The Corruption Within
- July 24, 2020
- CosmicVoid
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreThe Corruption Within is a psychological thriller first-person point & click adventure game set in the Victorian era, with an emphasis on strong narrative, intriguing characters and puzzle-solving.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a captivating atmosphere with beautiful pixel art and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The story is intriguing, with elements of mystery and horror that keep players invested, and the inclusion of decision points adds a nice touch to the narrative.
- Puzzles are generally fair and not overly difficult, making it accessible for both veteran and new players of the point-and-click genre.
- The game is quite short, typically lasting around 1-3 hours, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Progression can feel linear and sometimes requires clicking on objects multiple times to uncover necessary information, which can be frustrating.
- The writing and plot can be inconsistent, with some players finding the story lacking depth and the characters underdeveloped.
- story142 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing plot and atmospheric setting, particularly in the context of a Victorian-era mystery. However, many found the writing mediocre, the pacing rushed, and the overall narrative lacking depth, with some feeling that it failed to fully embrace its gothic horror potential. While the story engages players with decision points and character secrets, it often leaves them wanting more in terms of complexity and emotional resonance.
“The story takes place in Victorian-era Britain: you play as a father whose family became lost during a trip to the countryside, and the tracks to their disappearance lead to a mysterious mansion inhabited by a wealthy family whose members harbor their own secrets and hidden agendas. The game is in the form of first-person view and uses a simplified interaction system and inventory; graphics have a somewhat limited color palette, nevertheless the screens are well crafted, and the accompanying music is very good.”
“The story is engrossing despite the linearity, although there are five 'decision' points that determine what happens in the epilogue to the main plot resolution.”
“This game is great, the retro pixel art is amazing and the story is fascinating.”
“The story is too boring and rushed to want to read even if the font was more legible.”
“The story is lacking and rather underwhelming, with its reveals being weak at best and painfully obvious at worst.”
“The story was convoluted and not very interesting.”
- music68 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and eerie qualities, enhancing the overall experience with beautiful, immersive soundtracks that fit the Victorian-era theme. Many reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, noting its ability to evoke emotions and complement the game's visuals and narrative effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the strongest aspects of the game, contributing significantly to its ambiance and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures.
“The music is absolutely gorgeous, the art/graphic style has a neat vintage quality, and the whole game has a classic point-and-click adventure game feel.”
“Atmospheric art and an excellent soundtrack, awesome combination and an experience not to miss.”
“The music is wonderful and I loved it - it was extremely atmospheric and fit the time period.”
“While the pixel graphics and the music are fine, the story itself is rather bland, the characters (including the protagonist) are very superficial and do not provoke any emotions, the puzzles are meh, and the game time was (mercifully) less than three hours.”
“On the other hand – art and music are of remarkable quality and something that might make you wish for a longer game, just to savor those a bit more.”
“Horror point-and-click games that are in this style are significantly enhanced by proper use of sound effects and music (see: The Last Door), and this game makes effective use of both.”
- atmosphere64 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful music and enchanting pixel graphics that evoke a nostalgic, Victorian horror vibe. Reviewers note that the atmosphere successfully maintains a sense of suspense and mystery throughout the gameplay, although some feel it could have committed more fully to its darker themes. Overall, the combination of art, sound, and storytelling creates a captivating experience that resonates well with fans of atmospheric adventure games.
“Eerie vibes, wonderful atmosphere, beautiful music.”
“The atmosphere and story are the highlights by far, achieved by good music and fine art.”
“You won't be disappointed giving this one a shot, it just misses the mark a bit for me by not committing wholeheartedly to the dark atmosphere it opens with.”
“Story is linear, as is common for most point-and-click adventures, and it succeeds to maintain the atmosphere of dreadful suspense all the time, culminating in several moments that are downright scary.”
“Depictions of characters got the most of this surrealistic treatment, and it adds to the atmosphere, but the few portraits of what seems to be Kickstarter backers tend to break the immersion, as they usually do in all the games.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes a nostalgic, old-school feel, complemented by a limited but effective color palette. Many reviewers praised the artwork for its beautiful and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the game's eerie narrative and overall experience. However, some noted that the minimal animations and simplistic visuals may not appeal to everyone, suggesting that while the graphics are competent, they may not elevate the gameplay significantly.
“Great point-and-click adventure game featuring beautiful artwork.”
“The music is absolutely gorgeous, the art/graphic style has a neat vintage quality, and the whole game has a classic point-and-click adventure game feel.”
“Visually, the game's art style is stunning and really lends well to the game; audio-wise, it is a joy on the ears!”
“The graphics are pixel art with minimal animations and sound effects.”
“While the pixel graphics and the music are fine, the story itself is rather bland, the characters (including the protagonist) are very superficial and do not provoke any emotions, the puzzles are meh, and the game time was (mercifully) less than three hours.”
“Old-school in both graphics and sentiment, without any of the hip self-awareness that one often encounters in today's retro-styled games.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a simple point-and-click adventure with straightforward puzzles, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth, requiring players to revisit scenes and interact with objects multiple times. While there are decision points that seem impactful, they ultimately lead to only minor narrative variations, contributing to a hollow experience. Overall, players feel that the gameplay does not justify the price, resulting in disappointment.
“There's a good two hours of gameplay here, with fairly straightforward puzzles.”
“- has what at first glance appears to be an interesting decision tree mechanic.”
“Although these decision points have a feel of weight to them during gameplay that makes them feel 'high risk', at the completion of the game these ultimately only lead to a slightly different narration.”
“The story turned out to be pretty hollow and the gameplay fell back to constantly revisiting scenes and reclicking on things until they work.”
“Gameplay-wise, it's both a simple point-and-click adventure game, but there were three issues I had that just made it a miserable experience.”
“Good music, acceptable design, repetitive gameplay, and a lackluster story.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with multiple users noting that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
“Beyond that, sadly there's not much replayability.”
“zero replayability”
“zero replayability”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a surprisingly wholesome experience, allowing players to engage with various personalities despite the serious subject matter of murder. However, the brevity of the adventure leaves some players wanting more depth in their emotional connections. Overall, it is deemed suitable for younger audiences while still providing a meaningful narrative.
“Surprisingly wholesome for a mystery game involving murder; I think younger audiences could play this as well despite the subject matter.”
“Within the limited timespan, it works well enough for you to form opinions about different personalities, creating a wholesome experience overall, though you can't help but notice how brief this adventure is.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently praise the game's optimization, noting that it features easy controls and runs smoothly without performance issues.
“The game features easy controls, and it runs smoothly.”
“The game features easy controls, and it runs smoothly.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that while the character design is well-executed, there is no significant mention of character development, suggesting that the depth and growth of characters may be lacking in the game.
