The Land of Pain

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 239 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
The Land of Pain Game Cover
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"The Land of Pain" is a first-person horror adventure game that takes players through a dark and mysterious world. The game features a rich and immersive atmosphere, with challenging puzzles and a focus on exploration and story. As the player, you must uncover the secrets of a creepy forest and its haunting inhabitants while avoiding terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 239 reviews
story54 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
  • The story is engaging and incorporates Lovecraftian elements, keeping players intrigued throughout.
  • The sound design effectively builds tension and contributes to the overall immersive experience.
  • The gameplay is often tedious, with excessive backtracking and simple fetch quests that can become frustrating.
  • The monster encounters are not particularly scary or challenging, leading to a lack of genuine fear.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and poor key binding options, which detract from the overall experience.
  • story124 mentions

    The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it captivating and well-integrated into the atmosphere, particularly appreciating its Lovecraftian themes and world-building. However, many others criticize the narrative for being predictable, underdeveloped, or poorly conveyed through scattered notes, leading to a lack of engagement. Overall, while the visuals and ambiance are often praised, the story's execution leaves much to be desired, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The story is rich and truly captivating.”
    • “I absolutely loved it; the lighting and atmosphere were almost perfect, and the story was vague enough to fill in the blanks with your imagination but specific enough to follow, enjoy, and wonder what will happen next!”
    • “The story is engaging, with world-building that quickly moves in directions I doubt anyone would be able to predict, though it does adhere to a familiar Lovecraftian tradition.”
    • “The story is mainly told through scattered pages, and it didn't really manage to make me interested in what happened.”
    • “There were no story beats, no change in the ambiance or mood to increase the tension, no setups or payoffs for scares, no dialogue, no items, no puzzles, no notes, no lore, no nothing.”
    • “Honestly just stopped caring about the story and wanted to finish it instead.”
  • atmosphere92 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its tension, immersive sound design, and visually stunning environments, effectively creating a sense of dread and foreboding. While many players appreciate the atmospheric elements, some feel that the gameplay does not consistently maintain this intensity, with certain moments feeling less engaging or overly reliant on walking simulations. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, particularly for fans of Lovecraftian horror, despite some critiques regarding the pacing and interaction within the game.

    • “Great atmospheric horror game, set in one of the most visually beautiful environments I have played.”
    • “The atmosphere is outstanding: dark, foreboding, and enhanced by amazing sound.”
    • “I absolutely loved it; the lighting and atmosphere were almost perfect, and the story was vague enough to fill in the blanks with your imagination but specific enough to follow, enjoy, and wonder what will happen next!”
    • “The game had a few scares here and there, but the atmosphere never got intense enough to draw me in.”
    • “Unfortunately, this atmosphere cannot be held over the whole game.”
    • “The atmosphere is kind of creepy at first, but the beauty is quickly drowned out by frustration of a lack of design.”
  • graphics78 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively create an immersive experience. While some noted that the gameplay can be repetitive and lacks depth, the overall aesthetic and sound design contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a visually captivating journey. Despite minor inconsistencies, the graphics are considered a standout feature, especially for an indie title, showcasing impressive use of technology like CryEngine.

    • “The graphics are visually very polished and the whole game and atmosphere feels very real.”
    • “The ambience and graphics are exceptional in setting the atmosphere.”
    • “The land of pain features beautiful graphics on the CryEngine and gorgeous detail.”
    • “Honestly, I don't feel the graphics have held up well.”
    • “The usual puzzles, 2002 style visuals, a lot of to-ing and also fro-ing and a comically rendered bad guy.”
    • “I would spend your money on something else; one of the only positives of this game was the graphics.”
  • gameplay59 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized as simplistic and often tedious, primarily revolving around fetch quests and basic puzzle-solving, which some players found unengaging and reminiscent of a walking simulator. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, many reviews highlight that the gameplay lacks depth and originality, making it difficult for the game to stand out in the horror genre. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy exploration and atmospheric experiences but may disappoint players seeking more complex mechanics or engaging gameplay.

