Nuclear Nightmare
- October 20, 2024
- BG Productions
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Nuclear Nightmare" is an open-world exploration game where players assemble a team to recover classified materials in the Arctic before a nuclear strike. Gather supplies, unlock perks, and watch out for the risk of the deadly black goo virus that can infect anyone, including your teammates and huskies. Complete your mission before the time runs out.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the atmosphere of 'The Thing' perfectly, providing a thrilling and immersive experience.
- It's incredibly fun to play with friends, leading to hilarious and memorable moments.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and has a promising roadmap for future updates.
- The game is buggy and unoptimized, leading to crashes and performance issues.
- The objectives can become repetitive, and the lack of variety in maps and tasks can make gameplay feel stale.
- The voice chat and audio settings are poorly balanced, making communication difficult.
- gameplay376 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying the intense co-op survival mechanics and unique atmosphere inspired by horror classics, while others criticize it for being repetitive, buggy, and lacking depth. The core gameplay loop is often described as fun but can become stale over time, and issues such as unclear mechanics and performance problems detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, players see potential for improvement and express excitement for future updates that could enhance gameplay variety and polish.
“The intense co-op survival gameplay keeps you on your toes.”
“The core gameplay loop alongside the wonderful mechanics is fantastic.”
“The gameplay offers a satisfying blend of exploration, resource management, and strategic decision-making.”
“The gameplay is monotonous and quickly becomes tedious.”
“The performance is absolute ass; the gameplay is janky, and after the first two games, you figure out the whole flow of the game, which is just rush stations and sit around doorways shooting at spawning 'things' at night once in a while.”
“There are too many bugs and a lack of real gameplay for me to give a good review, sadly.”
- atmosphere248 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its intense, immersive qualities, drawing strong inspiration from John Carpenter's "The Thing." Players highlight the game's ability to create a tense and eerie environment, particularly at night, where sound design and visual elements enhance feelings of dread and paranoia. Despite some technical issues, the overall ambiance and thematic depth contribute to a thrilling co-op experience that resonates well with fans of horror and survival genres.
“The atmosphere is spot on, the visuals are fantastic, and the tension is well crafted and executed.”
“The atmosphere, environmental design, weather, and enemies are super well done.”
“The atmosphere is incredible; nights spent silently with your friends with the oscillating, dim red light illuminating the room, distant cry of monsters searching, a phenomenal and intense atmosphere indeed.”
“The atmosphere just isn't there; it's not scary or creepy.”
“The biggest problem for me is the bugs with the radio, because my friends and I like to use the in-game radio instead of Discord; it adds a big part of the atmosphere.”
“This game is fun, but the lack of visibility, man, I understand it's for atmosphere, but you honestly can't see anything, and that really takes away from the experience.”
- humor208 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting the hilarious moments that arise during gameplay, especially when playing with friends. The combination of terrifying scenarios and comedic mishaps, such as unexpected deaths and funny bugs, creates a chaotic yet entertaining experience that keeps players laughing. Overall, the game successfully balances horror and humor, making it a fun choice for multiplayer sessions.
“This game can get funny and terrifying when all your 'friends' die... especially when they become the monsters.”
“It's terrifying and hilarious and great to play with friends, definitely don't use Discord and do use the in-game voice.”
“The game is difficult but a lot of fun especially with friends; it can be horrifying and hilarious. I have not had a single dull moment playing this game.”
- stability202 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game is currently in early access and is described as being quite buggy, with numerous glitches affecting gameplay, controls, and interactions. While many players find the bugs amusing and part of the fun, others report significant issues that can hinder the experience, such as unresponsive controls and game-breaking glitches. Overall, while the game shows potential and is enjoyable with friends, it requires further development and optimization to address its stability issues.
“I've encountered no glitches, the controls are intuitive, and it is quite easy to learn.”
“Along with this, the game runs great and although the open world isn't giant, it's an open world experience nonetheless that runs super smooth.”
“Runs great and the server browser is working day 1!”
“This game is a buggy, janky mess with no gameplay.”
“It's currently way too buggy to be playable; I got softlocked multiple times just by opening my menu.”
“The game is a buggy mess, graphics are from '04, and extremely boring with little to do with the movie they want to portray.”
- graphics168 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric design and visual style that effectively captures the horror elements, particularly in snowy environments. However, numerous players report issues with optimization, bugs, and inconsistent performance across different hardware, leading to a less polished experience. While some find the visuals charming and immersive, others criticize them for being outdated and poorly optimized, suggesting that improvements are needed to enhance overall gameplay enjoyment.
“The atmosphere is spot on, the visuals are fantastic, and the tension is well crafted and executed.”
“Great visuals: one of the standout features of Nuclear Nightmare is its exceptional visual design.”
“The developers have done an incredible job of bringing the desolation of the post-apocalyptic world to life with breathtaking visuals.”
“The graphics in the game are poor, with character and environment models appearing jagged and unnatural, which is immediately noticeable.”
“Game is a buggy mess, graphics are from '04, and extremely boring with little to do with the thing movie they want to portray.”
“I have had to set every graphics setting to low except textures, which I set to high, because anything below looks absolutely god-awful.”
- optimization162 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates and lag, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements with specific settings or patches, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance gameplay and stability. Despite these challenges, players express hope for future updates that could address these issues and improve the experience.
“Running the game in DX11 massively improves performance, giving 100+ FPS consistently.”
