The Light Remake

About

"The Light Remake" is a psychological horror puzzle game where players navigate through a mysterious world using light and shadow manipulation. The game features a unique art style and atmospheric environments that create a haunting and immersive experience. Players must solve intricate puzzles and uncover the truth behind the bizarre occurrences happening in the game's eerie setting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 488 reviews

atmosphere108 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a haunting atmosphere that effectively conveys a sense of desolation and loneliness.
The sound design and music are exceptional, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the game's eerie environment.
The narrative, while simple, delivers a powerful anti-war message that resonates with players, making it a thought-provoking experience.

The movement speed is frustratingly slow, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and pacing of the game.
The English translations are often poor, making it difficult to fully grasp the story and context, which can lead to confusion.
Some puzzles are unintuitive and can lead to excessive backtracking, causing frustration for players trying to progress.

atmosphere
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
25%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, enhanced by stunning visuals and sound design that evoke a sense of solitude and mystery. Many players appreciate the haunting ambiance, which effectively complements the exploration-focused gameplay, despite some criticism regarding gameplay mechanics and pacing. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, making it a compelling experience for fans of atmospheric walking simulators.
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and the music is decent and helps carry the feel.”
- “A beautifully crafted game with a stunningly gloomy atmosphere and some bombastic imagery.”
- “The visuals and audio are gorgeous and provide a very thick atmosphere and I love it.”
- “Gameplay is plain boring, atmosphere is okay.”
- “But it still lacks any atmosphere, any real depth.”
- “Too bad, game and atmosphere looked interesting.”
story
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The game's story revolves around the devastating impact of war, conveyed through environmental storytelling and scattered notes, which some players found engaging while others deemed it vague and lacking depth. The atmosphere is described as haunting and immersive, effectively enhancing the narrative experience, though the overall execution may leave some players feeling confused or unsatisfied. Despite its brevity and reliance on exploration, many reviewers appreciate the thought-provoking themes and emotional resonance, particularly in a post-apocalyptic setting.
- “Rather, I thought the important part of this story was the clear message that all war does is kill off people who had nothing to do with anything, and that there is always the risk of it completely devastating the world.”
- “The story is amazing and scary and really makes you think about what we have done to this world.”
- “Since the game is so short, I will not explain much, but the emotions it manages to convey along with its visual storytelling makes this a great experience I would recommend to a lot of people - people that like to soak in atmosphere and enjoy pieces of art that stay with you long after the credits roll.”
- “The story was okay and a bit bland and only told through writings on the walls and notes left.”
- “You could miss most of the story and be left wondering what happened if you didn’t actively search out the notes.”
- “Story might seem 'deep' for some people but the game doesn't even tell the story, it is just there.”
graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
27%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their haunting beauty and impressive detail, particularly for a low-budget indie title. Many players noted the atmospheric visuals and effective sound design, which together create an immersive experience. However, some critiques mentioned issues like reused props and minor graphical glitches, but these were often overshadowed by the overall aesthetic appeal and engaging atmosphere.
- “The graphics and atmosphere were good, and I had no issues with the game's performance running on the Steam Deck.”
- “The visuals and audio are gorgeous and provide a very thick atmosphere, and I love it.”
- “An interesting walking simulator with great graphics and a compelling atmosphere.”
- “Bad story, bad puzzles, bad camera, bad English, and mediocre graphics.”
- “Some graphics (sprites) like 'Maslow pyramid' render wrong in 4K resolution.”
- “From the original release in 2012 to today, all of the language files should have been replaced along with all the dated graphics.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
32%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its haunting and immersive qualities that complement the visuals and gameplay. The soundtrack effectively contributes to the emotional experience, creating a sense of tension and solitude, particularly in claustrophobic settings like the underground bunker. Overall, the sound design is considered top-notch, making it a standout feature that elevates the game's overall impact.
- “A short, mellow walking simulator with incredible music that has you explore a brutalist Soviet building, abandoned and overgrown, destroyed by nuclear war.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and the music is decent and helps carry the feel.”
- “The soundtrack is okay, for the most part.”
- “The sound track enhances the feeling of being alone and, in the bunker, the sounds increased my sense of stress and panic as I kept circling in the dark.”
- “While the graphics were nice, the game really impressed me with its sound design and music.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
83%
10%
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and interaction, with players walking around and collecting items to progress, which some find enjoyable while others consider it simplistic and boring. The atmosphere is praised, but many reviews highlight issues with puzzle mechanics, lack of clear interaction cues, and a short overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about the game's depth and complexity. Overall, it appeals to fans of slow-paced gameplay and atmospheric experiences, but may frustrate those seeking more engaging mechanics.
- “The actual gameplay of walking around, interacting with stuff, and using a couple of permanent items you find was fun.”
- “Not a lot to say besides that I really enjoyed it, and it felt like the perfect length considering the size of the map and the fairly basic puzzle mechanics.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay works just fine.”
- “Gameplay is plain boring; the atmosphere is okay.”
- “Overly complicated and counter-intuitive puzzles, lots of backtracking, and mechanics that don't match the developer's ambitions.”
- “I was looking forward to this game because the trailer and gameplay videos looked like it could be my cup of tea, but I am really disappointed.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and good graphics on high settings, others criticize inconvenient mouse controls and issues like save resets. There are calls for improved performance, particularly from those using Unity, indicating that optimization could be enhanced in future updates.
- “The graphics and atmosphere were good, and I had no issues with the game's performance running on the Steam Deck.”
- “I did not encounter any performance issues or crashes like other people (I play on extra-ultra settings); either way, the game is really good. Can't wait to see the next version in 2020 or 2021.”
- “Inconvenient mouse control, unoptimized, expensive, resets saves after restart.”
- “I believe Unity can deliver better performance.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, often requiring guides to locate overlooked items. While some appreciate the detailed world and enjoy exploring, the overall experience can feel laborious, detracting from the plot's engagement.
- “Super tedious though in terms of running around finding things; I ended up using a guide for some items that I overlooked.”
- “But, the plot is not engaging; honestly, I tried to get to the end, but it seemed very tedious. I passed on the guidebooks and would not have made it without them.”
- “I normally don't go out of my way to collect tedious achievements, but I just love walking through this world and looking at the detail!”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by a lack of personal stories and flashbacks that could deepen players' connections to the setting. Additionally, poor translation of the English text detracts from the narrative's emotional impact, with some messages left untranslated, further diminishing the overall experience.
- “The game features an emotional story that deeply resonates with players.”
- “Including more small personal stories or flashbacks from the people who lived there would enhance the emotional connection to the building and its past.”
- “The narrative's emotional weight is significantly impacted by the poor translation of the English text, which detracts from the overall experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players report that the game exhibits good stability, with only a few minor issues noted and no major bugs or glitches encountered during initial playthroughs.