Old Gods Rising

About

"Old Gods Rising" is a survival horror game set in a Lovecraftian universe. Players must uncover the mystery behind the Old Gods' return while surviving against horrifying creatures and managing scarce resources. With a focus on non-linear storytelling and player choice, each playthrough offers a unique experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story35 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game features great graphics and art direction, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the Lovecraftian theme.
The voice acting is of high quality, contributing to the engaging storytelling and character development.
The game is filled with humor and clever Easter eggs, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate narrative-driven experiences.

The gameplay is often described as simplistic and repetitive, with many players feeling it lacks depth and challenge.
The story's ending is abrupt and unsatisfying for many, leaving players wanting more closure and resolution.
Technical issues such as bugs, glitches, and slow loading times detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.

story
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing narrative and immersive atmosphere, often enhanced by strong voice acting and beautiful graphics. However, some critiques highlight issues such as a lack of depth, abrupt endings, and a somewhat predictable plot, suggesting that while the story captivates, it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more profound experience. Overall, it offers a unique storytelling approach with plenty of exploration opportunities, though some players feel it could benefit from a more fleshed-out narrative.
- “The story is well told and interesting, and it encourages exploration as there's always something new to uncover around the next corner.”
- “The story is cleverly done with lots of optional secrets you can find which give you a different perspective about what might be happening.”
- “Loved the atmosphere, the story as well as the great voice acting, that made characters visible.”
- “The story is kind of a mess that ends way too abruptly.”
- “The main story's ending is also kind of disappointing, and is also just thrown away with the extra free chapter that has been added post-launch.”
- “On top of that, the story simply doesn't know where it's going.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
21%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, attention to detail, and immersive art direction, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere. While many players appreciate the stunning visuals and the intricate artwork, some note minor technical issues and a lack of engaging gameplay, with the graphics often being the standout feature amidst a predictable story. Overall, the game's visuals are considered its strongest aspect, enhancing the narrative experience despite some criticisms of repetitiveness and technical glitches.
- “Great graphics, great story, nice voice acting, and cool achievement hunting.”
- “The ambient music is superb, and so are the sound effects, which really add depth and immersion to the game alongside the fantastic visuals.”
- “As I said earlier, it is very immersive due to its great graphics (especially the textures), which you can tell have been worked on meticulously, and has a lovely atmosphere, with its attention to detail, clever lore, witty easter eggs, and great voice acting.”
- “You do get the option to pick your graphics quality but not fine-tune to your needs.”
- “I had a handful of graphics-related glitches for a little while, but nothing game-breaking.”
- “The graphics make my computer scream, so they're probably good, and the story is decent enough.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
8%
23%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its intriguing and immersive qualities, enhanced by meticulous graphics, clever lore, and strong voice acting. While some players note a lack of human presence that can disrupt immersion, the overall aesthetic and attention to detail contribute to a captivating experience. However, a few instances of misplaced comedic dialogue have been mentioned as minor detractors from the otherwise strong atmosphere.
- “An intriguing, atmospheric mystery game that kept me thinking right up to the end.”
- “Loved the atmosphere, the story as well as the great voice acting, that made characters visible.”
- “As I said earlier, it is very immersive due to its great graphics (especially the textures) which you can tell have been worked on meticulously, and has a lovely atmosphere, with its attention to detail, clever lore, witty easter eggs, and great voice acting; even the sound is hyper-dimensional/dynamic (which helps to cause a few frights).”
- “All of this detracts from the atmosphere of the game and pulls me out of it.”
- “My only real complaint is that there are a couple of lines of comedic dialogue near the end of the game that are very out of place and kind of disrupt the atmosphere.”
- “The lack of other humans kind of breaks immersion, but most of the time it helps the atmosphere.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and somewhat repetitive, focusing on exploration with minimal challenges. While some players appreciate the smooth navigation and hand-holding features, others find it lacking in depth and variety, with a few noting performance issues and bugs. Overall, it offers a visually appealing experience but may not satisfy those seeking more engaging mechanics or complexity.
- “Though some people might find this game to be simple and not challenging enough, I actually like how much hand-holding the game does for you. Instead of getting a frustrating UI or confusing map, the gameplay experience of walking through the various places of Ashgate University was a smooth experience and made for a quick and easy game to enjoy.”
- “A great, story-rich Lovecraftian horror experience with decent gameplay, if you can overlook some performance issues.”
- “Also, check out the last game news update for instructions on starting the post-game mode... I had a good time with it even though the dessert gameplay is very different from the main course.”
- “The artwork is nice but the gameplay is repetitive and amounts to walking from here to there and back again.”
- “Far too short, not enough going on gameplay-wise, nor plot-wise.”
- “I did have a few horrendous pop-ins and the mouse kept ceasing to move me, but the only gameplay bugs were an inability to pick up an item at one point, and a mission to go to a place that would not just update until I left that place!”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for numerous visual glitches and bugs, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to occasional freezes. While some players found these issues manageable and enjoyed the overall experience, many noted that the game's stability detracts from its potential, especially considering its 2020 release. Frequent auto-saves help mitigate frustrations, but the presence of glitches remains a significant concern.
- “The numerous bugs and glitches restrict this game from being a great title.”
- “It is rushed, buggy, and it has an unfulfilling end.”
- “The game was very buggy for a release in 2020.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of referential and original comedic elements, particularly appealing to fans of Lovecraftian themes. While some players find the humor to be reference-heavy, it is generally well-received, featuring great voice acting and numerous funny easter eggs that enhance the experience. Overall, it offers a unique and entertaining take on its genre, making it a hidden gem for those who appreciate a blend of mystery and humor.
- “This is a hilarious game, one of the most original takes on Lovecraft in a game.”
- “Review: great voice acting and lots of funny Easter eggs interspersed throughout the map.”
- “A short and predictable story but a hidden gem of a game, graphically very good with some nice humorous touches.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed reviews; while some players noted a well-implemented autosave feature and minimal bugs, others experienced performance issues such as texture loading delays and streaming problems that could lead to falling through the map. Despite these concerns, many found the gameplay enjoyable enough to overlook the optimization shortcomings.
- “It was also pretty well optimized; I didn't encounter any relevant bugs while I played it. Maybe some textures took a while to load here and there, and I got stuck once on terrain, but there's an autosave feature that's very well implemented. It saves really often, and you can even choose when to do it by crossing doors and stuff, so it wasn't a problem at all.”
- “A great, story-rich Lovecraftian horror experience with decent gameplay, if you can overlook some performance issues.”
- “Performance-wise, there were some streaming issues that led to me falling through the map if I got impatient and walked into them, but I think that's since improved.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised, with ambient tracks and sound effects enhancing immersion and complementing the stunning visuals. The soundtrack and voiceovers are also noted for their quality, contributing to the overall tension and atmosphere.
- “The ambient music is superb, and the sound effects really add depth and immersion to the game alongside the fantastic visuals.”
- “The soundtrack and voiceovers are well done.”
- “Nice tension, music, and scenery.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, feeling that a single playthrough is sufficient to experience the content, and the effort required to achieve additional goals, such as reaching the final grave, detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “Ordinarily, I would replay the whole game just to achieve it, but I feel as though one playthrough is enough. Doing so would be too tedious, especially since the final grave is at the end of the story.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the advertisements for Ashgate University in the game to be humorous, suggesting that the monetization strategy through ads adds an entertaining element rather than detracting from the experience.