Unholy

About

"Unholy" is a single-player Horror Action game with splendid visuals. Explore two parallel worlds, a brutalist post-soviet town and a dark, twisted reality, in search of your missing child. Solve puzzles, infiltrate or fight enemies, and uncover the secrets of an aberrant establishment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

story15 positive mentions

gameplay10 negative mentions

The game features a visually striking and unique graphic style, reminiscent of dark art and surreal environments.
The use of emotions as a mechanic for combat and puzzle-solving adds an interesting twist to the gameplay.
The atmosphere is immersive, creating a sense of dread and tension that enhances the horror experience.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, frame rate drops, and unresponsive controls that hinder gameplay.
The story is poorly executed with lackluster writing and flat voice acting, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
Stealth mechanics are frustrating due to inconsistent enemy AI, leading to repetitive and unenjoyable gameplay experiences.

story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
56%
15%
The story of "Unholy" receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and immersive, while others criticize it for being clichéd, poorly paced, and lacking depth. Many noted that the narrative can feel disjointed and confusing, with repetitive elements that detract from the overall experience. Despite its beautiful visuals and atmospheric design, the execution of the story often leaves players uninvested and disappointed.
- “The storyline was engaging and kept me invested throughout.”
- “The depth of this story is amazing.”
- “You're Dorthea (also vocalist of Windhand) and on a quest to find your son who's been kidnapped by some satan-worshipping junkies.”
- “Unfortunately, the story fails to captivate due to lackluster writing and flat voice acting, leaving me unengaged with the game’s narrative.”
- “Additionally, the story can feel disjointed, with gaps in the narrative that leave players confused rather than intrigued.”
- “The story is paced very poorly.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
63%
25%
The gameplay has been described as a mix of interesting mechanics and significant flaws, with a unique use of emotions as a defensive mechanic but ultimately suffering from clunky controls, poor AI, and repetitive elements. While some players appreciated the stealth mechanics and artistic design, many found the experience frustrating due to bugs and a lack of refinement, leading to a gameplay experience that felt more like a chore than engaging. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation but requires further polish to enhance immersion and enjoyment.
- “The use of masks added an interesting element, and the mechanics were solid; I didn't encounter any bugs that impacted gameplay.”
- “Stealth mechanics work great while hiding from the cult members, and there are some nice upgrade options to help empower your player to fight them off as well.”
- “Overall, the gameplay, graphics, and mechanics deliver an engaging and approachable horror experience rooted in the horrors of religious zealotry.”
- “The game's mechanics also lack refinement.”
- “This inconsistency can break immersion and lead to repetitive gameplay, as players learn to exploit AI weaknesses rather than genuinely engaging with the stealth system.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay is buggy as hell; interaction keys often do not get triggered, doors open/close with a 1-second delay, and the weapon selection system is slow and annoying.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
11%
17%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique style, beauty, and detail, contributing to an engaging atmosphere. While the visuals are considered a strong point, some reviewers note that the environments can feel sparse and repetitive, and technical issues may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are highlighted as a standout feature, enhancing the game's immersive storytelling.
- “It has a very interesting graphic style; it is simply unique.”
- “Beautiful graphics and an awesome story.”
- “Graphically, it's gorgeous.”
- “After a promising start, the journey will unfortunately take place in places that are well made graphically but sparse and dilapidated, where everything falls to pieces or is burned by fire.”
- “The graphics are the game's strong point, but beyond that, the AI and mechanics are clunky and get worse as you progress.”
- “The game looks great and the designs are good, but it's so frustrating and buggy a lot of the time; I've had instances where I cannot progress until I reload a save, and then it magically works.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
24%
18%
The atmosphere of Unholy is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality and impressive visual design, creating a captivating horror experience. However, some players note a lack of variation in environments and insufficient music, which diminishes tension and overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, the game's creepy set designs and ambient sounds contribute significantly to its atmospheric appeal, making it a recommended choice for fans of horror.
