Massacre At The Mirage
- October 28, 2024
- TaintedPact Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Massacre at the Mirage," a relaxing movie night takes a dark turn as a masked killer wreaks havoc in a small-town cinema. Playing as both staff and patrons, you'll experience the terrifying event from multiple perspectives and work to uncover the killer's identity while ensuring the safety of those around you. Balance the demands of your role with the desperate fight for survival in this immersive horror experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Massacre at the Mirage perfectly captures the campy, over-the-top vibe of 80's slasher films, providing a nostalgic and entertaining experience for horror fans.
- The game features creative and humorous gore elements, along with engaging voice acting from popular streamers, adding personality to the characters.
- The inclusion of a simulation mode after the main story offers additional replay value, allowing players to continue enjoying the game with new goals.
- The game suffers from pacing issues, with some sections feeling repetitive and drawn out, particularly the mini-games that can become tedious.
- While the graphics and atmosphere are commendable, there are noticeable technical flaws, such as stiff animations and occasional bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
- The story is linear and predictable, lacking depth and resolution, which may leave players wanting more from the narrative experience.
- story39 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received, offering an engaging and atmospheric experience reminiscent of 80s slasher films, though it is criticized for being linear and lacking resolution. While some players enjoyed the campy elements and voice acting, others felt the narrative could have been more developed and cohesive, with repetitive sections detracting from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game is considered a fun horror story with potential for deeper storytelling.
“The story is engaging and well-paced, with a satisfying mystery to uncover.”
“I genuinely enjoyed playing through this game; it was very cohesive, had an interesting story, and had a lot of fun aspects to it.”
“The gameplay is genuinely fun, the story is good, the pacing is good, it's a solid homage to 80's slasher flicks, the voice acting was excellent across the board, and it was a joy to play - start to finish.”
“I wish there was more to the story than just a crazed maniac killing people.”
“Finally, the story didn't really go anywhere and had zero resolution, which is a shame since it seemed like it was building up to something only to conclude with no payoff.”
“It had potential, but unfortunately the story just fell flat and was very repetitive; I couldn't bring myself to finish it.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their polish and ability to evoke a nostalgic 80s aesthetic, contributing to a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience. While some areas may lack polish and a few settings are overly dark, the overall visual presentation is impressive, with creative kill scenes and smooth gameplay. However, there are occasional criticisms regarding the reliance on a b-movie style and the use of AI-generated art in certain assets.
“The antagonist is creepy, the atmosphere, setting, and graphics are all something this game does well.”
“The dialogue is great, the graphics are very polished, and the kill scenes are very creative.”
“With some excellent graphics and lighting, although a few areas were a little dark, in general, it looks great overall and ran superbly without any performance issues.”
“At times, 'Massacre at the Mirage' feels as though it relies on the B-movie aesthetic and style to try and excuse a noticeable lack of polish.”
“Graphics-wise, the game is at the level I expect from an indie team.”
“There's a game trying to find some personality, and while the finished product has voice acting, graphics, assets, and the like, it's got a lot of empty space in between.”
- humor15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its campy, over-the-top style that blends silly moments with creative gore, evoking a nostalgic b-movie vibe. Players appreciate the mix of funny voice acting, humorous mini-games, and clever horror references, which enhance the overall experience and provide comic relief amidst the tension. Overall, the humor is seen as a delightful complement to the game's horror elements, making it a fun and engaging experience.
“This game perfectly captures the cheesy, over-the-top vibe of the era with a fantastic mix of humor and ridiculously fun gore elements.”
“It's campy in all the right ways, with silly moments that had me laughing out loud while still delivering on the spooky atmosphere.”
“Super fun game with goofy and hilarious voice acting, creative and surprising jump scares, and the concession stand sim alone is reason enough to try it out.”
- music12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its synth-heavy, haunting quality that evokes a retro horror film atmosphere, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack as DLC. While the voice acting received mixed reviews, the overall musical experience is described as top tier, enhancing the game's campy slasher vibe and contributing significantly to its immersive feel.
“The synth-heavy soundtrack is top tier, with tracks that feel ripped straight out of a retro horror flick.”
“In particular, the music is so haunting, so phenomenal, that I couldn't refrain from buying the entire soundtrack as DLC.”
“Music is awesome, the killer is amazingly disturbing, voice acting is very good in a slightly cheesy way, most of the kills are decent, and the overall vibe makes you feel like you're in a campy slasher flick, which I loved.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its effective blend of campy humor and genuine horror, capturing the essence of 80s slasher films with a creepy antagonist and immersive settings. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to deliver both tense moments and quality jump scares, making it particularly appealing to fans of atmospheric, story-driven horror. Overall, the game's aesthetics and sound design contribute to a nostalgic yet fresh horror experience.
“It's campy in all the right ways, with silly moments that had me laughing out loud while still delivering on the spooky atmosphere.”
“Tainted proves himself once again, as a true master of horror and a real knowledge of what a tense and dark atmosphere should look like.”
“To start with the good stuff, first and foremost the atmosphere of the game is top notch and does an incredible job of emulating the great slashers of the 80s and 90s, as well as the Terrifier franchise which has been a clear inspiration.”
“Massacre at the Mirage is, technically speaking, a walking sim focused entirely on story, atmosphere, and immersion.”
“If it was a VHS-style game, it would be totally fair to compare it to a Puppet Combo game in terms of atmosphere.”
“The antagonist is creepy; the atmosphere, setting, and graphics are all something this game does well.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, praised for its fun mechanics, nostalgic 80's slasher homage, and solid pacing, though some players noted minor issues with specific sequences and mechanics. While the experience is enjoyable and features excellent voice acting, there are calls for improvements in certain gameplay elements and a desire for more content. Overall, it stands out in the indie horror game market.
“The gameplay is genuinely fun, the story is good, the pacing is good, it's a solid homage to 80's slasher flicks, the voice acting was excellent across the board, and it was a joy to play - start to finish.”
“This gameplay is missing in the indie horror game market, so thank you for an amazing experience!”
“The graphics, nostalgia of the 80's, Halloween night, main enemy, and game mechanics were all fun.”
“My biggest issues were relatively minor gripes, mostly centered around one particular sequence and game mechanic right at the end.”
“But there's also a lot of improvements that need to be made on the mechanical and back end before the next project should be worked on.”
“Maybe a bit more gameplay in the game.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback; while many players praised its smooth performance and excellent graphics, some reported annoying resolution bugs and areas that were too dark, indicating room for improvement in certain aspects.
“With some excellent graphics and lighting, although a few areas were a little dark, it looks great overall and ran superbly without any performance issues.”
“No bugs or issues, and it runs smoothly.”
“Annoying resolution bug and very unoptimized.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, particularly due to the inclusion of a simulator mode that enhances the experience. Many look forward to revisiting the game to discover elements they may have missed during their initial playthrough.
“The simulator mode adds a cool element that significantly enhances replay value.”
“For me, the replay value is high, and I look forward to discovering things I may have missed on my first run.”
