SCP: Descent
- March 20, 2024
- Pixel Drip Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"SCP: Descent" is a first-person puzzle horror game where players descend an eternal stairwell, using a torch for light and pieces of chalk to save their progress. The game features stealth mechanics to avoid monsters attracted to the light, with limited saving opportunities, increasing the tension. The goal is to uncover the stairwell's mystery and find an exit, providing approximately 60-90 minutes of gameplay.
Reviews
- The game features impressive graphics and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- Jump scares and suspenseful moments are well-executed, providing genuine thrills.
- The puzzles are engaging and add depth to the gameplay, making it a fun experience overall.
- The game is very short, with a playtime of only 2-3 hours, which may not justify its price.
- Numerous bugs and glitches can hinder gameplay, including game-breaking issues that require restarts.
- The enemy AI is poorly designed, often resulting in frustrating encounters and a lack of challenge.
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their spectacular quality and high level of detail, particularly in the design of the monsters. The art style and overall performance also contribute to a visually impressive experience, enhancing the game's immersive atmosphere.
“Besides the graphics looking great, the audio and sound are top notch.”
“The graphics are spectacular; the lore could be worked on as we just appear in a locker, but apart from that, the monsters are highly detailed and have surpassed far beyond my expectations. The voice acting is very realistic, but to those who are easily frightened, 'beware' this game is not for the weak.”
“The SCPs, the graphics, art style, performance, and puzzles are all impressive.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as its standout feature, creating a compelling and creepy environment that enhances the overall experience. Despite some technical issues, many players feel that the atmospheric elements make the game worth exploring, especially for fans of indie horror puzzle games.
“The atmosphere is the best part about it and makes it worth it.”
“I would give this a positive review for the atmosphere and general gameplay, but the bugs are just too much.”
“Given all its flaws, the creepy atmosphere saves it and makes it worth checking out if you want a cool little indie horror puzzle game.”
- story3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being overly vague and lacking clarity, leaving players feeling unsatisfied with its execution. While some appreciate the Lovecraftian elements and find certain characters intriguing, the overall narrative is seen as more buildup than payoff.
“I really appreciated the Lovecraftian component; the little bits of story were intriguing, and the professor was a good character.”
“I would not recommend playing this game. I should have done my research or played the demo before jumping into this insanely vague game. Everything is vague, from the storyline to the puzzles and the characters.”
“The story is all buildup and no delivery.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its atmosphere and engaging mechanics; however, significant bugs, particularly in puzzle progression, can lead to frustrating experiences and wasted time.
“I would give this a positive review for the atmosphere and general gameplay, but the bugs are just too much.”
“For some reason, at the maze puzzle, I was unable to progress past it, which led to an hour of wasted gameplay sadly.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized due to multiple glitches, with one user reporting five significant issues within just thirteen minutes of gameplay, including a game-breaking glitch that necessitated a restart. Overall, there are concerns about the need for improved quality control to enhance the gaming experience.
“Quite short and could use some quality control, as there were a few glitches that required me to restart the game in order to continue.”
“Thirteen minutes in, I encountered five glitches that notably hindered the game, and one that was game-breaking.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users noting that while the graphics and art style are commendable, there are concerns about the quality of the voice acting, particularly regarding the authenticity of the performance, which some suspect may be AI-generated. Overall, the game's performance and puzzles are generally well-received, though there are areas for improvement.
“The SCPs, the graphics, art style, performance, and puzzles are all optimized to create a seamless experience.”
“Listening to his tapes was simultaneously comforting and disconcerting—I'm still not entirely sure if that was a real voice actor or AI, but if it was AI, I'm sad to say that it was actually a pretty good performance, despite the Irish accent needing a little work!”
“The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite the interesting concepts, the performance issues make it hard to enjoy the experience fully.”
“The graphics and art style are impressive, but the poor optimization ruins the overall immersion.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding elements of the game frustrating, particularly in sections with unscripted monster encounters and the tedious task of searching for parts to repair an elevator.
“The sections with monsters that aren't scripted fail to be more than frustrating, and the part where you have to look for parts to fix an elevator is incredibly tedious.”
“Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”
