The Council of Hanwell
- March 14, 2018
- Steel Arts
Get on SteamIn "The Council of Hanwell," players wake up in a morgue with no memory, tasked to find "The Doctor" while navigating the horrors of Hanwell's Anomalies and the elite. This linear horror experience explores the locations of Welcome to Hanwell, focusing on environmental storytelling and the town's dark secrets. The Council, originally formed to protect residents from Anomalies, is now entangled in corruption and sinister pursuits.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features impressive graphics and a suitably eerie atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- There are effective jump scares that can provide genuine thrills, making it engaging for horror fans.
- The linear structure of the game improves the pacing and makes the story easier to follow compared to its predecessor.
- The combat system is poorly designed, with unclear hit detection and frustrating mechanics that detract from the gameplay experience.
- A significant drawback is the lack of a save feature, forcing players to restart levels if they quit mid-episode.
- The story is often nonsensical and vague, leaving players confused about the plot and their objectives.
- story19 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally considered vague and nonsensical, with many players finding it hard to follow and lacking depth. While the atmosphere is eerie and the voice acting is decent, the narrative is often described as boring and underdeveloped, relying heavily on notes and recordings for exposition. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the more linear storytelling approach in the latest version, which they feel improves upon the exploration of its predecessor.
“This version gives you all the major story parts and is set up in a more linear experience, but it is a noticeable improvement.”
“In this to-the-point release, players are ushered through the six 'major' locations of Hanwell; it cuts out all of the open-world elements of its predecessor in lieu of a more linear, story-driven focus.”
“There is no plot and it is so boring.”
“The story is also pretty nonsensical and hard to follow, and your motives are bizarre.”
“The story is told entirely through note pick-ups and tape recorder dialogue, with some tidbits given on each loading screen.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised, with many reviewers noting their impressive quality and photorealistic elements, comparable to titles like Resident Evil 7 and Outlast. While the visuals enhance the horror experience, some players expressed frustration over limited graphic settings and the need for manual adjustments to other settings. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“This game offers an acceptable horror experience with impressive graphics and effective jump scares.”
“The most impressive thing about The Council of Hanwell is its graphics, which are deeply enjoyable and border the photorealistic quality seen in Resident Evil 7.”
“This game was an absolute treat; it definitely checks all the boxes I'm looking for in these types of horror survival games. The visuals are really good too.”
“Only graphic settings could be changed, which is unfortunate since I had to manually adjust the sound and mouse sensitivity on my own with software settings.”
“Almost comparable to the graphics in Outlast, but not quite the same.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently described as eerie and intense, effectively enhancing the horror experience with good voice acting and sound design. While some players noted moments of repetitiveness and a nonsensical story, the overall mood remains engaging and immersive, leaving players on the edge of their seats. Despite feeling somewhat unfinished, the atmospheric elements, including music and setting, are praised for their effectiveness.
“They amplify the horrific atmosphere.”
“The story is pretty much nonsensical but the voice acting isn't bad and it has a moody, creepy atmosphere.”
“While the story is a bit nonsensical, the voice acting is decent, and the atmosphere is suitably eerie.”
“At times it becomes a bit repetitive (the constant collection of passcodes in the research facility seemed over-long and boring), but the atmosphere and sound are done well and there were definitely a few times where, even though I didn't necessarily jump out of my seat, I at least got the thrills I was after.”
“While this game is not a triple-A title by any means, it does have an intense atmosphere that will leave you on the edge of your seat.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay primarily revolves around finding keys and codes to unlock doors and safes, but is hindered by poorly designed enemy mechanics that disrupt player movement. While the overall experience is enjoyable, the combat system feels underdeveloped and the reliance on collecting items and passwords can be tedious. Additionally, the flashlight mechanic has been criticized for being frustrating.
“The gameplay involves finding keys or codes and using them to open doors and safes.”
“Gameplay is mostly enjoyable, but all levels require items to be collected and passwords to be gained.”
“The flashlight mechanic adds an interesting layer to the gameplay experience.”
“Oh by the way, those enemies can teleport too, which is not that bad, but their ability to push you away is a very poorly designed game mechanic that impedes gameplay.”
“If there's one thing I hate, it's dumb flashlight mechanics, horror game or not.”
“The gameplay consists of finding keys or codes and using them to open doors and safes.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and effective sound design, contributing to the overall experience, although some players noted that it can be a bit loud. Despite some concerns about the game's unfinished feel, the music enhances the jump scares and adds to the immersive atmosphere.
“The sound design and music are very nice.”
“Game feels a bit unfinished, but still quite atmospheric with good music and voice.”
“Played a little over three hours on the game and enjoyed the jump scares and music.”
“The music is a bit loud, which can be distracting at times.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, making it feel out of place.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have several bugs and game-breaking glitches, impacting overall stability, but some players feel the low price of 79 cents justifies the experience, especially given the playtime of around three hours. Improvements to combat are also suggested as necessary for a better experience.
“It's a bit buggy, but I paid 79 cents for it and got 3 hours out of it.”
“Improve the combat (which is terrible) and fix some of the game-breaking glitches.”
