Phantasmal: City of Darkness

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Phantasmal: City of Darkness is a single player survival survival game with a horror theme. It was developed by Eyemobi Ltd. and was released on April 14, 2016. It received negative reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

Experience Terror that is Never the Same Twice with Phantasmal: City of Darkness, a procedurally generated survival horror where every playthrough is completely different. You simply cannot rely on your previous experience to guarantee safe passage. You will need to face off against lurking, otherworldly horrors in the perilous, run-down Kowloon Walled City before its destruction in the early 90s…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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47%

Audience ScoreBased on 257 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

stability31 negative mentions

The game offers a unique survival horror experience with procedurally generated levels, providing high replayability and unpredictability.
The atmosphere and setting are well-executed, with Lovecraftian-inspired elements and a creepy, tense mood.
There is a mix of stealth and combat mechanics that add challenge and tactical depth, with a sanity system influencing gameplay, and occasional moments of genuine scare and suspense.

The game suffers from severe technical issues including resolution problems, off-centered and unusable menus, crashes, poor optimization, and janky controls making it unplayable for many players.
Enemy AI and animations are frequently cited as broken or poor, with enemies glitching through walls, becoming invisible, or behaving unfairly, combined with scarce ammo and clunky combat mechanics.
The game lacks polish and quality-of-life features such as save systems or tutorials, contains numerous bugs and graphical glitches, and has an unfinished feel due to abandoned development and unaddressed community concerns.

gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
Gameplay in this title presents a mix of innovative ideas, such as procedural generation, roguelike elements, and stealth mechanics, but suffers from numerous issues including bugs, poor enemy AI, overly difficult or unfair mechanics, and buggy controls. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and potential, many find the gameplay frustrating, unpolished, and sometimes nonsensical, with stealth and running mechanics often ineffective. Overall, the gameplay has promising concepts but requires significant improvement to fully realize its potential.
- “The way the gameplay works is extremely smooth.”
- “Gameplay ran fine, resolution was right, solid frames, not any bugs so far.”
- “The procedural and rogue-like gameplay make this one stand out from the rest.”
- “The mechanics and locomotion are really poor, and opponents/monsters are often overpowered. Stealth and hiding are useless because monsters see you most of the time and attack on sight. Some areas have monsters constantly spawning, making it almost impossible to overcome them all. Overall, the game feels unfinished but has potential.”
- “The animations are terrible, the sprint is too short to be useful, the stealth mechanic is non-existent, and enemies spawn in places where they can't be avoided.”
- “From my experience, the stealth mechanic doesn't work well at all, and running away is often impossible due to your character getting stuck on debris. Stealth is difficult because of sanity and flashlight mechanics.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
55%
10%
The graphics receive mixed reviews, ranging from early 2000s or PS2-era quality with bugs and poor optimization, to impressive visuals and atmosphere praised in some indie horror titles. Common issues include clipping, low draw distance, unresponsive controls due to graphical glitches, and inconsistent texture quality. However, some players appreciate the lighting, effects, and atmospheric design, noting a strong aesthetic despite occasional technical problems.
- “Amazing visuals and a new experience to the roguelike genre.”
- “The graphics are good and I really enjoy the monsters in this game; it's not focused on combat but more on stealth and preserving your resources, which is a really nice aspect!”
- “There's a lot of good work put into it and the graphics are phenomenal for your average indie horror game.”
- “The graphics are early 2000's era with many bugs causing greenish glare and clipping that make the screen difficult to see.”
- “The draw distance was pathetically low despite my graphics option being set to the highest possible setting.”
- “There are too many graphical effects like blur, weird color distortions, and lens flares, which cause the game to lock up my computer when exiting.”
atmosphere
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The game delivers a consistently strong, dark, and spooky atmosphere that is praised for its immersive sound design, visuals, and monster creation, contributing to an exciting and creepy survival horror experience. While some players note occasional minor issues, such as distracting sounds or visual effects, the overall atmospheric tone is well-crafted, haunting, and frequently highlighted as one of the game's standout qualities.
- “The mixture of ultra creepy atmosphere, stealthy roguelike, unpredictable procedurally generated environment, and extremely scary creatures delivered a true and awesome survival horror experience.”
- “They got the visuals, music, and sound effects just right to build up a truly creepy atmosphere.”
- “The monsters, the colors, the music, the sounds, the atmosphere, everything fits very well, and I actually have faith in this project.”
- “I don't know why someone would ruin the atmosphere of a horror game by putting irritating sounds in it.”
- “While I would recommend this for the atmosphere and the general idea behind it, I wouldn't recommend this game if reused assets (and by assets I mean entire rooms) or really wonky combat bother you.”
- “Sometimes the AI is either a bit too dumb or a bit too smart, doors randomly open and close, and the level of environmental interaction can leave a bit to be desired; however, the atmosphere is spooky, the sound vs danger mechanic is nice, and the levels change on every playthrough, so you're never gaming a predefined path.”
stability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by severe stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, crashes, and poor optimization that render it largely unplayable even on high-end PCs. Despite some interesting concepts, the buggy mechanics, freezing, and broken menus strongly detract from the overall experience. While early access status partially explains these problems, the current state is widely regarded as unfinished and frustrating.
- “The game is terribly optimized, riddled with bugs and glitches, and experiences never-ending lag. I have a $1500 PC build that runs smoothly on new triple-A titles and indie games, but I cannot run this game due to how poorly it was made.”
- “My computer can play online with friends on Left 4 Dead 2 with no issues, yet this game doesn't even start on my system. I couldn't get past the main menu; it froze after a still image cutscene. Don't waste your time downloading this game; it does not run at all compared to Left 4 Dead 2.”
- “In almost 30 years of playing games, I have never come across another game that is this poorly optimized, buggy, or just plain broken.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The story in the game is minimal and underdeveloped, often described as vague, rushed, or lacking clear direction, with some players finding the narrative intriguing but overshadowed by gameplay difficulties. While a basic premise involving a search in a dark, Lovecraftian Kowloon setting exists, many feel the story is secondary to the rogue-like exploration and atmosphere, with hopes for future updates to expand and improve it. Overall, the storytelling currently feels incomplete and insufficiently engaging for most players.
- “Your quest draws you ever deeper into madness, both figuratively and literally, as you descend through the dark, dank floors of a condemned, crack head filled tenement building in Kowloon City.”
- “You play as the nephew of a Christian missionary who went missing while running a heroin addiction clinic, and who descends into the city to find her before the whole thing is leveled by the Hong Kong government.”
- “With all the practice during my early days of hardcore failing, the second chapter turned out to have its own differences, and I have a feeling there are some new enemies I have yet to face, new strategies to formulate, and more detail to a story that I at first scoffed at, but over time, realized might be more intriguing than I first thought.”
- “The story is too rushed and barely explains anything that is happening in the game.”
- “There is no real story, just a Hong Kong detective searching for a woman.”
- “However, there isn't much story to judge in the current state of the game; the developers said they will tie the game more to Cthulhu and similar themes.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent lag, low frame rates, and poor performance even on high-end PCs. Despite its potential, lack of updates and fixes since 2017 have left these problems largely unaddressed, with some players also encountering bugs and glitches that further impact gameplay.
- “Phantasmal is a game that runs smoothly with above-average graphics and lighting.”
- “- Optimization issues at higher graphic settings ('fastest' setting worked the best for me).”
- “Also has some major optimization issues and this is the full release of the game.”
- “The game is terribly optimized, ridiculed with bugs and glitches, and never-ending lag. Furthermore, I have a $1500 PC build that runs smoothly on even new triple-A titles and all the new indie games, but cannot run this game due to how poorly it was made.”
- “Aside from some of the most abhorrent optimization I've personally witnessed (and I thought Obscuritas was bad), Phantasmal has a large number of bugs. It's even a chore to set your resolution as you cannot see all of the options and must select blindly, restart the game, and try again.”
- “I think it has the potential to be enjoyable, but three years since its release there has been little to no optimization, no updates since 2017, and no fixes for the stealth system.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game effectively complements the creepy atmosphere, with well-timed sound effects that enhance the overall experience. While generally fitting and atmospheric, some users find the music and monster sounds generic or weak, suggesting it could be improved. Overall, the audio aligns well with the visuals to build tension without being overpowering.
- “The monsters, the colors, the music, the sounds, the atmosphere, everything fits very well, and I actually have faith in this project.”
- “They got the visuals, music, and sound effects just right to build up a truly creepy atmosphere.”
- “The music was not overbearing but kicked up just when it needed to and the sound effects really added to the overall experience of the game.”
- “Immediately after starting the game and getting to the menu music, it sounded like my sound card was having issues, and/or my speakers were actually possessed.”
- “Nothing to write home about: the sound of the monsters are generic, and the music is pretty weak.”
- “I advise playing this with Silent Hill music in the background.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The game offers high replayability due to its procedurally generated levels, providing a fresh experience with each playthrough. Continuous updates have improved its playability, making it comparable or superior in replay value to other horror titles like Amnesia.
- “Randomly generated levels provide great replayability.”
- “On one hand, the game is, in theory, infinitely replayable.”
- “Some of the best horror, high fun factor, and really good replay value thanks to the procedural levels!”
- “Try playing Amnesia twice; you don't find the same amount of replayability in Amnesia as you do in Phantasmal.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is marked by quirky, amusing elements like severed heads that laugh while attacking, and entertainingly buggy enemy AI. However, some players find the comedic aspects unintentionally offbeat, leading to a mix of amusement and mild frustration.
- “Severed heads which cling to ceilings and ambush you, chuckling heartily as you swing after them and miss.”
- “[*] Enemy AI can be buggy (in a funny way).”
- “Now if I could just get the laughing sounds out of my mind...”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong, contrasting emotions, combining a touching story of perseverance with unsettling, nightmarish visuals. Its emotional impact is both heartfelt and haunting.
- “The touching story of a man and his plank, overcoming all odds to defeat the darkness.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize the game's monetization as a rushed, lazy cash grab, feeling it was unfinished and sold prematurely. Despite some positive gameplay elements, the aggressive and unpolished monetization leaves a negative impression.
- “Even free I cannot recommend due to quick, lazy, and cash grab at one time type idea of a game, not even a game.”
- “There are a lot of positive things I have to say about the tiny amounts of this game that I've played, but I'm not going to say them because this game was obviously left unfinished, and attempting to sell it is a cynical, lazy cash grab.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game requires careful management, as players often need an additional life to sustain long grinding sessions effectively.

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30%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Review: Phantasmal: City of Darkness
Went wrong somewhere along the line. The original idea might have promise, but in practice it has failed. Threatens to be interesting sometimes, but rarely.
Destructoid.com
30%

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Phantasmal: City of Darkness is a survival survival game with horror theme.

Phantasmal: City of Darkness is available on PC, Xbox One, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Phantasmal: City of Darkness.

Phantasmal: City of Darkness was released on April 14, 2016.

Phantasmal: City of Darkness was developed by Eyemobi Ltd..

Phantasmal: City of Darkness has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked Phantasmal: City of Darkness for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Phantasmal: City of Darkness is a single player game.

Similar games include P.A.M.E.L.A, Welcome to Hanwell, Nether, Time Ramesside (A New Reckoning), Depths of Fear: Knossos and others.

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