Presence
- March 24, 2021
- VLADIMIR GUSSAKOV
Get on Steam"Presence" is a horror game where you play as a mother picking up her son from boarding school, but the building is eerily abandoned. The game relies on individual fears, using atmospheric settings and sound effects to create personalized terror, rather than relying on visual threats. Gameplay consists of exploring the school, finding keys and items to overcome obstacles and progress the story.
Reviews
- The game has a creepy atmosphere and effective jump scares that can be quite engaging.
- For a first release by a solo developer, it shows potential with an interesting story and some good tension.
- It's affordable, making it a decent option for a short horror experience.
- The game is very short, taking only about 30 minutes to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with character movement and game crashes.
- The gameplay is repetitive, often involving just walking, reading notes, and finding keys without much interaction or challenge.
- story8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, noted for its creepiness and intriguing plot, though some players feel it lacks depth due to its short length and minimal interaction. While the narrative creates tension and interest, the absence of audio design detracts from the overall experience. Many reviewers express a desire for more content and development to fully realize the potential of the story.
“Vladimir Gussakov managed to pull off some alright tension, and the story is actually pretty good.”
“I would have loved to see more of the game and its storyline.”
“The story was pretty good as well, just kind of messed up.”
“What's his story?”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the good mechanics and unpredictable jump scares, while others found it lacking overall enjoyment. Although the game can be completed in under 30 minutes, there is potential for expansion and refinement, particularly in extending playtime and enhancing the experience with additional content. Overall, the foundation is solid, but further development is needed to fully realize its potential.
“Good mechanics, unpredictable jump scares.”
“At least the dev tells you that you can complete it in 30 minutes or less. I took my time and got an hour out of it. The dev's still learning, I'm sure. It's got a good story, and the audio scares are pretty dope. The dev should keep refining and adding rooms to the game for sure, and maybe aim for a playtime of 5-6 hours in the long run. This could become a pretty scary and awesome game with the right mechanics in play. It's got the story for it, now you just need to turn the pages into the game.”
“This game had potential, but overall, I didn't enjoy the gameplay.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as eerie and creepy, successfully creating a sense of dread despite a lack of atmospheric music and sound effects. While some players found the gameplay repetitive and silent, others appreciated the unsettling ambiance, particularly those who enjoy walking simulators. Overall, the atmosphere is a mixed bag, with some finding it effective and others wishing for more auditory elements to enhance the experience.
“Even one good horror-themed track could've gone a long way to heighten the atmosphere and sense of dread in this release.”
“I like games with an eerie atmosphere; although there wasn't much atmospheric music or sound effects, the game still felt creepy to me.”
“It was definitely creepy with the atmospheric feel to it.”
“Even one good horror-themed track could've gone a long way to heighten the atmosphere and sense of dread in this release.”
“But it does try to set an atmosphere.”
- music3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting a significant lack of a soundtrack and atmospheric audio design, which detracts from the overall experience. However, others appreciate the eerie ambiance created by sound effects, such as the crunching of glass, which contributes to the game's creepiness despite the minimal musical elements. Overall, while the absence of music may disappoint some, the game's tension and atmosphere still resonate with fans of walking simulators.
“Vladimir Gussakov managed to pull off some alright tension, and the story is actually pretty good, but what he neglected to add was any sort of soundtrack or audio design.”
“The bad reviews were saying that there is nothing to do in the game, just walking around, finding a key, hearing a loud bang, collecting another key, etc. However, I like games with an eerie atmosphere, although there wasn't much atmospheric music or sound effects. The game still felt creepy to me, so I would recommend it, but like I said, I like walking simulator games with the occasional banging and noises. However, there wasn't much of it; the game was pretty silent most of the time.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered standard, with some users experiencing significant lag on multiple devices, while others praise the frame rate and visual quality. Although the level design is appreciated, it lacks visual elements that enhance suspense, leaving some players wanting more from the overall experience.
“Pretty good game but very short, which is a shame. I had a few jump scares, and it has a very nice frame rate and graphics. Well done.”
“Standard graphics in Unreal Engine; I tried to play on 3 devices, and 2 of them lagged very much, every 10-15 seconds!”
“The level design is good and there's an interesting premise, but there's just not really a game to play, and no added heightening of suspense in terms of the visuals.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have reported significant stability issues, including frequent glitches and crashes at specific points in the game, despite attempts at troubleshooting to resolve potential download or formatting errors.
“I get to a certain point in the game where it either glitches or crashes. I can provide a screenshot of the scene if needed.”
“I tried all the common self-troubleshooting methods to ensure the game didn't download incorrectly or format wrong.”
