Unheard Screams: King Leopold II's Rule Over the Congo
- May 11, 2015
- Locomotivah
Get on SteamUnheard Screams is a text based roleplaying game. You play as Miala, a Congolese liberator attempting to overthrow the regime of King Leopold II of Belgium (1885-1908). As the player your job is to fight the foreign oppressors and regain control of territories in the Congo while managing your rebellion's resources.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game tackles an interesting and lesser-known historical topic, providing insights into colonial Congo.
- The writing is well-crafted and can evoke a sense of reflection on the historical events it portrays.
- It's relatively short, making it a quick experience that may appeal to history enthusiasts.
- The gameplay is overly simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and variety, which can lead to boredom.
- There is a lack of clear instructions and immersion, making it difficult for players to engage with the mechanics and story.
- The historical accuracy and character development are questionable, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simplistic and repetitive mechanic focused on recruiting locals and battling colonial officials, which many players find tedious and unengaging. While the writing and historical insights are praised, the overall gameplay experience is often described as forgettable and disconnected from historical realities, leading to a lack of player retention.
“The basic mechanic involves clicking on various villages, recruiting any of the locals that feel like joining your army, and then attacking whichever colonial official is labeled 'very easy' at that moment.”
“While its gameplay is questionable, I certainly found it worth my time and money for the writing, which gave insights on a piece of history hitherto completely unknown to me.”
“Unfortunately, gameplay sucks so bad nobody wants to stick around.”
“The gameplay itself is forgettable and repetitive: go to each territory, recruit whomever is ready to join you, and fight the enemy.”
“The gameplay almost exclusively consists of grinding through battles and increasing the strength of your army by beating the easiest opponents first (conveniently labeled 'very easy').”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story, centered on Belgian atrocities in the Congo, is noted for its interesting premise and well-written dialogue, but ultimately fails to engage players emotionally due to its thin narrative and simplistic gameplay. While it aims to provoke reflection, many reviewers feel that the storytelling is undermined by a lack of depth and creativity, leaving it feeling more like a series of quotes than a cohesive experience. Overall, the intent behind the story is appreciated, but it does not fully compensate for the gameplay shortcomings.
“It tells the story of Belgian atrocities in the Congo in the early 20th century, although it uses fictional characters and events to do it.”
“The game is redeemed by the story, which is fairly well-written in English by an apparently Brazilian developer.”
“But then again, this game, like other games from Locomotivah, is not about gameplay, but about the story and about reflection.”
“The story is too thin to 'grab' you.”
“The story seems like it's just a series of quotes and a few slides of text after a successful battle.”
“The story about Miala himself, which progresses whenever you kill a district commander, is also rather classic and unimaginative.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game consists of a repetitive classical loop that some players find mournful, but it can become irritating over time due to the lack of accompanying animations or sound effects.
“There's no animation or sound effects to accompany any of this, just a mournful classical music loop that gets pretty annoying after a while.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are minimal, featuring only basic background images, which may leave players wanting more visual detail and complexity.
“This sounds more complicated than it is, and none of this comes with graphics other than some basic background images.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a lack of character development, with players noting that there are minimal choices available, primarily limited to recruitment and combat decisions.
“There is no character development or any choice, aside from who you recruit and fight.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs; they don't evolve in any significant way.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the gameplay heavily revolves around grinding, primarily through repetitive battles to strengthen their army, often starting with the easiest opponents labeled as "very easy." This focus on grinding can lead to a monotonous experience.
“The gameplay almost exclusively consists of grinding through battles and increasing the strength of your army by beating the easiest opponents first (conveniently labeled 'very easy').”
“Grinding feels repetitive and tedious, making the game more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
“The constant need to grind for resources takes away from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game.”
