THE DESCENT
- January 5, 2024
- Celeritas Games
Get on Steam"The Descent" is a first-person psychological horror walking simulator set in the haunted Rockwell Mine. As an investigator, delve into the mine's chilling past, documenting your investigation through a camera to unravel the mysteries of its numerous accidents and disappearances. Evade the terrifying dangers lurking within while experiencing the harsh realities of a miner's life. Immerse yourself in this atmospheric, short horror game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a well-crafted atmosphere with impressive sound design that enhances the horror experience.
- It offers a good mix of subtle scares and effective jump scares, keeping players engaged throughout the journey.
- The game has a substantial story that is revealed through collectibles and notes, adding to its replayability.
- The game relies heavily on jump scares, which can feel excessive and detract from the overall immersion.
- Navigation can be frustrating due to backtracking and the inability to return to previously missed collectibles.
- The AI voice narration takes away from the immersion, and some players found the story to be clichéd and predictable.
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, enhanced by effective audio and visual elements that create a haunting experience. Players appreciate the blend of suspense and jump scares, noting that the environment feels authentic and deeply engaging. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature.
“The combination of the scares along with the audio effects creates a good horror atmosphere throughout the entire journey.”
“However, it shines in crafting a chilling atmosphere that fully absorbs players into its eerie environment.”
“This game oozes atmosphere and is quite creepy too, and of course, some jump scares.”
“Way too much to create a subtle atmosphere.”
“This game has a very, very high potential in terms of atmosphere, sound, and tension.”
“The atmosphere of the mine was like real; it reminds me of when I used to go in a real mine before.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is substantial for its length, centering on a journalist investigating a mining facility through notes and documents, which creates an intriguing backstory. However, the reliance on AI narration and a formulaic paranormal plot filled with predictable jump scares detracts from the overall experience, making it feel clichéd for seasoned horror gamers. While the atmosphere and lore are appreciated, the storytelling ultimately falls short of originality.
“The story of the game is pretty substantial considering the length of the game.”
“You are playing as a journalist investigator and mainly you follow the story through papers, notes, and posts left around the mining facility and in the tunnels of the Rockwell mine.”
“The backstory of the forsaken mine ignites intrigue and leaves players yearning for further exploration.”
“I have to say, it's a shame that the narration of the story is based on an AI voice.”
“Was really promising at first, but it all got ruined by an unnecessary amount of jumpscares, running back and forth looking for triggers, and then it became a cliché paranormal demon summoning story.”
“It's passable, but let's be honest here: if you play a lot of horror games, it's pretty much just a trigger/jumpscare and keys/note reading game with a basic storyline you've likely played before.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are generally praised as good to superb, especially when settings are maximized, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere. However, some users have reported issues with graphics settings not saving and v-sync/frame rate limiter malfunctions, which may be related to running the game on Linux with Proton. Despite these bugs, the developers are noted for their responsiveness in addressing issues.
“The atmosphere, audio, and visuals (I'm running everything on max) are superb.”
“The graphics are good, and the soundtrack and sound effects complement the gameplay.”
“The graphics are okay, and the sound is great.”
“Some bugs with the graphics settings not sticking to what you set them at, and v-sync on/off and frame rate limiter does not seem to work at all. There are also a bug or two in the game, but the developer does seem to listen and fixes bugs quite quickly.”
“Graphics settings and v-sync/frame limiter might be a Proton issue and not the game.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration, with limited mechanics involving walking and interacting with objects, such as photographing ghost sightings. While the experience is described as spooky and enjoyable, it lacks depth in terms of gameplay variety.
“The gameplay is spooky and fun, with a decent story that keeps you engaged.”
“The camera mechanic is interesting, as it is used specifically for photographing ghost sightings.”
“The game primarily involves walking and interacting with objects, which adds a unique simplicity to the experience.”
“The camera mechanic was only needed for photographing ghost sightings of a girl and not for the documents that were present in the mines.”
“There are no game mechanics other than walking, picking up items, and using them in their designated places.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the effort invested in the game, noting that the inclusion of collectibles and achievements enhances its replayability, encouraging them to revisit the game for a more complete experience.
“It's nice to see the amount of effort put into this game, and the way they implemented collectibles and achievements actually gives it a nice amount of replayability.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is considered heavy but generally playable, with many users noting that it runs smoothly at 60 frames per second, contributing to a positive experience despite its imperfections.
“The optimization of the game is lacking; it feels very heavy and struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate.”
“Despite being in a playable state, the game's optimization leaves much to be desired, resulting in occasional performance issues.”
“The game runs at 60 frames per second, which feels good, but overall optimization is still a significant concern.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are well-received, enhancing the overall gameplay experience and complementing the graphics effectively.
“The graphics are good, and the soundtrack and sound effects complement the gameplay.”
“The music perfectly sets the mood and enhances the overall gaming experience.”
“I love how the soundtrack evolves with the gameplay, making each moment feel unique.”
