Ray's The Dead

60%
Game Brain Score Based on 52 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
Ray's The Dead Game Cover
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"Ray's The Dead" is a cinematic adventure game where you play as Ray, a freshly resurrected zombie. Control a zombie army to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and uncover the truth behind Ray's death. With a unique blend of humor, horror, and 60's-inspired music, this game offers a thrilling and engaging narrative experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

60%
Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews
music17 positive mentions
gameplay5 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming hand-drawn art style and a fantastic 80's inspired soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • The story is engaging with a mix of humor and pop culture references, providing a nostalgic feel for players familiar with the era.
  • Gameplay offers a unique blend of puzzle-solving and combat, allowing players to control different types of zombies, which adds variety and depth to the experience.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and unresponsive controls, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially during combat and menu navigation.
  • Cutscenes are long and unskippable, interrupting the flow of the game and making replaying levels tedious.
  • Despite its interesting premise, the gameplay can feel repetitive and simplistic, with some mechanics being poorly explained or executed.
  • gameplay21 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it mediocre and buggy, leading to frustrating experiences during combat and sneaking mechanics. While some appreciate the simplistic, Pikmin-like control of the zombie horde and the integration of story elements, others criticize the repetitive nature and claustrophobic maps that hinder exploration and flow. Overall, the gameplay needs significant improvement to enhance player satisfaction and variety.

    • “The gameplay is a mixture of Overlord and Stubbs the Zombie in a top-down view.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, it is simple enough for just about any player, but effectively controlling your herd of zombies takes some practice to master.”
    • “I have played about an hour and a half so far and the game is still kind of teaching me things, but I'm loving it so far, excellent aesthetic, simplistic Pikmin-style gameplay, and a story I'm at least moderately invested in.”
    • “Everything from the combat to the sneaking mechanics are pretty buggy and will cause you many deaths and annoyances.”
    • “So you’re never really given the chance to explore the mechanics of the game, coupled with often cramped maps it gives the game a very claustrophobic and limited feel.”
    • “Does not deserve to be even related to Stubbs the Zombie series; it is a chore to do anything and everything feels like a chore with no satisfying gameplay.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its vibrant 80's synth-wave inspired soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and evokes nostalgia. Many players feel that the soundtrack is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and pacing, even if it sometimes contrasts with the gameplay. Overall, the combination of excellent music and appealing art style has left a positive impression on players, making it a memorable aspect of the game.

    • “The music is wonderful, with some great 80’s synth-wave inspired tracks that help keep the feeling of pace and progress, even if the game's pace often doesn’t live up to that awesome soundtrack.”
    • “The upbeat 80's-inspired soundtrack really steals the show, making the game a fun experience with entertaining characters.”
    • “The excellent soundtrack contributes vastly to the bygone era this game seeks to emulate, standing proud alongside other iconic titles from that ultra-cool time period.”
    • “The game has a fun story and entertaining characters, but in my opinion, the upbeat 80's-inspired soundtrack really steals the show.”
    • “The music almost steals the show, but the gameplay just keeps you locked in.”
  • story21 mentions

    The story of "Ray's the Dead" is generally well-received, featuring a humorous and engaging narrative that explores Ray's past and his journey as a resurrected zombie. While the integration of flashbacks and character development adds depth, some players feel that the frequent cutscenes and nostalgia-driven interruptions detract from gameplay. Overall, the story is praised for its charm and 80s-inspired aesthetic, though it may overwhelm the gameplay experience at times.

