The Story of Henry Bishop

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 127 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
The Story of Henry Bishop Game Cover
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"The Story of Henry Bishop" is a narrative-driven game where you play as Henry, a real estate agent in the 1970s. When a mysterious client, Mr. Johnson, shows interest in an old mansion in Maine with a dark history, Henry is drawn into a series of unsettling events that change his life forever. As Henry, you will uncover the terrifying truth behind the house and confront your deepest fears.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews
story15 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game has a creepy atmosphere and decent graphics, providing a nostalgic horror experience reminiscent of classic titles.
  • Despite its flaws, the game offers a fun and engaging experience with puzzles and a story that keeps players invested.
  • The developer's effort is commendable, especially considering it's a solo project, and the game is priced affordably.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes, poor optimization, and clunky controls, particularly with door interactions and combat mechanics.
  • Voice acting and dialogue are subpar, often detracting from the overall experience due to awkward delivery and translation issues.
  • The story lacks depth and coherence, leaving players confused about the plot and character motivations.
  • story80 mentions

    The story of "The Story of Henry Bishop" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it fun and engaging, while others criticize its lack of originality and coherence. Although the game features two endings and a captivating atmosphere, many reviewers noted issues with voice acting and grammatical errors, which detracted from the overall experience. Ultimately, while the narrative offers some intriguing moments, it is often seen as predictable and poorly executed, making it a passable entry in the horror genre rather than a standout title.

    • “The story is captivating (although some things are hard to relate to).”
    • “The story of Henry Bishop is a psychological thriller; you will find yourself in the shoes of the main character, exploring the old mansion and learning the horrible secret of the family that disappeared without a trace in the house.”
    • “The story for what the game costs is extremely compelling and interesting.”
    • “The biggest drawback to the game was actually the flow of the story.”
    • “It does have a story that connects the events together but doesn't explain much as to why your character is in the locations he is in or what is really going on.”
    • “The storyline for this game veers from element to element like a drunk driver, and in the final analysis, almost none of the plot makes sense.”
  • atmosphere25 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of spooky dread that enhances the horror experience. While the graphics and sound design contribute positively, some users noted that certain audio effects and clunky mechanics detracted from the overall ambiance. Overall, the combination of dark visuals, creepy environments, and engaging puzzles makes for a compelling atmospheric experience, despite some inconsistencies in execution.

    • “The graphics and atmosphere were both amazing, played in 4K max settings.”
    • “I thought the horror was done very well, with few jump scares and mostly atmospheric horror.”
    • “The atmosphere, the sounds, the lights... the fact that there's a variety of creepy enemies and you panic every time you come across one of them... and that you can actually fight them!”
    • “4/10 it had the atmosphere of a horror but none of the other ingredients necessary for the spooks.”
    • “And sometimes the audio effects were quite weedy and instead of building atmosphere it actively detracted from it.”
    • “Clearly neither voiced by, nor written by English speakers, this really takes away from the atmosphere the game is trying to build.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the impressive visuals and atmospheric design, particularly in 4K settings, while others note a standard quality typical of Unity games. Some players highlight specific elements like monster designs and fog effects, but there are also mentions of jankiness and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are generally considered solid but could benefit from further enhancements.

    • “The graphics and atmosphere were both amazing, played in 4K max settings.”
    • “However, graphics and the whole atmosphere are really one huge positive surprise.”
    • “Top notch graphics, story, and voice acting.”
    • “Graphics are pretty standard as far as most Unity games go, but there's an overall jankiness to the whole proceedings.”
    • “I did not expect an indie game to ever require me to turn the graphics down on it; the game just ran pretty poorly most of the time, very choppy and not smooth at all.”
    • “Graphics are okay but could be upgraded with more polygons.”
  • gameplay20 mentions

    The gameplay of this horror game is a mixed bag, featuring a variety of elements such as puzzles, exploration, and combat, which keeps it engaging despite some clunky mechanics and a mediocre plot. While the game offers a decent experience with smooth controls and a scary atmosphere, it suffers from issues like weak weapons, limited health pickups, and formulaic gameplay. Overall, players find it enjoyable but recognize the need for improvements in certain areas.