“Haven't really encountered many bugs, and so far it seems like it's optimized great.”
“The atmosphere, mechanics, and performance are great, and I cannot wait for more content in the near future.”
“The game is very poorly optimized.”
“But in its current state, it is an unoptimized buggy mess.”
“Decent enough gameplay-wise but holy shit, I think I've never played something this terribly optimized in my whole life.”
- story103 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as lacking depth and variety, with many players expressing a desire for more diverse missions and a clearer narrative structure. While some appreciate the organic unfolding of the plot and the moral choices that impact gameplay, others find the storyline convoluted and repetitive, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, there is a consensus that the game has potential for improvement in its storytelling elements, particularly through varied missions and enhanced character development.
“The storyline unfolds organically, with compelling moral choices that affect your survival and relationships.”
“And then there’s the story – a gripping narrative that unfolds in ways you won’t see coming, drawing you into the mystery behind the disaster.”
“The narrative is driven by a mix of main missions and side quests, each of which sheds light on the state of the world and the struggles of the remaining survivors.”
“The game’s plot is not only trivial but also maddeningly convoluted.”
“The story unfolds chaotically, with no logical sequence of events, making it difficult to immerse oneself in the game world.”
“There is no storyline: you just have to complete some tasks, call a helicopter, and escape.”
- music49 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is a polarizing aspect, with many praising its ability to create a tense and immersive atmosphere that heightens the horror experience, particularly during encounters with monsters. However, some players feel that the music can be overpowering or inconsistent, detracting from the overall tension and gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received for its intensity and ambiance, there are calls for adjustments to balance its volume and enhance the experience further.
“The tense atmosphere as soon as night starts to break in and the power suddenly turns off with a loud boom really messes with you the first couple of times while you crouch in the corner with your weapon aimed at the door as the music intensifies, announcing the horror that might break through at any moment.”
“The atmospheric soundtrack is haunting, with an ambient score that ramps up during moments of tension and battle.”
“The music adds to this atmosphere quite successfully while you try to rush to start a generator while your friend guards you in the dark.”
“The music is absolutely shit inducing and love a horror game that gives you a way to fight back, especially in the greatest forms known to man - 12 gauge and a fucking flamethrower.”
“And there's annoying loud music that plays during the night sequence that breaks basically all tension.”
“Unfortunately too many negatives for me, the setting menu needs an overhaul, the audio itself is a problem, the music is too loud, the wind is way too loud, the in-game volume is just way too loud, even having it on minimal is loud and if you have it off you're just disadvantaged.”
- replayability44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a mixed but generally positive outlook on replayability. Many players find it highly replayable, especially in cooperative modes with friends, and appreciate the potential for future updates to enhance content variety. However, some users express concerns about the game's static elements and map design, which may limit long-term replayability once initial content is exhausted.
“The game has fantastic replayability for about 10 - 20 rounds and more depending on whether you're playing with friends or randoms until you eventually get bored, but you will definitely start playing the next day again.”
“Its cooperative gameplay mode, where players work together while questioning each other's motives, is particularly engaging and enhances replayability.”
“Fun gameplay, very replayable, more than 4 player lobbies.”
“I will struggle to find replayability once I have completed the map, so I hope by the time I have completed it or within the future there will be new maps with new enemies and objectives for me to play with my friends.”
“1 large map that takes far too long to explore and offers zero replayability value to these locations.”
“However, it lacks replayability as of now since many aspects of the map are static.”
- grinding21 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a mixed experience; while some players find it enjoyable and not overly necessary for progression, many others describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly due to monotonous environments and objectives. The ability to re-roll perks and the ease of farming points are seen as positives, but the overall gameplay loop can quickly become tiresome, especially with large, empty maps that require extensive travel.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The gameplay is monotonous and quickly becomes tedious.”
“The map is repetitive, objectives are tedious, and exploration offers little reward beyond white landscapes and prefab buildings.”
“The gameplay loop is quite tedious and repetitive.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players' experiences of deep connection, fear, and nostalgia, often evoking strong feelings such as joy, sadness, and tension. Many reviews emphasize the game's ability to create heartwarming moments with friends, while also exploring darker themes of survival and loss, leading to a rollercoaster of emotions that can range from laughter to tears. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth and the impactful storytelling found in both the main plot and side stories.
“Very emotional, 10/10”
“+1 me and my team experienced what Kobe Bryant went through, tremendously emotional!!”
“The game explores the psychological and emotional toll of living in such a bleak, irradiated world, where trust is scarce and every day is a struggle for survival.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Overall, players appreciate the lack of microtransactions in the game, viewing it as a positive aspect of its monetization strategy. However, there are concerns about the game's mechanics and performance, leading some to question its readiness for playtesting and whether it might be perceived as a cash grab. The general sentiment suggests that while the game is fun, significant improvements are needed before it can be fully recommended.
“Good setup with no microtransactions.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players to spend money.”
“I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without requiring additional purchases.”
“Either this is a cash grab, or it is far from being ready for play testing.”
“It's just a no for me after trying it; I wouldn't bother unless it's out from early access and massive changes personally, otherwise it's gonna be another early access cash grab.”
“Ads on most sights are unsightly / janky.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its standout character development, which significantly enhances the overall storytelling experience.
“One of the standout features of the game’s story is its character development.”
“The depth of each character's backstory and growth throughout the game is truly impressive.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the characters' development, making each playthrough feel unique.”
