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The Executioner

52%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability, stability
52% User Score Based on 282 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCTabletPhoneWindows

About

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.

The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
The Executioner screenshot
+4
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52%
Audience ScoreBased on 282 reviews
story68 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 to a compelling and immersive experience.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with saving and language inconsistencies, making it unplayable for many.
  • The English translation is poorly executed, with frequent grammatical errors and untranslated Russian text, hindering the overall experience.
  • The game feels unfinished, with only one chapter available and many story arcs left unresolved.
  • story
    168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Executioner" is a dark and engaging narrative set in the grim realities of the dark ages, featuring multiple story arcs and decision-based consequences that shape the player's experience. However, the game is criticized for its brevity, unfinished content, and significant localization issues, with much of the text being in Russian, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these flaws, many players appreciate the depth and atmosphere of the story, suggesting it has the potential to be a compelling experience if the developers address the technical shortcomings.

    • “The executioner wears its mission on its sleeve: it’s a visual novel that seems grimly determined to immerse the player into the stark realities of the dark ages.”
    • “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.”
    • “The story is engaging, and really makes you think about the consequences behind your decisions.”
    • “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
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by a unique blend of dark themes, including torture mechanics and tough moral choices, which some players find engrossing. However, many reviews highlight issues such as complicated mechanics, poor translations, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the game offers an intriguing narrative and elements of resource and character management, the reliance on chance-based outcomes can undermine the impact of player choices.

    • “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.”
    • “The most enjoyable moments, so far, are pre-launch text and tutorial: the first one gives you a proper approach to the gameplay (no wrong choices, but all have their results), and the second one isn't a simple 'follow-and-click' but is a part of the story.”
    • “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
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, gritty, and immersive qualities, enhanced by strong descriptive language, music, and visuals that effectively convey a somber tone. However, technical issues such as bugs, grammar errors, and untranslated text detract from the overall experience, leaving some players frustrated despite the compelling atmosphere. Overall, while the game offers a captivating and atmospheric narrative, 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).”
    • “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.”
    • “The dark atmosphere around the game world may be shaped by the vile reality or by the protagonist's twisted mind.”
  • graphics
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics 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 generally praised, some reviewers noted a lack of animations and real-time action, suggesting that much of the experience relies on the player's imagination rather than visual representation. However, the graphic descriptions of torture may be off-putting for some players, making it a polarizing aspect of the game.

    • “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, could do with more visuals/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
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance the unique and often depressing atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its quality and how well it complements the artwork and narrative. While some describe the music as somewhat generic, it is still considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to the overall mood and replayability. The combination of ambient sounds, voice narration, and soundtrack creates a vivid storytelling experience that resonates with players.

    • “The setting is utterly unique, the writing is gripping, and the mood set thanks to sound, music, and graphics is excellent. The choices you have to make are hard and really matter in terms of what comes next, driving the replayability through the roof.”
    • “It really paints a vivid story, and the music fits in perfectly with the artwork to add even more flavor.”
    • “The music and the voice acting are also of high quality.”
    • “The music is a bit on the generic side, although it is well-matched to the setting.”
    • “Music is adding to a depressing atmosphere.”
    • “So for now, the only thing I can actually recommend about this game is the soundtrack.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability due to its unique setting, gripping writing, and impactful choices that significantly affect outcomes. However, minor bugs and the lack of a save/load option can hinder the experience, making different playthroughs time-consuming despite the excitement of exploring various paths. Overall, players are eager to revisit the game to uncover all its possibilities.

    • “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.”
    • “Definitely a lot of replayability, and I'm excited to see how each 'path' plays out.”
    • “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 previously mentioned problem of the lack of a save/load option makes different playthroughs time-consuming.”
    • “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.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent freezes, crashes, and numerous glitches in both translation and text options. Users report that certain features, like the "raise the stakes" option, appear non-functional, contributing to an overall frustrating experience.

    • “What I got was a mess of broken localisations, 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.”
    • “The translation occasionally feels very buggy.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever premise of playing as a medieval executioner, which many find both amusing and well-executed, especially for a debut title. However, some players note that glitches in the text options detract from the experience, even affecting the "report a bug" feature, adding an unintended layer of irony to the humor.

    • “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).”
    • “"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 what I'm going to assume is the "report a bug" option suffers from this, and I couldn't understand.”
    • “Funny..”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally challenging, largely due to its complex narrative structure that goes beyond a traditional visual novel format. This depth contributes to a more intense emotional experience, making it a difficult journey for many.

    • “Still, it’s a hard game to get through emotionally, and that’s mostly because the game isn’t a pure visual novel.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of *The Executioner* has been criticized, particularly in the English version, with users noting significant issues that affect performance and quality of life features that require substantial improvements.

    • “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.”
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2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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