Psych
- September 29, 2020
- Zygobot
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Psych" is a single-player Horror Action game that offers a suspenseful psychological thriller experience with a hand-written story and unforgettable atmosphere. Explore the open world of the park, uncover side stories, puzzles, and secrets, and advance through five immersive chapters. The game features dynamic sound effects, and your decisions will have consequences in this emotionally thrilling and mysterious world.
Reviews
- The game features a strong atmosphere and engaging story that keeps players invested.
- Graphics and sound design are impressive for an indie title, enhancing the overall experience.
- There are some effective jump scares and twists that add to the suspense and excitement.
- The gameplay can feel tedious and repetitive, especially in the sewer sections.
- The plot becomes convoluted and lacks focus, leading to a disappointing experience for some players.
- Many players found the horror elements to be weak and not as scary as expected.
- story53 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging narrative, intriguing twists, and atmospheric depth, while others criticize it for being clichéd, predictable, or poorly executed. Many appreciate the psychological elements and character development, but some feel that the pacing and reliance on environmental storytelling detract from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a strong point for some, while others find it lacking in emotional impact and coherence.
“With a dark and occasionally claustrophobic environment, an engaging story, and fantastic voice acting, I found it difficult to walk away from.”
“Strong story with twists and multiple threads to follow; trying to figure out how they all fit together just adds to the experience.”
“Great visuals, polished, incredible atmosphere and sound with a really thoughtful story.”
“After the first chapter, I started to move forward just to see how the story developed, but by the third chapter, I got so bored that I closed it without finishing it.”
“There's a lot I could say here, but no spoilers: the story was flat and didn't do nearly enough to tie itself together, nor make us feel anything for the characters involved.”
“In short, the game is a fun little horror adventure with good mechanics and gameplay for the genre, bogged down by a somewhat bad and insensitive main story that doesn't really explore mental issues as cleverly or as compassionately as it thinks it does.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its strong visuals, sound design, and ability to create a sense of mystery and unease, particularly in key story moments. While some players find the horror elements lacking or the pacing tedious, many appreciate the balance of atmosphere and narrative, with effective use of jump scares and dark environments contributing to an engaging experience. However, opinions vary, with some feeling that the atmosphere falters in later sections, particularly in more monotonous gameplay segments.
“Fun game with a really good story that also builds a really good atmosphere at key points of the story.”
“Great use of sound, intriguing storyline, and the dark environments and dim lighting create an atmosphere of uncertainty.”
“Great visuals, polished, incredible atmosphere and sound with a really thoughtful story.”
“It's not a spooky game for those who have already tried some of the scary games out there; it has atmosphere, but the horror aspect is weak in my opinion.”
“I think it's because I had set the bar too high (because of the UI design, promotions, visuals of the game, atmosphere, etc.), I expected too much.”
“While some of the environments are generic and dull, they aren't terrible to look at, and the sound, both in the voice acting and atmosphere, is far above average for an indie horror title.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly criticizing the reliance on "find the key" mechanics and a lack of engaging content. While some appreciate unique elements like the sanity recovery system and smooth mechanics, others feel that the game fails to deliver a compelling experience, especially in the horror genre. The consensus suggests that the gameplay does not sufficiently support the narrative, leaving players wanting more depth and variety.
“In short, Psych is a fun little horror adventure with good mechanics and gameplay for the genre, bogged down by a somewhat bad and insensitive main story that doesn't really explore mental issues as cleverly or as compassionately as it thinks it does.”
“All in all, for the price, you have a fantastic game, great for a weekend, that brings a new mechanic to the table (the sanity recovery system).”
“The gameplay is mostly very smooth, but I do have a couple of problems with it.”
“The gameplay, however, too often feels tedious and repetitive.”
“All in all, its biggest weakness is the horror aspect and the very little actual gameplay - which is normally okay in a walking simulator, but I don't think the rest of the game is scary enough or interesting enough to carry the lack of gameplay experience.”
“I paid 10 dollars for 30 minutes of gameplay... come on now.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals and impressive atmosphere, often compared favorably to AAA titles. While many users appreciate the quality and potential for improvement, some noted inconsistencies, particularly in later chapters, such as pixelation issues and stuttering. Despite these drawbacks, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The graphics are amazing and the story is great.”
“Graphics: 8/10.”
“Can I just say the environment is stunning, and graphically this game is awesome!”
“I think it's because I had set the bar too high (because of the UI design, promotions, visuals of the game, atmosphere, etc.), I expected too much.”
“Firstly, the lighting from the phone flashlight is very pixelated and looks graphically bad compared to the rest of the game. Secondly, while walking along the paths, I would hear an audio cue and my screen would stutter, causing my camera to move in a random direction. The stuttering happened about 7-8 times in the first chapter, and I didn't notice it as much in chapter 2.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with players enjoying the chase music's engaging quality but reporting significant glitches, such as audio freezing during critical moments. Some users suggested improvements, like incorporating startling sound cues to enhance the experience when being chased. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's suspense, technical issues detract from its effectiveness.
“The chase music was lowkey a bump!”
“The puzzles added to the suspense as did the music and sound effects.”
“There were a few glitches with the music freezing when I start the game and also when the killer is chasing me in the park. The music stops, but he's still behind me, making it hard to carry on with my objective. I know it's early access, so I was expecting a few bugs, but this one is quite significant.”
“The only bug I experienced was when I tabbed out of the game; the audio for the chase music would glitch.”
“When the 'thing' chases after you, instead of having music suddenly play, there should be a startling noise that indicates where it is coming from.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players frequently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with particular criticism directed at the sewer levels, which are described as especially monotonous and unenjoyable. Overall, the objectives often contribute to a sense of frustration rather than engagement.
“The gameplay, however, too often feels tedious and repetitive.”
“And the sewers were definitely the worst part of the game; words can't describe how tedious those levels were!”
“The objectives for the player to complete are tedious.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for graphical inconsistencies, particularly with the pixelated lighting of the phone flashlight, and performance issues such as screen stuttering and erratic camera movements, especially in the first chapter. While these issues seem to diminish in later chapters, they detract significantly from the overall experience.
“Firstly, the lighting on the phone flashlight is very pixelated and looks graphically bad compared to the rest of the game. Additionally, while walking along the paths, I would hear an audio cue and my screen would stutter, causing my camera to move in a random direction. The stuttering happened about 7-8 times in the first chapter, and I didn't notice it as much in chapter 2.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have reported significant stability issues, including game freezes at startup and during critical moments, such as when being chased by the killer. While some glitches are expected in early access, these particular bugs have been noted as particularly disruptive to gameplay.
“There were a few glitches where the game would freeze when I started it, and also when the killer was chasing me in the park. The music would stop, but he was still behind me, making it hard to continue with my objective. I know it's early access, so I was expecting a few bugs, but this one is quite significant.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience. I find myself losing progress due to these stability issues.”
“I encountered several instances of lag and disconnections during gameplay, which severely impacted my ability to play effectively.”
