Ontotis
- October 6, 2023
- Xenoplasis Games
"Ontotis is a single-player action game set in a haunting, atmospheric environment. As the caretaker Robert, grappling with his wife's death, you investigate strange occurrences in a remote property. Solve puzzles, discover clues, and unlock secrets to uncover the past and shape the story's outcome."
Reviews
- The game excels in creating a tense and immersive atmosphere, enhanced by detailed environments and sound design.
- The storyline is engaging and encourages exploration, with multiple endings that add replay value.
- Despite being a solo project, the game features impressive graphics and character models, contributing to its eerie mood.
- Technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and performance problems can disrupt the gaming experience.
- The gameplay mechanics are limited, focusing heavily on exploration and puzzles, which may not appeal to players seeking more action.
- The flashlight mechanic is frustrating, with batteries depleting quickly, leading to immersion-breaking moments and difficulty in progressing.
- story36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by a compelling atmosphere and mystery, encouraging players to explore and uncover the fates of the house's former residents through scattered clues. While many players appreciate the engaging narrative and the balance between direct and environmental storytelling, some criticize it for being cliché or lacking depth. Overall, the story is seen as a strong point, particularly for those who enjoy psychological horror and puzzle-solving elements, though pacing issues and occasional bugs detract from the experience.
“The game emphasizes atmosphere, mystery, and storytelling, requiring players to uncover scattered clues to unveil the fate of the house's former residents.”
“The story of the game was really interesting and made me seek everywhere to find clues and extra backstory.”
“Ontotis excels in delivering a captivating story within a haunting atmosphere, and its minor drawbacks are eclipsed by its triumphs.”
“Boring dialogue and next to no interest in the story.”
“There aren't any scares unless you find the same three noise 'jumpscares' to be frightening, the story isn't interesting or new, the characters are cliched (and I'm pretty sure voiced by a text-to-speech program), and the gameplay is minimal.”
“The storyline was okay, the art also okay, but there were buggy bits and pieces in the game and some things were quite unclear.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Ontotis" is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively creating a tense environment that enhances the psychological horror experience. Players appreciate the detailed sound design and visuals that contribute to a sense of mystery and foreboding, making the exploration of the game's narrative both engaging and unsettling. Despite some minor criticisms, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a captivating and haunting atmosphere that draws players in.
“The game emphasizes atmosphere, mystery, and storytelling, requiring players to uncover scattered clues to unveil the fate of the house's former residents.”
“The atmosphere is dense with mystery, each clue an eerie breadcrumb leading deeper into the haunting tale of a cursed residence.”
“The atmosphere is amazing - from the second you enter the house there is a feeling of despair and foreboding.”
“The jump scares aren't scary; the amount of time it takes to find items is too long, and there's no atmosphere whatsoever.”
“For a game that describes itself as 'focusing on atmosphere,' the only atmosphere is that there's a thunderstorm happening and occasionally a figure appears.”
“The atmosphere is pretty creepy and dark enough that my mind played tricks on me with objects I thought were people but really weren't, and some moments had me a bit on edge despite there being no real need.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by limited mechanics, primarily focusing on exploration and narrative, which may not satisfy players looking for action or more dynamic interactions. While some players appreciate the puzzle-driven elements and find them challenging and rewarding, others criticize technical issues and outdated mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is a mixed bag, with some enjoying the suspenseful atmosphere and puzzle-solving, while others find it tedious and lacking in variety.
“The gameplay is heart-pounding, filled with suspense at every turn.”
“What really works is the gameplay.”
“Puzzle-driven gameplay: the puzzles in 'ontotis' are both challenging and rewarding.”
“However, technical issues and limited gameplay mechanics may affect its overall appeal.”
“The only issue I had with the gameplay itself was the outside section with two creatures that chase you in an enclosed wooden area that has plenty of spots you will get hung up on, taking damage you otherwise shouldn't have.”
“There aren't any scares unless you find the same three noise 'jumpscares' to be frightening, the story isn't interesting or new, the characters are cliched (and I'm pretty sure voiced by a text-to-speech program), and the gameplay is minimal.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally praised for their quality, contributing to a dark and eerie atmosphere that enhances the horror experience. While some players noted the visuals as impressive and immersive, others felt that the overall presentation lacked depth and beauty, with mixed opinions on the game's story and challenge level. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, with ratings around 8/10 from some users.
“The game has a dark and creepy atmosphere, with eerie sounds and visuals that make every moment feel tense.”
“The spooky vibe had me on edge and the graphics are so good.”
“Ontotis is a really good game, nice graphics and eerie atmosphere.”
“I really want to be kind, I just can't; it's too short to warrant any money being spent on it. It has nothing to be fearful of, nothing to really challenge you, no gripping story, and no beautiful artwork to admire.”
“I had to lower the graphic settings way down in order to play in 4K resolution.”
“There is an atmosphere to the visuals, but some creepy visuals here and there do not make up for the overall lack of quality.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features multiple endings influenced by the items used and puzzles solved, significantly enhancing its replayability. Players are encouraged to explore different paths, making each playthrough unique and engaging.
“The game offers multiple endings based on the items used and mysteries unraveled, adding replay value and encouraging players to explore various paths.”
“Having two endings helps enhance the replayability.”
“The option for different endings depending on the items used and puzzles solved adds a layer of replayability to the game.”
“Multiple endings: the game offers different endings based on the items used and mysteries unraveled, adding replay value and encouraging players to explore various paths.”
“Having 2 endings helps with replayability.”
“Multiple endings: the option for different endings depending on the items used and puzzles solved adds a layer of replayability to the game.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant technical issues like crashes and input lag, while others report smooth performance. Overall, there seems to be a consensus that optimization needs improvement.
“The optimization in this game is top-notch, providing a smooth and seamless experience.”
“I experienced no performance issues; everything ran perfectly.”
“The game runs incredibly well, with no noticeable lag or crashes.”
“Technical issues: some players have reported bugs and performance issues, such as crashes and input lag, which can disrupt the gaming experience.”
“To begin with, optimization is poor.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly tasks like collecting batteries, to be tedious and unenjoyable, detracting from the overall horror experience and making gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.
“Lonely is the horror fan who finds collecting batteries to be the most tedious form of gameplay.”
“However, when I attempted to complete the entire game, it was not really scary and more of a tedious chore to try and figure out what to do.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, particularly for its effectiveness in enhancing the atmosphere, especially towards the end. Reviewers note that it significantly contributes to the overall experience, making it a standout feature.
“The music was really good, especially near the end.”
“The atmosphere and the music of this game are absolutely on point and what really made the difference for me.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its absurd design choices, such as the lack of gamma settings and a finite light source, leading to comically frustrating situations where players must navigate in the dark if they run out of batteries.
“The designers of this game made some hilariously stupid decisions; no gamma settings and finite light source = if you run out of batteries, then either load a checkpoint or, well... run around blind.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep you laughing.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with plenty of funny moments that break the tension.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues, with users reporting various bugs and unclear elements that detract from the overall experience. While the storyline and art are deemed acceptable, the technical flaws hinder smooth gameplay.
“The storyline was okay, the art was also okay, but there were buggy bits and pieces in the game, and some things were quite unclear.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players found the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, particularly highlighting a fulfilling and poignant ending that resonated with them.
“The ending I experienced felt fulfilling and deeply emotional.”
“The game took me on an emotional journey that I didn't expect.”
“I was moved to tears by the character's story and the choices I had to make.”