PARANOID

43%
Game Brain Score Based on 104 reviews
  • story
  • optimization
  • graphics
PARANOID Game Cover
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"Paranoid" is a single-player Action game with poor optimization and numerous bugs. Players follow the psychedelic horror story of Patrick Calman, a man with paranoid schizophrenia who lost his family and receives a phone call from his long-missing sister. Explore Patrick's apartment and decide whether to confront the potential hallucination or risk his own sanity. The game references other horror titles like "Puppet House," "Tormentor," "Agony: Lords of Hell," and "Succubus."

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Reviews

43%
Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews
story11 positive mentions
optimization14 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and atmospheric horror experience, with moments of genuine brilliance and inspiration.
  • There are two distinct paths to explore, each providing a different gameplay experience and story outcome.
  • The sound design and immersive atmosphere effectively convey the protagonist's descent into madness.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating to play.
  • The story feels chaotic and underdeveloped, leaving players confused and unsatisfied with the ending.
  • Combat mechanics are clunky and unsatisfying, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story48 mentions

    The game's story is widely criticized for being chaotic, poorly developed, and lacking coherence, with many players feeling it fails to deliver on its initial promise. While some appreciate the intriguing psychological themes and the dual narrative paths, they often note that the execution is marred by abrupt endings and unresolved plot points. Overall, the narrative is seen as a disjointed experience that may require prior knowledge of the developer's other works to fully appreciate.

    • “The story branch of when you stay in the apartment is super disturbing and interesting.”
    • “Still, my thumbs up for another peek into the disturbing world of Agony and above all for two storylines in one game (you can leave or stay in your apartment and the outcome is very different - like two different games).”
    • “For those who still want to play or are die-hard fans of the studio, it is an installment of the shared universe of Agony which tells the story of Patrick, a self-recluse in his own home who suffers from paranoia and schizophrenia.”
    • “The game was poorly optimized, the story wasn't appealing, bad character animations, too much 'jank'.”
    • “However, after choosing the less eventful story path, the one more relatable to what I envisioned as a psychological thriller, I was absolutely singing its praises, so much mind-twisting content and accurate depictions of untreated schizophrenia, all until it abruptly ended in the most anti-climactic, confusing way possible.”
    • “The trailer looked so promising, and from the trailer, I felt the story was supposed to be something else; it feels like the original story was changed and elements were added out of nowhere just to finish the product.”
  • optimization27 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Despite some attempts at patches, many users feel that the game remains poorly optimized, leading to a frustrating experience even on high-end hardware. Overall, the technical shortcomings detract from the game's potential, leaving it feeling unpolished and janky.

    • “The game is not well optimized and I had to tweak some settings to get around the FPS drops.”
    • “Love the concept of the game but definitely needs the optimization fixed still.”
    • “I was one of the few that enjoyed the unrated edition because it was actually optimized, ran at a decent framerate and introduced some quality of life improvements.”
    • “The game was poorly optimized; the story wasn't appealing, bad character animations, too much 'jank'.”
    • “Buggy, poor performance, and the v1.1 patch from January fixed virtually nothing.”
    • “Unoptimized game making my GPU fans spin like crazy.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the disturbing visuals and animations, particularly for horror enthusiasts, while others criticize performance issues such as stuttering, low-resolution textures, and poor object loading. Many players report needing to adjust settings to achieve playable performance, leading to a disconnect between the game's promotional materials and the final product. Overall, while there are moments of decent graphics, the technical execution leaves much to be desired.

    • “The graphics are good, the animations too, the ambient and the sounds are supreme and the way they managed Patrick's schizophrenia is excellent; they couldn't do a better job at it.”
    • “The graphics look awesome, sounds very nice, gameplay not too difficult for me; it's perfect.”
    • “Decent graphics when they work.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “The constant blur effect, the framey mouse movement, there's zero graphics reduction setting options... sure, there's that FSR thing that gives you performance/off/quality choices, but I'm fully convinced it does nothing.”
    • “Stuttering graphics, textures not loading in, or maybe they are just low res to begin with.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it for being buggy, clunky, and tedious, often describing it as a frustrating experience marred by poor controls and simplistic mechanics. While some find enjoyment in the puzzles and combat, the overall consensus leans towards disappointment, highlighting a stark contrast between initial expectations and the final product.

