Stage Fright
- February 1, 2018
- mauriciojuliano
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Stage Fright" is a single-player rhythm-horror game where you play as a piano prodigy plagued by musical performance anxiety, manifested as a ghost girl named Hannah. The game uses Guitar-Hero-style beatmatching mechanics, and the horror elements intensify as you perform better. Experience procedural horror, 7 original songs, and a haunting story, with the option to play on a computer keyboard or MIDI controller. The game aims to hinder your success as you face your stage fright.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of rhythm and horror elements, creating an interesting concept.
- Gameplay is fun and challenging, especially for those experienced with rhythm games.
- The visual effects and audio distortions add a layer of tension and engagement during gameplay.
- The game has a limited number of songs, which can lead to boredom quickly.
- The story is vague and lacks depth, leaving players unsatisfied with the narrative.
- Difficulty spikes significantly, making it frustrating for less experienced players to progress.
- music22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the quality of the songs but criticizing the limited selection of only seven tracks, which can lead to quick monotony. The difficulty spikes significantly after the first song, making it challenging for less experienced players to progress, and there are calls for additional songs and modes to enhance replayability. Overall, while the music is enjoyable, the lack of variety and clarity in gameplay mechanics detracts from the experience.
“The songs are great, if you can get to the good parts.”
“Additionally, maybe have a concert mode where you play a few songs continuously.”
“And maybe a mode for someone who just wants to enjoy the songs like a jukebox.”
“However, the game has limited songs available, so it may get boring quickly.”
“With there only being seven songs, four in story and three in arcade, the difficulty after the first song is absolutely brutal to the point where, as an amateur, although experienced with other music games, I find that I can't complete more than the first two songs of the story and the first in arcade.”
“The second of the three arcade songs is particularly ludicrous for anyone starting out.”
- story10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story in the game is largely criticized for being vague and minimal, with only four songs dedicated to the narrative, leaving players feeling unsatisfied. Many reviewers noted that the storytelling is fragmented and lacks depth, making it difficult to engage with the plot. Additionally, the final song in story mode is reported to be broken, further detracting from the overall experience.
“With there only being the seven songs, four in story and three in arcade, the difficulty after the first song is absolutely brutal to the point where, as an amateur, although experienced with other music games, I find that I can't complete more than the first two songs of the story, and the first in arcade.”
“The story is shown to you in bits and pieces before, during, and after the song.”
“The story was very vague and non-existent.”
“There were only 4 story-related songs, and even then there wasn't much story.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Gameplay is engaging and fun, with a gradual increase in difficulty that keeps players challenged. However, some mechanics, such as lingering echoes of notes, can lead to frustrating moments that disrupt the flow and may render the game unplayable for some. Overall, the combination of visual and audio distortions adds a unique layer to the experience.
“The scary elements are relatively standard, but I appreciate how they challenge you by distorting the screen and using static audio. I haven't completed it yet due to the difficulty, but I find the main gameplay really fun.”
“Gameplay is easy in the beginning but can quickly become more challenging.”
“The effects are interesting, but there's one particular mechanic that makes the game frustrating. When you successfully play a note, an echo of that note remains and then falls off the board, causing you to 'miss,' which breaks your combos and leads to a loss.”
“Gameplay is easy in the beginning but can quickly get harder.”
“There is one particular mechanic that makes the game unplayable in my opinion: when you successfully play a note, an echo of the note you have to play remains and then plummets off the board, causing you to 'miss', which breaks your combos and pushes you towards a loss.”
