Signed Mary
- September 30, 2024
- Moț Andrei Laurențiu
Get on Steam“Signed Mary”, a psychological horror visual novel, in which not your choices of action will determine the story’s end, but the choices of how to perceive your reality. This visual novel...
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Reviews
- The game features a captivating and well-written story with a chilling atmosphere, reminiscent of classic horror games like Silent Hill.
- The visuals and character designs are praised for their nostalgic appeal, effectively enhancing the game's eerie mood.
- Despite being somewhat short, the game is enjoyable and offers a unique experience for fans of psychological visual novels.
- The use of generative AI for backgrounds has been a point of contention for some players, leading to mixed feelings about the game's artistic choices.
- The voice acting has been described as robotic and sparse, which detracts from the overall immersion of the game.
- Some players found the story predictable and felt that the dialogue-heavy sections, particularly towards the end, could have been better paced and more engaging.
- music26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its eerie quality and nostalgic vibe, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and moments within the story. While the soundtrack captures the essence of classic survival horror games, some users noted that the music is too loud compared to sound effects and that certain tracks have poorly marked loops, which can disrupt immersion. Overall, the soundtrack is well-received, with hopes for improved looping in future compositions.
“Everything, from the music to the characters to the writing feels crafted with adoration.”
“The soundtrack strikes a balance of being pleasant to the ear.”
“Every song enhanced the moments it backed.”
“The music is very loud compared to the other sound effects (but you can lower the volume in the menu), and my problem with the soundtrack is that some tracks have a poorly marked loop, creating an abrupt break that disrupts immersion. It would be interesting if future music from the developer were worked on to have a better loop.”
“The music itself is inherently eerie, but also not awful to listen to.”
“The music is eerie and it did creep me out a bit.”
- story20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its captivating and chilling atmosphere, featuring a well-developed complex character, Loraine, whose journey resonates with players. While some reviewers noted that the plot is straightforward and predictable, they appreciated the homage to classics like Silent Hill 2 and found the overall narrative engaging, despite minor issues with writing quality and pacing. Overall, the story is seen as a strong point of the game, deserving of more recognition.
“Has a captivating and well-written story, plus a chilling mood.”
“The story develops a very complex character in parallel to its inspirations; Loraine is an excellent complex character and her development is masterfully carried out.”
“This game keeps you hooked—so horrifying yet beautiful, going deeper into the story wanting to know more. Subtle Silent Hill references here and there; I loved it all, definitely deserves way more attention.”
“The story isn't really complicated - I figured it out pretty quickly, but I just feel like the end got a little dragged out.”
“In my opinion, the story and writing were a little bit on the nose; I could guess where it was going immediately.”
“The writing at the beginning of the game seemed a bit amateurish to me with short sentences and an excess of verbs, but I can't decide if this improved throughout the game or if the plot captured me better.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their nostalgic aesthetic, effectively capturing the eerie atmosphere reminiscent of early 2000s horror games like Silent Hill. Reviewers appreciate the character design and backgrounds, noting that the visuals align well with the psychological themes of the narrative, enhancing the overall experience. The accompanying soundtrack further complements the visuals, evoking a sense of nostalgia that resonates with fans of the genre.
“I like the atmosphere, aesthetic, backgrounds, etc. in the game and do think if you're looking for a chill psychological visual novel, this ticks all the boxes.”
“The game's visuals are honestly good; the character design has a nostalgic energy reminiscent of horror games from the 2000s. I am happy that the developer followed this look instead of a more anime style, as revealed in the post-game comments (which, by the way, I loved!).”
“The music is eerie, the art and visuals are great, and it captures the spooky atmosphere of old games really well.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its eerie music, impressive visuals, and nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of early 2000s horror games like Silent Hill. Despite some rough edges and robotic voice acting, players find the overall ambiance engaging and conducive to a chill psychological experience, effectively evoking sympathy for the characters.
“I like the atmosphere, aesthetic, backgrounds, etc. in the game and do think if you're looking for a chill psychological visual novel, this ticks all the boxes.”
“The music is eerie, the art and visuals are great, and it captures the spooky atmosphere of old games really well.”
“The visuals are so nice! The atmosphere of the game really did remind me of 2000 PS2 games (Silent Hill)!”
- character development8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by strong dialogue and a nostalgic character design that evokes the horror games of the 2000s, which many players appreciated over a more modern anime style. Lorraine's character, in particular, received positive feedback for her development throughout the story. Overall, the visuals and character designs contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“I loved the dialog and really enjoyed Lorraine's character development.”
“The game's visuals are honestly good; the character design has a nostalgic energy reminiscent of horror games from the 2000s. I'm happy that the developer followed this look instead of opting for a more anime style, as revealed in the post-game comments (which, by the way, I loved!).”
“On top of the uncanny backgrounds, we have lovely character designs.”