    • “Some amusing gameplay gimmicks.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it's extremely enjoyable, both the puzzles and combat.”
    • “The graphics look awesome, sounds very nice, gameplay is not too difficult for me, it's perfect.”
    • “Gotta say that the story looks interesting, but the gameplay is so buggy and glitchy that it is too annoying.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “Feels like it's just thrown together, full of bugs, obnoxious gameplay, terrible audio, very tedious puzzles that are extremely boring and simple. Overall, the game is very short; it took me 2.5 hours to beat.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many players experience frequent crashes and freezing, even on high-end hardware, leading to frustrating restarts and hard resets. Overall, the game is perceived as unfinished and in need of substantial technical improvements.

    • “The game is buggy; I have to restart it sometimes.”
    • “Buggy, poor performance, and the v1.1 patch from January fixed virtually nothing.”
    • “Even with the lowest settings, the game freezes at the beginning (in the apartment)… it not only freezes the game, but the Steam Deck itself, forcing me to do a hard reset, which I don’t like having to do.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of horror and the psychological struggles of a paranoid schizophrenic. While some players note a decline in graphical quality compared to initial trailers, the overall ambiance, sound design, and thematic elements remain strong highlights that enhance the gaming experience. Despite some technical issues, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “I really feel the atmosphere of a game where your thoughts are constantly tormenting you is a good touch to emphasize that you are playing the character of a paranoid schizophrenic.”
    • “Pros: the atmosphere and setting are unsettling and creepy (as they are intended to be) so good job on that.”
    • “Atmosphere as well as how a paranoid schizo acts/reacts (or you can interpret it another way if you'd like) as well as the music and overall style of the game is top-notch.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “It’s sad because the story and atmosphere looks promising.”
    • “Game's atmosphere, sound design and Patrick's schizophrenia are great.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by absurd and unexpected moments, such as the protagonist's exaggerated reactions and the game's quirky animations, which often lead to comical situations. Players find the blend of satirical commentary on government surveillance and the game's technical glitches to be entertaining, adding a layer of humor to the overall experience.

    • “The government listens through bugs, and it's absolutely hilarious watching Patrick trip out the whole game.”
    • “It's funny because the last game they tried to launch on Steam got banned on release day.”
    • “Some animations appear really wonky; for example, if you try to open a locked door, you lean in the air. It's funny stuff like that.”
  • music3 mentions

    The game's music is highly praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, effectively reflecting the protagonist's paranoid state. The sound design, including the haunting voices and quality music tracks, contributes significantly to the overall immersive experience.

    • “The atmosphere, along with how a paranoid character acts and reacts, combined with the music and overall style of the game, is top-notch.”
    • “The game looks good and has excellent sound design, with the voices in Patrick's head hassling you and some really good music tracks so far.”
    • “The main theme music is captivating and enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The main theme music is forgettable and lacks any real impact.”
    • “The atmosphere is undermined by repetitive and uninspired music that fails to enhance the experience.”
    • “While the game has a unique style, the music feels out of place and detracts from the overall immersion.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization of the game is heavily criticized, with users labeling it as an unfinished cash grab that is plagued by numerous bugs. Many feel that it follows a typical pattern seen in other Madmind Studio games, emphasizing a focus on profit over quality.

    • “Unfinished cash grab.”
    • “Typical Madmind game, but doubles down on being a cash grab.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional impact of the game appears to be minimal, as players express frustration with gameplay mechanics, such as one-shot enemies and save-loading bugs, which detract from their overall experience. Initial impressions suggest a lack of engagement and emotional connection, leading to a reluctance to continue playing.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unenjoyable, citing a lack of depth in puzzles and overall gameplay that feels rushed and poorly executed. The experience is further marred by bugs and subpar audio, contributing to a sense of boredom throughout the short playtime.

    • “Feels like it's just thrown together, full of bugs, obnoxious gameplay, terrible audio, very tedious puzzles that are extremely boring and simple. Overall, the game is very short; it took me 2.5 hours to beat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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