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Perception

Perception ticks all the boxes for this genre; it is utterly immersive, challenging, frightening, and truly riveting.
67%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
72% User Score Based on 524 reviews
Critic Score 62%Based on 30 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Perception is a single-player horror action game with a good plot, perfect gameplay, and stunning atmosphere. As a blind woman, Cassie uses sound to explore a haunted mansion and uncover its sordid history while evading a deadly entity. Features include echolocation sight, a hide-and-seek gameplay mechanic, and radical changes to the mansion's setting based on puzzle solutions. This emotional journey spans centuries and uplifts any underdog."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
Perception screenshot
+7

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 524 reviews
story155 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Unique gameplay mechanic of navigating through echolocation, providing a fresh perspective on horror.
  • Strong voice acting and sound design that effectively create an immersive and creepy atmosphere.
  • Interesting story that explores themes of trauma and the past, with moments that evoke emotional responses.
  • Gameplay can become tedious and repetitive, with a lack of real challenge or threat from the antagonist.
  • The story is often confusing and disjointed, making it hard to fully engage with the characters and their arcs.
  • Short playtime (around 3-5 hours) may not justify the price for some players, leading to a feeling of underwhelming value.
  • story
    542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Perception" revolves around a blind protagonist named Cassandra, who explores a haunted mansion to uncover its dark past through echolocation and interactions with objects. While the narrative features intriguing concepts and emotional depth, many players find it convoluted and filled with plot holes, leading to a mixed reception regarding its coherence and engagement. Overall, the game offers a unique storytelling experience, but its execution leaves some players feeling disconnected and confused.

    • “The story is captivating in a way you want to figure out the cringe, of what factual character was used.”
    • “The story was phenomenal and the end had me jumping out of my seat.”
    • “Perception is a truly unique game, putting players into the shoes of a blind girl and using that as a means of storytelling and gameplay.”
    • “The story is a disjointed mess that confuses more than it holds your interest and, although the game mechanics are interesting, the gameplay is downright boring.”
    • “The game does a horrible job of making you give a damn about the lackluster story.”
    • “The story becomes more cliched and more irrational as you go forward.”
  • gameplay
    382 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Perception is centered around a unique echolocation mechanic that allows players to navigate as a blind protagonist, creating an intriguing and immersive experience. While the concept is praised for its originality and tension-building potential, many players find the execution lacking, with repetitive mechanics and unclear objectives leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a fresh perspective in horror gaming, but its gameplay depth and engagement may not satisfy all players.

    • “I love the main mechanic of navigating a space via echolocation, turning the main character's disability into a novel and enthralling gameplay experience.”
    • “The mechanics are on point, limiting your vision enough to enhance the fear factor while still giving you the tools needed to navigate adequately.”
    • “The echolocating / cane-tapping mechanic is original and feels adequately refreshing by way of gameplay.”
    • “The concept is really interesting and the game is scary, however the gameplay can be very tedious due to unclear objectives and easily missable key items; frequently, you will just walk in circles trying to find what you are missing.”
    • “Utterly frustrating and mind-numbingly perplexing gameplay mechanics make it a chore to try and get from one objective to the next while a lame and uninteresting story plays out.”
    • “While it has a really cool concept and unique style that draws you in early on, the gameplay doesn’t hold up long term.”
  • atmosphere
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by masterful sound design and effective use of silence, which creates tension and a sense of dread. Many players found the experience genuinely scary, particularly when navigating dark environments, although some noted that the gameplay mechanics could detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully establishes a haunting ambiance that captivates players, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms regarding the level of threat and gameplay depth.

    • “The atmosphere of this game is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good horror game.”
    • “The developers really did a great job in capturing the atmosphere of a blind protagonist entering a haunted mansion and can only rely on her abilities to hear and her phone to find a way out.”
    • “It's very atmospheric and creepy, the gameplay's solid and enjoyable, the sound design is top notch, the voice acting is excellent, and visually it's really unique and creative.”
    • “With weak gameplay and weak story, the atmosphere of the game falls apart.”
    • “Although there is a creepy atmosphere and a few things that send chills/goosebumps, the overall threat and fear is not there in the game.”
    • “The downside is that much of the creepy atmosphere results from you running around in the dark for fear of making too much noise.”
  • graphics
    89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some players praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively convey the experience of navigating the world through echolocation. While many appreciate the haunting beauty and immersive environment, others find the graphics to be bland and functional, reflecting the game's premise of limited visual perception. Overall, the visuals are considered evocative and integral to the gameplay, though they may not meet the expectations of those seeking high-end graphical fidelity.

    • “The graphic detailing is absolutely stunning.”
    • “Graphics are hauntingly beautiful.”
    • “The sound design is phenomenal, the visuals are very evocative, and you really get attached to Cassie and what she's going through.”
    • “So do not expect a graphical marvel.”
    • “On the one hand, it has a bland and confusing story, and lackluster graphics.”
    • “As soon as you get over the first impression of perception's graphics, the graphics will look bland and uninteresting for the rest of the game, which is unfortunate.”
  • music
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is a mix of ambient sounds, choral pieces, and melancholic piano, contributing to a spooky atmosphere that enhances immersion. While some players appreciate the quality of the soundtrack and its fittingness to the game's tone, others criticize the lack of variety and the inability to adjust music volume relative to other audio elements. Overall, the music effectively creates tension, though its sparse presence may leave some players wanting more.

