Silent Descent
- February 6, 2018
- Deceptive Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Silent Descent," become trapped in purgatory as Samuel Harris, a tormented soul in an endless loop of anguish. Explore atmospheric, immersive environments in this first-person horror game. Uncover the truth and seek redemption for Samuel, or succumb to the darkness. Features include a rich narrative, psycho-physical effects, and challenging puzzles.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game has a creepy atmosphere with decent graphics and sound design, reminiscent of P.T.
- Some players found the jump scares effective and enjoyed the straightforward puzzles.
- Despite its flaws, many appreciated the game as a fun, short horror experience, especially if purchased on sale.
- The game is heavily criticized for being a derivative clone of P.T. with a predictable story and repetitive gameplay.
- Numerous technical issues, including crashes, glitches, and poor controls, detracted from the overall experience.
- Many reviewers felt the game was not worth its price, suggesting it should only be played if available for free or at a significant discount.
- graphics16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the decent to visually appealing design and good framerate, while others point out glitches and a lack of variety in visuals. Some reviewers noted that the graphics effectively contribute to the game's atmosphere, although there are criticisms regarding the overall quality and some graphical bugs, particularly towards the end. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, but not without notable flaws.
“For what the game is with the graphics level, I think they did a great job.”
“The graphics are also pretty amazing.”
“If you crave more, then this game is your fix, and the visuals are really nice.”
“Pretty boring without any puzzles and several glitches in graphics.”
“Graphics and design leave a lot to be desired - towards the end of the game I was very much reminded of Turok on the N64.”
“At the last level I had some graphical bugs and the game froze, so I had to restart the game.”
- story15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it predictable and generic, often echoing familiar themes of deteriorating relationships. While some appreciate the unsettling atmosphere and well-executed scares, others criticize the lack of originality and depth, noting that the narrative feels overly explained and lacks subtlety. Overall, the story is seen as serviceable but not particularly engaging, with technical issues further detracting from the experience.
“Inspired game with decent graphics, a messed up story, and excellent sound.”
“Story was honestly quite predictable, but still well done.”
“This game has a very unsettling atmosphere, the story is thought out well and as I'm currently only up to completed chapter 8, I'm really looking forward to the rest.”
“This makes progressing through the game rather pointless as even the story you do discover is the same old deteriorating relationship plot that seems to be a part of every single one of these games.”
“The story is pretty generic and unoriginal, with an ending you see coming from a long way off.”
“It's basically a spiritual successor to Silent Hill PT, but written with zero subtlety (since literally everything about the story is explained to you).”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is frequently praised for its unsettling and creepy qualities, effectively creating tension and anticipation through well-placed jump scares. However, some players feel that while the atmosphere is strong, it is the game's only standout feature, as the story and gameplay elements often fall short. Overall, the atmosphere is a highlight, reminiscent of other successful horror titles, but it may not be enough to sustain interest throughout the entire experience.
“This game has a very unsettling atmosphere, the story is thought out well and as I'm currently only up to completed chapter 8 I'm really looking forward to the rest. The game has well-placed jump scares and a strong PT vibe that makes it an amazing game.”
“Great game overall, some nice jump scares and a great creepy atmosphere. If you played the PT demo, then you'll see familiarity with this.”
“I can say that so far I think it's a really nice game with some really good jump scares and a creepy atmosphere.”
“What atmosphere the game has early on is quickly lost to the myriad of pixel-hunting puzzles.”
“-atmosphere is unsettling”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and glitchy, leading to a lack of enjoyment. While the atmosphere and occasional jumpscares are appreciated, many feel that the short playtime and poor writing detract from the overall experience. However, a few users believe the gameplay is worth the price, particularly for fans of similar horror titles.
“I definitely got some good scares out of this, and the gameplay, compared to other games I've played in the same price range, was worth it.”
“The gameplay is PT inspired, so you will walk through the same hallways with a few changes to them over and over, but as mentioned, I think this is worth it for the price.”
“There's just over an hour and a half of gameplay here, and while the atmosphere created at times is pretty good and creepy, and there are a couple of effective jumpscares, overall the game falls flat, with poor writing and a predictable ending.”
“Very glitchy game.. did not enjoy the gameplay at all.”
“Sidenote: I'm usually not the person to say a game costing $10 should provide 10 hours of gameplay, but $10 for a 2-hour game seems grotesque to me.”
- humor3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely seen as unintentional, with laughable monster designs and an absurd chase sequence that lacks tension, leading to moments that are more comedic than frightening. The game's ending, which attempts to inject humor into a horror context, further emphasizes this mismatch, eliciting laughter rather than fear.
“The wrap-up at the end of the game had me laughing out loud, which is a surprising twist for any horror game.”
“FYI, the monster can't actually kill you, so the 'chase sequence' is absurdly hilarious.”
“The monster sprites are laughable and not funny at all.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
“The humor tries too hard and ends up being cringeworthy.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences significant stability issues, particularly in the later levels, where players encounter bugs that obscure gameplay and affect visual elements, leading to frustrating restarts. Additionally, the lack of engaging puzzles and persistent graphical glitches detract from the overall experience.
“In the later levels, it became buggy. I had to restart because I couldn't see where I was going; some bug put blood spatters all over my screen. This was fixed after a restart, but then the ending itself was bugged!”
“Pretty boring without any puzzles and several glitches in graphics.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious and not particularly enjoyable, viewing it as a time-consuming activity that can occupy a few hours but does not elevate the overall experience of the game.
“A bit tedious, not my favorite game from Deceptive Games, but something to do for a couple of hours.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became boring.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its creepiness and excellent quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere alongside good graphics and a smooth framerate.
“The music in this game is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the eerie atmosphere.”
“I was blown away by the soundtrack; it adds so much depth to the gameplay experience.”
“The combination of excellent music and immersive sound design really elevates the overall feel of the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the game features a compelling story and an unsettling atmosphere that keeps players engaged, there are concerns about its replayability, as some players feel that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it without additional content like DLC.
“The game has a very unsettling atmosphere and a well-thought-out story, but once completed, there's no replayability factor, which makes me hesitant to keep it installed.”
“While the game offers a strong experience with good jump scares, the lack of replayability after finishing the story is disappointing.”
“I enjoyed the game, but after completing it, I found that there was no incentive to replay, which diminishes its long-term appeal.”
