Paranormal VHS
- September 15, 2023
- Elite Lords Studios
Get on Steam"Paranormal VHS" is a dark psychological horror game presented in a Walking Simulator genre. Players assume the role of a vlogger, James, exploring the abandoned and haunted Crimson Hill Hospital using a VHS camera to record any paranormal activities. The game utilizes Unreal Engine 5 to provide a realistic and immersive environment, with special visual effects added to enhance the realism of the VHS camera experience.
Reviews
- The game features a strong atmosphere with impressive graphics and a unique VHS aesthetic that enhances the horror experience.
- There are effective jump scares throughout the game that can genuinely catch players off guard, especially in the early stages.
- The game is well-polished for an indie title, showcasing the developer's passion and attention to detail, making it a recommended play for horror fans.
- The gameplay becomes tedious towards the end, with excessive backtracking and frustrating mechanics like a flickering flashlight that requires constant key pressing.
- Many jump scares are predictable and pre-scripted, leading to a loss of tension and immersion as the game progresses.
- The story is linear and lacks depth, with minimal interaction and few engaging puzzles, making it feel more like a walking simulator than a horror game.
- story19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as lacking depth and originality, with many players noting its linearity and minimal background context. While some appreciate the atmosphere and find the story decent enough to keep them engaged, others criticize it for being overly simplistic and reminiscent of a walking simulator. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with some players enjoying it while others feel it falls short of expectations.
“I found the game to be quite enjoyable, with a decent story, amazing atmosphere, and jumpscares!”
“The game is keeping you engaged with a decent amount of jumpscares and a nice story continuity.”
“Fortunately, this game does have a decent story which helps to draw you back.”
“There was almost no story and the jumpscares were nothing special.”
“The story is incredibly linear, with few 'puzzles' that are just 'find this next item to continue,' which makes this game largely a walking simulator.”
“Overall, a middling game with a middling story, few scares and is primarily a $9 walking simulator you can easily knock out in a couple hours.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, enhanced by a VHS-style aesthetic that contributes to its creepiness. While the graphics are described as grainy and pixelated, this adds to the overall eerie experience, making the environment feel authentically haunting. However, some reviewers note that the jump scares, while effective, lack depth beyond the superficial, leaving the atmosphere as the standout feature.
“The atmosphere in this game is really top notch; the graphics are realistic, although kind of grainy and pixelated when viewed up close, but I think that adds to the creepiness of it all.”
“This game does a good job creating an unsettling and creepy atmosphere that heightens the jump-factor of the jump scares.”
“However, there aren't really any scares that run deeper than superficial jump scares and a generally creepy atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere kept my goosebumps going and the hair standing up on end.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their realistic quality and effective use of a VHS-style aesthetic, which enhances the overall atmosphere and creepiness. While some players note a grainy and pixelated appearance up close, this is often seen as adding to the horror experience. Overall, the combination of strong visuals and sound design contributes significantly to the game's immersive ambiance.
“The VHS-style camera aesthetic is great; it really adds to the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere in this game is really top-notch. The graphics are realistic, although kind of grainy and pixelated when viewed up close, but I think that adds to the creepiness of it all.”
“This game starts off strong with amazing sound design and really good graphics.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it for being overly scripted and tedious, particularly noting the lack of genuine AI and the ineffective "hide in locker" mechanic. However, others appreciate the dark atmosphere and intense jump scares, suggesting that while it may not innovate, it provides a decent experience for its price and aligns with modern gaming standards. Overall, the game is seen as a familiar walking simulator that could benefit from better pacing and narrative integration.
“The game would have done better by peppering bits of information and clues throughout the game to help the player piece together the narrative throughout the entirety of gameplay.”
“I'd say this is a good experience for the cost of the game, for the duration of gameplay and something that feels like a 2023 game and not like 2003.”
“It offers the familiar walking simulator gameplay with a very dark atmosphere and intense jump scares.”
“The jump scares are all pre-scripted; the 'hide in locker' mechanic is just for show. It's all pre-scripted appearances, no AI.”
“Horror walking sims are my favorite genre, so I was not looking for Outlast in this game. It just has unforgivably bad gameplay decisions.”
“Tedious, tedious gameplay.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and drawn out, comparing it unfavorably to a walking simulator. The repetitive gameplay and frustrating mechanics, such as the flashlight feature, contribute to a sense of monotony and boredom, particularly towards the end.
“The game became so drawn out and tedious, like a walking simulator but more boring.”
“Towards the end, it became extremely tedious; the flashlight mechanic was not enjoyable.”
“Tedious, tedious gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong optimization, providing a surprisingly smooth experience even on high settings.
“The game is very well optimized in general; I had a surprisingly fluid experience on high settings.”
“The optimization is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, making the game run seamlessly across various platforms.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music and ambience in the game are generally praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere, with many users noting that the soundtrack effectively complements the gameplay experience. The sound design contributes to immersion, creating a captivating auditory backdrop that resonates with players.
“The music and ambience create an immersive experience that draws you into the game world.”
“The soundtrack is beautifully composed, enhancing every moment of gameplay.”
“The blend of music and sound effects perfectly complements the atmosphere, making each scene feel alive.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't enhance the overall experience of the game.”
“The ambient sounds are poorly mixed, often overshadowing important game cues.”
