Players rated the gameplay mechanics highly, appreciating the engaging and interesting design.

    • “The game encourages you to communicate with your partner to find the right solutions, which adds an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are done fairly effectively.”
    • “The gameplay, mechanics, and graphics were both quite good and interesting since I never played a horror game that has fewer jump scares and a lot of puzzles that really challenge my brain.”
    • “Played malice with one of my friends, and we had some great and frustrating moments during our gameplay.”
    • “There is a large disconnect between what happens during gameplay and the oddly out of place sudden cutscene that is interjected in between chapters.”
    • “There are a few minor bugs for now, but they don't affect the main gameplay, so it is fine for me.”
  • humor3 mentions

    Players consistently highlight the humor in the game, noting that it fosters enjoyable and funny moments, especially when playing with friends. The combination of challenging tasks and unexpected jumpscares adds to the comedic experience, making it a great choice for cooperative play during casual gaming sessions.

    • “I had lots of funny moments with my player 2, and some jumpscares along the way!”
    • “Chapter 3 was particularly challenging, but my friend and I couldn't stop laughing as we attempted to tackle the tasks together.”
    • “I personally got into a lot of funny moments with them playing this game, and it's kind of nice to have something like this where we would play over the weekend from time to time, trying to solve together.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers a high level of replayability due to the changing numbers, information, and puzzle locations with each playthrough, providing a fresh experience. However, some users feel that overall replayability is limited.

    • “And guess what, every time you replay the game, the numbers, information, and locations of puzzles change, so there you go, you have for yourself a fun and replayable game.”
    • “There isn't really any replayability in it, though.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, while players experienced some bugs and glitches, recent patches have improved stability, allowing for a more enjoyable multiplayer experience.

    • “We encountered a few bugs and glitches along the way, but the recent patch notes seem to have taken care of them.”
    • “Despite the glitches and weird puzzles, we had a good time together; it's fun to play with someone else.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find certain puzzles excessively tedious, leading to feelings of frustration and a lack of motivation to continue engaging with the game.

    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and often tedious, making it hard to stay motivated.”
    • “Some of the tasks require an excessive amount of time and effort, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience, leaving players feeling drained.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally acceptable, but disabling motion blur is essential, as it significantly improves performance by preventing severe frame drops.

    • “Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly once you turn off motion blur, as it causes significant frame drops.”
    • “The optimization is impressive, allowing for a seamless experience even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I appreciate the detailed graphics settings that let me fine-tune performance to my liking.”
    • “Performance-wise, the game is alright once you turn off motion blur; for some reason, it causes massive frame drops.”
    • “The optimization is a mess; I experience constant stuttering and lag, even on high-end hardware.”
    • “Despite having a powerful PC, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is incredibly frustrating.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in Malice enhances the gameplay by incorporating unique challenges that involve matching items through sound, setting it apart from standard escape room games that typically focus on numerical puzzles.

    • “Many escape room games I've played are pretty standard with number challenges, but Malice sets out unique challenges including looking for items, puzzles with riddle hints, and even matching items through music!”
    • “The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
    • “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and not fitting for the game's atmosphere, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
    • “The audio quality of the music is subpar, and it often feels like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the game.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a sense of vulnerability, as players may feel challenged and even foolish when faced with its initial puzzles, setting a tone of introspection and self-reflection.

    • “The first chapter made me feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
    • “I was genuinely moved by the emotional depth of the story; it resonated with my own experiences.”
    • “The game evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia and longing that stayed with me long after playing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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