Roots of Insanity
- April 4, 2017
- Crania Games
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Roots of Insanity" is a survival horror game set in a research facility. As the player, you must uncover the mysteries of the facility while surviving against terrifying creatures. The game features a unique blend of melee combat, strategic inventory management, and puzzle-solving.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features good graphics and a creepy atmosphere that effectively sets the horror tone.
- Players appreciate the ability to fight back against enemies, which adds a different dynamic compared to other horror games.
- The story, while not perfect, has intriguing elements that keep players engaged and curious about the outcome.
- The combat mechanics are clunky and unbalanced, making it difficult to engage with enemies without taking damage.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leading to a feeling of it being underdeveloped.
- There are numerous bugs, including broken achievements and sound issues, which detract from the overall experience.
- story41 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in "Roots of Insanity" is generally viewed as underwhelming, with many players noting its brevity and lack of depth, often describing it as confusing and linear. While some appreciate the horror elements and atmosphere, the narrative is criticized for being predictable and poorly executed, leaving players wanting more complexity and coherence. Overall, it offers a mix of decent moments but fails to deliver a compelling or memorable storyline.
“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.”
“But I did enjoy the story (again) and would recommend this to any horror fan.”
“Although the plot isn't the strong point of Roots of Insanity, where it does shine is within its creepy, tense atmosphere.”
“The story is there, it has serviceable voice acting but it's nothing new.”
“Very linear story (what there is of it) with no exploration, just a series of rigid instructions on what to do next.”
“After about an hour, I realized absolutely nothing made any sense; I had no idea what was happening, where I was, why I was there, what anything was, etc. The attempt at a plot is completely lacking.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the crisp and clean visuals, realistic lighting, and overall decent quality for an indie title, while others criticize them as outdated, likening them to PS2-era graphics. Despite the use of the Unreal Engine 4, which enhances textures and effects, many players feel the graphics lack polish and innovation, leading to a sense of déjà vu with familiar tropes. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for an indie game, they fall short of AAA standards and could benefit from further refinement.
“The mood and the setting are really good, from the visuals to the sound effects and music.”
“This game is made on Unreal Engine 4, where the textures, lights, and utilities look realistic in high graphics.”
“So graphically, the game is built on Unreal Engine 4, so the environments and lighting are damn fine.”
“The graphics look like they are trapped in the PS2 era, with no way out of their visual purgatory.”
“For the most part, though, it's more like 'Outlast with zombies'; complete with the video-camera-as-your-only-lighting trope, and deja vu-inducing graphics that leave you suspecting that a Red Barrels team member - outraged at being fired in the early stages of Outlast's development - decided to exact his 'revenge' against the company by recycling an early build into an entirely different game.”
“The graphics and animations are decent, but a bit stiff, the enemies' AI.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been compared to the "Outlast" series, featuring a mix of stealth and combat mechanics that feel unpolished and repetitive, particularly the hack-and-slash combat. While the game includes some engaging elements like a camcorder mechanic and decent voice acting, it suffers from bugs, lack of depth in exploration, and a need for refinement in its mechanics. Overall, players found the gameplay to be mediocre, with potential that remains largely unfulfilled.
“It's gameplay reminded me a lot of Outlast 1 and 2; it wasn't a long game, but it always takes me super long to beat a game... lol!”
“This title does have a camcorder mechanic, complete with the survival element of needing to find batteries to use it.”
“Tldr - the game is affordable, the basic mechanics are okay, the sound and visuals are pretty good - but it really needs some more polish to be a great game.”
“Honestly, they could have just removed the combat mechanics altogether and turned it into a haunted house experience, and it would have retained the same value.”
“Apparently, it is supposed to have something to do with epilepsy, but it was handled so badly that I had to Google the plot after completion just so I knew what the hell I had just suffered through 2 hours of gameplay for. Enduring the torture to the end was the biggest challenge of the entire game!”
“Due to some bugs and occasional lack of button/clicking response, the gameplay isn't all that good.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and tension, effectively immersing players in a psychological horror experience. Many reviewers highlight the impressive sound design and visual elements that contribute to a haunting ambiance, although some express dissatisfaction with the reliance on jump scares. While the atmosphere is generally well-received, opinions vary on how well it complements the gameplay mechanics.
“I have to congratulate the developers; they did an amazing job with the remake, updating the game (a lot of settings in the options menu) - great atmosphere and sounds - full of gore - highly recommended psychological/horror experience!”
“The atmosphere is extremely well done and though not particularly scary, was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat in some parts.”
“The atmosphere was pretty creepy.”
“Although the plot isn't the strong point of Roots of Insanity, where it does shine is within its creepy, tense atmosphere.”
“Roots of Insanity does a decent job at delivering a creepy atmosphere and hitting a few jump scares.”
- music15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating an eerie and immersive experience that complements the visuals and sound effects. Many reviewers noted the soundtrack's effectiveness in building tension, although some mentioned issues with volume mixing that occasionally drowned out voice acting. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's horror elements.
“The mood and the setting are really good, from the visuals to the sound effects and music.”
“The soundtrack and effects that Crania Games chose for this title are superb, and they help to keep a constant feeling of tension within the player even when no danger is readily present.”
“The base mixing isn't great; I couldn't hear the voices over the music, and when I turned my volume up, my speakers were nearly broken by the loudness of random noises and jump scares.”
“Very very reminiscent of Outlast, even the soundtrack.”
“I gotta say the music really helped set that eerie horror feel!”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is polarizing; while some players report excellent performance without major bugs or crashes, others experience significant issues that hinder gameplay, particularly in the early stages.
“The game features excellent optimization and doesn't suffer from any game-breaking bugs or crashes.”
“The performance is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs; the optimization really enhances the overall experience.”
“Looked like a promising game, but I couldn't even beat the first part because of how badly optimized it is when I played it.”
“The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it nearly unplayable on my system.”
“I was really excited to try this game, but the optimization is so poor that it constantly crashes and lags.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is noted to be somewhat buggy, which users attribute to its indie development status.
“The game is a bit buggy, although I understand that it's an indie title.”
“I encountered frequent crashes that really disrupted my gameplay experience.”
“There are numerous glitches that make it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from unexpected glitches, such as a memorable instance where a player's head detached from their body, creating a comically absurd visual.
“I only experienced one hilarious bug where my head came off and I could see my body walking around.”
