The Curse of Elmwood
- July 20, 2024
- STuNT
Get on Steam"The Curse of Elmwood" is an atmospheric horror game where you investigate an old mansion rumored to be haunted by ghosts and under a powerful curse. You must explore the dark and damp corridors, uncover secrets of the mansion's past owners, and survive the chilling whispers and supernatural occurrences as you spend the night in the Elmwood Mansion. The game promises a thrilling and nerve-wracking experience as you delve deeper into the mansion's mysteries.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a well-developed atmosphere that immerses players in a hauntingly beautiful world.
- The puzzles are intriguing and varied, providing a challenge that can be rewarding for players who enjoy problem-solving.
- The game has a captivating storyline with potential for depth, appealing to fans of atmospheric horror.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, making it difficult to run on medium settings even on capable hardware.
- There is a lack of clear direction in the gameplay, leading to frustration as players struggle to progress without guidance on puzzles or item usage.
- Numerous bugs and technical issues, such as inventory problems and unresponsive controls, detract from the overall experience.
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and ability to create a strong atmospheric experience, particularly in the context of an old mansion setting. While some players noted that many rooms appear similar, the overall visual quality and smooth performance, even on lower settings, contribute to an engaging horror experience. The use of the Unreal Engine enhances the graphics, providing various settings to cater to different player preferences.
“Don't get me wrong, the game looks amazing and runs smoothly on the lowest graphics settings.”
“Cozy atmospheric horror with excellent graphics and interesting riddles.”
“Excellent graphics and sound create a unique feeling of tension.”
“Doesn’t fit the aesthetic at all.”
“It's based on UE engine and has a bunch of graphic settings including a 30 fps lock (my preferred option).”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive depiction of an old, mysterious mansion, enhanced by excellent graphics and a cozy yet eerie ambiance. Players appreciate the chilling environment that effectively evokes feelings of suspense and intrigue, making it a standout choice for fans of atmospheric horror. Overall, the game successfully captures the essence of a haunted setting filled with secrets and puzzles.
“The atmosphere of an ancient mansion, immersed in mysteries and horrors, captures from the first minutes.”
“Cozy atmospheric horror with excellent graphics and interesting riddles.”
“This horror has a really well-developed atmosphere of an old mansion; I really liked the graphics, and the gameplay is standard for this genre.”
“Horror game with a dark atmosphere where you explore a cursed mansion, solving puzzles and uncovering its secrets.”
- music6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized as the worst ever experienced by players, described as annoying and reminiscent of low-quality 8-bit soundtracks. Users report that the volume controls are ineffective, forcing them to endure the music at full volume, and some have resorted to muting the game entirely to avoid the unpleasant audio experience.
“I had to play the game on mute with headphones listening to my own midnight jazz music.”
“The worst music I think I’ve ever heard in a game.”
“The music is extremely annoying, with few randomly shifting pieces that have the quality of 8-bit Nintendo game sound, and (maybe the scariest part of the game) - the volume controls are not working!”
“You have to listen to the annoying music at full volume all the time!”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story has potential but often leaves players confused, requiring external help to progress. While the narrative features intriguing puzzles and an interesting ghost story, the lack of backstory and context can make the experience feel disjointed and overly reliant on guesswork. Players hope for future improvements to enhance the story and provide clearer clues.
“The storyline is well-crafted, offering intriguing puzzles that weave seamlessly into the narrative.”
“There is a bit of an interesting ghost story.”
“The story of the game had so much potential to be great, but I was left more confused than anything.”
“You ought to be one smart cookie if you're going to beat this game by yourself; I had to look up some solutions. I hope to see some optimization and more substance to the story and clues to the puzzles in the future, as it just feels like a guessing game at this point.”
“Without any backstory or introduction, you are thrown into a reddish castle or manor with seemingly endless corridors and closed doors.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with players noting that while it runs smoothly on low graphics settings, there are significant issues such as clipping, stuttering, and problematic interactions that hinder gameplay. Many users expressed frustration with visibility and navigation, suggesting that improvements are needed to enhance the overall experience and reduce the reliance on guesswork in puzzles. Overall, while the game shows promise, it requires further optimization to address these concerns.
“The game looks amazing and runs smoothly on the lowest graphics settings.”
“I hope to see some optimization and more sustenance to the story and clues to the puzzles in the future.”
“I spent more time optimizing the settings and trying to find notes and items that I didn't find in the correct order because I had so much trouble seeing due to poor game optimization.”
“You ought to be one smart cookie if you're going to beat this game by yourself. I had to look up some solutions... I hope to see some optimization and more substance to the story and clues to the puzzles in the future, as it just feels like a guessing game at this point.”
“Not bad for a single-person development, but it needs work: clipping, stuttering, doors that push you out of the room and lock you out if you don't enter fast enough.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Curse of Elmwood" is characterized by its standard mechanics for the horror genre, featuring exploration of a large mansion and puzzle-solving elements reminiscent of "Resident Evil." Players appreciate the well-developed atmosphere and graphics, making it appealing to fans of similar gameplay experiences.
“The Curse of Elmwood is similar to Resident Evil in first person and features good graphics. We also walk around a huge mansion and solve riddles; fans of this kind of gameplay should enjoy it.”
“This horror game has a really well-developed atmosphere of an old mansion. I really liked the graphics, and the gameplay is standard for this genre.”
“The gameplay is standard for this genre.”
“Fans of this kind of gameplay should like it.”