    • “The ambient sounds are often genuinely creepy and the background music is of terrific quality, fitting the atmosphere of the game very well.”
    • “The soundtrack, however, is one of perception's strong points.”
    • “The music mainly consists of ambient stingers and drones throughout the game and a recurring haunting monothematic score that will return in several flavors.”
    • “With a lot of emphasis on the visual aspect, there is no noticeable accompanying background music playing except for oldie songs or audio recordings played through objects in the environment.”
    • “Even the soundtrack is terrible: just loud noises every once in a while trying to cheaply jumpscare you.”
    • “There’s not much in the way of music - this might be due to design choice of really putting you in the shoes of the protagonist alone in the mansion; however, some eerie music may be missed by some.”
  • optimization
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to major performance problems even on systems that exceed the minimum requirements. While the concept and character development are intriguing, the execution is hampered by these technical shortcomings, resulting in a disjointed experience that undermines the overall narrative and voice acting quality.

    • “They go through all the trouble of setting up this interesting protagonist with a special ability perfectly suited to this sort of game, and then she winds up playing second fiddle in her own performance.”
    • “Major performance issues despite much better specs than the minimum.”
    • “The game concept was very interesting, but sadly it is so poorly optimized that it was unable to be played properly.”
    • “No one seems entirely sure, and this leads to performances that feel like they could be from different games.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game experiences notable stability issues, including various glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as locked doors and buggy achievements. While some players find ways to work around these problems, the presence of these bugs can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The only negative was it wasn't without some glitches that hampered my experience a little bit at the time and had to either find workarounds or restart the game.”
    • “To plot-halting glitches where the door to the next area (chapter 2) was locked because I turned on a speaker.”
    • “- The game is still filled with bugs/glitches.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration due to unclear objectives and easily missable items. The lack of features like 'save on exit' and insufficient lighting further exacerbate the experience, making it feel uninspired rather than engaging. Overall, while the game's concept is intriguing, the grinding elements detract significantly from the enjoyment.

    • “The concept is really interesting and the game is scary; however, the gameplay can be very tedious due to unclear objectives and easily missable key items. Frequently, you will just walk in circles trying to find what you are missing.”
    • “If you are going for the achievements, good luck, as at least one of these seems very tedious.”
    • “Couple the above issues with no 'save on exit' and 'no listening to phone while walking,' and I found myself with a game that's tedious rather than spooky.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is mixed among users; while some appreciate the challenge of completing achievements and specific objectives, others feel that the shorter length limits its overall replay value. Overall, it offers some incentive for replay through achievements, but opinions vary on its long-term appeal.

    • “To close: after all said and done, I found it a very enjoyable game with some replay value to get all achievements that let you challenge yourself to not use the cane, find specific objects, or never get killed by the presence.”
    • “It is a much shorter game, and I'm not too sure about the replay value.”
    • “No replay value whatsoever.”
    • “With all the achievements, it has some replay value too.”
  • emotional
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a heartfelt story that culminates in a touching revelation, leaving players satisfied despite the lack of alternate endings. The narrative poignantly explores themes of frustration and societal expectations, particularly through the character of Betty, whose attempts to contribute to the war effort are met with dismissive responses. Additionally, the use of item interactions enriches the setting's history, enhancing the overall emotional depth of the experience.

    • “It was heartbreaking to hear Betty try to join the war effort only to have letter after letter telling her to calm her pretty head and join a bake sale instead.”
    • “Another big bright move for me was the story ending on a touching revelation. Though it had no alternate ending, I was very satisfied when finishing Perception.”
    • “[Heartfelt story of soul-searching; exposition through item interaction adds color to the setting's history.]”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its multi-faceted character development and storyline, with an emphasis on organic narrative progression. However, some reviewers note a lack of a strong narrative foundation for the characters, despite the actors delivering their lines with commendable professionalism for an indie title. Overall, while the character development is intricate, it may not fully support a compelling narrative.

    • “It's seldom that I meet a game that is so multi-faceted in character development and storyline.”
    • “There isn't really a worthy narrative with lots of character development for the actors to draw from, but they deliver the lines professionally and well above par for an indie game like this.”
    • “If you're doing it right, any such message ought to emerge organically from the character development and flow of events.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is noted for its ability to evoke laughter amidst a backdrop of emotional storytelling, blending elements of fear and compassion effectively. Players appreciate how the humor enhances the overall experience, making it memorable and engaging.

    • “The story is excellent and strikes emotion in the player, combining scares, humor, and compassion.”
    • “Not because it was scary, but because I found it funny.”

62%Critics’ scoreBased on 30 critic reviews

Buy Perception

4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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