The 7th Circle: Endless Nightmare
- September 10, 2018
- 68k Studios
Get on SteamIn "The 7th Circle: Endless Nightmare," players descend into a hellish underworld filled with demonic enemies and traps. Armed with an array of weapons, they must fight to survive and uncover the truth behind their descent. With permadeath and procedural generation, each run is a challenging new nightmare.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and dark atmosphere with impressive monster design and artwork.
- It offers a compelling permadeath mechanic that allows players to carry over bonuses and improve their characters in subsequent runs.
- Fans of dungeon crawlers will appreciate the depth of mechanics and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games from the 90s.
- The combat system is often described as boring, repetitive, and lacking in strategy, leading to a grindy experience.
- Frequent loading screens disrupt the flow of gameplay, making navigation and combat feel cumbersome.
- The game suffers from a lack of variety in enemy types and level design, which can lead to a monotonous experience.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of depth and simplicity, featuring a variety of mechanics such as permadeath and skill improvement, which add complexity but can also lead to repetitive experiences. While the game offers a unique atmosphere and solid audio design, many players find the combat and overall pacing to become monotonous over time. Despite its interesting ideas and aesthetic appeal, the gameplay may not resonate with everyone, leaving some feeling that it lacks engagement and variety.
“The game has a great aesthetic and a fun improve-skills-as-you-use-them character building system, but what really sets it apart from other games of the genre is its permadeath/metaprogression mechanic.”
“Very moody, dark and hard dungeon crawler with quite unique setting, gameplay mechanics, and art; wish there were more varied locations though.”
“The mechanics of the game are unorthodox enough to be refreshing, but not so wild that it's off-putting.”
“The gameplay is boring, repetitive; it's a very simple slogfest of going through the same combat moves over and over again.”
“Unfortunately, past a certain point, gameplay starts to feel a little samey.”
“It has a lot of mechanics and complexity, but in action, it all feels shallow and random.”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story is set in a unique and dark environment, exploring the fragmented subconscious of an insane man after a suicide attempt, which intrigues players with its mystery. However, many reviewers feel that the narrative is often disconnected from the gameplay, with limited storytelling elements and unclear plot points, particularly in the early stages. While the themes of death, growth, and alter egos show potential, the overall execution leaves some players wanting more clarity and depth.
“The setting and plot are unique--you play as fragments of an insane man's subconscious as he lies delirious in a pool of his own blood after a suicide attempt.”
“There's enough story and mystery to pique your interest, and the pursuit of the next little bit of narration to try and figure out what's going on is always a good hook.”
“"Story" was nicely dark and brooding!”
“The 'story' feels unrelated to the gameplay.”
“The story is a bit scant early on, with only two narrative drops I've found thus far in the first level, but it's a roguelike, so that's kind of to be expected.”
“No NPCs, no actually understandable story.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a compelling horror aesthetic, featuring lush and grisly visuals that enhance the atmosphere. While the overall dungeon design lacks variety, the standout elements are the unique monster designs and artwork, which contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The game has a great aesthetic and a fun improve-skills-as-you-use-them character building system, but what really sets it apart from other games of the genre is its permadeath/metaprogression mechanic.”
“7th Circle is a dungeon crawler with a lush and grisly aesthetic.”
“But where the game really shines is the monster design and artwork.”
“The dungeon itself is also not particularly varied in its graphics or architecture.”
“7th Circle is a dungeon crawler with a lush/grisly aesthetic.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with higher difficulty levels merely prolonging battles rather than increasing their challenge. The need to farm resources and the option to create specialized characters for grinding further contribute to the perception of the game as "incredibly grindy." Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment and flow of gameplay.
“Opting to play on higher difficulty levels doesn't help much as its major effect is to draw out battles and make them more tedious than actually harder.”
“Incredibly grindy.”
“Really grindy - permadeath with buying improvements for next runs.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its psychological horror elements, stunning custom art, and detailed creature designs, creating a macabre yet immersive experience. The understated soundtrack and solid audio design further enhance the overall ambiance, although occasional loading screens can momentarily disrupt the immersion. Overall, it is considered one of the best dungeon-crawl experiences due to its captivating atmosphere and gameplay.
“All of its custom art is gorgeous and horrific, and it has a cool understated atmospheric soundtrack, good audio design, and solid gameplay to back that up.”
“I especially like its macabre atmosphere and fantastic art and creature designs.”
“I was amazed at the level of detail that has gone into building this system... from its creepy atmosphere to the mathematically perfected battle system, this is the best dungeon-crawl experience I've had in a very long time.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
“Despite the potential for a rich setting, the atmosphere is dull and fails to evoke any real sense of tension or fear.”
“The game tries to create a spooky atmosphere, but it ends up feeling more cliché than chilling.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by an eerie and atmospheric soundtrack that complements its grotesque and brutal art style, appealing to fans of horror and metal. Reviewers appreciate the solid audio design, which enhances the overall gameplay experience.
“All of its custom art is gorgeous and horrific, and it has a cool understated atmospheric soundtrack, good audio design, and solid gameplay to back that up.”
“I personally like the eerie music, and grotesque creature and environment designs.”
“The monster art is grotesque and brutal, perfect for any horror game/movie or metal music fan like myself.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack feels out of place and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
“The audio quality is poor, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally considered mediocre, with reports of long loading times that feel excessive for its size. While some players can enjoy the experience if they can get it to run smoothly and tolerate minor UI issues, the overall performance may not meet expectations for all users.
“If you relish the grind, and if you can get your game to run smoothly, and if you don't mind a bit of UI jank, this is a good title.”
“The game has quite mediocre optimization; sometimes it takes a long time to load.”
“In terms of cons, the optimization is quite mediocre; sometimes the game takes a long time to load.”
“The optimization is a bit quirky; it takes too long to load for a small game, but that's just my opinion.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the potential for chaotic interactions in local co-op or versus modes, where players could engage in amusingly frustrating scenarios, such as griefing newcomers in challenging environments. Overall, the game's difficulty adds to the comedic tension, making for a potentially entertaining experience.
“The humor in this game is top-notch! The witty dialogue and hilarious situations had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously. The absurd scenarios and quirky characters keep the experience light and fun.”
“The comedic timing in the cutscenes is perfect, making even the most challenging moments enjoyable with a good laugh.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is noted for its engaging design, which captivates players and enhances their connection to the characters.
“The character development is incredibly immersive, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
“The depth of character backstories adds layers to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game appears to be closely tied to its art direction and promotional materials, suggesting that players may encounter a dark and potentially unsettling experience that aligns with the game's overall aesthetic.
