Nightmare Side: The Game
- August 7, 2024
- Hige Studio
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreDive into the chilling world of 'Nightmare Side' in this Indonesian first-person survival horror game, inspired by the iconic radio show. Explore the haunted Ardan Radio office, where eerie voices and supernatural phenomena await. Solve puzzles in this immersive, true-to-life adventure, confronting the heart of darkness.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Creepy atmosphere with well-executed graphics and sound design that enhances the horror experience.
- Unique story based on a real haunted radio station in Bandung, Indonesia, featuring authentic folklore entities.
- Engaging exploration and puzzle-solving elements that add depth to the gameplay.
- Confusing objectives and lack of clear navigation make it difficult to progress, leading to frustration.
- Technical issues such as bugs, poor autosave mechanics, and performance problems on mid-range PCs detract from the experience.
- Some ghost mechanics can lead to soft-lock situations, making it challenging to complete certain chapters.
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its unique and engaging themes, particularly its connection to local culture through the depiction of Ardan Radio, which adds depth to the gameplay. Players appreciate the atmospheric tension and the need for exploration, although some express a desire for a longer narrative or additional content. Overall, the storytelling is well-received, but concerns about pacing and potential player disengagement in future installments are noted.
“The story and themes are very unique and I might say genius. As a Bandung resident, almost everybody here knows Ardan Radio, so it is a big plus to introduce such an icon of our city and the nightmare side.”
“The story is nice, the atmosphere is scary, and you need to explore to learn about the layout of the radio station.”
“I love the story so far, the ambiance and everything, but unfortunately, I could not finish the game as it made me feel motion sick and I had to stop playing it at some point.”
“I love the story so far, the ambiance and everything, but unfortunately I could not finish the game. The game made me feel motion sick and I had to stop playing it at some point.”
“The story needs to be longer or there should be additional DLC.”
“Hopefully the next part comes out relatively soon, as I think a lot of people will lose interest if you drag out the story for 70 years like in Raft, which turned out to be a pile of burning hot trash in the end.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a creepy and unsettling ambiance, enhanced by high-quality graphics and sound design that effectively build tension. Players appreciate the well-executed jumpscares and the need to explore the environment, particularly the radio station, to fully engage with the story. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a ghostly and atmospheric horror experience.
“Creepy atmosphere, well-executed graphics, and sound design that effectively builds the eerie ambience.”
“The story is engaging, the atmosphere is frightening, and exploration is essential to understand the layout of the radio station.”
“Unsettling atmosphere with unexpected (but not so cheap) jumpscares.”
“The game fails to create a truly immersive environment, leaving players feeling disconnected.”
“Despite its attempts at horror, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by unique quests that maintain a consistent connection to the main mechanics, though some players have reported issues with ghost mechanics that can lead to softlocking, such as moving during cutscenes. Overall, the audio and gameplay elements are well-received.
“From an audio and gameplay perspective, it's already great.”
“Gameplay impressions: https://youtu.”
“Quests are unique yet similar enough not to stray too far from the main mechanic.”
“Some ghost mechanics are kind of soft-locking the player, such as moving during cutscenes and ghost teleport position.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their high quality and ability to create a creepy atmosphere, complemented by effective sound design that enhances the overall experience. While some players find the game frustrating, they acknowledge the impressive visual and thematic execution.
“The creepy atmosphere is enhanced by well-executed graphics, and the sound design is very good, working effectively to build the eerie ambience.”
“I commend the developer on the decent graphics, sounds, and theme, even though I can't recommend this game to others due to it being more frustrating than scary.”
“This is a very fun, realistic horror game featuring angry ghosts and top-notch graphics.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lack of checkpoints and the need to backtrack through environments without the ability to pick up items immediately. While the initial gameplay is engaging, the experience tends to dull in later chapters, leading to frustration with inventory management and navigation. Suggestions for improvement include adding checkpoints, enhancing navigation hints, and utilizing unused areas for additional content.
“Started strongly, and then kind of dulled out. I actually enjoyed the first part much more than the second. Not being able to pick up items as you see them was a way to force the player back through the 'spooky' layout, but it also got a little tedious, similar to Resident Evil. I'm not sure why we had so many inventory slots when we only had about four items to hold.”
“Personally, I would suggest adding some checkpoints during each chapter, because starting over is a little tedious. Adding English voice-over for international audiences (if possible), implementing easier objective navigation with more hints on where the required items might be, utilizing unused rooms for Easter eggs or ghost sightings and events, and fixing some of the things I listed in the cons would greatly improve the experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game's story and ambiance are praised for their emotional depth, some players have reported experiencing motion sickness, which detracted from their overall enjoyment and ability to complete the game.
