Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 598 reviews
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi Game Cover
For an unusual take on vampirism, here is the tale of Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi. You and a few close friends have been invited to dinner—as the main course. This first-person action game immerses you in a horrific setting with monstrous creatures lurking around every corner. You must snea
Starting at $2.03Buy now

"Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi" is a single-player horror shooter game with an intriguing story and good gameplay, but can be very grinding and is full of bugs. You play as the brother of the bride, arriving at a Romanian castle for your sister's wedding, only to become trapped and realize the true horrors within. With a dense atmosphere, good music, and high replayability, the game offers a unique and entertaining experience despite its flaws.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 598 reviews
atmosphere83 positive mentions
graphics27 negative mentions
  • The game has a great atmosphere and sound design that effectively creates tension and scares.
  • The randomly generated castle layout adds replayability and keeps the gameplay fresh.
  • The variety of weapons and unique mechanics, such as using holy water and a crucifix, enhance the vampire hunting experience.
  • The AI for escorting family members is poor, often getting stuck or failing to follow, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with hit detection and character movement.
  • The graphics are outdated, and there are no options for resolution or audio settings, making it difficult to play on modern systems.
  • graphics153 mentions

    The graphics of "Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi" are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its early 2000s origins with low-resolution textures and minimal effects. While some players appreciate the nostalgic, grainy aesthetic reminiscent of classic horror films, others find the visuals lacking and buggy, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these graphical shortcomings, many reviewers emphasize that the game's atmosphere, sound design, and gameplay compensate for its visual flaws, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the horror genre.

    • “The graphics in this game are unbelievable.”
    • “I am in love with this game's haunted PS1 demo disc aesthetic.”
    • “The visuals receive a film grain and dark, moody lighting.”
    • “The graphics and physics are below average, even for its time, but I think these aren't deal breakers for me.”
    • “The graphics are not that great, but it is a game from 2003, so I let that slide.”
    • “The graphics are dated and it is quite old, but I haven't had this much fun in a long time; gotta be a classic 10/10.”
  • atmosphere142 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a classic horror vibe, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of sound design, music, and level design to create a tense and eerie environment. Despite its outdated graphics and occasional glitches, the game successfully immerses players in a spooky, gothic setting that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature even years after its release. Overall, the atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal, particularly for fans of vintage horror themes.

    • “The atmosphere in this game is fantastic, the map is designed amazingly, and the story and cut scenes are so good.”
    • “The atmosphere is perfectly foreboding and you never feel completely overpowered.”
    • “Absolutely love the atmosphere and classic universal monster movie/gothic horror feel.”
    • “Not original at all to Murnau's 1922 classic 'Nosferatu.' I mean for starters, the game is uncolored, completely ruining the atmosphere the film created.”
    • “While this might be appealing at first - creating the dark and dreary atmosphere of a labyrinthine ancient castle - it does get old after a while, especially as one must escort your braindead friends and family back to the front of the castle before the real-time timer extinguishes.”
    • “This game has an interesting premise and decent atmosphere, but it's all ruined by the horrendously shoddy physics.”
  • gameplay121 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of janky mechanics and engaging elements, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic FPS titles like Turok and Doom. While it features a variety of weapons and a unique time-based rescue objective, players often encounter bugs and clunky controls that can detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, many find the gameplay addictive and enjoyable, particularly due to its randomization and replayability.

    • “The gameplay loop is quite fun and I feel this game handles a lot like Turok (the original).”
    • “The random generated castle and random encounters make the gameplay experience never be the same again; you must prepare yourself for random jumpscares.”
    • “Its a fast-paced, vaguely roguelike, survival horror FPS with surprising replayability, great gameplay, a simple story, a clear objective, a bunch of different weapons and enemies.”
    • “But whenever it tries to inject a new idea or some actual gameplay, it just completely falls apart.”
    • “The issues I have with it are the gameplay mechanics and some of the choices the designers made which make this a somewhat difficult game.”
    • “Game mechanics are just beyond terrible: weapon reload sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, both enemies and ally NPCs will constantly get stuck on everything or they will just straight block your way, sometimes forcing you to reload save state.”
  • music97 mentions

    The music in "Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi" is widely praised for its atmospheric and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the game's horror experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to create tension with sudden bursts of strings and ambient sounds, reminiscent of classic horror films, which contribute significantly to the game's immersive and unsettling atmosphere. Despite some criticisms regarding other game elements, the music stands out as a major strength, often cited as the best aspect of the game.

    • “Great soundtrack adds to the eerie atmosphere, genuinely feel like you are constantly being followed - which in this game, feels great.”
    • “The music direction adheres to tracks featuring very tense and sudden bursts of strings, like classic horror movie soundtracks.”
    • “The game's soundtrack helps to enhance the eerie and creepy feeling.”
    • “All props to the soundtrack composer, but man cannot live on bombastic scare chords alone.”
    • “However simplistic the AI is, or how dull the graphics are, the soundtrack ends up immersing you in it all.”
    • “What is scary about this game is that you never see the enemies coming, especially when a sudden scary music starts; you look everywhere but your opponent is already about to strike.”
  • story96 mentions

    The story of "Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi" revolves around James Patterson's quest to rescue his family from a vampire lord in a haunted castle, blending classic horror elements with a minimalist narrative. While the plot is often described as simple and somewhat cheesy, it effectively captures a nostalgic horror atmosphere, enhanced by engaging gameplay mechanics centered on escort missions. Despite some criticisms regarding AI and execution, many players appreciate the unique setting and the game's ability to evoke classic horror film vibes.

