Noch
- October 1, 2023
- Fair Games Studio
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Noch" is a horror action game that can be played by yourself or with another player in a co-op or multiplayer setting, including massively multiplayer. In the game, you must survive in a dark, ever-changing reality after the world has been destroyed by Lisa. With its intriguing story, awesome visuals, and compelling atmosphere, players will be drawn into this nightmare as they face the challenges of an uncertain world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a uniquely bizarre story that combines elements of horror, puzzles, and absurdity, providing an interesting experience.
- The puzzles are generally logical and offer multiple solutions, allowing for creative problem-solving.
- The game has a charming atmosphere with good graphics and sound design, making it visually appealing.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes and issues with item management, which can hinder gameplay.
- The story can be convoluted and difficult to follow, leading to confusion about the plot and character motivations.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel awkward, with enemy behavior often lacking engagement.
- story41 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, described as an intriguing yet convoluted narrative that blends elements of horror and surrealism, reminiscent of David Lynch and M. Night Shyamalan. While some players appreciate its unique themes and atmosphere, many find the plot difficult to follow due to its oddities and excessive dialogue, leading to a love-hate relationship with the storytelling. Overall, the narrative is seen as interesting but flawed, with a need for clearer exposition and coherence.
“The story is a kind of mix of David Lynch and M. Night Shyamalan movies.”
“An extraordinary story, eye-pleasing graphics, interesting game mechanics, smooth gameplay, and the opportunity to go through all this beauty with a friend.”
“The adventure story is filled with bright, memorable characters.”
“The bad part is that the writing is convoluted yet somehow not subtle at all; characters are chatterboxes who bombard you with cutscenes, but their words say nothing to give the plot away, so you take the piss on them because that's all you're left with.”
“The story was clearly not originally written in English; translation is an art form, and some artists are simply better than others.”
“I didn't understand a lot of plot twists even after finishing the game.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the art style and aesthetic appeal, describing them as beautiful and eye-pleasing. However, some critiques point to inconsistencies in quality, with mentions of certain elements feeling average or underwhelming. While the graphics contribute positively to the atmosphere and storytelling, there are suggestions for improvement in cutscenes and gameplay engagement.
“I liked the art style and graphics design here.”
“An extraordinary story, eye-pleasing graphics, interesting game mechanics, smooth gameplay and the opportunity to go through all this beauty with a friend.”
“Great graphics and sound.”
“Graphics -> C tier.”
“Sadly it's not, yeah the graphics are okay and do the job, sound is okay, but something about this game makes me hate it. I'm not sure if it's the small play area per level, the clunky melee controls, or the fact that the video looks like a big open maps shoot everything game, which it's not. I'm not sure what the game is, some sort of weird adventure game with wolves that attack you and you end up using a baseball bat because you know, not enough ammo to use the nice shotgun. I'm not a lover of running around and backtracking all over the place even on tiny levels.”
“But the plot and graphics are on the level.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it confusing and lacking depth, while others appreciate its unique mechanics and atmospheric elements. Although it may not be highly complex or challenging, many agree that it serves its purpose well and complements the game's intriguing plot and visuals. Overall, the gameplay is described as janky yet serviceable, with a blend of engaging and less engaging aspects.
“Overall, if one just wants an interesting experience, but not a highly complex or challenging gameplay-wise, this game will be a good use of one's money.”
“An extraordinary story, eye-pleasing graphics, interesting game mechanics, smooth gameplay and the opportunity to go through all this beauty with a friend.”
“The graphics, the gameplay, the soundtrack, the voice acting, everything pleasantly surprised me.”
“I think it being confusing works against it, and it misguides you so you can't even tell what's going on and why exactly you're doing things, which impacts the gameplay too because you have to solve puzzles about it.”
“If you think you can spring for a weird plot and can put up with some generally bizarre gameplay decisions, you could do a lot worse than this.”
“The gameplay is nothing special, but does its job good enough.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its mesmerizing and immersive qualities, featuring beautifully designed environments, a compelling soundtrack, and effective use of graphics and voice acting. Reviewers highlight the blend of horror and engaging storytelling, noting that the atmosphere can evoke feelings of excitement or fear, depending on whether players choose to experience it alone or with friends. Overall, the atmospheric elements significantly enhance the gameplay experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“A mesmerizing game with its amazing atmosphere.”
“Great soundtrack, beautifully atmospheric environments, and satisfying (if simple) combat.”
“An excellent atmospheric horror with a good plot, which can be played both alone and in the company of a cheerful friend, and then the game will no longer seem so terrible.”
- music8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as phenomenal and beautifully atmospheric, while others find it mismatched or even cringeworthy. Overall, it is noted as a strong aspect that enhances the game's environment and complements the gameplay, despite some differing opinions on its quality.
“A very nice game with an interesting plot, janky yet serviceable gameplay, and amazing music.”
“There are some minor bugs but the story is very interesting, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and I like the puzzles.”
“Great soundtrack, beautifully atmospheric environments, and satisfying (if simple) combat.”
“The music doesn't match the visuals.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and uninspired.”
“The audio quality is poor, making it hard to enjoy the music.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, low frame rates, and texture glitches, which can even affect external applications like Discord. While some players report a somewhat decent experience despite these bugs, the overall consensus highlights a need for improvements in stability.
“The game crashes frequently, has low FPS, and even freezes Discord voice.”
“It's either 5-10 FPS or mesh textures and glitches.”
“I encountered some weird glitches during online co-op.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting that it struggles on older systems and has a small inventory issue. However, there is optimism as developers are actively working on patches, suggesting that improvements in optimization may be forthcoming.
“At this stage, players with weaker PCs might be better off waiting for fixes, as the developers regularly patch the game. Normal optimization is not far off.”
“The game shows great potential, and with ongoing updates, I believe optimization will improve significantly.”
“I've noticed that the developers are actively working on optimization, which gives me hope for a smoother experience in the future.”
“The only gripes I've had with this game are that the inventory is too small (there are a lot of items in the game, and you need to carry a few of them with you through chapters for some secret collectibles) and that optimization sometimes sucked.”
“Not optimized at all for older systems.”
“At this stage, people with weak PCs are better off not playing and waiting for fixes, since the developers regularly patch the game - normal optimization is not far off.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users note that the humor is enhanced by the contrast between the native audio dub and the English version, with the latter being perceived as significantly funnier.
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
“The witty dialogue and playful banter between characters add a delightful layer of humor to the gameplay.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report experiencing mild frustration while engaging with the game, indicating that it evokes a range of emotions, though primarily leaning towards irritation rather than deep emotional engagement.
