Shadows Peak
- March 13, 2017
- Gua
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Shadows Peak" is an open-world, horror exploration game where you play as writer Tom Blair investigating the mysterious Shadows Peak. With large environments and non-linear gameplay, the game focuses on a haunting atmosphere and dark legends, allowing you to uncover the mystery at your own pace. Key features include gamepad support for 50 controllers and an emphasis on exploration and story over action.
Reviews
- The game features a nice, creepy atmosphere in a small open world, particularly in the first half.
- There are some great ideas and a unique mix of horror and exploration elements, showcasing the developer's talent.
- The game is relatively inexpensive, especially when on sale, making it a decent value for a short horror experience.
- The game suffers from a disjointed narrative, with the second half feeling like a completely different game that lacks cohesion.
- Gameplay mechanics are often frustrating, with poorly designed enemy AI and cheap deaths that can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- The graphics and overall polish are lacking, with numerous bugs and technical issues that detract from the experience.
- story63 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its atmospheric horror elements and intriguing twists, while others criticize its abrupt tonal shifts and lack of cohesion. Some found the environmental storytelling engaging and the plot surprising, though others felt it suffered from clichés and a lack of depth. Overall, the narrative offers a unique experience, but it could benefit from more polish and clarity to enhance player immersion.
“Nice little horror story to unravel through details littered around the map, nice atmosphere, genuinely creepy to play.”
“Incredible game, with environmental storytelling horror, my favorite.”
“The story had me hooked from beginning to end.”
“The last chapter changes the game's tone dramatically; it feels kind of abrupt, likewise the development of the whole story.”
“Although I could tell this was unpolished and cheesy going in, the weird inclusion of aliens and the nonsensical plot twists ruined the experience.”
“The game's story honestly wasn't interesting enough, not like the story-rich horror games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Soma.”
- atmosphere41 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy, immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of unease and tension throughout the exploration of its open world. While some players noted that certain elements, like poorly implemented jump scares, detracted from the overall experience, the majority found the atmospheric design—enhanced by sound, lighting, and environmental details—to be a standout feature that contributes significantly to the horror experience. Overall, it is described as a chilling and engaging setting that successfully evokes fear and curiosity.
“The most striking feature is its phenomenal atmosphere; dramatic, menacing, and best described as an honoring of horror.”
“Absolutely brilliant, immersive, great atmosphere, genuinely spooky and a unique game.”
“Shadow's Peak creates an atmosphere that's equally parts confounding and whimsical, inspiring feelings of unease and dread while (oddly) offering a sense of inevitability that's almost tranquil, even in the context of the game's dramatically dark setting.”
“Horror part dies due to badly implemented screamers and atmosphere, ruined by a few factors.”
“- the spooky atmosphere was gone after the first jumpscare.”
“Shadow's Peak creates an atmosphere that's equally parts confounding and whimsical, inspiring feelings of unease and dread while (oddly) offering a sense of inevitability that's almost tranquil, even in the context of the game's dramatically dark setting.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Shadows Peak is characterized as a classic walking simulator with added mechanics, such as sniper shooting in the final chapter, which some players found enjoyable. While the first half focuses on atmospheric exploration, the second half shifts to a more action-oriented experience that has received mixed reviews, with some praising its tension and exploration, while others criticize its execution and mechanics. Overall, the game offers a blend of horror elements and non-linear gameplay, but opinions vary on its effectiveness and coherence.
“In terms of the gameplay, I actually enjoyed both the first half exploring the mysteries of Shadows Peak, but also then the forest on the hunt against the creatures that abducted me and the beast they use to maintain and harness their power.”
“The game employs various horror mechanics throughout each chapter, giving players a wider breadth of experience.”
“The atmosphere and gameplay are super creepy, especially as you advance in the game.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is utter trash.”
“It's confusing, nothing makes sense, and the mechanics are bad at best and nonfunctional at worst.”
“On the downside, the game suffers with pretty rusty looking graphics, little to offer in terms of gameplay, and the story suffers from a cliché ending which was its biggest disappointment.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered mediocre, with some reviewers noting that they are acceptable for a low-budget indie title. While there are criticisms regarding low-quality visuals and bugs, many players appreciate the game's ability to create an immersive and creepy atmosphere, with some praising the aesthetic and environmental detail. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with moments of decent quality that contribute positively to the game's ambiance.
“The graphics bring an ominous atmosphere to the game.”
“The game offers some nice graphics and a good aesthetic that really brightens and makes the game stand out and unique.”
“Graphically, the game is lovely.”
“Bad graphics, less than no explanation to anything and boring!”
“On the downside, the game suffers with pretty rusty looking graphics, little to offer in terms of gameplay, and the story suffers from a cliché ending which was its biggest disappointment.”
“Graphics quality is a little below the generation standards (indie game) but it is enviable while reflecting the atmosphere.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its effectiveness in creating atmosphere, with an awesome soundtrack that enhances immersion and complements the game's eerie settings. While some sound effects are considered basic, the overall audio design, including ambient sounds and voice acting, contributes positively to the experience, with a few moments even delivering genuine jump scares.
“The soundtrack and the voice acting are simple but effective, and in the second half of the game, I actually experienced a couple of genuine jump scares.”
“Awesome soundtrack, awesome locations which also include an ultra creepy cave and a house in which some type of demon was conjured up.”
“The game creates a very good atmosphere; the details of the portrayal are also good, like music, light, and shadow.”
“Although there's not much in the way of music, the howls and distant screams are disturbing.”
“To me, the music can really make or break immersion, and that is an important factor.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during critical boss sections, forcing players to restart. While it has some enjoyable moments, the overall experience is marred by these persistent glitches and poorly designed elements.
“It's also so buggy and terrible that if you come up to a 'boss' section, it potentially breaks the game and you'll have to start from scratch, as what happened to me.”
“Shadows Peak has some good moments, but it's just too buggy to be fun.”
“You're supposed to just run around in this forest, shooting bad/buggy models of grey aliens, mutants, and other creatures.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable throughout, particularly noting the amusing design of the monsters in the final chapter. Overall, it contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“It's really quite good and very funny; you will enjoy :)”
“In fact, the 'monsters' in the final chapter looked funny.”
“I still recommend this game and had a lot of fun playing it.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its strong optimization, receiving a high score of 9/10. However, some users noted specific areas that could use improvement, such as awkward interactions with objects like refrigerators and rocks.
“The best thing about this game is how well optimized it is.”
“Optimization - 9/10”
“Some areas need optimization; for example, I often get stuck at the back of the refrigerator when I open it, and I also get stuck in the cracks in the rocks. It's quite awkward.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the rewarding feeling of uncovering new clues and areas, others describe it as tedious, loud, and ultimately boring, especially over extended play sessions.
“It's fun for 30 minutes of cringing with friends; however, it's tedious, loud, and extremely boring.”
“I'd say it can be a little tedious at times, but the feeling you get from discovering new clues and areas makes it worth it in my opinion.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily offering only the pursuit of 100% achievements as a reason to revisit it. Players generally feel that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.
“Don't spend more than this because there's no replay value other than getting 100% achievements.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again; the story doesn't change and the gameplay feels repetitive.”
“After completing the main storyline, I found no reason to revisit the game, as the side quests are lackluster and don't add much to the experience.”
