Marlene Betwixt
- October 25, 2016
- Uzi Games
"Marlene Betwixt" is a psychological horror game where you play as Ewan Brody, searching for your missing niece Marlene at your sister's remote cottage. As you uncover the mystery through environmental tasks and puzzle solving, you are pursued by a mysterious figure. Now playable without a VR headset, the game offers a room scale experience for HTC Vive and Oculus Touch, with supporting joypad or mouse/keyboard controls. Immerse in its supernatural setting and piece together the chilling events that have unfolded.
Reviews
- The graphics are good and create a decent atmosphere.
- The game has some effective jump scares and can be creepy, providing a thrilling experience.
- There is potential for improvement and future installments, with some players expressing curiosity about what comes next.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including items disappearing and clipping issues, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
- Movement is limited to teleportation, breaking immersion and making navigation feel clunky.
- Puzzles are often simplistic and lack logic, leading to a pixel-hunting experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story is criticized for being clichéd and disconnected from the gameplay, with some reviewers noting that it could be replaced with any plot without affecting the experience. While some players appreciate the spooky elements and puzzles, others find the overall narrative lacking and poorly integrated, with technical issues further detracting from the experience.
“Great spooky story and head-scratching puzzle game.”
“The plot is completely detached from the game; literally, the plot could be anything and it would still 'fit' this extremely basic piece of work.”
“The story is a cliché; the sounds and music are very primitive (free downloads, I think), and objects, including critical objects, can clip through floors and walls and get stuck.”
“They do not make any sense - is there a story?”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences, such as losing essential items. While it offers a decent atmosphere, the overall execution is marred by these technical problems, making it comparable to other buggy titles in the genre.
“This game is a decent experience, maybe even a bit spooky, but the choreography is bad, and the game is very buggy, so you might get frustrated and lose the vibe, or worse: have to restart it because something screwed up and you lost the key through the floor.”
“Way too buggy.”
“It can be buggy sometimes and the puzzles are just meh, not to mention the way it looks.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered good, particularly for VR, though some users note that the game world feels sparse and the visuals are basic. While the graphics receive praise, they are accompanied by criticisms of the game's mechanics and puzzle logic. Overall, the visual presentation is adequate but not groundbreaking.
“The graphics for VR are good enough, and I have no complaints about the audio.”
“Graphics are good.”
“The game world is sparse, and the graphics are basic.”
“The game mechanics are basic, and any logic to the puzzles is basic to non-existent.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its sparse game world, basic graphics, and simplistic mechanics, leading to frustrating experiences, particularly with illogical puzzles. Overall, players find the gameplay lacking depth and engagement.
“The game world is sparse, the graphics are basic, the game mechanics are simplistic, and any logic to the puzzles is either basic or non-existent.”
“An hour of gameplay can feel like a struggle due to the overwhelming frustration.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is criticized for being primitive and reminiscent of free downloads, contributing to an overall lack of polish in the audio experience.
“The story is a cliché, and the sounds and music are very primitive, almost like free downloads.”
“The music lacks depth and variety, making the overall experience feel monotonous.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and uninspired, failing to enhance the game's atmosphere.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by unsettling tension and effective jump scares, contributing to an overall sense of unease.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with every detail contributing to a sense of dread.”
“The haunting sound design and eerie visuals create an atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“I was completely enveloped in the atmosphere; it felt like I was part of a living nightmare.”
“Had a few jump scares, and the atmosphere left me unsettled.”
“The environment felt lifeless and failed to immerse me in the game.”
“Despite the attempts at creating tension, the atmosphere felt flat and uninspired.”