The Complex: Found Footage

The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively capturing the eerie essence of liminal spaces and the backrooms concept. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and isolation through exceptional sound design, realistic graphics, and a focus on atmospheric horror rather than jump scares. While some note the game's short length, many agree that the rich atmosphere alone makes it a compelling experience worth exploring.

The gameplay of the game is primarily characterized as a walking simulator with minimal mechanics, focusing on exploration rather than traditional gameplay elements. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and immersive experience, many criticize the lack of engaging interactions, variety, and objectives, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game excels in visuals and ambiance but falls short in delivering a compelling gameplay experience.

The reviews reflect a divided opinion on the game's story aspect. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and immersive experience of exploring the backrooms without a traditional narrative, others express disappointment over the lack of a coherent story or engaging lore, suggesting that the game would benefit from a more developed plot. Overall, the game is seen as either a successful exploration of eerie environments or a missed opportunity for deeper storytelling.

The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues such as frame drops, stuttering, and high GPU usage, even on high-end systems. While some users experienced no significant problems, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, lacking effective graphics settings and requiring substantial hardware to run smoothly. Many reviewers express hope for future updates to address these optimization concerns.

The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance the unsettling atmosphere, often blending ambient sounds with sparse, eerie melodies that contribute to a sense of dread without relying on traditional jump scares. Reviewers note that while the soundtrack is minimal, it effectively complements the game's psychological horror elements, creating a haunting experience that lingers in the player's mind. Overall, the sound design is considered a standout feature, with many players appreciating its role in building tension and immersing them in the game's eerie environments.

The emotional responses elicited by the game range from anxiety and discomfort to moments of genuine sadness and immersion. Players frequently mention the game's eerie atmosphere, which creates a sense of being watched and provokes feelings of unease, while others highlight its ability to evoke tears and deep emotional connections through its unique environments and sound design. Overall, the game successfully taps into a spectrum of emotions, making it a memorable experience for many players.

The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized, with many players feeling it requires an excessive time commitment, often likening it to needing "a second life" to complete. While some find moments of exploration enjoyable, the overall sentiment is that the grinding becomes tedious and frustrating, detracting from the game's experience. Players express a desire for more engaging content to alleviate the monotony of the grinding process.

Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find limited options due to its linear design and static maps, others appreciate the potential for exploration and different paths. Many agree that the experience is short, typically lasting 30 minutes to an hour, which diminishes replay value, but some still see merit in revisiting the game for its crafted atmosphere and to introduce it to new players. Ultimately, while replayability is not a strong point, there are enough elements to encourage a second playthrough for those interested.

The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the witty personality of the main character that balances the horror elements with lightheartedness. Many found themselves laughing out loud at various moments, appreciating the absurdity and comedic aspects woven into the gameplay. Overall, the game successfully combines funny and scary elements, creating a unique experience that resonates with players.

The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly related to the settings menu and resolution changes. While some players experienced freezing issues that required a restart, others noted that the game runs well overall, albeit with occasional visual and audio distortions reminiscent of a 90s VHS tape. Despite these issues, some players found the experience enjoyable, suggesting that the game can be played without significant concern for stability.

The monetization of the game is criticized as primarily serving as an advertisement for the developers' earlier, abandoned project, "The Complex," which offers more content but is deemed overpriced and resembles an asset-flip Unreal Engine demo.