The Corridor: On Behalf Of The Dead
- August 30, 2018
- DesktopDaydreams
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Corridor: On Behalf of the Dead" is a sci-fi horror game set in a dystopian future, where law enforcement invades criminals' minds to uncover their guilt. As a Custodian, you must enter the mind of a suspected killer and face horrors buried deep within their psyche. With a disturbing atmosphere, survival and exploration based gameplay, and a nonlinear narrative, you must solve puzzles, collect evidence, and make choices that will determine the outcome of your mission. Be careful, your cohesion must be replenished to survive and uncover the truth.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a unique atmosphere and intriguing sci-fi horror elements that keep players engaged.
- The puzzles are clever and require attention to detail, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- The developers have shown dedication by addressing bugs and improving the game post-launch, indicating a commitment to quality.
- The story lacks clarity and cohesion, making it difficult for players to stay engaged or understand the plot.
- There are several game-breaking bugs and design flaws, such as an awkward save system and pixel-hunting mechanics.
- The game ends on a 'to be continued' note, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and questioning the value of the experience.
- story20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story is set in a totalitarian future, focusing on themes of dehumanization and memory exploration, but many players found it cryptic and difficult to follow, leading to a lack of engagement with the plot. While some appreciated the atmospheric storytelling and environmental details that enrich the narrative, others felt the main storyline was insufficiently compelling to motivate further exploration for hidden endings. Overall, the narrative complexity and ambiguity received mixed reactions, with some players enjoying the intrigue while others found it frustratingly unclear.
“The story takes place in a totalitarian future where people are treated like numbers.”
“The story is markedly cryptic but it gives you just enough to keep you intrigued, and there's at least some amount of an effort to tie things off in a neat enough ending.”
“Much of the lore and backstory are told by some great environmental storytelling, from children’s letters scattered on the floor, flowers left with a toy car, and the ‘something’ in the vents that feeds on a body and drags it out of sight!”
“That was really the best I got from the whole experience as I lost the trail of the plot about halfway through.”
“But the baseline story did not capture my attention enough for me to go back and 100% the game just to get the full picture.”
“The plot and lore in this release is quite complex, and at times downright undecipherable, and as such I personally cannot elaborate more on the story.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique "cohesion" mechanic that enhances immersion by linking the player’s mind to the narrative, allowing for exploration of memories and puzzle-solving. While some mechanics, like the save system using "anchors," are criticized for being immersion-breaking, the overall design reflects a thoughtful integration of story and gameplay. The game successfully creates a dystopian atmosphere, although some players feel certain mechanics do not align well with the genre.
“There are some interesting mechanics I haven’t seen a lot of horror games do, such as the anchor and the cohesion system, which is a welcome break from the sanity meters.”
“The cohesion system is a very interesting mechanic in my view, as it grounds you as the player rather than just being a series of places to explore. The cohesion depleting away with the teletype reminder made me feel very aware that my mind was carrying out an investigation while my body was tethered to machinery in the real world.”
“Gameplay is broken up into exploring memories of a suspected murderer while piecing together evidence and solving puzzles.”
“Some mechanics, though they fitted thematically, I don't think they quite worked out mechanically given the genre.”
“The save system is also somewhat of a weird one, where one must use a device called an 'anchor' in any location that's deemed as safe; after saving once, the anchor starts a cooldown process before it can be picked up, and subsequently before the player can continue on with their gameplay.”
“Both mechanics are completely immersion breaking, and are not felt as a welcomed addition to this title.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its immersive and oppressive atmosphere, effectively creating a creepy and dystopian world that captivates players. Reviewers highlight the attention to detail and the combination of sci-fi and horror elements, which enhance the overall experience. While some note that it shares similarities with other titles in the genre, the atmosphere remains a standout feature that keeps players engaged and eager to explore further.
“It builds up and maintains a real creepy atmosphere in a depressing dystopian world which I just absolutely loved.”
“I really enjoyed playing this game, there is so much attention to detail and the atmosphere is incredible!”
“This game is so atmospheric and spooky as hell; I played it in the dark with my headphones on and felt totally immersed.”
“The corridor: on behalf of the dead is a story-based sci-fi/horror game that focuses mostly on setting a strong unsettling atmosphere while adding sci-fi elements around it.”
“The atmosphere of the game is extremely brooding and oppressive; without the constant nagging of the aforementioned cohesion system, this release would end up being deeply immersive.”
“The corridor is an admirable game (I'd even say a thematically 'smart' game), and it gets a lot of the oppressive (and straight-up weird) atmosphere of a future dystopia correct.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised as stunning and top-notch, especially for an indie title, enhancing the overall creepy atmosphere. Recent updates have also improved the visuals and added more content, further elevating the graphical experience.
“Really good game with stunning graphics.”
“For an indie game, I thought the graphics were top-notch, which just made everything even more creepy.”
“The game is now finished with lots more content and many graphical fixes!”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game significantly enhances immersion, with a dark ambient soundtrack that effectively conveys a mechanical, lifeless, dystopian atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful use of sound, noting that it avoids overwhelming players with jumpscares, instead complementing the game's eerie vibe during critical moments.
“Immersion is great and the soundtrack contributes a lot to that.”
“The game did a wonderful job of not bombarding me with jumpscares accompanied by a soundtrack screaming in my ear, as many steam horror games tend to do.”
“What the developer did well is instill the sense of a mechanical, lifeless, dystopian world; a vibe which is aided by the dark ambient soundtrack that makes itself known in key areas.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it easy to tune out during gameplay.”
“While the ambient soundtrack fits the theme, it often feels too subdued and fails to enhance the overall experience.”
“The sound effects overshadow the music, leaving it feeling like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the cohesion system to be a compelling mechanic that enhances emotional engagement by grounding them in the narrative, creating a sense of awareness and connection between their character's investigation and their own reality. The depletion of cohesion serves as a poignant reminder of the stakes involved, deepening the player's emotional investment in the experience.
“The cohesion system is a very interesting mechanic, as it grounds you as the player rather than just being a series of places to explore. The cohesion depleting away with the teletype reminder made me feel very aware that my mind was carrying out an investigation while my body was tethered to machinery in the real world.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates decent stability, with users reporting some minor bugs that can be frustrating but are not game-breaking. Issues such as level restarts and inventory glitches have been noted, yet they do not significantly detract from the overall gameplay experience.
“I encountered some irritating (but not game-breaking) bugs; a few hours of my game time were spent restarting levels and trying to sort out inventory issues. Besides my particular glitches, the game looks and plays overall fine.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it difficult to progress without losing progress.”
“I experienced several stability issues, including random freezes and lag spikes that disrupted my gameplay.”
