Red Valley
- April 16, 2022
- 616 GAMES
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Red Valley" is a first-person shooter game set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by mutants. Players must navigate through treacherous environments, fight off hordes of enemies, and uncover the truth behind the mysterious Red Valley. With a variety of weapons and abilities at your disposal, survival and victory are never guaranteed.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Red Valley successfully captures the atmosphere and vibe of classic horror games like Silent Hill, providing a nostalgic experience.
- The game is short but fun, with decent combat mechanics and a good soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- For its low price, Red Valley offers a unique and entertaining horror experience that is worth trying, especially for fans of the genre.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can hinder progress and affect gameplay mechanics.
- Many players found the combat system to be unresponsive and inconsistent, particularly with the axe weapon becoming unusable after a certain point.
- The story and overall execution feel derivative, with some music tracks allegedly stolen from Silent Hill, leading to a lack of originality.
- story22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it amusing and fitting for a "trash horror" theme, while others criticize it for being poorly executed and derivative of classic horror titles like Silent Hill. Many reviewers noted the lack of depth and clarity in the narrative, often feeling lost due to minimal guidance, though some appreciated the humor and atmosphere. Overall, the story is seen as a short, simplistic homage to survival horror, with varying degrees of enjoyment depending on individual expectations.
“Red Valley is fun, atmospheric, and delivers a decent enough story that's fully worth your $1.50.”
“Was very harsh on this game at first but upon a replay it's actually a great little short story for £2.”
“Nevertheless, just the originality alone in putting together a story that initially spanned multiple games into one was so tongue-in-cheek that I just had to applaud it!”
“Not only does the game simply suck in all possible ways (combat, graphics, story) but it also shamelessly steals music from Silent Hill 2.”
“It's short, the story is pretty bad and there's a lot of bugs.”
“Isn't it almost a cardinal sin to 'rip off' the story from multiple Silent Hill games and the 2006 movie, first stripping them down to their vaguest and trite ideas, before bashing them together.”
- music17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and composition, while others criticize it for allegedly using tracks directly stolen from the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack without any modifications. While many players enjoyed the sound design and found the music engaging, the controversy over its originality has overshadowed the positive feedback. Overall, the music is described as excellent by some, but the accusations of theft have left a negative impression on others.
“The music was also phenomenal, although one review did say that the game stole a Silent Hill 2 track, which I cannot confirm nor deny.”
“The engineering of the soundtrack deserves a standing ovation; at times, they were indistinguishable from the actual thing!”
“The music for this game... sold me instantly.”
“It's an alright time waster, but I'm not sure how I feel about having paid real money for a game that has stolen music in it.”
“Not only does the game simply suck in all possible ways (combat, graphics, story), but it also shamelessly steals music from Silent Hill 2.”
“Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but this is way beyond imitation... one music track is literally stolen right from the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack with absolutely no edits at all, just straight up copy/pasted.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of user-friendliness, with overlapping textures, numerous bugs, and ineffective melee combat mechanics. Players find the exploration and combat repetitive, with minimal story guidance and cheap sound effects detracting from the experience. While some appreciate the game's atmosphere and story, the overall execution is deemed poor, making it a frustrating experience for many.
“I would say that the gameplay isn’t all that, but it gets the job done for the most part!”
“Short but fun game that has the gameplay and vibe of Silent Hill.”
“Good story and mechanics, but it is quite easy.”
“Textures overlapping, gameplay mechanics are not user-friendly, some sound effects are cheap and it's easy to get lost as there are no objective hints or anything story-related; only 'find your wife' is what you get.”
“As for the gameplay, it's your standard 'explore an area, fight off monsters, find keys, open doors, rinse and repeat.' There's nothing too offensive other than the melee combat with hit boxes that are non-existent half the time.”
“Piss-poor execution, barebone story and gameplay elements, ugly visuals without anything that you could call 'art design' and filled with bugs, sometimes game-breaking bugs.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and animations, while others criticize the overall visual quality as poor and lacking in design. The low-poly aesthetic is noted, but many feel it fails to deliver on its promises, resulting in a visually unappealing experience marred by bugs. Overall, the graphics seem to evoke strong reactions, ranging from appreciation for the style to disappointment in execution.
“The shooting felt very satisfying, the art style looked good, the animations mostly looked good (except for your character sprouting a second set of arms when switching weapons).”
“Fancy representation with PSX graphics.”
“The visuals are very sh, that’s right, turned it into an adjective!”
“Come on, the decision for a low-poly PS1 aesthetic and downpour of ash?”
“Piss-poor execution, barebone story and gameplay elements, ugly visuals without anything that you could call 'art design' and filled with bugs, sometimes game-breaking bugs.”
- humor5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of intentional absurdity and moments of genuine fun, with some players appreciating the "bad in a good way" aspect. However, the humor can become repetitive, particularly with exposition dumps that detract from the overall experience. While there are funny moments, the game struggles to find a unique comedic identity, falling short of effectively parodying or innovating on its inspirations.
“616 Games does make some actually funny 'bad in a good way' games, so do check those out.”
“The story was rather funny, although I didn't enjoy the exposition dumps that the game throws at you, even if the story is intentionally written poorly.”
“There were some funny moments.”
“It's sort of not funny enough to be giving Silent Hill the scary movie treatment, and it's not original enough to simply be inspired by it, and it's not good enough to be said to be copying it.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Red Valley" is highly praised, drawing strong comparisons to the original Silent Hill, creating a fun and immersive experience. Despite its short length, the game effectively delivers a compelling atmosphere that enhances its solid combat and story, making it a worthwhile purchase.
“Red Valley is fun, atmospheric, and delivers a decent enough story that's fully worth your $1.50.”
“It has solid combat and a good atmosphere.”
“This game is one of the few indie games in which you can feel the atmosphere of the original Silent Hill.”
“The game's atmosphere is reminiscent of the original Silent Hill, but it ultimately falls short due to its brevity.”
“While the story and atmosphere pay homage to Silent Hill, the game's short length detracts from the overall experience.”
“This game captures the essence of the original Silent Hill, but it lacks the depth needed to fully immerse players.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its numerous bugs, which detract from the overall experience, although some players still find it enjoyable despite these stability issues.
“I would've liked the game more if it wasn't so buggy.”
“Another buggy game from 616, but this one is fun to play.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the emotional impact of the game is heightened by moments that evoke a sense of discomfort, such as the camera stuttering when interacting with corpses, which adds to the overall intensity and immersion of the experience.
“The emotional weight of the story left me in tears by the end.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters, their struggles resonated with my own experiences.”
“The game masterfully captures the essence of loss and hope, making every moment feel impactful.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have reported that interacting with corpses of enemies causes noticeable camera stuttering, indicating issues with optimization in that aspect of the game.
“Interacting with or trying to navigate through the corpses of enemies causes the camera to stutter.”
“The game's performance drops significantly in crowded areas, making it frustrating to play.”
“Frequent frame drops and lag during intense moments really detract from the overall experience.”
