Pineview Drive - Homeless
- April 5, 2019
- VIS-Games
Get on Steam"Pineview Drive - Homeless" is the sequel to the psychological horror game "Pineview Drive." Players take on the role of Miles Roberts, a former Army soldier who finds himself trapped in an old abandoned country house after seeking shelter from a storm. The game features nonlinear gameplay, dark atmosphere, exciting puzzles, and numerous shock moments. Players' reactions to frightening events can affect their health, making for a challenging and immersive experience. This installment delves deeper into the estate's dark history.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a creepy atmosphere and effective jump scares that enhance the horror experience.
- It features a coherent storyline that improves upon the first game, with a slightly quicker pace and the ability to unlock areas.
- The game includes interesting mechanics like the brightness slider for better visibility in darkness and the ability to collect statues.
- The gameplay is tedious and lacks direction, often leading to aimless wandering and frustration due to vague hints and poorly designed puzzles.
- The game is shorter than the original and feels like a less rewarding experience, with many players feeling it doesn't justify its price.
- The flashlight mechanic is poorly implemented, with batteries depleting quickly, leaving players fumbling in the dark, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story in this game is considered an improvement over its predecessor, featuring a coherent narrative but lacking depth and background, leaving players wanting more. Critics note that the plot fails to engage, with a reliance on fetch quests and an unsatisfying cliffhanger ending that does not resolve key story elements. Overall, while the game offers a longer playtime, the uninspired story detracts from its value.
“This is better than the first game in the series and has a coherent story line.”
“More background story would have been ideal.”
“This game is unnecessarily difficult to pad the amount of time spent playing; it seems there really isn't any kind of depth to the story at all.”
“These notes could have told so much more story and are an abject failure as far as making me interested or informed on what this chapter in the series is actually about.”
“It doesn't really close up anything on the story and just leaves with a 'cliffhanger' to the next game, which isn't out at the moment.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as overly loud and intrusive, often overshadowing important audio cues and detracting from the overall experience. While it contributes to the game's atmosphere, many players feel it lacks subtlety and coherence, suggesting that more control over the music volume would enhance gameplay. Overall, the music is seen as a mixed bag—visually striking but sometimes overwhelming.
“I think music excels when you don't necessarily notice it blatantly, but it adds emotional weight to scenes.”
“The music doesn't really seem to cue anything; it seems to be dramatic at times just to be dramatic, which still absolutely helps sell the atmosphere of the game.”
“Wandered around for about 30 minutes and listened to the music get louder.”
“I can't hear anything but your orchestral swell! This game has great audio cues, but is drowned out by the blaring music that often doesn't even fit with the experience.”
“Tldr - cool spooky audio ruined by overbearing music.”
“The music doesn't really seem to cue anything; it seems to be dramatic at times just to be dramatic... which still absolutely helps sell the atmosphere of the game.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepiness and effective use of psychological terror, creating a sense of unease that enhances the overall experience. While the music may not always align with the action, it contributes to the dramatic ambiance, making the environment feel more immersive. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a significant improvement over the original game, with well-executed scares and a haunting setting that keeps players on edge.
“The scares are excellent (even one of the ones I saw coming a mile away still made me jump) and the atmosphere is much, much better than the original game.”
“Pros - eerie atmosphere.”
“This game is one that relies heavily on psychological terror in the beginning, in that, nothing much is actually happening, but the atmosphere is freaking you out...and then it gets more terrifying as the game moves along to new corridors and rooms in the mansion.”
“I played the game for about an hour and I can say the game definitely has a creepy atmosphere and some jumpscares here and there, but in the end this game is not really all that fun due to a combination of a few things.”
“The music doesn't really seem to cue anything; it seems to be dramatic at times just to be dramatic... which still absolutely helps sell the atmosphere of the game.”
“This game is one that relies heavily on psychological terror in the beginning, in that, nothing much is actually happening, but the atmosphere is freaking you out... and then it gets more terrifying as the game moves along to new corridors and rooms in the mansion.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay retains a familiar core, but the flashlight mechanic has been criticized as a poor design choice, impacting the overall experience.
“If you'd prefer to watch gameplay, then I've provided the link to my first look gameplay impressions for Pineview Drive - Homeless here.”
“Same house, same gameplay core.”
“The flashlight mechanic in this is absolutely a terrible design choice.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with repetitive gameplay and a lack of rewarding exploration. Many reviewers note that it suffers from the same issues as its predecessor, including obscure puzzles and excessive camera movement that can induce motion sickness. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback that detracts from enjoyment.
“I found this to be incredibly tedious, and it wreaked havoc on my motion sickness sensitivity with all the camera movement I had to do to search every nook and cranny.”
“It's pretty much the same tedious, boring gameplay of the first Pineview Drive, with its lack of rewarding the player for exploring and an endless buildup that never goes anywhere.”
“If you have played the first Pineview Drive and found it extremely tedious due to how obscure and random the puzzles were, then I'm happy to say that this does nothing to improve on that.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users highlight that the music in the game subtly enhances emotional depth, effectively contributing to the overall atmosphere without being overtly noticeable.
“I think music excels when you don't necessarily notice it blatantly, but it adds emotional weight to scenes.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the absurdity of the oversized battery, which lasts only a comically brief period, leaving players with a dim light reminiscent of a Christmas bulb. This playful exaggeration adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
“The battery (though you get several and are the size of a soda can) lasts for a hilariously short amount of time, and after the first two bars are gone, you're left with a little Christmas light of a bulb to see in the dark.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The graphics are considered subpar overall, but the lighting effects, particularly the lightning and reflections, are praised for their quality and impact.
“The graphics are underwhelming and feel outdated compared to other games in the genre.”
“Character models look stiff and lack detail, making the overall experience less immersive.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall visual appeal.”
