The Scourge | Tai Ương

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 223 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Scourge | Tai Ương Game Cover
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"The Scourge | Tai Ương" is a first-person horror puzzle game set in 1990s Saigon, Vietnam. The protagonist, trapped in nightmares due to past tragedies, must confront his sorrows and defeat a sinister supernatural force in his dreams and reality. Players will need to solve intricate puzzles, explore new areas, and prepare for a final showdown in a rundown apartment during an unnamed epidemic.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 223 reviews
story34 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating storyline that deeply resonates with Vietnamese culture, making it a unique experience for players.
  • The graphics and sound design are impressive, contributing to a haunting atmosphere that enhances the horror elements.
  • Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke nostalgia and connect with personal experiences related to Vietnamese folklore and traditions.
  • The game is currently incomplete, with only 60% of the story available, leaving players wanting more content.
  • Some players have reported performance issues, including lag and bugs that can disrupt the gameplay experience.
  • Certain gameplay mechanics, such as repetitive segments and predictable scares, have been criticized for detracting from the overall horror experience.
  • story90 mentions

    The game's story has received praise for its meaningful and engaging narrative, deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture and folklore, which resonates with players, particularly those familiar with the themes. While some players find the storytelling compelling and immersive, others note that the plot can be predictable and that the game is currently only 60% complete, leaving room for further development. Overall, the combination of a tragic storyline, intriguing puzzles, and atmospheric elements creates a captivating experience, though some players express a desire for more focus on character-driven narratives rather than environmental horror.

    • “The engaging storyline, combined with challenging puzzles, kept me hooked throughout the entire playthrough.”
    • “With a tragic storyline, sharp graphics, and haunting sound design, Tai Uong has been and continues to assert its position in the horror game genre, making it the perfect choice for those who love suspense and are eager to explore the mysteries of Vietnamese culture.”
    • “As a horror fan, I appreciate the storytelling and how well it's intertwined with Vietnamese culture and folklore, which I admittedly know very little about.”
    • “However, the story is still paper-thin; you could summarize it in under three minutes without even playing.”
    • “So, despite the improved graphics, great sound design, and smoother gameplay, I still wouldn’t recommend The Scourge | Tai Uong to friends due to its shallow plot, poor dialogue, and a few remaining graphic bugs (notably during the dad chase mission).”
    • “But the plot is predictable, and some dialogues are painfully bad, even in Vietnamese.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of "tai ương" have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising their sharpness, attention to detail, and overall beauty, particularly for an indie game. Players noted the visuals as breathtaking and immersive, effectively enhancing the game's tragic storyline and cultural themes. However, some critiques mentioned optimization issues and minor graphical bugs that detracted from the experience.

    • “With a tragic storyline, sharp graphics, and haunting sound design, Tai Ơng has been and continues to assert its position in the horror game genre, making it the perfect choice for those who love suspense and are eager to explore the mysteries of Vietnamese culture.”
    • “Amazing graphics and an interesting story will take you on a memorable ride.”
    • “The graphics, story, stage designs, all feel amazing.”
    • “The graphics are decent compared to the overall standard.”
    • “Is an 7/10 but for the graphics frame drop is 5/10.”
    • “Storytelling is cool but not detailed as it should be; the attention to detail is good but needs to work on those paper-like elements for the player to read. I thought it was a graphics setting, but no matter if I set it to high or low, I still can't read the words on the door and those debt payment papers.”
  • gameplay21 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its polish and variety, incorporating puzzle elements, chase scenes, and a meaningful story, despite some familiarity with typical indie horror mechanics. While the movement has improved and feels distinct, some players found the gameplay sluggish and occasionally convoluted, with lingering issues like shallow plot and graphic bugs. Overall, the experience is engaging, but opinions vary on its depth and execution.

    • “Excellent gameplay with a meaningful story.”
    • “Overall, the art, sound design, game design, and gameplay are very well made, and I am very impressed with this development team and can't wait to finish the game and play more games that they release!”
    • “Overall, the gameplay is quite varied; it's not just about puzzles but also features chase scenes and hide-and-seek moments.”
    • “The gameplay is sluggish—everything feels like it’s in slow motion, as if the main character is dealing with chronic sciatica. The graphics are photo-realistic, so no complaints there.”
    • “The gameplay doesn’t steer far from the usual indie horror experience.”
    • “Despite the improved graphics and sound, I still cannot recommend The Scourge to my friends due to the shallow storyline, poor dialogue, and some persistent graphical glitches.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of "The Scourge | Tai Ơng" is widely praised for its dark, haunting quality that effectively immerses players in a uniquely Vietnamese horror experience. Reviewers highlight the creative storytelling through radio broadcasts and the absence of cheap jump scares, which enhances the overall ambiance. The combination of sound, graphics, and cultural elements contributes to a deeply engaging and unsettling atmosphere that resonates with players familiar with local ghost stories and urban legends.

