Red Lake
- March 25, 2015
- Talentplace
- 2067h median play time
Get on Steam"Red Lake" is a horror shooter/quest game where you play as an agent investigating a Siberian village after reports of a red lake and strange animal behavior. Your mission is to find the missing forester and uncover the truth behind the lake's transformation. As night falls, survival becomes crucial as dangerous creatures emerge, requiring you to find a safe place to sleep before sunset. Exploration and completing tasks in the large open area of the lake are key elements of the game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game creates a compelling atmosphere with its eerie setting and ambient sound design, enhancing the overall experience.
- Some players found moments of joy and hope while playing, indicating that the game can provide a unique emotional experience.
- Despite its flaws, the game offers engaging gameplay mechanics, including exploration and puzzle-solving elements.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, poor optimization, and frustrating gameplay mechanics.
- Many players found the narrative execution lacking depth, with a confusing story and uninteresting characters.
- The game has limited replay value due to its linear nature and lack of significant branching paths or alternate endings.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Red Lake" is described as a mix of engaging mechanics like exploration and puzzle-solving, set against an atmospheric backdrop. However, many players criticize it for poor execution, including technical issues, lackluster graphics, and frustrating mechanics, leading to a divided reception where some find it thrilling while others deem it unplayable. Overall, the game offers a compelling experience for fans of atmospheric horror, but suffers from significant flaws that detract from its potential.
“The game offers engaging gameplay mechanics, including exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival elements.”
“Red Lake presents an atmospheric and engaging experience with its eerie setting and challenging gameplay mechanics.”
“The gameplay is thrilling.”
“It's amazing how you can somehow irritate me within the first 5 minutes of gameplay.”
“The developer seems to be out of touch or not a gamer because he didn't even follow the simplest mechanics of all games.”
“Terrible gameplay, graphics non-existent, better off muting your audio if you play.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 48 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many users criticizing them as outdated, poorly executed, or lacking detail, often comparing them unfavorably to older titles. Some players, however, appreciate certain aspects of the graphics, noting moments of realism and atmospheric quality. Overall, the consensus leans towards disappointment, with many feeling that the graphics do not meet modern standards.
“Red Lake is an incredible FPS horror game, the opening cutscene is intense and dramatic, with fantastic voice acting and graphics that make CryEngine look disgusting. The FPS on this game is outmatched; even a potato PC can get up to 200+ FPS.”
“The graphics are incredible.”
“Good graphics.”
“Terrible gameplay, graphics non-existent, better off muting your audio if you play.”
“Red Lake suffers from the typical bugs these Unity-based games have: bad graphics, lots of bugs/glitches, incoherent story, awful game mechanics, and the list goes on.”
“Ugly graphics and animations, awful mouse sensitivity, worse gunplay, and bugs and crashes galore.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story of "Red Lake" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its atmospheric horror elements and imaginative premise, while others criticize it for being incoherent and lacking depth. Although the narrative touches on themes of resilience and the mysterious nature of the titular lake, many reviewers feel that the storytelling and character development need significant improvement to enhance emotional engagement. Overall, the game's plot is seen as a weak point, detracting from the overall experience.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“I like the story a lot and the imagination used to create this.”
“This story related to the lake, which has a strange red color and affects the surrounding area, is actually quite interesting.”
“Enhancing the storytelling and character development could enrich the player experience and emotional engagement.”
“Red Lake suffers from the typical bugs these Unity-based games have: bad graphics, lots of bugs/glitches, incoherent story, awful game mechanics, and the list goes on.”
“Definitely not recommended, the mechanics are poor, the storyline is almost non-existent, and the only jump scares it contains are very loud noises ... check out my playthrough to see for yourself!”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Red Lake" is widely praised for its eerie setting and effective ambient sound design, creating a compelling and suspenseful experience for players. While some reviewers noted a lack of traditional horror elements and limited replay value, the game's nuanced approach to atmosphere and music contributes significantly to its overall impact, making it a noteworthy entry in the atmospheric horror genre.
“Red Lake creates a compelling atmosphere with its eerie setting and ambient sound design.”
