REVEIL
- March 6, 2024
- Pixelsplit
- 6h median play time
Reveil tells a great story through its dialogue and settings, but it misses the mark when it comes to horror. It may not scare you, but it still proves quite compelling.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"REVEIL: Funhouse Edition is a single-player Horror Action game, renowned for its phenomenal story, compelling gameplay, ingenious visuals, and sensational soundtrack. Wake up as protagonist Walter Thompson, disoriented and with a headache, in a surreal world filled with versatile puzzles, unanswered questions, and a disturbing psyche. The edition includes an original soundtrack, digital artbook, black and white filter, audio plays, and developer commentary."
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The story is engaging with unexpected twists, keeping players guessing throughout the gameplay.
- Puzzles are well-designed and provide a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-4 hours, which some players feel is not worth the price.
- There are technical issues, including frame drops and bugs that can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- Some players found the pacing slow and the horror elements lacking, describing it more as a walking simulator than a true horror game.
- story153 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its depth, unexpected twists, and engaging narrative, making it a compelling experience for casual gamers and fans of story-driven titles. While some players noted the linearity and brevity of the plot, many appreciated the environmental storytelling and the intriguing puzzles that complemented the narrative. Overall, the story is described as immersive and well-crafted, with a mix of psychological horror elements that keep players guessing until the end.
“The storyline is brilliant, in depth, and it really pulls you into the story.”
“The story unfolds beautifully, growing more intriguing as you progress, though I won't spoil anything here.”
“What truly sets Reveil apart is its multi-layered narrative, which seamlessly weaves together elements of psychedelia, biography, and horror to create a story that is as compelling as it is disturbing.”
“The only thing I would have liked is that your actions affected the story more; there is basically no decision-making in this game.”
“It feels like the story tidbits used in these areas would have been good to add to the story in their own sections but were instead hastily placed in the game as fillers for retrieval tasks, which add very little to the main narrative.”
“I thought the story was just about to start with 'full speed' and that was the end of the game.”
- graphics54 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, immersive atmosphere, and effective sound design that enhance the overall experience. Players noted the rich detail and artistic style, often comparing it favorably to high-end engines like Unreal Engine 5. However, some critiques mentioned that while the graphics are impressive, they sometimes overshadow gameplay, leading to a more passive experience.
“The visuals and sound design beautifully enhance the unsettling experience.”
“Some of the most stunning visuals I've seen in a game to date, very immersive and captivating.”
“Absolutely mesmerizing... graphics are amazing and the levels keep you engaged!”
“In contrast, when it comes to graphics and sound design, I do believe they are responsible for carrying more of the horror moments.”
“Zzzzzzzzz graphics are good, okay story... but it's a boring walk-through game... meh... thought it might have been a little more to it, I guess... meh.”
“Graphics don't matter in this game.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging puzzles, and immersive atmosphere, effectively capturing a dreamlike experience. However, some players found certain mechanics, like opening doors, to be frustrating, and noted that the gameplay can feel repetitive and basic at times, resembling typical walking simulators. Overall, while the visuals and sound design enhance the experience, opinions vary on the depth and originality of the gameplay.
“Gameplay-wise, this game does such an amazing job of portraying what it feels like to dream.”
“The puzzles were a particular highlight; they were genuinely fun to figure out and added an engaging layer to the gameplay.”
“Reveil hits the nail on the head by combining various elements, allowing the gameplay to always feel fresh, whilst adding a good number of twists and turns to keep the player asking questions and looking over their shoulder.”
“My only complaint about the game is that sometimes the mechanics for opening doors and turning knobs could be fiddly and frustrating.”
“It hadn't offered me anything new and just felt like another drop in the bucket walking sim that I spent most of my gameplay planning to ultimately not recommend it.”
“The gameplay, as I said, is very basic: walking from A to B, solving some puzzles in between, reading documents, and interacting with objects to understand the story and progress.”
- atmosphere27 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals, effective sound design, and a compelling narrative that keeps players engaged. Many reviewers highlight the eerie environments and intricate details that contribute to a psychological horror experience, although some note that certain gameplay elements, like linear progression, can detract from the overall immersion. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking a visually captivating and atmospheric horror experience.
“The atmosphere is haunting, and the intricate narrative keeps you questioning reality at every turn.”
“With its cleverly crafted puzzles, visually stunning environments, and spine-tingling atmosphere, the game offers a truly immersive horror experience that is guaranteed to keep you hooked until the very end.”
“From the faded grandeur of circus tents to the eerie corridors of Walter's mind, every location is rendered with stunning detail and immersive atmosphere, pulling players deeper into the unraveling mystery.”
