The Death: Than Trung
- September 14, 2022
- DUT Studio
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"The Death: Than Trung" is a first-person action game set in a mystical world inspired by Vietnamese mythology. Players assume the role of a powerful warrior, Than Trung, tasked with defeating hordes of supernatural enemies and bosses to save the world from destruction. The game features a variety of weapons, abilities, and upgrades to customize playstyles.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a rich Vietnamese cultural atmosphere, with well-designed environments and sound effects that enhance the horror experience.
- The story is engaging and offers multiple endings, encouraging players to explore and piece together the narrative.
- Despite being a debut project from a small indie studio, the game showcases impressive graphics and a commendable effort from the developers.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including crashes and issues with item interactions, which can disrupt gameplay.
- Character movement is slow and cumbersome, making navigation frustrating, especially during tense moments.
- The reliance on jump scares can feel excessive and predictable, detracting from the overall horror experience.
- gameplay120 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Thần Trùng" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its cumbersome interaction mechanics and basic puzzle-solving elements that can feel tedious. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and the incorporation of Vietnamese cultural elements, others criticize the lack of engaging gameplay features, such as chase sequences or AI interactions, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, the game is seen as a decent effort from a small indie studio, but it requires significant improvements in gameplay mechanics to enhance player enjoyment.
“It's atmospheric and fun, with some interesting puzzle mechanics mixed in.”
“Overall, it's worth playing to experience Vietnam's horror game but needs to improve the gameplay.”
“Gameplay is decent compared to other horror games, with puzzle elements that add highlights, a humanistic storyline, and it evokes indescribable emotions.”
“The gameplay of 'Thần Trùng' is the worst part, especially how the character interacts with objects. You have to click to interact and then press 'F' to pick up items, which is overly complicated and made me forget to collect an item, resulting in a bad ending.”
“The core gameplay is basic, if not barebones, as it heavily relies on puzzles. There are no chasers, no hiding in closets, and no AI to outsmart, which leads to a lazy approach to the horror genre.”
“Gameplay is exhausting, with slow movement and puzzle hints that are hard to understand. The mechanics are cumbersome, making the experience frustrating.”
- story86 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its emotional depth and cultural roots, particularly in Vietnamese folklore, while others criticize its pacing and convoluted narrative structure. Many found the plot engaging but noted that it can be difficult to follow without paying close attention to the text and details. Overall, while the story has potential and offers a unique experience, it may not resonate with everyone, especially those unfamiliar with the cultural context.
“This is the best game I have ever played, the plot is amazing!!”
“The story is human and relatable.”
“The story and changing of elements in the environment kept my attention and made it to where I wanted to know more.”
“The game looks good, had a good thing going for it, but you are really slow; main story telling is through walls of text, most jump scares are cutscenes and super easily predictable.”
“I don't really recommend this game unless you really love reading; I skipped all the reading stuff so I barely understood the story.”
“The story is rather convoluted and bombards the player with too much backstory, and the jump scares are more jump than scare.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the artistic style and cultural representation, particularly in relation to Vietnamese themes. While some players find the visuals impressive for an indie title, others criticize the overall quality and animations, suggesting that improvements are needed. Overall, the graphics are generally considered acceptable to good, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and experience.
“The graphics, for a game being made by three people, is fantastic!”
“Excellent graphics quality has made this experience unique and interesting, the game context revolves around urban legends with Vietnamese style.”
“A wonderful game with the best graphics ever.”
“Didn't finish the game yet but I feel dissatisfied with the UI and overall everything (setting and graphics). I hope the devs take more time to learn some horror aspects and more game design before publishing their product. I feel this is somehow rushed. I don't blame them much because this is their first game, so I hope they can improve more in the future.”
“Bad graphics; there aren't any proper animations.”
“The experience for the player is very bad as shown through the character voiceover stage and the graphics and plot in the game.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively enhancing the horror experience through environment design, sound effects, and local cultural elements. While many players appreciate the tension and realism it creates, some criticize the reliance on jump scares and slow movement speed, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully establishes a haunting ambiance that keeps players engaged and curious.
“It's atmospheric and fun, with some interesting puzzle mechanics mixed in.”
“Great spooky concept, almost every jumpscare got me, and the atmosphere can really build up on those jumps.”
“You could tell me I was dying and I would still take that news better than the consistent paranoia this game breeds, whether it's the atmosphere, the ghosts, or the puzzles that make me wonder if there is a reason I failed in high school; it has the wonderful hook of dragging me to play it more to uncover the next chapter.”
