NightCry

49%
Game Brain Score Based on 124 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
NightCry Game Cover
Any good they might have had are quickly swallowed up by a plethora of issues. The desperate or the gullible may find a glimmer of fun hidden somewhere in the pit.
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NightCry is a single-player horror point-and-click game with good music, but it may also make you laugh due to bugs. The game takes place on a luxurious cruise liner, where a murder and the presence of a terrifying being called the Scissor Walker turn a calm cruise into a nightmare. Players explore the ship, search for clues, and interact with objects in an attempt to save themselves and others from the terror.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

49%
Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews
story13 positive mentions
graphics7 negative mentions
  • The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic horror games, particularly the Clock Tower series, providing a familiar experience for fans.
  • The atmosphere is effectively creepy, with some memorable and gruesome death scenes that add to the horror experience.
  • The branching paths and multiple endings encourage replayability, allowing players to explore different outcomes based on their choices.
  • The controls are often unresponsive and frustrating, making navigation and escape sequences difficult, especially during chase scenes.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, awkward animations, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience.
  • The story is vague and contains plot holes, leaving players confused about character motivations and the overall narrative.
  • story89 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it interesting and unique, particularly due to its branching paths and multiple endings, while others criticize it for being clichéd, disjointed, and filled with plot holes. Although the supernatural elements and character connections are appreciated, many reviewers feel that the overall narrative lacks depth and coherence, making it difficult to fully engage with the experience. Ultimately, while there are moments of intrigue, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to frustration for some players.

    • “The story is decent enough, and there are several endings to obtain through the game's multiple pathways.”
    • “In the beginning, it slowly feeds you hints about the other characters and then finally the whole scenario and who the good guys and bad guys are all unveiled in a manner in which I’ve never seen a game tell a story before – never mind a survival horror story.”
    • “The story is extravagant (as Clock Tower stories usually go), but told in a hushed, more mannered way.”
    • “The story is cliched, messy, and not well structured, much like this review.”
    • “Very little of the story makes sense, and it plays out through what seems like a random string of unrelated events.”
    • “The game is full of cheap instadeath traps, poorly explained mechanics, and the story is complete gibberish.”
  • gameplay45 mentions

    The gameplay of Nightcry has received significant criticism for its clunky mechanics, frustrating controls, and outdated design, which detracts from the overall experience. Players have noted issues such as poor stamina management, unresponsive character movement, and a lack of clear guidance, leading to a tedious and often confusing gameplay experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements and the point-and-click style reminiscent of classic horror games, many find the execution lacking, making it difficult to recommend to newcomers.

    • “Everything about this game screams Clock Tower, from the point-and-click gameplay, the run-and-hide mechanics, and even the antagonist known as the Scissorwalker.”
    • “The gameplay consists of exploring enclosed areas and clicking on hard-to-recognize objects to pick them up or trigger events in between intermittent chases by Mr. Scissors... Scissorman... whatever they're calling him these days.”
    • “Nightcry is interaction-heavy (being a point-and-click) and the core gameplay is separated into two parts: exploration and escape.”
    • “With how truly awful the gameplay, animation, and graphics were, and how it gave me no information to determine what I was even supposed to do, the next time it randomly crashed I just decided to uninstall and ask for a refund.”
    • “Nightcry is tough to recommend because of how janky and unintuitive the gameplay can be.”
    • “The game is full of cheap instadeath traps, poorly explained mechanics, and the story is complete gibberish.”
  • graphics39 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers describing them as outdated, reminiscent of early 2000s or even PS1-era visuals. Common criticisms include poor animations, glitchy performance, and unattractive character designs, which detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic, the general consensus is that the graphics are subpar and hinder gameplay enjoyment.

    • “The graphics are also awesome; if I had known sooner, I would have backed up the Kickstarter.”
    • “>Graphics are good, especially shadows; they're really well done.”
    • “It's not perfect by any means, but it's not bad either; graphics are good enough for me, they are just a bit better than Deadly Premonition's graphics if you want a comparison.”
    • “With how truly awful the gameplay, animation, and graphics were, and how it gave me no information to determine what I was even supposed to do, the next time it randomly crashed I just decided to uninstall and ask for a refund.”
    • “The graphics are horrible, the animation is hilariously bad and makes people walk like weird zombie monkeys, and the audio doesn't work, and it crashes a lot.”
    • “Extremely outdated graphics, combined with hilariously stupid death scenes, abysmal gameplay that feels like an afterthought, all wrapped around incredible PS1-era voice acting.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to create a haunting atmosphere and heighten tension, likening it to classic horror soundtracks like Silent Hill. However, others criticize the sparse use of music, misapplied cues, and occasional audio cutouts, suggesting that the overall sound design feels underdeveloped. While standout tracks exist, the inconsistency in quality and integration with gameplay detracts from the experience for some players.

