Paranormal Detective: Escape from the 90's
- January 18, 2022
- LunaBeat
Get on Steam"Paranormal Detective: Escape from the 90's" is a nostalgic, puzzle-based game that transports players back to the iconic decade. As a paranormal detective, you'll explore a pixelated world, communicate with quirky characters, and solve mind-bending mysteries. The game combines humor, retro aesthetics, and challenging puzzles to create an immersive and entertaining experience.
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Rift
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgic essence of the 90s with great ambiance, music, and fun mini-games.
- Puzzles are well-designed, offering a good level of challenge without being overly difficult, complemented by an effective hint system.
- The arcade setting is immersive and engaging, making it a fun experience for fans of escape room games.
- The game is quite short, with many players finishing in under two hours, leading to disappointment regarding its value.
- Some elements of the game feel lifeless or underdeveloped, with many arcade machines being non-interactive or out of order.
- There are technical issues, such as bugs with item interactions and movement mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its mind-bending randomness and clever 80s and 90s references, which many players found hilarious and engaging. Reviewers appreciated the witty dialogue and the extra details in the environment that added to the comedic experience, particularly noting that the ending was both creepy and funny. Overall, the game is described as a fun and entertaining experience, with a strong emphasis on humor throughout.
“Mind-bending randomness and humor.”
“The 90's (and before that the 80's) references are hilarious.”
“Took me about 2 hours to finish, but it's funny, witty, and I absolutely love the extra detail in the background/walls. It's fun to read and explore.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging puzzles and innovative mechanics, particularly in a VR and arcade context, making it a worthwhile experience for players. However, some users note that the overall gameplay duration is quite short, with estimates around 15 minutes, which may leave some players wanting more. The collection of toy penguins and the challenge of solving a complex door code puzzle are highlighted as key elements of the experience.
“Really enjoyed this, good puzzles and great mechanics, well worth the entry fee.”
“It has much of the same pace, but expands on some of the VR mechanics with the arcade setting.”
“Nice escape room mechanics puzzles :)”
“Gameplay is collecting toy penguins and then trying to decipher a highly convoluted and confusing door code puzzle.”
“You should consider packing this game with your '80s opus into one game, making use of the 'CD' mechanic, maybe offering the new opuses as DLC and all as a bundle.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its phenomenal quality and ability to enhance the overall ambiance, with particular mention of a standout red robot rap music video. However, some users expressed a desire for more control over the music volume.
“Personally, I found the puzzles to be the perfect level of difficulty so far (haven't finished it yet), the arcade games are awesome, and the music is phenomenal.”
“- Good ambiance / music”
“It would be nice to be able to control the volume of the music.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as both engaging and visually impressive, featuring a mix of a slightly creepy vibe and an exciting arcade environment. Players appreciate the great graphics and immersive setting, which enhance the overall experience, often overshadowing the puzzles that are also well-crafted and enjoyable.
“Very fun puzzle/escape room style game with great graphics (even the final boss haha), an amazing atmosphere in the arcade, and very well balanced puzzles that often make you feel smart to complete them without needing many hints.”
“The puzzles were engaging but the atmosphere stole the show.”
“Amazing arcade atmosphere - it looks really cool in there and the games are super fun!”
“The atmosphere is not very hard to engage with; it has a slightly creepy vibe.”
- story6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story in Lunabeat games is praised for its immersive and intriguing narrative, complemented by a well-crafted mystery that strikes a balance between challenge and enjoyment. Reviewers appreciate the depth and thoughtfulness of the plot, along with impressive attention to detail and visuals, though some express a desire for even greater depth in future installments.
“Lunabeat games is fantastic at giving an immersive experience in VR - combining an intriguing story, a challenging (but not too difficult) mystery to solve, and an abundance of fun interactions to keep you busy for hours.”
“Another fun story with a bit more depth this time (would love the next one to go even deeper).”
“The story was carefully thought out and it didn't feel forced, plus the attention to detail and the visuals are amazing.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive graphics that enhance the overall experience, creating an engaging atmosphere in the arcade setting. Players appreciate the attention to detail and the well-crafted visuals, which contribute to the enjoyment of the puzzle-solving elements and the thoughtfully developed story.
“The story was carefully thought out and it didn't feel forced, plus the attention to detail and the visuals are amazing.”
“Very fun puzzle/escape room style game with great graphics, an amazing atmosphere in the arcade, and very well balanced puzzles that often make you feel smart to complete them without needing many hints.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability is limited, primarily due to a lack of content in the arcade mode, which only offers value for specific tasks like capturing flying cards. More diverse game options could enhance replay value significantly.
“The arcade mode adds a layer of replay value, especially with the thrill of capturing the flying cards.”
“The variety in gameplay keeps me coming back for more, making each session feel fresh and exciting.”
“I love how the different modes and challenges encourage me to replay the game multiple times.”
“If there were more games, then I believe the arcade mode would give it more replay value, but the only reason I even loaded the arcade mode was to capture the flying cards.”