    • “Fun game with a surprisingly good story, sweet art style, great 80's inspired soundtrack and plenty of references.”
    • “The story is fun, and the characters are interesting.”
    • “These flashbacks are woven nicely into the gameplay, providing backstory and introducing places, characters, and events from Ray's life--and ultimately revealing how Ray wound up as a zombie in the first place.”
    • “The story starts off strong and then quickly falls off as you are assaulted with constant cut scenes with forced nostalgia to interrupt the bad gameplay.”
    • “The epilogue makes no sense, with no initial backstory or instructions.”
    • “The story also gets in the way of the gameplay; the way the game is structured, we can’t gain access to new zombies until we’re at a point in the story where we meet person X to gain ability Y.”
  • graphics19 mentions

    The graphics of "Ray's the Dead" are widely praised for their charming hand-drawn visuals and vibrant art style, reminiscent of 80s and 90s pop culture. Many players appreciate the game's aesthetic, describing it as fun, colorful, and filled with character, although some note that the overall execution of the game does not match the quality of its graphics. Despite mixed feelings about gameplay and narrative, the art style remains a standout feature that captivates players.

    • “I enjoyed playing Ray’s the Dead; the graphics are excellent and the story is brilliantly put together with plenty of humor.”
    • “The art style was the original draw to the project for me and I’m very pleased that it has retained all the charm of that original pitch.”
    • “It has lovely light humor and lovely crispy graphics.”
    • “Ray's the Dead is only admirable in its hand-drawn visuals and multitude of references to 80s through 90s pop culture; however, everything else about the game is rather tiring, from controls to narrative, all the way to its seemingly injected backer content, some of which is permanently locked in the Steam version.”
    • “I bought it because of the cute art style, but I wish I didn't.”
    • “If you enjoyed Stubbs the Zombie and Overlord, this is much like that with a mixture of Paper Mario style graphics.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The game features a delightful blend of humor, incorporating charming 80s references and silly moments that enhance the overall experience. Players find the voice acting hilarious and appreciate the pop culture nods woven into the story, making it both fun and engaging. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, contributing to the game's charm and enjoyment.

    • “There is a mixture of humor within the game as well to keep it going, and there are several references to 80s stuff which was fun to find.”
    • “The idea is fun; the 'voices' are hilarious.”
    • “Very fun and charming, with a wonderful art style, cute moments, and silly humor.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs and unresponsive controls that lead to frustration during gameplay. Menus are laggy, and core mechanics like combat and sneaking are plagued by issues, making the experience feel clunky and poorly tuned. Comparisons to its predecessor highlight that even older games manage to deliver a more stable and enjoyable experience.

    • “At first you will be happy because of the 80's nostalgia you will see, but soon the happiness will turn to frustration as you fight against the menus and the buggy features.”
    • “Everything from the combat to the sneaking mechanics is pretty buggy and will cause you many deaths and annoyances.”
    • “The game is buggy; controls frequently stop responding, and nothing feels tuned.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's performance is generally smooth with no major bugs, though some users have reported minor issues like stuttering and an unresponsive main menu. However, the lack of ultra-wide support and advanced performance tweaking options may limit optimization for some players.

    • “Other than that, it was excellent performance-wise throughout the rest of the game.”
    • “So far, aside from a slightly unresponsive main menu, the game didn't surprise me with game-breaking bugs and everything runs smoothly.”
    • “There is no ultra-wide (21:9) support or any in-depth advanced options to tweak performance.”
    • “I seem to be suffering from a bit of stuttering for some reason; however, I noticed there was a small patch after I closed the game.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    Ray's the Dead is praised for its rich atmosphere, effectively capturing the essence of the '80s while delivering an engaging story. Players find the game's ambiance to be immersive and compelling, enhancing their overall experience.

    • “Ray's the Dead is oozing with atmosphere!”
    • “So far, after 3+ hours spent on Ray's the Dead, I find it to be incredible in terms of atmosphere, story, and how strongly it resonates with the '80s!”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be inconsistent, with some activities being enjoyable highlights, like a quirky saxophone solo, while others, such as stealth sections, are deemed tedious and unenjoyable.

    • “The grinding in this game feels like a never-ending chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the experience feel monotonous and dull.”
    • “The grind is so excessive that it overshadows the fun elements of the game, turning it into a tedious slog.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express a desire for a story that is not only rich and engaging but also evokes a range of emotions, combining humor with deeper emotional themes.

    • “I hope the story is rich, emotional, and funny all at once.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

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