Noct
- October 21, 2015
- C3SK
- 6h median play time
"Noct is a horror shooter game with both multiplayer and single-player modes, set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with terrors. The 2D top-down game features spectacular visuals, an excellent soundtrack, and a fabulous atmosphere. Players must scavenge for supplies, combat enemies, and survive in this persistent online world."
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept and atmosphere, providing an eerie and immersive experience.
- The soundtrack is well-received, enhancing the overall mood of the game.
- There is a dedicated developer working on updates, showing potential for future improvements.
- The game has been abandoned, with no updates or new content for several years.
- Gameplay is extremely limited, often described as a dull demo with minimal objectives.
- Multiplayer functionality is lacking, with very few players online, making it difficult to enjoy the game fully.
- gameplay80 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of content and depth, often completing the available gameplay in under an hour. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and atmospheric elements, the repetitive gameplay loop and limited multiplayer options detract from the overall experience. Overall, there is a strong desire for more substantial gameplay features and variety to enhance engagement.
“It has good gameplay, scavenging, you can make your own bunker and there are huge creepy bug things you need to kill to survive.”
“The sounds are amazing, the gameplay is unique, and the game is just overall very fleshed out.”
“Right now the gameplay is okay and pretty fun but one problem is the multiplayer.”
“It features a 5-6 minute gameplay loop that gets old after the first 1-2 repetitions.”
“There is no gameplay at all.”
“Unfortunately, the interest stops there because the actual gameplay is lacking in actual content at the present time.”
- story66 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being extremely lacking, with players noting that it consists of a short, generic post-apocalyptic narrative that lasts less than 30 minutes and primarily involves fetch quests. While there are elements of horror and Lovecraftian themes, the overall execution is seen as poor, leaving players with little to engage with after the brief story mode ends. Many reviewers express hope for future content and improvements, as the current state feels incomplete and unsatisfying.
“I cried at the thought of this game: an exploration and player-story driven drama where the odds are stacked against you, you are surrounded by unspeakably and realistically scary monsters of immense variety who relentlessly haunt you in a sort of cat-and-mouse situation, each with different tactics, all under the veil of a deep and interesting backstory involving ancient monsters and sadness and hopelessness.”
“A story of pure survival with a heaping helping of horror and open worldly goodness.”
“The story mode that was there was great, my group of friends and I had a lot of fun!”
“The story is extremely lacking.”
“There is less than 30 minutes of fairly generic post-apocalyptic story (took me 23 minutes), after which you are told 'there's no more objectives, just wander around and survive/find survivors.'”
“So far the story is a bit too short for my liking; I played it below in my video for the first time in about 30 minutes. I know it's still in early access and that the game will get more content down the line, but still, it's pretty annoying to be playing the game and to hit a point where there is just, without any heads up, no content anymore.”
- music48 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience with a dynamic and creepy soundtrack that evokes feelings of tension and loneliness. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to set an unsettling mood, drawing comparisons to classic horror influences like Silent Hill, while also noting its minimalistic yet impactful design. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to its ambiance and emotional depth.
“Its music is great as it's dynamically paired with the gameplay.”
“The music sets an unsettling mood, which makes the game all the better!”
“The music in this game is contemplative, moody, dark, and thoughtful...not unlike Boards of Canada’s more minimalistic stuff.”
“The scares are non-existent because the moment a monster gets within shouting distance, the music changes and all you have to do to avoid them is to run away or turn in the opposite direction and walk.”
“Launched the game, noted that there wasn't any title screen music.”
“The music in this game is contemplative, moody, dark, and thoughtful... not unlike Boards of Canada's more minimalistic stuff.”
- atmosphere48 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively combining elements of horror and survival in a dark, minimalist setting. Reviewers highlight the impactful soundtrack and sound design, which enhance the feeling of loneliness and suspense, keeping players on edge. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to its appeal and potential.
“This game is beautifully done, with a great atmosphere and spooky gameplay.”
“If you like Teleglitch, Darkwood, or Capsule, you need to play this, just because the atmosphere is that good.”
