The Executioner

About

The Executioner is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Lesser Evil Games and was released on September 25, 2019. It received neutral reviews from players.

In "The Executioner," players assume the role of a morally ambiguous protagonist in a dystopian city, deciding the fates of criminals and negotiating with clients in a tense atmosphere. With a choice-driven narrative and multiple endings, players must balance their morality and make tough decisions that affect the game's outcome. Through various scenarios and character interactions, the game explores themes of justice, power, and consequence in a thought-provoking and immersive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews

story34 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game has a unique and engaging story that immerses players in a dark, atmospheric world.
The writing is evocative and thought-provoking, challenging players with difficult moral choices.
The art style and sound design contribute significantly to the overall experience, enhancing the grim tone of the game.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with saving progress and text displaying in Russian despite language settings.
The English translation is poorly executed, with many grammatical errors and untranslated sections that hinder gameplay.
The game feels unfinished, with only one chapter available and many story arcs left unresolved.

story
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The story of "The Executioner" is a dark and engaging narrative set in a grim medieval world, featuring multiple story arcs and decision-based consequences that shape the player's experience. However, many players note that the game feels incomplete, with unresolved plotlines and significant localization issues, particularly with portions of the text remaining in Russian, which detracts from the overall immersion. While the writing and atmosphere are praised, the game's brevity and technical shortcomings leave it feeling more like an unfinished project than a fully realized story.
- “The story is engaging and really makes you think about the consequences behind your decisions.”
- “A wonderfully crafted story, a grim reflection on the darkest sides of society, a carefully balanced game of choices and consequences, many years of diligent work of an inspired group of creators - the executioner is a rare treat.”
- “I love the concept and the depth of the story; the writers did amazing!”
- “The plot of the game only covers one chapter and it is painfully obvious that the developers intended to have many more chapters after that.”
- “And the worst of all, the promise of an expansive plot is cut short when you suddenly see the credits after a few in-game days.”
- “This is not a complete story; you're paying for an unfinished project.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The gameplay is a mix of unique mechanics centered around an executioner’s role, featuring tough moral choices and resource management, which some players find engrossing. However, issues such as complicated mechanics, bugs, and a reliance on chance-based outcomes detract from the overall experience. While the narrative and atmosphere are praised, the execution of gameplay elements can feel diluted and frustrating at times.
- “That said - its unique gameplay and story are truly engrossing.”
- “The gameplay has elements of combat, resource and character management, but the most interesting part is what the game is about — your executioner job, where you have to interrogate prisoners and make tough choices about their fate, and yours.”
- “This is a unique game that has exciting torture mechanics combined with a great narrative.”
- “Some of the mechanics feel too complicated.”
- “The gameplay is 'diluted' by the plot component and the right to choose, which affects the course of the game.”
- “What a piece of shit, there is barely any gameplay in it, the text is boring and detailed in a wrong way, and of course there is this bug that didn't let me continue the game after I left.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, gritty, and immersive qualities, enhanced by strong descriptive language, evocative music, and striking visuals. However, technical issues such as bugs, grammar errors, and untranslated text detract from the overall experience, leaving some players frustrated despite the compelling narrative and atmospheric depth. Overall, while the game successfully creates a haunting ambiance, its execution is marred by significant flaws.
- “This is a short, atmospheric RPG that is mostly text-based.”
- “Choices guide you to build your character - but whatever you choose, the story is quality, atmospheric, and brutal.”
- “The accompanying illustrations are also sharp, distinctive, and quite befitting the grim atmosphere and your brutal duty.”
- “As much as I hate to leave the game a negative review as it has some great descriptive language with a brutally gritty and somber atmosphere, in the end I can't leave a positive review of a game that has eaten my saves twice now, has had a habit of double posting text, has some pretty glaring English grammar/typo problems, and finally there is also the case of the game producing screens with no text resulting in a forced reload (which requires you to start a new game sometimes).”
- “The dark atmosphere around the game world may be shaped by the vile reality or by the protagonist's twisted mind.”
- “I would love to recommend this game for its atmosphere and concept, unfortunately the game is riddled with game-breaking bugs, typos, and even untranslated sections at progression points.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
25%
19%
The graphics of the game are described as having a unique and grim art style that effectively sets a haunting mood, complemented by good use of color and illustrations. While the visuals are praised for their quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, some players noted a lack of animations and real-time visuals, suggesting that much of the experience relies on the imagination and emotional impact of the text. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's immersive and unsettling atmosphere, though they may not appeal to everyone due to the graphic nature of the content.