    • “The atmosphere in this game is fantastic, the map is designed amazingly, and the story and cut scenes are so good.”
    • “The story is very interesting and unique where your mission is to try and save all your family members and friends from getting hunted down and sacrificed to the almighty Malachi, who Nosferatu tries to resurrect.”
    • “Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi is an intriguing game and story where you are James Patterson; the man whose sister is about to be married to the count of a Romanian family and you happen to be arriving late.”
    • “The story is almost non-existent but yet at the same time, it is a masterpiece of a time almost forgotten.”
    • “There's not much to say beyond that with this one, as Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi is a very, very basic game with a very, very basic story.”
    • “The story, while serviceable, is thin.”
  • stability54 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous glitches and bugs, including issues with AI, hit detection, and movement, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players find the glitches amusing and manageable, others consider them game-breaking, particularly in critical moments. Overall, the stability of the game is a significant concern, with many reviewers noting that it detracts from an otherwise enjoyable experience.

    • “There are glitches everywhere; the most powerful offense is using your fists because you can click so fast it glitches out the enemies. The AI is extremely laughably bad.”
    • “Also keep in mind that this game has a few glitches. There were several times my character died for no reason as I went through a doorway, and occasionally I've taken fall damage while running down stairs or even from running up the stairs.”
    • “The gameplay is good if clunky, but the game has many game-breaking glitches and many minor annoying ones, and has many basic features lacking (volume control, resolution/screensize control, etc.).”
  • replayability35 mentions

    The game features significant replayability due to its semi-randomized environments, item placements, and character locations, which encourage players to experience different challenges with each playthrough. While some reviews note that the overall replay value may not be groundbreaking, the combination of customizable difficulty settings and the potential for varied gameplay keeps players returning for more. However, a few users express that the game could benefit from additional content or unlockables to enhance its replayability further.

    • “Nosferatu seems like an insurmountable challenge at first glance, but its essence is found in being a highly customized and replayable challenge with its own difficulty settings and surprises.”
    • “The environments are semi-randomized along with the placement of certain items and people you need to rescue, which makes it so that you can unlock items/weapons in different orders, adding to replayability.”
    • “The actual mechanics of the game may be rough, but I found them quite intriguing - in particular the fact that the castle is more or less randomly generated, along with the items, which makes the game replayable many times.”
    • “The theoretical replay value just isn't worth it when there's no synergy with the other elements.”
    • “It's best bought in a sale; however, as stated above, there is not enough replayability in this game.”
    • “The only cons I can think of are; I wish it was longer and I wish it had more replay value, unlocks, etc.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its outdated AI and amusing physics glitches, leading to comical moments such as characters falling to their deaths or being hilariously launched into the air. Players find the combination of absurd weaponry and unexpected animations, like enemies snapping back to their original positions, to be both entertaining and laugh-inducing, despite the game's overall shortcomings. While the humor adds a layer of enjoyment, it often stems from the game's age and technical flaws rather than intentional comedic design.

    • “The AI of the characters you have to rescue is hilariously terrible, but I guess that makes sense given how old the game is. For example, one of the characters literally just started walking and fell from a high place and died, lol.”
    • “An aged first-person horror survival game that still manages to make you jump out of your seat from time to time and marvel at all the funny glitches it has for you.”
    • “-[b]Hilarious physics bugs:[/b] I suppose you've always wanted to walk into a chest, be subsequently tossed into the air, and make a loud 'umph' as you slap against the floor.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some areas are large and labyrinthine, leading to tedious navigation and occasional frustration, the rewards for completing escort missions and mastering the game mechanics can enhance gameplay. However, the time constraints and cumbersome weapon-switching mechanics contribute to a sense of irritation during grinding moments. Overall, while grinding can be tedious and challenging, it does not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “Some areas are so large and labyrinth-like, it's easy to get lost, which can be tedious.”
    • “Just as you start to settle back into your chair, thinking you've mastered the synergy between the sound and monster proximity, the game throws you curveball after curveball and you have no option but to resume your place at the end of your chair, grinding your teeth with your eyes pressed against the monitor.”
    • “It gets very tedious and downright deadly when there's a spawn portal in the room you want them to go into.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for causing stuttering menus and presenting challenges for players with epilepsy, indicating significant performance issues, especially on older PCs. Overall, it is perceived as buggy and poorly optimized.

    • “Maybe it's just this version, but the menus were stuttering and let's just say they are unfriendly to epilepsy sufferers.”
    • “They're definitely bearable on the PCs of yesteryear, but I'm going to let that speak for this buggy and poorly optimized game.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the engaging story and appealing character designs, indicating that these elements contribute positively to the overall character development in the game.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their growth and relationships.”
    • “The intricate character arcs and their emotional journeys kept me engaged and invested in their stories.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is not significantly impacted by physics issues, as many players report a smooth experience without unexpected disruptions that could detract from immersion. Overall, the emotional engagement remains intact for those who have not encountered these problems.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi

Play time

8hMedian play time
43hAverage play time
4-102hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games