“Horror games normally have huge support for atmosphere from the soundtrack, but without a soundtrack and only sound effects, the game soon becomes a tedious slog if you struggle with a certain puzzle.”
“The graphics are quite neat for an indie game, but the cringe voice acting ruins the atmosphere. The character is supposed to have fear or anxiety when facing an unknown force, but he seems calm, as if he just doesn't care, or sometimes sounds forced.”
“This is a walking simulator at its core; there is nothing out to get you, it's just you and the sopping wet atmosphere.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it genuinely hilarious, particularly appreciating the quirky voice acting and comedic elements, even in the face of horror. However, some users feel the humor is overshadowed by bugs and jump scares, leading to a blend of laughter and fright. Overall, while the game has its funny moments, opinions vary on its effectiveness as a comedy.
“What a hilarious game.”
“The most funny game ever!”
“I found myself laughing at a few of the jumpscares because I'd see the models pop into place before they were triggered or disappear in similar fashion.”
- music12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the epic soundtrack that enhances key moments, while others criticize the lack of a consistent score, particularly in horror settings where it can lead to a tedious experience. The eerie ambient music effectively contributes to the creepy atmosphere, and the voice acting is generally well-received, though some find it amusingly inconsistent. Overall, the sound design and soundtrack are highlighted as standout features, with some users giving it a perfect score.
“The ending music is good.”
“Creepy atmosphere throughout, accompanied by eerie ambient music.”
“Really good game, the music, voice, and plot are great.”
“No soundtrack.”
“Horror games normally have huge support for atmosphere from the soundtrack, but without a soundtrack and only sound effects, the game soon becomes a tedious slog if you struggle with a certain puzzle.”
“The music in the game sounds creepy, especially with traditional instrumental.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs, particularly in puzzles and saving mechanics, leading to frustrating experiences. While some users managed to complete the game without issues, the overall consensus indicates that it launched in a buggy state, detracting from the gameplay experience.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
“I've played for hours without encountering any bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I can always rely on it to perform consistently.”
“This is a fine enough puzzle spook game, but the sliding squares puzzle that falls out of the jammed fridge was super buggy for me. Pieces were disappearing and I had to just give up on finishing. It wouldn't cooperate, no matter how many times I reset or reloaded. The saving is less than satisfactory as well; due to the aforementioned bug, I had to play through the entirety of chapter 4 multiple times.”
“At this state, the game is an unplayable buggy mess. I believe most of the positive reviews are fake since it's impossible that a bland horror game like this has as many positive reviews as The Mortuary Assistant.”
“Game is still buggy and I haven't passed chapter 1.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many describing it as painfully slow and monotonous, particularly during backtracking and certain puzzles. The lack of engaging elements, such as a soundtrack, exacerbates the feeling of slogging through the game, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some tedious tasks are designed to auto-complete if players take too long, they still significantly diminish the experience.
“Honestly, the game looks good but is painfully slow and tedious.”
“The backtracking became tedious towards the end.”
“In order to get the 'true ending' of the game, one must find five dolls hidden throughout the title, a process that in itself is pretty tedious and unnecessary.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report an intensely emotional experience with the game, often leading to tears during gameplay and even while watching the trailer. The game's artistry and storytelling resonate deeply, prompting players to replay it multiple times to fully appreciate its emotional depth, making it one of the most impactful experiences they've encountered.
“After playing, I burst into tears because I was so emotional.”
“When I watched the trailer, I cried a lot, from the image of the color gamut to the textures and movements of the characters, like a movie coming out of a hit novel; no, this must be a masterpiece.”
“Created from the hands and brain of a genius, although the trailer is only a few minutes short, it is enough to encapsulate the author's many emotional thoughts.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it features multiple endings, some players feel that the haunted-house format limits replay value, as the experience remains largely the same after the initial playthrough. Overall, it may appeal to those who prioritize story over gameplay variety.
“I think it has multiple endings, which gives it some replayability.”
“No replayability, even with multiple endings, as the game is basically a haunted-house-type scare; meaning you played it once, you played it all.”
“I personally prefer a game with a higher replay value instead of a pure story like this.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some users note that it runs smoothly, frequent crashes during scene changes are a significant issue. Additionally, there are complaints about poor gameplay and story quality, despite the visuals being well-received. Overall, the optimization appears to be inconsistent and problematic for many players.
“The optimization and gameplay are awful; the story is poorly written, but the visuals are fine, though.”
“After many years of ups and downs with the team, despite the delay due to poor performance, the game was played with a ping of 35. The seats were uncomfortable, and the stage lights were a bit dazzling, which contributed to the team's loss.”
