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Find yourself on a mission exploring the depth of an ominous forgotten mine. You arrive barehanded but quickly find the tools needed to go deeper. Destroy the infected living parts of the mine and face the final threat and complete your mission.

The Pulse of Evil screenshot
The Pulse of Evil screenshot

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 282 reviews
gameplay32 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions

  • The game features a unique and engaging inventory management system that adds tension and strategy to gameplay.
  • It's a short but enjoyable experience, with many players appreciating its free availability and solid mechanics.
  • The atmosphere and graphics are well-received, contributing to a fun and immersive horror experience.
  • The game lacks depth in story and lore, leaving players wanting more context and narrative.
  • Some players found the inventory management cumbersome and the lack of a pause function during inventory use frustrating.
  • The game is very short, leading to a feeling that it could benefit from more content and replayability.
  • gameplay
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by a unique and challenging inventory management system that players find both frustrating and rewarding, enhancing the survival horror experience. Combat mechanics are solid, and the game features a variety of enemies and a novel death mechanic that adds depth to the gameplay. While the game is relatively short, it offers replayability and a gritty visual style that keeps players engaged.

    • “It has solid combat mechanics and a very nice, gritty visual style.”
    • “Game overall has some decent production values, a good variety of enemies that threaten you in clever ways, a novel death mechanic where you respawn as a new person following the previous run's footsteps, and even a boss fight to top it all off.”
    • “I loved the mechanics in this game; at first I was confused because of the difference between its inventory system and other games - but it wasn't long before I began to master it and really enjoy it.”
    • “A fun little survival horror where the gameplay is frantically trying to cram items into your pockets while monsters harass you.”
    • “To get right to what I mean, the core mechanic is inventory management and it is the most horrendous inventory mechanic I've ever used, which works really well for this game.”
    • “I feel like it'd be great to have the player be able to dodge when the inventory isn't insanely full, with a stamina and encumbrance mechanic.”
  • graphics
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are praised for their retro style, effectively contributing to a horror atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. While some players suggest that vector graphics could improve the clarity of inventory items, the overall aesthetic and unique inventory system are well-received, making the game visually appealing and engaging.

    • “I love it! The pulse of evil hits the spot I needed; the graphics make the game feel more horror than most up-to-date horror games. I love the gameplay, and the inventory system makes you feel like you're on edge.”
    • “Graphics, atmosphere, and music are all great, and the inventory system is simple yet lots of fun!”
    • “The game features nice pixel graphics and a bumpin' soundtrack.”
    • “Since the art style is so simple, the dev could've used vectors/mesh instead of those pixel sprites for the rotating items inside the inventory.”
    • “That would mean no rotated pixels in the game's screen with the largest resolution visuals.”
    • “Graphics: retro”
  • atmosphere
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging and stress-inducing qualities, enhanced by classic pixel art and effective music. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a terrifying and immersive world, although some note the lack of a save function as a drawback. Overall, the combination of graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics contributes to a memorable and replayable experience.

    • “Atmosphere is fantastic; classic pixel art will never go out of style for me <3.”
    • “Very atmospheric horror game with some interesting inventory concepts that keep you on your toes while dealing with whatever is down that mine.”
    • “A simple top-down shooter with an interesting death mechanic and a small yet terrifying and stressful world, with a stress-inducing atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a significant emotional deficit in the baby due to a lack of genuine human interaction and nurturing environments, which stunts emotional growth and empathetic understanding. While intellectual stimulation is present, it is overshadowed by the absence of relationships that foster emotional development, leading to a struggle in forming a well-rounded sense of self. The contrasting experiences of being raised by mercenaries suggest that while adventurous bonds can form, they often come at the expense of stability and emotional nurturing.

    • “Though such connections might be tempered by the violent nature of their profession, the bonds forged could provide a foundation for emotional growth and resilience.”
    • “The intellectual potential within the giant brain may be vast, yet a lack of genuine human connection limits the baby's emotional and social growth.”
    • “Similarly, the adventurous and communal aspects of being raised by mercenaries may propagate lasting emotional bonds, but at the cost of stability, nurturing, and a well-rounded education.”
  • story
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is perceived as lacking depth and variety, with players expressing a desire for more lore and narrative elements to enhance the experience. While some found the gameplay enjoyable, the absence of a compelling story and replayability detracted from its overall appeal. Overall, the consensus is that the game could benefit significantly from a richer narrative framework.

    • “Short and sweet, a little confused about the story but I had fun overall. It's free and you should play it.”
    • “Maybe throw in upgrades, allies, and all that because honestly, if this game had the time and variety, story, and replay loop, I would pre-order and spend a good chunk of money to support that.”
    • “I just wish there was more story and/or lore here.”
    • “The game didn't have any story/lore to piece together either, nor a combat model that's satisfying or deep enough to replay for itself, ala Dead Space or Resident Evil 4.”
    • “Go in, complete the mission or die and get replaced.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it fun and atmospheric with achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs, others criticize the lack of randomization and interesting modifiers, leading to a perception of limited replay value. The short playtime and a boring map further detract from the potential for replayability, making it feel less engaging over time.

    • “Fun, atmospheric and replayable.”
    • “Fun trying to find secrets and hunting for the achievements, which adds some replayability.”
    • “Learning this was a bit of a double-whammy in that not only is the map boring, but it means that my assumed replayability of the game by switching elements up is practically non-existent (which I was hoping would offset the short playtime).”
    • “As mentioned above, not only did the game not have enough randomization to generate replayability and offset the short run time, but it didn't have any interesting modifiers or difficulties.”
    • “A couple of achievements to add replayability and challenge, and it's free.”
  • music
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received high praise for its creative use of synths and overall quality, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as "dope" and "bumpin'," enhancing the overall experience alongside the graphics and gameplay.

    • “The soundtrack is really something as well.”
    • “I love the creative use of synths in the soundtrack, very tasteful.”
    • “The game features nice pixel graphics and a bumpin' soundtrack.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as progression relies on repeated runs after death, with the challenge of retrieving lost inventory from distant locations adding to the frustration.

    • “Progression after death is achieved through successive runs, with the dead player’s inventory left where they dropped it, which can be tedious if the player died far from the start.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, particularly highlighting the amusing moments during the boss fight and the unexpected humor of a baby character at the end. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch that enhances the gaming experience.

    • “Amazing, loved getting all the achievements and I loved the boss fight too, and the baby at the end. I don't know why, but it was kind of funny.”

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