    • “A nice short and sweet horror game, I loved the visuals and the simplistic gameplay; it reminded me of Penumbra but without the combat element.”
    • “The gameplay feels good, really good.”
    • “Lovely visuals, seamless traversal, and smooth gameplay characterize this title.”
    • “Great atmosphere wasted by poor gameplay and walking simulation.”
    • “However, the gameplay aspect felt like simply fetch quests (sometimes unnecessary) in order to keep you going throughout the game, with the exception of a few puzzles that made you focus and try to find the solution.”
    • “The gameplay itself is very bare-bones and simple, based on 'fetch quests', so don't expect a puzzle-solving bonanza.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the eerie atmosphere, effectively building tension and creating a sense of dread without relying on jump scares. Reviewers note that the soundtrack and sound design are integral to the game's unsettling experience, with ambient tracks and strategic audio cues that keep players on edge. However, some players mentioned issues with audio quality, such as muffled sounds and a lack of audio options.

    • “The game has a scary atmosphere without jump scares and with a good soundtrack in the background that helps the atmosphere.”
    • “This game has great ambient music to boost its already unsettling atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is quite well executed; it's dark, foreboding, and enhanced by some good music and sound.”
    • “Abusing the high-pitch build-up music and the slow-motion movement right before entering a scary door is absolutely disgusting.”
    • “No audio options - the music sounds muffled.”
    • “The game nails the execution, with its creepy atmosphere and scary music, even if the gameplay and setting can be similar to other horror games and aren't as well executed and polished.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to excessive backtracking and uninspired puzzles. While the horror atmosphere is praised, many reviewers noted that the monster chase sequences and gameplay mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to a decline in engagement over time. Despite some positive elements, the general consensus is that the game suffers from a lack of innovation and can feel empty and disappointing.

    • “It becomes too tedious to want to continue, despite a generous checkpoint system.”
    • “The gameplay is tedious and boring.”
    • “I had fun with this game to begin with but after less than an hour the game became tedious and I was no longer drawn into solving the basic problems.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both unintentional and absurd, with players finding amusement in the silly Cthulhu imagery and the amateurish design of the monster. While the tension of being chased initially captivates, it quickly dissipates, leading to moments of laughter at the game's overall silliness.

    • “I found myself even laughing at some points; they were so silly.”
    • “The monster is also hilariously amateur in appearance.”
    • “The main character does walk kind of funny, though.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and appealing graphics, though some users note inconsistencies in sound and visuals. It runs well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, and the demo effectively showcases the core gameplay experience.

    • “But overall the graphics, simple control scheme, and overall performance look awesome.”
    • “The graphics and sound are all good, if a little inconsistent in places, and the gun runs smoothly.”
    • “I urge any potentially interested person to try the demo; it will give you an idea of the core gameplay and performance.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
    • “Even on high-end hardware, I experience frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
    • “The lack of proper optimization means that loading times are excessively long, and the game often crashes unexpectedly.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by unpatched glitches and bugs, particularly during chase sequences, which detract from the overall experience. While some players still appreciate the atmosphere and recommend the game, the presence of these issues suggests a lack of polish and attention to development.

    • “Next, the game has some weird unpatched glitches—not too many, but the glitches coupled with the unbalanced gameplay with the aforementioned monster are illustrative of sloppy development.”
    • “It's a walking simulator with an enraging monster that kills you randomly. It has an unexceptional Lovecraftian plot that is serviceable, and it has unpatched glitches 3 years after release.”
    • “I have not finished the game as of yet, as the chase portions of the game are slightly buggy for me; however, despite those issues, I still highly recommend this game for the atmosphere.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model is well-received, with users appreciating the fair pricing set by a single developer, emphasizing the importance of supporting independent creators in contrast to the prevalent microtransactions and costly DLCs in the industry.

    • “The price is right, and considering it’s made by a single developer, I highly recommend it. We should support such independent developers in the age of microtransactions, paid mods, and 'horse armor' DLCs.”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, with too many paywalls that hinder the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and seem designed to take advantage of players rather than enhance the experience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users generally agree that the game has significant replay value, encouraging players to return for multiple playthroughs.

    • “Yes, this game has great replay value.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes makes me want to play again and again.”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies available.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back.”
    • “The gameplay becomes repetitive after the first playthrough, diminishing any replay value.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players feel a strong sense of emotional engagement as they experience progress and exploration, which enhances their connection to the game world. This sense of achievement and discovery contributes significantly to the overall emotional impact of the gameplay.

    • “The game truly made me feel like I was making progress and getting somewhere, exploring new areas.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own experiences.”
    • “I felt a strong connection to the characters, and their struggles resonated with my own feelings.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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