Silenced: The House
- March 7, 2018
- Graven Visual Novels
In "Silenced: The House," players step into the shoes of Ashly, who must survive a haunting night in an old house to complete an ancient ritual and rid herself of vengeful spirits. Tasked with exploring the eerie residence and uncovering its dark past, Ashly will face her fears and unravel the truth behind the ghostly apparitions. This Visual Novel horror game immerses players in a chilling atmosphere, filled with secrets and supernatural encounters.
Reviews
- The art style and character designs are visually appealing, with a unique sepia tone that enhances the horror atmosphere.
- The soundtrack is atmospheric and complements the game's eerie vibe, adding to the overall experience.
- The game offers multiple endings, which encourages replayability and allows players to explore different storylines.
- The writing suffers from poor translation and editing, making the story difficult to follow and often confusing.
- Character development is lacking, with many characters feeling shallow and uninteresting, leading to a lack of emotional investment in their fates.
- The gameplay is short and lacks depth, with minimal choices that do not significantly impact the narrative, making it feel rushed.
- story133 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of "Silenced: The House" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues with translation and writing quality that detract from the overall experience. While some found the plot engaging and appreciated the dark themes and character connections, others criticized it for being disjointed, clichéd, and lacking depth. Overall, the game is seen as having potential due to its artistic elements, but it suffers from execution flaws that prevent it from fully resonating with players.
“The way the story was unfolding and how events happening were related to certain characters was simply beautiful.”
“For this price, this game is truly a hidden gem and if you like visual novels and storytelling in general, you'll get a satisfying experience here, maybe even an inspiring one, such as in my case.”
“It has a beautiful art style, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a thrilling story.”
“I have a poor tolerance for quite a few elements that can be found in this story, those elements being: poorly edited and/or translated text and really annoying characters.”
“The story made very little sense and the characters were shallow, with info dumps of their backstories coming out of nowhere.”
“I'm not sure if it's a translation issue or just the writing in general, but the story feels very rushed and choppy all at the same time.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Silenced: The House" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful sepia artwork and anime art style, which contribute to the game's atmospheric feel. However, some users criticize the overall visual quality as inconsistent, describing certain elements as "ugly." Despite the varied opinions on the visuals, the artwork is often highlighted as a standout feature that may appeal to players, even if the story and gameplay fall short.
“The anime art style for the characters was good, and the story was very good as well; the gory art was very good and gruesome.”
“It's certainly one of the best art styles in a visual novel I've ever seen for the genre it's in, and is definitely one of my favorite art styles yet.”
“It has a beautiful art style, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a thrilling story.”
“The visuals were pretty ugly.”
“I got that it was trying to be creepy, but you're very thrown into the plot and not much is explained--instead, the very basic and scattered plot seems more like a vehicle for getting to use the visuals than for actually telling a story.”
“I can recommend 'Silenced: The House' for art purposes and perhaps for a few scenes that aren't as badly translated as the majority of the story, but if the visuals alone don't pique your interest, you may want to skip this one.”
- music32 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its atmospheric quality and engaging soundtrack, which includes a mix of haunting melodies and harder rock segments. However, some users noted that the music can be repetitious and overdramatic at times. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the experience, it is not available for separate purchase, leaving some players wanting more.
“From the 3D assets to 2D CGs to music, especially music, it was quite a worthwhile experience.”
“It has a beautiful art style, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a thrilling story.”
“The soundtrack is haunting and I really enjoyed the harder 'rock' feel in some segments of the game, but you'll notice the songs looping quite a bit.”
“Music is repetitious and maybe a bit overdramatic, but generally works fine.”
“The soundtrack and the character design isn’t going to save an awful translation.”
“Visuals, music and general feel are all there, but the overall story just didn't grab me like it should have.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is minimal, particularly in the initial stages, as the experience is primarily narrative-driven, resembling a graphic novel. While some players may find the lack of interactive elements disappointing, the compelling storyline and shocking character revelations are highlighted as strong points. Overall, the focus is more on storytelling than traditional gameplay mechanics.
“The sins and deaths of each character are described in horrific detail, and the reveal at the end of my gameplay was quite a shock to me.”
“No gameplay in the first 10 minutes or so.”
“Obviously not too much gameplay considering it's a graphic novel, but it has a very good storyline.”
“And I can take a crappy translation as long as I can piece together the story and there is decent gameplay.”
- character development6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in "Silenced: The House" is generally viewed as lacking, with reviewers noting that the game fails to deliver engaging storytelling or character evolution. While some appreciate the ghost character, the overall design of the main characters is considered uninspired, and the game's low budget is reflected in its shortcomings.
“The soundtrack and the character design isn’t going to save an awful translation.”
“Some of the main character designs were lackluster.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its beautiful art style and atmospheric soundtrack, creating an engaging experience. However, some users noted that the writing detracts from the overall readability and immersion of the story. Sound effects effectively complement the events, contributing positively to the atmosphere.
“It has a beautiful art style, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a thrilling story.”
“The sound effects seemed to work effectively for the events taking place, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the story.”
“The sound effects seemed to work effectively for the events taking place; however, the writing really impacted the readability and general atmosphere of the story.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have reported that the save feature in the game is prone to bugs, leading to concerns about stability.
“The save feature was rather buggy sometimes.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players found the grinding aspect of the game tedious, largely due to translation issues that resulted in awkward and confusing text, making it difficult to engage with the story.
“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 source of entertainment.”
“I found myself stuck in a loop of grinding, which drained the enjoyment out of the gameplay.”