“I've gone back at it for a half hour or so now because the atmosphere is so well done, but to be honest, I'm not an unintelligent person or an inexperienced gamer, but I have absolutely no idea if I'm making any progress or not, and that's a pretty serious design problem.”
“The atmosphere, the sound, the foreboding, the anxiety of the next corner having a nightmarish worm creature...”
“There are few games that deliver this amount of atmosphere and just pure suspense.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as aesthetically pleasing with a unique art style that enhances the atmosphere, though some players find them underdeveloped and challenging to navigate. While the visuals are praised for their beauty and potential, there are concerns about clarity and performance on lower-end hardware. Overall, the graphics receive mixed reviews, with some appreciating the minimalistic approach while others desire more refinement and detail.
“A very aesthetically pleasing game about fighting to survive on Earth after an apocalyptic purge.”
“[u] Aesthetically, it's absolutely beautiful.”
“Noct's artwork is great and the game is very promising.”
“It's a good concept and idea for a game, but I would say the only thing that they need to improve is the visuals. Yes, I know that's intentional, but it needs to be clearer because, to be honest, it's pretty hard to see anything besides the enemies.”
“The graphics and mood are really well done, but you also find your character bumping into invisible walls and boundaries at times, and the scratchiness of the overall look can make it tough to realize you're not actually moving anywhere for a second or two.”
“The visuals do not blend into each other, and it's easy to see where you go.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its stability, particularly in its early access phase, with users reporting numerous bugs and multiplayer issues, such as disappearing waypoints. Despite owning the game for several years, some players have only managed to play it for a few hours due to these ongoing stability concerns.
“I've owned this game for 4 years and have only played it for 4 hours. While that isn't a lot, I've been waiting on more releases and a non-buggy game since I last played it.”
“Very buggy for early access - lots of multiplayer issues with waypoints disappearing and so on.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, leaving players feeling scammed and dissatisfied with the overall value.
“If there was ever an instance of a cash grab, it's here.”
“Unless something is officially said, we've all been scammed and this was a cash grab.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional connection to characters, often feeling grief and sadness, particularly when faced with loss within the game. The narrative, driven by exploration and rich backstories, evokes deep feelings of hopelessness and fear, enhancing the overall emotional impact of the experience.
“I cried at the thought of this game: an exploration and player-story driven drama where the odds are stacked against you. You are surrounded by unspeakably and realistically scary monsters of immense variety who relentlessly haunt you in a sort of cat-and-mouse situation, each with different tactics, all under the veil of a deep and interesting backstory involving ancient monsters, sadness, and hopelessness.”
“9/10 felt an emotional bond to a random person and felt grief after learning they died.”
“I felt a profound emotional connection to the characters, which made their struggles and losses hit even harder.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a well-integrated "continued-replay" mechanic that enhances its replayability, with potential for future updates to add depth and variety. Players express optimism about the game's evolution, particularly in improving solo play options. Overall, the replayability aspect is seen as a strong point, with room for growth.
“They've incorporated an interesting 'continued-replay' as the core design, which adds depth to the game and keeps it engaging.”
“I can see this game going places, and I hope it becomes even more playable in a solo setting.”
“The clever replayability mechanic of the game shows promise for future updates and features.”
“Looks like it plays, and it currently plays decent - they've incorporated an interesting 'continued-replay' as the core design, so maybe they continue to add in features that complement and add more depth to the game, (hopefully not just lazily stop at the clever replayability mechanic of the game).”
“This is a positive for me because I can see this game going places and I hope that it can get a bit more playable in a solo setting.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently praise the game's humor, highlighting its ability to entertain both solo and with friends, making it a highly recommended experience for those seeking laughter in their gameplay.
“Very good game, I have been playing it since the first release. I really recommend it; it's very, very funny both alone and with friends.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to frequent deaths caused by enemy spawn mechanics that feel unfair. This frustration detracts from the overall experience, leading some to consider putting the game down until improvements are made.
“Don't get me wrong, the game is good, but dying five times to the same enemy because it spawns about three meters in front of you (or jumps around a corner) and insta-kills you is tedious and ultimately the horror just isn't there for me. With improved sound design, I can see the horror picking up, but until then I'm going to have to pass on this, probably to pick it up in the future, but who knows?”