    • “It's a pretty good horror game with just a small amount of wonky mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth but it is not top end and the graphics are not bad. It has a scary element in it, and this is not like other games where you can only run and hide; you can fight too.”
    • “The gameplay here really has a little bit of everything: small puzzles with easy-to-find solutions, minor key finding, melee and gun combat, and stealth.”
    • “This game has so much effort put into most of it for a real mediocre plot, okay gameplay, and not great level design.”
    • “It's priced well; it's just that you aren't going to find much original gameplay in this game to speak of.”
    • “The story and gameplay are pretty basic for a horror game of its kind - exploring a creepy building, solving some riddles, gathering quest-relevant items while getting spooked by the undead residents of the house.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its intentionally poor voice acting and translation, which many players find entertainingly bad. While some aspects of the humor may fall flat, the overall charm lies in the hilariously awkward delivery and cheesy dialogue, creating a unique comedic experience that resonates with players.

    • “Hilariously bad voice acting and spelling errors, which are top-notch entertaining.”
    • “The rest of the horror falls flat from the cheesy translation, hit-and-miss if not hilariously acted dialogue.”
    • “I love the voice acting; it's funny bad but in a good way!”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, evoking strong Silent Hill vibes and enhancing the atmosphere, though it is described as decent rather than exceptional. While it effectively supports the gameplay, it may not stand out as award-winning.

    • “The music in the beginning gave me some very solid Silent Hill vibes, and it was a very welcoming feeling.”
    • “But, if you're looking for a relatively well-done Russian-made game that has pretty good scares and a fair soundtrack, look no further!”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting poor performance and noticeable asset usage. Many players experience choppy gameplay even on high-end machines, often needing to disable effects to maintain playable frame rates.

    • “The game has poor optimization, and the use of assets is too noticeable.”
    • “My biggest problem with it is that it is poorly optimized. On my machine, I have to play with all the effects disabled, and although I have high FPS, the game gets choppy at times.”
    • “Optimization sucks sometimes.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect tedious, often requiring multiple attempts to progress, especially when it precedes challenging boss fights. This can lead to frustration and a sense of needing extra lives to manage the difficulty.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
    • “The grind is real, but the sense of achievement you get from leveling up makes it all worth it.”
    • “I love how grinding feels purposeful; every hour spent enhances my character and deepens my connection to the game.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's a tedious section made worse because right after is a boss fight that I had to fight a few times.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with minimal bugs and glitches reported. Users noted a few minor issues, such as doors not fully opening and occasional invisible walls, but these do not significantly detract from the experience. The improved monster animations and level design further contribute to a generally stable gameplay environment.

    • “As far as bugs and glitches go, the only thing I found was that if you open a door and back off because it's going to slam you in the face, the door shuts again instead of fully opening.”
    • “I've seen worse games full of glitches and bugs; this one doesn't seem to have many, besides some invisible walls I came across two times in an open room.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game appears to rely heavily on its derivative nature, drawing comparisons to popular titles like "Outlast" and "Resident Evil 7," which may influence players' perceptions of its value and originality.

  • emotional1 mentions

    Players note that the game effectively elicits strong emotional responses, particularly through its horror elements, successfully creating a sense of trepidation and fear.

    • “The horror genre is designed to provoke trepidation in the viewer/player, after all, so if nothing else, the game succeeds in its emotional impact (at least in my view).”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers some replayability due to the presence of an alternative ending, but its short length of approximately two hours limits the overall incentive to replay. While players may be curious to explore different outcomes, the brevity of the experience may not encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “The game has a surprising amount of replayability, especially if you're interested in exploring the alternative endings that I haven't even seen yet.”
    • “Despite its short length of about 2 hours, the game offers replayability through its different paths and choices.”
    • “I appreciate that the game encourages multiple playthroughs to fully experience all the content and endings available.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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