- “The setting is utterly unique (and severely depressing), the writing is gripping, the mood set thanks to sound, music, and graphics is excellent (and again: very depressing) and the choices you have to make are hard and really matter in terms of what comes next driving the replayability through the roof.”
- “The visuals are great, sound and voice acting good, and the overall concept is unique and grim.”
- “The artwork and atmosphere of this game are amazing.”
- “Somehow the game is legitimately terrifying; it could use more visuals and animations, and the translations mess up but very rarely.”
- “What it doesn't have: real-time fights, visuals, isometric action, and animation.”
- “Though here it's mostly your imagination and feelings from text, not visuals.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the unique and often depressing atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to complement the artwork and narrative effectively. While some describe the soundtrack as somewhat generic, it is generally regarded as high quality and fitting for the game's tone, contributing significantly to the overall experience. The combination of ambient sounds, voice narration, and music creates a vivid storytelling environment that adds depth and replayability.
- “The setting is utterly unique (and severely depressing), the writing is gripping, the mood set thanks to sound, music, and graphics is excellent (and again: very depressing) and the choices you have to make are hard and really matter in terms of what comes next, driving the replayability through the roof.”
- “I love the voice narration and music.”
- “It really paints a vivid story, and the music fits in perfectly with the artwork to add even more flavor.”
- “The music is adding to a depressing atmosphere.”
- “The music is a bit on the generic side, although it is well-matched to the setting.”
- “So for now, the only thing I can actually recommend about this game is the soundtrack.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers high replayability due to its unique setting, impactful choices, and engaging writing, encouraging players to explore different paths. However, minor bugs and the lack of a save/load option can hinder the experience, making some playthroughs feel time-consuming. Overall, players are excited to revisit the game to see how various decisions affect the outcome.
- “The setting is utterly unique (and severely depressing), the writing is gripping, the mood set thanks to sound, music, and graphics is excellent (and again: very depressing) and the choices you have to make are hard and really matter in terms of what comes next, driving the replayability through the roof.”
- “The game has a lot of replay value depending on how you combine items and what choices you make early on.”
- “Also fun when you load a save and interrupt your character going back home, as you're stuck and can't do anything; lots of minor bugs that negatively affect replayability.”
- “The game has a lot of replay value depending on how you combine items and what choices you make early on, but the RNG and the aforementioned problem of the lack of a save/load option makes different playthroughs time-consuming.”
- “Definitely a lot of replayability, and I'm excited to see how each 'path' plays out.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes, crashes, and numerous bugs in translations and text options. While the game has interesting elements, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, making it difficult to fully engage with the content.
- “The translation occasionally feels very buggy.”
- “What I got was a mess of broken localizations, freezes, and crashes.”
- “"Raise the stakes" options seem to not do anything at all, but even in the text options, glitches are aplenty and incredibly noticeable. The funny thing is the "report a bug" option suffers from this, and I couldn't understand it.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever concept of playing as a medieval executioner, which users find both brilliant and amusing. However, some players note that the execution of this humor is marred by noticeable glitches, particularly in the text options, which detracts from the overall comedic experience.
- “Really, this concept of playing as a medieval executioner is so brilliant on its own, and the execution (yes, I am very funny and witty) of it is very impressive, even more so when you take into account this is Lesser Evil's first game (that I am aware of).”
- “The 'raise the stakes' options seem to not do anything at all, but even in the text options, glitches are aplenty and incredibly noticeable. The funny thing is that what I'm going to assume is the 'report a bug' option suffers from this, and I couldn't understand.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of *The Executioner* has been criticized, particularly in the English version, with users noting significant issues that detract from the overall experience. There are calls for improvements in quality of life features and general performance adjustments.
- “The executioner fell a little flat in execution, at least in the English version, but there are definitely optimization problems and quality of life features that could use serious adjustments.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization issues that hinder the overall experience.”
- “Performance drops and long loading times make it hard to enjoy the game as intended.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally challenging, largely due to its complexity beyond a traditional visual novel format, which adds depth to the emotional experience.
- “Still, it’s a hard game to get through emotionally, and that’s mostly because the game isn’t a pure visual novel.”