    • “The scourge | tai ương is an excellent Vietnamese horror game that successfully creates a dark and haunting atmosphere.”
    • “The way the plot unfolds through radio broadcasts is particularly intriguing; it creates a unique atmosphere and allows players to engage with the story in a dynamic way.”
    • “It made me feel both comfortable, as I was immersed in an everyday atmosphere despite playing a game, and haunted when I imagined that the world around me could be just as terrifying.”
    • “The game doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, which adds to the overall atmosphere.”
    • “Being Vietnamese, I love playing in the Vietnamese settings and horror atmosphere. Growing up here, I guess every Vietnamese is used to being told a lot of ghost stories or urban legends.”
    • “The Scourge | Tai Ơng is an excellent Vietnamese horror game that successfully creates a dark and haunting atmosphere.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant frame drops and performance issues, particularly on certain hardware configurations. While some users noted improvements in frame rates, particularly in stable conditions, critical areas still suffer from severe drops, indicating that further optimization is needed. Players hope for future updates to address these performance concerns and enhance the overall experience.

    • “The FPS has improved, now holding steady around 50–60 FPS, though it still drops significantly to 15 FPS when entering the water puppet room (guess the water effects aren’t fully optimized yet).”
    • “Never heard of (fixed some frame drop issues while auto-saving, improved performance).”
    • “Good game overall, the voice acting skill is peak performance, use of southern accent is very accurate, I hear some of the western accent as well, the northern and the curator of the radio is good, deep dark voice, expression is good enough to hook me trying to hear all of it.”
    • “One problem I encountered when playing is that this game is a little bit unoptimized. I have several frame drops (i5 10400 and Arc 770). I think the game has been compressed a lot. Hopefully, in later updates, they will fix the performance issues and complete the storyline.”
    • “Pretty bad optimization; light leaks sometimes, back culls can be seen, and bugs can be annoying or straight up ruin the experience. There might be some issues with LODs and quality settings, and it seems like depth of field can't be turned off.”
    • “The performance optimization is quite bad.”
  • music4 mentions

    The game's soundtrack is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with melodies that evoke an eerie and haunting feeling. However, some players find the absence of the main theme song on popular streaming platforms frustrating, and the inclusion of Vietnamese dubstep in the menu music feels mismatched for a horror setting. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the game's experience, there are notable inconsistencies in its thematic alignment.

    • “Very good game and crazy good soundtrack.”
    • “Not to mention the songs used throughout, their melodies perfectly match the game, adding an eerie, haunting quality with a hint of sorrow.”
    • “The Vietnamese dubstep menu music is wildly out of place for a horror game, giving more of an awkward action vibe.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding in the game to be tedious and at times unpleasant, particularly noting a specific section that requires excessive repetition. While some aspects of the game, such as puzzles and visuals, are praised, the grinding experience detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “Having to do that section 4 times was very tedious and made it unpleasant to get through.”
    • “I do have to say that there is one part which I did think was a little too tedious near the end of the game, but other than that one part (I don't want to spoil anything), the game had interesting puzzles and visuals.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game effectively blends engaging puzzles with a heart-wrenching story, creating an emotional experience that immerses players in a relatable yet haunting atmosphere. This duality evokes feelings of comfort and unease, leaving a lasting impact.

    • “The puzzles were great, and the story itself was heart-wrenching.”
    • “It made me feel both comfortable, as I was immersed in an everyday atmosphere despite playing a game, and haunted when I imagined that the world around me could be just as terrifying.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The early access version of the game exhibits some glitches, but overall, players find it enjoyable. It's important to note that the story is only 60% complete, with additional chapters still to come.

    • “I play the early access version, so it has some glitches, but besides that, the game is good. Just so you know, the story is only 60% complete, so you need to wait for chapters 3 and 4.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its clever references, though the storytelling lacks detail. While the puzzles are simple yet effective, players have expressed frustration with the accuracy of English subtitles and readability of in-game text, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The humor in the game is spot on, with clever references that keep you chuckling throughout the experience.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates funny elements into the storytelling, making even the simplest puzzles enjoyable.”
    • “The witty dialogue and humorous situations add a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it a memorable experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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