Pestis
- May 10, 2018
- DIEDEMOR STUDIO GAMES
Get on Steam"Pestis" is a middle ages-based game where you play as a young Plague Doctor, sent to a plague-ridden village. Your mission is to cure as many residents as possible while avoiding infection yourself. With a gloomy atmosphere and unusual graphic design, the game rewards your progress with status upgrades from Plague Assistant to Hippocrates' Descendant.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique premise and a fun plague doctor aesthetic that appeals to fans of the theme.
- It's a simple and straightforward game that can be entertaining for a short period, especially for achievement hunters.
- The graphics and atmosphere are decent for a low-budget game, and the music adds to the overall experience.
- The game is extremely short, with only one level and repetitive gameplay that lacks depth and variety.
- It suffers from poor controls, slow animations, and glitchy mechanics that can lead to frustrating experiences.
- The pricing is considered excessive for the limited content offered, making it feel like a scam at full price.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple and repetitive loop, primarily involving walking, collecting plants, and using basic mechanics to cure plague-ridden characters. While the controls are responsible and the atmosphere is enhanced by music, the overall experience is limited by a slow character movement and infrequent bugs in the curing mechanic. Despite its minimal complexity, the game offers some engaging elements, particularly for those who enjoy achievement hunting, making it a decent option at a low price.
“I've got not much more gameplay out of much more expensive games.”
“Responsible controls, atmospheric music, and simplistic neat gameplay - grab it on sale for 0.49.”
“The mechanics are minimal, yet engaging enough once you get the hang of them: collect plants to make potions, crush plague-ridden rats with your foot, destroy plague-ridden rat holes with fire, and cure plague-ridden people with home-made antidotes.”
“What you get is basically a small 20-minute long gameplay loop of walking from A to B and pressing E.”
“The mechanics are okay, nothing too complicated, but the character was tediously slow.”
“There's only one map, and the gameplay is pretty repetitive; but getting all the achievements should take a while, especially if you're as bad at this kind of quasi-strategy/management game as I am.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere receives mixed reviews; while some players find it intriguing and immersive, enhanced by atmospheric music and a fitting theme, others criticize the poor graphics and animation that detract from the experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and suitable for the game's concept, particularly in its portrayal of a plague doctor in a dark, immersive setting.
“The concept is awesome and executed very well with the atmosphere and the theme; it all just sort of gets you into the mood of the game. Collecting herbs to make and mix potions is really fun and interesting, and there are so many ways to go about how you play the game, from saving everyone to killing rats and making bombs to destroy their nests, healing yourself with potions, and eating shrooms to stave off the plague and death.”
“It also boasts a suitably dank and dirty atmosphere, helped in no small part by an aptly dead can dance-esque soundtrack.”
“It is also poorly drawn and animated, so there is no immersive atmosphere.”
“You play as a plague doctor that is trying to cure a small village, and the game certainly captures that sinister atmosphere.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered passable, yet the art style and overall aesthetic, particularly the plague doctor theme, receive positive remarks. While some reviewers find the graphics to be merely adequate for a 2018 title, others appreciate the smoothness and quality given the game's budget. Overall, the artwork and animation are viewed as decent, contributing to an enjoyable visual experience.
“It actually has smooth and fancy graphics for a cheap game like this.”
“Still the art style and overall aesthetic are really good.”
“The mechanics are fine, the graphics are passable, and while I had to mute the game to focus, the music isn't that bad.”
“[h1]Graphics for a 2018 game:[/h1] Meh.”
“I think the artwork and animation are decent for what it is.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in Pestis is generally well-received, with a good soundtrack that enhances the game's atmosphere, despite being somewhat repetitive with only two tracks. While some players found it necessary to mute the game to concentrate, others appreciated its atmospheric qualities and fitting aesthetic. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's experience.
“Pestis is a very interesting game with a very good soundtrack.”
“Responsible controls, atmospheric music, and simplistic neat gameplay - grab it on sale for $0.49.”
“It also boasts a suitably dank-'n'-dirty atmosphere, helped in no small part by an aptly Dead Can Dance-esque soundtrack.”
“The music, while repetitive with only 2 tracks, is pretty good.”
“It also boasts a suitably dank-'n'-dirty atmosphere, helped in no small part by an aptly dead can dance-esque soundtrack.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be tedious and easy, with a slow character progression that lacks depth. While the mechanics are straightforward, the overall experience is hindered by its repetitiveness and the absence of a volume slider, leading to mixed feelings about whether the grind is worth it for achievements.
“The mechanics are okay, nothing too complicated, but the character was tediously slow.”
“It's very tedious, easy, and short, and it has no volume slider.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its bizarre interactions, such as the peculiar mechanic of touching rats to pop them, which can evoke a mix of confusion and amusement. Players note inconsistencies in the hit detection, adding to the surreal experience and potentially enhancing the emotional engagement through unexpected moments.
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional campaign and features repetitive missions, resulting in a minimal story experience. Reviewers noted the absence of characters and dialogue, which detracts from the overall engagement, alongside a limited selection of only two maps.
“Although it's always the same mission, and there isn't an actual campaign, it still is quite fun.”
“-1 point for no story or characters to interact with or talk to.”
“Although it's always the same mission and there isn't an actual campaign, it still is quite fun.”
“There are only 2 maps: 1 tiny map for the tutorial level and 1 big map for the main game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited content and replay value, making it more suitable for casual play, especially if acquired at a low price.
“Fun little game if you can grab it for cheap, but don't expect much content or replay value.”
“Once you finish the game, there's really no reason to go back. The lack of different endings or choices makes it feel like a one-and-done experience.”
“The gameplay is enjoyable, but after completing it once, I found no motivation to replay it. The lack of variety in missions and challenges really hurts its replayability.”