    • “The soundtrack is gorgeous, delivering a creepy, tension-heightening sound that makes you not want to see what could be around the corner.”
    • “It's some of the best horror music I've heard since the Silent Hill series, with some of my favorite tracks being 'Close Behind', 'Voyager', 'The Cave', 'The Cult', and many others.”
    • “Despite the original Clock Tower games being more about silent build than musical, the change of style here is welcome since the soundtrack works very well in setting up the horror.”
    • “It feels like an unfinished product all the way: the animations are poor, the music is almost nonexistent, most of the lines do not feature recorded dialogue and when they do the voice acting is pretty bad.”
    • “Oh and the soundtrack itself doesn't seem to complement the game at all.”
    • “The most jarring examples being that sometimes the music and/or sound effects cut out.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, including issues with character movement and camera angles. While some users experienced minimal problems and found the game enjoyable despite its flaws, others described it as a "total buggy mess" that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is considered unpolished and janky, with a notable divide in player experiences regarding stability.

    • “The game is unpolished, but it's actually not all that buggy.”
    • “I experienced very few crashes, which is impressive for a game of this scale.”
    • “The overall performance is solid, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “Even with the mouse controls, the camera angles are awful. There are glitches where the character may fall and get stuck inside walls or objects while being chased.”
    • “Total buggy mess of a game, which is a shame as I love Clock Tower, but this is too buggy to even be bothered playing with the save rollbacks and keyboard configuration bugs.”
    • “It is very buggy, the controls are really bad, the performance is low, the art direction and level design are not interesting, and the audio is practically non-existent.”
  • atmosphere17 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its spooky and creepy elements, effectively blending horror with ironic humor, reminiscent of classic survival horror titles. While some players noted issues with sound design and graphics, many found the unique setting and character designs compelling enough to maintain engagement. Overall, the game successfully creates a dense and terrifying atmosphere, though some technical flaws detract from the experience.

    • “The atmosphere is well done most of the time and even breaks its own tensions with some bizarre and twisted humor here and there.”
    • “This is what the atmosphere is supposed to be about in Nightcry: deep slices (pun intended) of ironic comedy woven into a horrific nightmarish scenario where nothing makes sense in the beginning.”
    • “The game builds up a terrifying and dense atmosphere, accompanied by an interesting plot.”
    • “The atmosphere in general wasn't that good.”
    • “No atmosphere, no horror, very stupid quick time events (I only got further because I looked it up on YouTube and I recommend this method to everyone who needs more than 10 minutes and still can't get further).”
    • “The voice acting is awkward and the plot is basically missing, but the game has enough charm and atmosphere to keep you drawn in regardless.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional elements, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of the graphics, animations, and dialogue. The quirky character comments and bizarre situations, such as a character running from danger in high heels, contribute to a comedic atmosphere that balances tension with hilarity. While the game suffers from technical issues, its goofy charm and nonsensical moments resonate well with those who appreciate a lighthearted, albeit flawed, experience.

    • “Exploration has the character walk around, solve simple puzzles, and comment (often hilariously) on everyday objects meant to give a sense of their personality.”
    • “The atmosphere is well done most of the time and even breaks its own tensions with some bizarre and twisted humor here and there.”
    • “If you enjoy the hide-and-seek aspect of the clocktower series, if you like unintentionally hilarious dialogue, if you're okay with point'n'click and technical performance isn't a priority for you, get this game.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant bugs, poor controls, and low performance even on high-end hardware. Many reviewers note that the graphics and save system feel outdated, and overall, the game requires substantial fixes to run smoothly, making it clunky and frustrating to play. While some players may find enjoyment in its unique aspects, the consensus is that the optimization issues detract heavily from the experience.

    • “The game requires fixing to get it to run smoothly, so check out its PC gaming wiki page.”
    • “Even so, the game is still clunky, even on 'good' or 'medium', proving that it's an optimization problem.”
    • “It is very buggy, the controls are really bad, the performance is low, the art direction and level design are not interesting, and the audio is practically non-existent.”
    • “The first con is the poor optimization.”
    • “Then, if you can ignore the bugs, that camera problem, and the bad optimization (I don't know if this will count for everyone, but I've seen other reviews complaining about it), then I recommend it, but I would recommend it even more on sale.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple endings and completion records, encouraging players to revisit it for different experiences. While some may find the controls challenging, the engaging chases and varied outcomes enhance the overall replay value.

    • “Replay value: multiple endings and completion records.”
    • “The chases are fun, and the multiple endings give it some replay value.”
    • “This makes the game have a lot more replayability than I expected if you can get past the controls.”
    • “The chases are fun and the multiple endings give it some replay value.”
    • “Replay value: multiple endings and completion record.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is notably limited until the third act, with users highlighting that the visuals, character design, writing, and acting contribute to a more impactful evolution of characters later in the game.

    • “The visuals, the character design, the writing, and the acting all contribute to a rich character development experience.”
    • “The character development truly shines in the third act, revealing the depth and complexity of the characters.”
    • “Their character development is severely restricted until the third act.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game evokes a mix of nostalgia and disappointment; while it rekindles a positive feeling towards horror games for some, others find it lacking, leading to a sense of sadness and frustration due to its misinterpretation of its inspirations.

    • “With a few additions to separate this game from the original Clock Tower games, the experience of playing this game made me feel good about playing horror games again.”
    • “Nightcry made me cry. It's a game inspired heavily by Clock Tower; sadly, it seems to take the inspirations in all of the wrong ways.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is criticized as a poorly executed cash grab, suggesting that the game prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.

    • “It's just a garbage, cheaply made Unity cash grab.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative and heavily favors players who spend money.”
    • “I can't enjoy the game without being constantly bombarded by ads and in-game purchases.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

20% average critic score

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