“Red Lake presents an atmospheric and engaging experience with its eerie setting and challenging gameplay mechanics.”
“Simply put, the ten minutes I put into this game before I had to restart because looking in my notebook killed me were some of the most atmospheric and nuanced takes on the horror genre I have ever witnessed.”
“The narration and the notebooks were often not even understandable, which builds the atmosphere and suspense of this game in ways I once thought not possible.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and atmospheric, effectively enhancing the game's mood. However, others have criticized certain tracks, describing them as annoying or unappealing, particularly highlighting a specific Russian rock segment. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to immerse players in the game's environment, despite some personal preferences varying widely.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Enjoy this masterpiece of music from the best game!”
“The music really sets the mood for the game and fits nicely with what the devs were trying to do.”
“The soundtrack is annoying.”
“My personal favorite part was the awful Russian rock music part as you have to 'run!!!' away from a swarm of what I can only assume was flying black rice.”
“Guys, I need help. The song in chapter 4 (yes, I wasted like two hours of my life getting this far), I need the name... I need it!”
- optimization7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Red Lake" has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant technical issues and poor performance across various platforms. Many players have noted that the game's optimization is lacking, leading to bugs and an overall uninspired experience, which detracts from immersion and enjoyment.
“Many bugs, bad optimization, but still a good laugh or two if you are up for it (because of the jumpscares, they're so cheap they're funny sometimes).”
“Now, I could tell you about how terrible the optimization is, or how uninspired it is, or how it's really easy to render the game unwinnable, but that doesn't matter.”
“It's not scary, it's optimized like crap, there are no options while in a game, and worst of all it isn't fun.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its limited replayability, primarily due to its linear structure and absence of branching paths or alternate endings. While the compelling atmosphere and suspenseful gameplay may entice players to experience it once, the lack of additional content or replayable elements diminishes its long-term appeal.
“Additional content or replayable elements could enhance the game's longevity and appeal.”
“Some players may find the game lacking in replay value due to its linear nature and lack of significant branching paths or alternate endings.”
“Limited replay value due to linear nature.”
“While it may suffer from limited replay value and potential technical issues, its compelling atmosphere and suspenseful gameplay make it worth exploring for fans of atmospheric horror games.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely unintentional, with players finding amusement in its poor design and cheap jump scares, which often lead to laughter rather than fear. While some users express frustration with gameplay mechanics and bugs, they still manage to derive a few laughs from the overall absurdity of the experience. Overall, the humor is described as a mix of frustration and unintentional comedy, making it a memorable, albeit negative, experience.
“Many bugs, bad optimization, but still a good laugh or two if you are up for it (because of the jumpscares, they're so cheap they're funny sometimes).”
“It's quite cheap, funny (not intentionally), and you also get to say 'I've played Red Lake... the worst game in the world'.”
“The funny thing is those zombies look a lot like characters from House of the Dead.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight that the emotional depth of the game is significantly enhanced by strong storytelling and character development, leading to moments of genuine emotional impact, such as tears during pivotal realizations. The immersive open world further amplifies this emotional engagement, making players feel deeply connected to the environment and narrative, which blends elements of love and adventure.
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“The open world section made me feel like I was actually in the Russian wilderness, lost for what felt like real-life weeks.”
“The first chapter is a mix of an emotional love story and GTA.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, which detract significantly from the overall experience. While some players found the issues tolerable enough to continue playing, the instability and poor mechanics are commonly cited as major drawbacks.
“Red Lake suffers from the typical bugs these Unity-based games have: bad graphics, lots of bugs/glitches, incoherent story, awful game mechanics, and the list goes on.”
“Not scary, buggy, and just overall an irritating time.”
“It is very buggy, but I spent 1-2 hours looking at what happened, so it passed the time for me.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that improving storytelling and character development would significantly enhance player experience and emotional engagement in the game.
“Enhancing the storytelling and character development could enrich the player experience and emotional engagement.”
“The depth of character development truly makes you feel connected to the story and its characters.”
“I love how the game allows for meaningful choices that shape the characters' growth and relationships.”
