Old Gods Rising

About

Old Gods Rising is a single player action game. It was developed by Bad Blood Studios and was released on May 20, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 89 reviews

story27 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and art direction, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The story is intriguing with clever writing and humor, filled with Easter eggs and references that enhance the experience.
The voice acting is of high quality, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the narrative-driven gameplay.

The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which some players feel does not justify the price.
There are technical issues, including bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as falling through the map or areas not loading properly.
The gameplay is often described as simplistic and lacking in depth, with few challenging puzzles and a linear experience.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its intriguing setting and exploration elements, while others criticize it for being short, predictable, and lacking depth. Some found the narrative engaging and well-paced, enhanced by environmental storytelling and humor, but noted that it often felt rushed or ended abruptly. Overall, while the story has its merits, it may not satisfy those seeking a more profound or cohesive narrative experience.
- “The story is well told and interesting, and it encourages exploration as there's always something new to uncover around the next corner.”
- “This is a walking simulator that has lots to look at and explore as well as a captivating story which keeps you intrigued the whole way through as you try to work out what is going on.”
- “The narrative is well paced with lots of additional story hooks and moments if you dig deep.”
- “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
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, attention to detail, and immersive art direction, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere. Many players appreciate the intricate designs and textures, although some note that the game can be technically demanding on hardware. Despite the strong visual appeal, opinions vary on the gameplay experience, with some finding it repetitive and lacking depth.
- “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 it 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, but 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 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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is characterized as simple and somewhat repetitive, with a focus on exploration rather than challenge, making it accessible for players who prefer a more guided experience. While the movement speed is generally well-received, the overall gameplay is criticized for being short and lacking depth, with minimal mechanics and a few technical issues. Despite its appealing visuals and voice acting, many reviewers feel the gameplay does not justify its price.
- “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.”
- “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 game looks good and has some decent voice acting, but gameplay-wise, there is not much to do.”
- “The artwork is nice but the gameplay is repetitive and amounts to walking from here to there and back again.”
- “It's not bad but it's not worth a lot of your money, if only for the short and shallow gameplay alone.”
- “Far too short, not enough going on gameplay-wise, nor plot-wise.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have several visual glitches and bugs, including occasional freezes and issues with environmental interactions. While these stability problems can detract from the experience, many players found the overall gameplay enjoyable, aided by frequent auto-saves. However, the game's rushed release in 2020 has left it feeling less polished than expected.
- “A bit buggy but an overall enjoyable experience once you get past the limitations of the game, its bugs, and the main character being both a savant and a completely gullible idiot.”
- “Also, some walls have a white light until getting closer, then they open up to be actual paths. Also, when your radio rings, sometimes the game freezes for an instant.”
- “It is rushed, buggy, and it has an unfulfilling end.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of referential jokes and clever easter eggs, which some players find excessive while others appreciate its originality, particularly in its take on Lovecraftian themes. Overall, it is praised for its hilarious moments and strong voice acting, making it a standout feature despite a somewhat predictable story.
- “This is a hilarious game, one of the most original takes on Lovecraft in a game.”
- “A short and predictable story but a hidden gem of a game, graphically very good with some nice humorous touches.”
- “Great voice acting and lots of funny Easter eggs interspersed throughout the map.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised for its superb ambient quality and effective sound effects, which enhance the overall immersion and depth. The soundtrack and voiceovers are also well-executed, contributing to a tense and engaging atmosphere alongside the stunning visuals.
- “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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Overall, the game is well-optimized, with minimal bugs reported during gameplay, though some users experienced occasional texture loading delays and terrain glitches. The effective autosave feature mitigates these issues, and while there were some streaming problems leading to map glitches, improvements have been noted.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization problems, causing frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the interesting gameplay, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
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%
The monetization aspect of the game is highlighted by the presence of humorous ads, specifically for Ashgate University, which adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.