- “All in all, it's a decent game with a thick atmosphere and great visuals.”
- “The best thing this has going is its atmosphere with some of the creepiest set designs I've seen.”
- “Please adjust this, devs. There also seems to be a lack of music to add extra intensity to the atmosphere of the game, but there are plenty of creaks and sounds of suffering to give you a slight bit of anxiety.”
- “The artistic value put into the atmosphere and the ambient sounds are above and beyond.”
- “Overall, I recommend this game if you like horror games with heavy atmosphere.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including frame drops, stuttering, and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals and world design are commendable, the technical problems, such as lag and slow mouse sensitivity, hinder immersion and gameplay satisfaction. Despite its potential, these performance inconsistencies prevent it from fully realizing its unique horror concept.
- “Some performance issues and bugs, but it was fun for the most part.”
- “Many players report frame drops, stuttering, and overall instability, which disrupts the immersive, horror-filled environment.”
- “Overall, Unholy has potential with its unique horror concept, but these issues, especially performance and AI inconsistencies, hinder it from delivering a fully satisfying experience.”
- “The game looks good for its size but is poorly optimized in a number of places, leading to bad frame-rate stutter and control wonkiness.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs affecting gameplay, including delayed interactions, unresponsive controls, and significant frame rate drops. While some players note that there are no major glitches preventing completion, the overall experience is marred by frustrating issues that detract from enjoyment. Many reviewers recommend waiting for patches before playing, as the current state is deemed unworthy despite the game's appealing art and sound design.
- “But as the game is now, it's hella buggy, and the whole blue balling of the last cut scene sent me into a frenzy.”
- “Unfortunately the gameplay is buggy as hell, interaction keys often do not get triggered, doors open/close with a 1 sec delay, weapon selection system is slow and annoying, weapons themselves are well thought out but do not really do what intended to the enemies.”
- “I wouldn't recommend this game in its current state; it's full of bugs and game-breaking glitches. Frame rate drops happen a lot even though I have great PC specs. It's just not worth it. I recommend waiting for a patch, and maybe then you can give it a try.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with some praising its quality, but many users feel it lacks intensity and variety, which detracts from the overall atmosphere. While the sound design includes ambient noises that create a sense of anxiety, the music itself does not significantly enhance the experience. Overall, the music is seen as a positive element, but not enough to elevate the game as a whole.
- “The game visually is beautiful and the music is great.”
- “Please adjust this, devs. There seems to be a lack of music to add extra intensity to the atmosphere of the game, but there are plenty of creeks and sounds of suffering to give you a slight bit of anxiety.”
- “The music in the game is forgettable and fails to enhance the overall experience.”
- “I expected a dynamic soundtrack, but instead, the music feels repetitive and uninspired.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game's use of masks creates varying emotional atmospheres, with some filters, like hazy blue or green, evoking feelings of discomfort or nausea.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
Players express a desire for additional content, such as new story elements and game modes like survival and gauntlet, to enhance the game's replayability. There is a strong interest in potential DLC that could further extend the game's longevity and variety.
- “I hope in the future the developers add more story content, perhaps new game modes like survival mode or gauntlet mode, anything to enhance replayability, and maybe even some DLC content.”
- “I hope in the future the developers add more story content, perhaps new game modes, survival mode, gauntlet mode, anything to add replayability, maybe even some DLC content.”
- “The game lacks variety, making it hard to find motivation to replay it after finishing the main story.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back; the lack of different endings or choices really hurts its replayability.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is criticized for being clichéd and lacking depth, with characters often overshadowed by poor design choices. While the oppressive horror atmosphere is praised, it does not compensate for the shortcomings in character portrayal and narrative engagement.
- “The character development feels shallow and predictable, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, lacking any real growth or depth throughout the game.”
- “The attempts at character development are undermined by clichéd tropes and uninspired dialogue.”