PARASiTE FLOWER
- March 23, 2024
- catowo
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StorePARASiTE FLOWER is a horror game where you play as Ari Yeong, trapped in a cycle of reliving the same dangerous day. The world becomes progressively darker and more threatening with each loop, and your goal is to safely escort Ari to school. The game includes mature and sensitive themes such as suicide, sexual assault, and gore, and may be distressing for some players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art style and atmosphere are fantastic, creating a haunting and immersive experience.
- The game effectively portrays dark themes and resonates emotionally with players, making it impactful despite its short length.
- It's a unique experience that combines beautiful visuals with unsettling storytelling, appealing to fans of psychological horror.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with minimal interaction and a very short playtime of around 20-30 minutes.
- The story is predictable and feels shallow, often relying on trauma baiting without offering substantial narrative depth.
- Numerous bugs and glitches can disrupt the experience, including game-breaking issues that require restarts.
- story50 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it shallow and predictable despite its intriguing themes and real-life inspirations. While the atmosphere and art style are praised, the writing is often described as brief and lacking depth, leading to disappointment in the overall narrative experience. Some players appreciate the emotional weight of the story, but many feel it fails to deliver a compelling or engaging plot, leaving them wanting more substance and exploration of the characters.
“The story, albeit shallow, is very real and portrayed fantastically.”
“Short little game but with deep meanings and story.”
“The visuals are beautiful and the story is so sad but true.”
“I saw a lot of hype surrounding this game's story, but in the end, it's just trauma bait and not at all worth the time or money, leaving me very disappointed.”
“The art and atmosphere are the highlights of this game, but unfortunately, the story and length of the game fall flat.”
“I personally think it needs some better story writing and a bit of polishing because it feels quite janky.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their fantastic art style, which effectively sets a dark and atmospheric tone suitable for a side-scrolling horror experience. Many reviewers highlight the visuals as the standout feature, noting their beauty and ability to evoke curiosity, despite some criticism regarding the game's shallow gameplay and technical issues. Overall, while the graphics are considered stunning and integral to the game's appeal, they are somewhat undermined by the lack of depth in gameplay and frequent crashes.
“The art style is fantastic and it's probably the main reason you got the game since it works incredibly well for a side scroller horror type of game.”
“While the endings are predictable, the art style does an amazing job of really setting the atmosphere and overall tone.”
“If there's one thing we can always count on this developer for, it's beautiful artwork, even though she makes horror games.”
“Going off the art style, I expected more from the game, such as more ways to interact, more paths to explore, notes or clues to read, collectables—really anything to help add to the experience and make it a little more interesting gameplay-wise. But it's sadly not what we got, which makes it feel quite shallow.”
“Graphics: 2/5. Final thoughts: 1.5/5. This game isn't bad, just not good. It's 30 minutes max and goes straight to the point. Characters only exist basically; graphics are pretty but nothing astonishing. Gameplay I wouldn't say is boring since the game isn't long enough to be boring, but nothing special. Soundtrack is good.”
“It has great ambiance and art style but lacks in depth.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of depth and interactivity, with players noting minimal engagement and short dialogue that fails to enhance the story. Despite the appealing art style, the game feels shallow and offers limited exploration and interaction, leading to a brief experience that many found unsatisfying. Overall, the gameplay is seen as underwhelming, with a score of 1.5/5 reflecting its shortcomings.
“I love games that involve any kind of 'loop but something is different each time' mechanic; I feel like that could have involved two more loops than what we got.”
“Going off the art style, I expected more from the game such as more ways to interact, more paths to explore, notes or clues to read, collectables, really anything to help add to the experience to make it just a little more interesting gameplay-wise, but it's sadly not what we got, which makes it feel quite shallow.”
“I usually don't mind this type of gameplay if it were done right, but you have basically nothing to interact with during each day, and if so, the writing is really short, like 1 line long, making it not worth engaging. For a game that's focused on its story, it doesn't seem to have much to tell dialogue-wise.”
“It's pretty short and there's minimal gameplay, as you mostly have the main character walk around and interact a little with her environment.”
“Final thoughts: 1.5/5. This game isn't bad, just not good. It's 30 minutes max and goes straight to the point. Characters only exist basically, graphics are pretty but nothing astonishing. Gameplay I wouldn't say is boring since the game isn't long enough to be boring, but nothing special.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its striking art style and ability to evoke deep emotions, particularly feelings of dread and sadness related to sensitive themes. Reviewers highlight the combination of beautiful visuals and a creepy, heavy tone as key strengths, although some note that the story and game length do not match the quality of the atmosphere. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a compelling and impactful element.
“The art style and atmosphere are really good.”
“Beautiful symbolization and lovely atmosphere.”
“The game has great atmosphere and a creepy story with innuendos for what is going on.”
“The art and atmosphere are the highlights of this game, but unfortunately the story and length of the game fall flat.”
“Decent short game with pretty (and scary) visuals and a creepy, heavy atmosphere.”
- music10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its ability to create an uneasy atmosphere that complements the artwork and story. However, the soundtrack has been rated poorly overall, with a score of 2.1/5, indicating that while it contributes positively to the experience, it may not be memorable or impactful.
“On the bright side, I really love the artwork style, the music, and the general concept of the story.”
“Soundtrack: 2.1/5”
“It does a fantastic job of setting an uneasy tone through art and music.”
“However, I really liked the artwork and the music!”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs and glitches, including instances where it freezes, such as when transitioning to the train scene. Overall, users find the stability lacking, with notable issues affecting gameplay.
“Proton was a bit buggy on it though.”
“There's quite a few bugs and glitches.”
“After asking mom if she is okay, the game just freezes when you get on the train, to name one of the issues.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players overwhelmingly express that the game evokes deep emotional responses, with many stating it brought them to tears as they confronted its profound and harrowing themes.
“11/10, made me cry, realizing the true horrors.”
