The Padre

45%
Game Brain Score Based on 14 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
The Padre Game Cover
Taking on the role of demon-hunting, wisecracking priest Alexander and exploring a visually-distinctive voxel mansion is pretty enjoyable. If you can survive the awkward controls and story, it's a cozy, competent creepfest.
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"The Padre" is a 3D horror adventure game with a retro style and dark, striking atmosphere, featuring a witty priest who uses brains and brawns to solve puzzles and fend off monsters. Players must unravel the mysteries of a mansion, their own past, and the eternal fight between good and evil, all while avoiding making the angels cry. The game is known for its wicked humor and challenging puzzles.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

45%
Audience ScoreBased on 14 reviews
atmosphere3 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • The game features great art and music, creating an enjoyable atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror games.
  • It offers a nostalgic experience for fans of 90s adventure games, particularly those who loved 'Alone in the Dark'.
  • The puzzles are challenging and engaging, providing a rewarding sense of accomplishment when solved.
  • The combat system is clunky and frustrating, with poor hit detection and controls that hinder gameplay.
  • There is a lack of directionality and helpful menu descriptors, making navigation and puzzle-solving unnecessarily difficult.
  • The threat of permadeath and unintuitive puzzles can lead to a frustrating experience, causing players to give up quickly.
  • story5 mentions

    The story is centered around the protagonist, a padre, searching for the missing Cardinal Benedictus, and while it is described as simple, it effectively combines an intriguing atmosphere with engaging gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the balance between the story and puzzles, noting that the narrative is interesting without being overwhelming, and is well-integrated with the game's art and mechanics. Overall, the story is seen as both nonsensical and serious, contributing to the game's charm.

    • “I love the atmosphere, and what I could follow of the story.”
    • “I'm not usually into point-and-click games, but this one is so much fun. The story is interesting while not being overbearing, the puzzles are challenging, and the graphics are lovely.”
    • “Top that off with a nonsensical, yet serious story, and I just didn't know what to make of it.”
    • “The story is rather simple at the time of writing; you play as the eponymous padre, on the search for one Cardinal Benedictus who has gone missing.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere is widely praised for effectively capturing the essence of mid-90s survival horror, creating a spooky and immersive experience that hints at a dark backstory within the game's setting. While the creepy ambiance is compelling, some players note that the respawning enemies and plentiful resources diminish the sense of true danger. Overall, the combination of unsettling scenes and engaging storytelling contributes to a captivating atmosphere.

    • “I love the atmosphere, and what I could follow of the story.”
    • “The atmosphere nails that mid-90's survival horror feeling perfectly, though enemies do respawn and drop ammo and health items, so you're never truly up against the wall.”
    • “The scenes are amazing and the atmosphere is spooky; it feels like something bad happened in that mansion. Can't wait to find out what.”
    • “The atmosphere nails that mid-90's survival horror feeling perfectly, though enemies do respawn and drop ammo and health items, so you're never truly up against the wall (especially as the basic zombie enemy is one of the easiest to kill I've ever encountered).”
    • “The scenes are amazing and the atmosphere is spooky; it feels like something bad happened in that mansion. I can't wait to find out what.”
  • graphics4 mentions

    The graphics are generally praised for their appealing art style, with some reviewers noting a blend of voxel aesthetics reminiscent of Minecraft and a unique, whimsical charm. The visuals complement the engaging story and challenging puzzles, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The graphics are lovely.”
    • “Fancy graphics, nice jokes, scary tale :)”
    • “The padre can best be described as Alone in the Dark 1 meets Van Helsing (the book, not the movie/game) with Minecraft (aka voxel) graphics.”
    • “The graphics feel like a mix of Alone in the Dark 1 and Van Helsing (the book, not the movie/game), combined with Minecraft-style voxel graphics.”
    • “The visuals are outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
    • “The character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making the overall experience feel unrefined.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by excellent voice acting and surprising comedic elements, featuring deep references that enhance the experience. Players find the blend of weirdness and creepiness amusing, particularly praising the character Padre for his standout comedic presence.

    • “The voice acting is hilarious in a good way.”
    • “Surprising humorous elements and deep references.”
    • “It's weird, it's funny, it's creepy, and Padre is such a fantastic character.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and artistic execution, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, its integration into gameplay can vary from straightforward to frustrating, depending on the context in which it is used.

    • “I wanted to like this game so much, as the art and music are really well done.”
    • “Wanted to like this game so much, as the art and music are really well done.”
    • “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “While the visuals are stunning, the soundtrack feels uninspired and forgettable.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, including character freezing and glitches that disrupt gameplay. These problems are reminiscent of typical early access titles, suggesting a need for further content updates and control refinements to improve the overall experience.

    • “Suddenly, my character freezes and menacing laughter fills the air as he convulses, giving the enemy the opportunity to come up and land a few good blows.”
    • “This game hangs a lot on the promise of more content and revisions of current controls and glitches, really the same as any early access game.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the knot puzzle to be extremely frustrating, comparable to the piano puzzle from Silent Hill 1, as it requires a specific solution that, once discovered, makes the task significantly easier.

    • “The knot puzzle in particular is right up there with the piano puzzle from Silent Hill 1 for teeth-grinding frustration until you figure out the one way to do it; then it becomes a breeze.”
  • gameplay1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the seamless integration of art, gameplay, and story, highlighting how these elements enhance the overall gaming experience.

    • “I really like how well the art, gameplay, and story are put together.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

60% average critic score

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