The Land of Pain
- September 13, 2017
- Alessandro Guzzo
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"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
Reviews
- Stunning graphics and atmosphere that effectively create a sense of dread.
- Engaging Lovecraftian story that unfolds through notes and journal entries.
- Solid sound design that enhances the horror experience.
- Excessive backtracking and tedious fetch quests that disrupt the pacing.
- The monster encounters can be frustrating and feel more annoying than scary.
- The ending feels rushed and does not provide a satisfying conclusion to the story.
- story214 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its Lovecraftian themes and eerie atmosphere, while others criticize it for being simplistic and delivered primarily through scattered notes. Some found the narrative engaging and filled with intriguing twists, while others felt it was predictable and lacked depth, often leading to a disappointing conclusion. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight for some, but many agree that it suffers from repetitive gameplay and a lack of substantial character development.
“This has a dark and creepy story to it, and as you go, you unlock the secrets and backstory to what the hell is going on.”
“The story is rich and truly captivating.”
“The atmosphere was oppressive and stressful (in a good way), and the story was lovecraftian and really interesting.”
“Unfortunately, the story is mediocre; there are way too few things to learn and explore, and the walking back and forth, collecting item A to open door A, then collecting item B to open door B, etc., gets tedious.”
“The story is mainly told through scattered pages, and it didn't really manage to make me interested in what happened.”
“The horror atmosphere/immersion in this game is outstanding, but the recurring monster chases are tedious and the story is only average.”
- atmosphere127 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Land of Pain" is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, enhanced by strong sound design and visually stunning environments. Many players appreciate the game's ability to create tension and a sense of dread without relying heavily on jump scares, although some note that the atmosphere can falter due to gameplay issues and pacing. Overall, the game is recognized as a compelling atmospheric horror experience, particularly appealing to fans of Lovecraftian themes.
“The atmosphere is outstanding: dark, foreboding, and enhanced by amazing sound.”
“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.”
“The land of pain is creative, atmospheric, beautiful, tense, and ultimately one of the best Lovecraftian indie games I've ever played.”
“I was drawn in by the initial atmosphere and mystery, but that mostly died the moment I saw the first monster.”
“The atmosphere of horror quickly dissolves into boring.”
“The atmosphere is kind of creepy at first, but the beauty is quickly drowned out by frustration of a lack of design.”
- graphics121 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly when utilizing the CryEngine, which creates immersive and atmospheric environments. Many players noted the beautiful landscapes and effective use of lighting, although some mentioned inconsistencies and minor graphical glitches. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
“Absolutely astonishing graphics as well, very very well done.”
“The graphics were fantastic with a good attention to detail to build terrifying environments.”
“The land of pain features beautiful graphics on the CryEngine and gorgeous detail.”
“The usual puzzles, 2002 style visuals, a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and a comically rendered bad guy.”
“The graphics are mostly pretty, but many set-pieces feel really out of place and are an eyesore.”
“Honestly, I don't feel the graphics have held up well.”
- gameplay89 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this title is largely characterized as a basic walking simulator with a focus on fetch quests and simple puzzles, often leading to tedious backtracking and a lack of engaging mechanics. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, many players find the gameplay frustrating and repetitive, with some noting that it fails to stand out in the horror genre. Overall, it appeals to those who appreciate exploration and ambiance over deep gameplay mechanics.
“Lovely visuals, seamless traversal, and smooth gameplay characterize this title.”
“The gameplay feels good, really good.”
“Gameplay is familiar to other horror games, with that being you explore and solve basic puzzles to progress, all the while conscious that you are defenseless and that something is watching you and may wish you harm.”
“Great atmosphere wasted by poor gameplay and walking simulation.”
“The gameplay itself is very bare-bones and simple, based on 'fetch quests', so don't expect a puzzle-solving bonanza.”
“So very boring--the land of pain is a horror-themed walking simulator with tons of backtracking and only fetch quests for gameplay.”
- music28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the eerie atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its ability to create tension and a sense of dread without relying on jump scares. The soundtrack is described as creepy and well-timed, effectively complementing the game's visuals and sound design to immerse players in a spooky experience. However, some criticism exists regarding the lack of variety in audio and occasional muffled sound quality.
“The game has a scary atmosphere without jump scares and with a good soundtrack in the background that helps the atmosphere.”
“The music and sounds are used perfectly to force the player to be on edge before anything scary even happens.”
“This game has great ambient music to boost its already unsettling atmosphere.”
“Abusing the high-pitch build-up music and the slow-motion movement right before entering a scary door is absolutely disgusting.”
“There really isn't any notable audio; the only one is the relaxing song in the intro, but other than that, there are some generic sounds and screams.”
“Upon hearing that dreaded sound, my first instinct is to find cover and hide, but with cautious stealth play often rewarded with an unfair death, the use of stealth became increasingly frustrating, ultimately forcing me to sprint in any direction until the terrifying music ceased torturing me.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often involving excessive backtracking and uninspired puzzles that detract from the experience. While the horror atmosphere is praised, many reviewers feel that the gameplay quickly becomes a chore, leading to frustration and disengagement. Despite some enjoyable moments, the lack of variety and engaging mechanics contributes to a sense of monotony that hampers the overall enjoyment.
“The gameplay is tedious and boring.”
“Painfully tedious to actually play.”
“The exploration and puzzle solving become tedious very quickly; it feels more like a chore than a game almost immediately.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally criticized, with users reporting various bugs, glitches, and unpatched issues even three years post-release. While some players experienced no significant problems during gameplay, others noted frustrating graphical glitches and a buggy user interface that detracted from the overall experience.
“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.”
“Including a lot of graphic glitches.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and performs well at max settings with over 60fps, users have reported significant optimization issues, including invisible geometry and overheating problems even with advanced cooling systems. Overall, the graphics and sound quality are generally good, but inconsistencies detract from the experience.
“Runs smoothly on Steam Deck.”
“But overall the graphics, simple control scheme, and overall performance look awesome.”
“I played the game on max settings at 1080p (Full HD) and was mostly playing at +60fps, which adds to a solid performance.”
“Numerous optimization errors, including invisible geometry and render limit panes easily found where they should be.”
“Poorly optimized game, it overheats my CPU and GPU while I have water cooling and AC on.”
“☐ unoptimized”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often unintentional, with players finding the sound design amusing and the Cthulhu imagery both funny and out of place. Many moments that were intended to be frightening instead elicited laughter due to their poor execution and amateurish monster design, leading to a lighthearted experience despite the game's horror elements.
“I found myself even laughing at some points; they were so silly.”
“The one thing that happened that was supposed to frighten me just made me laugh because it was done so poorly.”
“The monster is also hilariously amateur in appearance.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players noted that the emotional aspect of the game fostered a sense of progress and exploration, which contributed to a feeling of achievement. However, this sense of advancement detracted from the horror experience, leading some to feel it lacked the intensity typically associated with the genre.
“It really made me feel like I was making progress and getting somewhere, exploring new areas.”
“This was what made me feel that it was not a real horror game!”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is well-received, with users appreciating the fair pricing set by a single developer, especially in contrast to the prevalent microtransactions and costly DLCs in the industry. Support for independent developers is encouraged.
“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
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative 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 through it multiple times.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies available.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in; the side quests are repetitive and uninspired.”
“While the game is enjoyable the first time, subsequent playthroughs reveal its shallow mechanics and predictable outcomes.”