“Good graphics, shorter story, more of a good looking walking simulator, horror pretty much in atmosphere only.”
“I could not turn the subtitles off or the big white crosshair dot in the middle of the screen, very annoying and ruins a bit of the atmosphere when playing.”
“The atmosphere and sound design do most of the heavy lifting.”
- music18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as exceptional and integral to the atmospheric experience. The combination of ambient sound design and high-quality voice acting enhances immersion, while the visuals complement the haunting melodies. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's emotional depth and storytelling.
“The sound design deserves equal praise - from the ambient elements to the soundtrack itself, the immersion was pretty much flawless.”
“Music, sound effects (the sound effects are incredibly good, by the way) and spoken lines are super well mixed, super high quality and elevate the atmosphere by a ton.”
“The music slowly floats in the back of your head as your eyes are greeted with beautiful depictions of the human psyche recalling memories.”
“🔲 little to no music”
“Reveil has good voice acting, the visuals are well done and the music gets the job done for this atmospheric experience.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with most players reporting smooth performance at high settings, particularly on powerful hardware like the 3080 Ti and 4080. However, some users noted occasional frame drops and minor issues such as ghosting and hitches when entering new areas, indicating that while the game is well-optimized, there are still areas for improvement.
“On the performance side of things, I ran this at 4K / max settings on a 3080 Ti and only experienced the occasional hitch when entering a new area.”
“After game launch, there's a performance test to get the best settings for my PC specs.”
“Some stutters when things were loading, but not too much; the game is pretty well optimized.”
“Has some optimization issues.”
“Needs a little optimization; frame drops here and there, but works smoothly at 60Hz.”
“4080, but the bottleneck (Ryzen 7 3700X) doesn't hurt the performance here.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its multiple endings and collectibles in each chapter, which may entice players to revisit it. However, with a completion time of around three hours, some users feel the overall gameplay experience is relatively short for its price.
“There is some replayability in this game; as I mentioned, there are multiple endings and also collectibles in each chapter if you are interested in these things.”
“It also has some replay value.”
“I was able to finish the game after about 3 hours, and I think for the $20 asking price, this amount of gameplay is a little short. However, there are multiple endings and some replayability.”
“There is some replayability in this game; as I mentioned, there are multiple endings and also some collectibles in each chapter if you are interested in these things.”
“It does have a little bit of replay value once you beat it to get the endings.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its intense emotional depth and immersive visuals, creating a strong connection with the characters. However, some players feel that the emotional climax occurs too early, leading to a less impactful ending than anticipated. Overall, it features a mix of heart-wrenching moments and engaging gameplay elements.
“This was by far the single most twisted and emotional game I have ever experienced.”
“The game is also gorgeous; the shaders, particle effects, and textures made me feel like I was in that world with the characters.”
“There are collection aspects, heart-wrenching moments, and jump scares.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss; while some players find the grunting amusing, overall, the dialogue fails to deliver a consistent comedic experience, leading to disappointment.
“The grunting can sound pretty funny, but otherwise the lines are well delivered.”
“The humor in the dialogue is spot on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
“I love how the game uses clever puns and witty remarks to keep the mood light and enjoyable.”
“Not funny, not scary... disappointing.”
“The jokes fell flat and the humor felt forced.”
“I expected more laughs, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious, particularly when revisiting areas like the house, which can lead to disappointment in the overall experience.
“It got a bit tedious going through the house the second time, and that was a bit disappointing.”
Critic Reviews
REVEIL Review – Versatile but Ineffective
REVEIL feels like a game that tries to be like its inspirations but fails to deliver on what makes them stand out. The game doesn't appropriately do much with the potential it has and the atmosphere and tension it builds doesn't really go anywhere. The twist at the end also comes out of nowhere and exists only to deliver a shock that really isn't deserved.
30%Reveil Review – Circus of Nightmares
Reveil isn't going to set the world of P.T.-inspired first-person horror games on fire, and issues with its writing and voice acting often drag it down, but with a strong aesthetic, surreal environments, and straightforward yet engaging puzzles and mechanics, it's still a solid experience that fans of the genre will enjoy.
70%Reveil Review (PS5)
Reveil is a walking simulator, but it is a remarkable one. Yes, the puzzles are simple, but they are balanced by the game world full of things to explore and find. There is no monotonous pace, and the stealth and chase sections are more than just tense or strained, featuring a few truly scary moments. It may be short, but the story with its unexpected twists, the multiple settings and the constant questioning of what is real and what can you believe from what you go through, makes it a worthwhile experience for all the fans of adventure and horror games. Review key provided by the publisher.
70%
