Phantom Halls
- October 31, 2018
- Incendium LLC
Get on Steam"Phantom Halls" is a squad-based comedy-horror game with a 3D papercraft visual style. You and your friends must escape a haunted mansion by fighting off the undead with various weapons and items you find along the way. The game includes officially licensed Evil Dead 2 content and offers single-player or local co-op options, with various characters, quests, and upgrades to unlock.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique gameplay experience by allowing players to control multiple characters simultaneously, adding a layer of strategy.
- The charming visuals and comical horror atmosphere, combined with a great soundtrack, create an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
- Despite its simplicity, the game provides a fun and satisfying experience with decent weapon variety and enjoyable enemy encounters.
- The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with a lack of depth and long-term goals, leading to a feeling of boredom over time.
- Controls can be cumbersome, especially on keyboard and mouse, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable for some players.
- The game feels unfinished, with an incomplete campaign and a lack of significant content updates, leaving players wanting more.
- gameplay27 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanic of controlling three characters simultaneously, which adds an interesting dynamic, though it is often described as simplistic and repetitive. While the enemy design is praised, many players feel the gameplay lacks depth and long-term engagement, with some suggesting the need for more interactive elements and mechanics to enhance the experience. Overall, it offers fun moments but is hindered by clunky controls and a sense of emptiness, leading to mixed reviews on its replayability and overall enjoyment.
“The gameplay is quite unique, since you literally have to control three characters at once.”
“Lastly, the enemy design is also well made, and from a gameplay perspective, they're all pretty interesting.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty straightforward: scavenge items throughout the house, locate two new teammates, and complete your objective, which may be to collect certain items and kill a specific enemy.”
“Simplistic sidescroller gameplay combined with multiple weapons and a basic 3D design do not combine well.”
“Gameplay lasts for around 10 - 15 minutes, and even at best going for 39 plays, that's only around 505 minutes - 9 hours of repetitive gameplay with no long-term goal.”
“Boring, repetitive gameplay and clunky controls are at the heart of my overall sour experience.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal, primarily serving as a framework to guide players through various missions rather than offering a deep narrative experience. While there is a campaign that introduces challenges and features unique missions, such as those involving Ash from "Evil Dead," the overall plot lacks depth and is more focused on gameplay mechanics. Players engage in diverse missions that involve exploration and combat, but the narrative feels secondary to the action.
“The missions are pretty damn fun and diverse.”
“The Ash mission is pretty cool and the game is cheap enough to kill a few hours.”
“Also, I rescued two other people, who travel with me on my quest to kill Evil Ash.”
“There isn't much of a story at play; there's a campaign, but it mostly just exists to give you purpose and ease you into new challenges.”
“Still, with the core game system, the main story of the game is here.”
“You search things, kill things, explore, do your objective, finish your mission, then leave the mansion.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming paper-craft aesthetic, reminiscent of early CG cartoons. While the visual design is considered a standout feature, some users note that animations could be improved, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the quirky art style effectively complements the game's comedic horror theme.
“Ace art style and hilarious comedy horror gameplay.”
“Pros: great visuals and art style.”
“Neat looking game, with a quirky graphics style.”
“The graphic design is the best part, but bad animations ruin that for me as well.”
“Phantom Halls is a side-scrolling roguelike game; the graphics remind me of cartoons back when CG 3D models were starting to be used more, such as in ReBoot.”
“The art style is an origami-based horror.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its great soundtrack and ability to create a comical yet distinct atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users express disappointment over the inability to separate music from sound effects, which detracts from the enjoyment for those who appreciate audio customization. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing to a decent gothic feel in the game.
“The visual and music create a comical yet distinct atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack is great!”
“Great soundtrack and audio in general.”
“But as a composer, the biggest downer from this game for me is that you can't separate music and SFX.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a charming blend of comical and spooky elements, enhanced by engaging visuals and music. It effectively combines cheesy horror references with a fun, side-scrolling roguelite experience, creating a distinct and immersive environment. Overall, the game successfully captures a playful yet eerie vibe that resonates with players.
“The visuals and music create a comical yet distinct atmosphere.”
“A fun side-scrolling action game with a cool spooky atmosphere.”
“It's a fun 2D, side-scrolling roguelite, built within an incredibly charming and cheesy horror atmosphere.”
“Horror film references abound and ooze atmosphere.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by cleverly written stereotypes, such as the jock and the nerd, complemented by witty dialogue and a unique comedy horror gameplay style. Players find the humor, along with quirky enemies, to be standout features that enhance the overall experience.
“The characters are cleverly written stereotypes (e.g., the jock, the nerd, etc.) with a handful of funny dialogue.”
“Ace art style and hilarious comedy horror gameplay.”
“Humor and some strange enemies were the highlights.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, citing its engaging design and the variety offered by randomly generated scenarios that keep the experience fresh and enjoyable.
“The way it is designed is loads of fun, with lots of replayability from randomly created scenarios.”
