Vomitoreum

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 651 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Vomitoreum Game Cover
Starting at €8.19Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

"Vomitoreum is a single-player horror shooter Metroidvania game with an interesting plot, good gameplay, stunning graphics, and an ingenious soundtrack. Explore a dark, interconnected world inspired by the paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński, battling eldritch monsters and searching for a cure for a deadly fog. As the Nephilem, survive the harsh environment, gather weapons and tools, and restore life to the plagued land."

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 651 reviews
story69 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • Gorgeous art style and overall aesthetic that fits the game's tone perfectly.
  • Compelling and dark story that keeps players invested in the characters and world.
  • Unique blend of 3D metroidvania gameplay with classic FPS mechanics, providing a fresh experience.
  • Game can be too easy, with most bosses and enemies being easily defeated through simple strategies.
  • Some areas are poorly designed, leading to confusion about where to go next.
  • The AI for the light companion is frustrating, often lagging behind and making navigation in dark areas tedious.
  • story214 mentions

    The game's story is a dark and compelling narrative that effectively engages players within its brief runtime of 2-4 hours, often drawing comparisons to the storytelling styles of Dark Souls and other atmospheric titles. While some players appreciate its emotional weight and unique world-building, others criticize it for being convoluted or overly simplistic, with certain themes, such as sexual assault, potentially alienating some audiences. Overall, the story is seen as a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its immersive atmosphere despite some inconsistencies and a lack of depth in certain areas.

    • “Speaking of the story, for a game that isn't very long (2-4 hours), it tells a very compelling and moving story that gets me actually invested in the characters, their motivations, and how the world of the game works.”
    • “The world around you is so enthralling, and the story you're in is incredibly compelling and has real emotional weight.”
    • “The story embraces you all along the way throughout the game; I'd say for its runtime it is surprisingly detailed.”
    • “For a game with such a radiant atmosphere, its story is quite lacking.”
    • “You are not given much context about the fallen world, the humans, the enemies, and the environmental storytelling doesn't leave much to imagination, being sparse with finer details to leave room for gameplay.”
    • “The plot of this game feels like it comes from a dark and personal place.”
  • graphics189 mentions

    The graphics of Vomitoreum are widely praised for their unique and haunting art style, heavily inspired by artists like Zdzisław Beksiński and H.R. Giger, creating a visually striking and immersive atmosphere. While many reviewers appreciate the grotesque and surreal aesthetics, some note inconsistencies in quality and a lack of originality in certain environments. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, effectively complementing the game's dark themes and enhancing the overall experience.

    • “Vomitoreum is a 3D metroidvania with 2D sprites made with an absolutely gorgeous art style and overall aesthetic.”
    • “While simple and limited in many ways, the different zones are quite visually distinct and often aesthetically pleasing, with heavy use of pixel art combined with more modern lighting and fog effects to make a very satisfying visual experience.”
    • “The art style is inspired by the many works of Zdzisław Beksiński, which, if you are familiar with his paintings, you can pretty much see that straight away.”
    • “Much of the artwork looks bad, including important characters and the repetitive, uninspired environments.”
    • “However, there's not much here I'd consider original, and the graphical prowess displayed here is unfortunately a bit lacking.”
    • “It's hard to admire the visuals or be terrified by them when you can see struggle with basic anatomy.”
  • gameplay162 mentions

    The gameplay is a blend of classic Doom mechanics with Metroidvania elements, offering fast-paced combat and unique boss encounters that encourage players to experiment with various mechanics. While some players appreciate the smooth movement and engaging exploration, others criticize the simplicity and lack of challenge, noting that the gameplay can feel repetitive and unbalanced. Overall, the game is visually striking and provides a fun experience, but it may not satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay complexity.

    • “The gameplay is fun and challenging and very in touch with what it's trying to be.”
    • “The gameplay and movement is great.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and enjoyable, and I didn't feel the need to change any settings as the default engine configuration used here was perfect.”
    • “Gameplay is lackluster.”
    • “Sadly, vomitoreum's level design and clunky gameplay do not live up to its atmosphere and aesthetics.”
    • “Weak storyline that bets all of its worth on shock value, extremely easy gameplay with bosses being unable to hit you as long as you circle-strafe, 3 hours of gameplay at maximum and that is with collectibles.”
  • atmosphere103 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its oppressive, eerie, and immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to titles like Dark Souls and Metroid. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound design, art style, and environmental storytelling to create a sense of dread and exploration, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of the plot and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's strongest aspect, captivating players with its unique and unsettling aesthetic.

    • “The game is also teeming with an atmosphere of pure dread and unease.”
    • “The dark, dreary atmosphere and the hopeless feeling you get from the visual, sound, and gameplay design is phenomenal.”
    • “The atmosphere and level designs are insane and I'm loving every second.”
    • “The visuals are interesting but it lacks atmosphere; the combat is satisfactory but the boss battles are dull, and the setting has potential but remains unfulfilled.”
    • “Sadly, vomitoreum's level design and clunky gameplay do not live up to its atmosphere and aesthetics.”
    • “The plot is trying so hard to be taken seriously: Christian references, embryos and homunculi, the way the characters speak like it's supposed to be epic, the whole rape thing — all it does is just take away from the atmosphere.”
  • music61 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience with eerie ambient tracks that set a haunting tone, particularly in exploration areas. During boss encounters, the soundtrack shifts to more intense and climactic themes, creating a stark contrast that highlights the tension of these moments. While some players noted that the music could be more prominent, the overall sound design, including unique sound effects, contributes significantly to the game's immersive and unsettling atmosphere.

    • “The music also adds to this ominous feeling, with droning ambiance that builds and falls, and changes depending on the area you're in.”
    • “When encountering a boss, you get to hear loud and climactic soundtracks that fit the scenarios very well, creating a good contrast between the boss fights and exploring the regular areas, making these soundtracks really stand out.”
    • “The music is a mixture of eerie ambient tracks, but gets much more aggressive during the boss fights.”
    • “Nonetheless the grotesque and creepy art style is beautiful and gives you goosebumps, yet the sound and music in this game could be a lot better to create an even sinister feeling.”
    • “However, some enemy noises are way louder than others and sometimes the background 'music' cuts away instead of transitioning.”
    • “The soundtrack is mostly atmospheric except for boss fights.”
  • replayability16 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed among reviewers. While some appreciate its layout and find it enjoyable enough for multiple playthroughs, many criticize its short length and lack of additional content, such as difficulty settings or new game modes, which limits replay value. Ultimately, it seems that while the game offers a fun experience, it may not sustain long-term engagement for most players.

    • “I can't recommend this game enough, and I believe it is absolutely worth the price despite the short playtime, and I find it to be incredibly replayable.”
    • “Fun shooter, not too long, good replay value.”
    • “I'd say it actually does have good replay value because of simply how the game is laid out.”
    • “For such a short game, having no replay value really kills its appeal.”
    • “The only replay value is in the secrets, most of which are pretty easy to find.”
    • “Sadly there is no ng+ nor higher difficulty for replayability.”
  • stability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is marked by a mix of minor bugs and glitches, particularly with alt-tabbing on Windows 11 and some graphical issues. While players report occasional soft locks and disappearing objects, these problems do not lead to crashes, allowing for a generally playable experience. Despite the clunkiness in certain areas, the game's aesthetic and engaging content help mitigate the impact of these stability concerns.

    • “Their FPS games are far more playable than their 2D sidescrollers, which are frankly clunky, buggy messes that I would recommend to no one.”
    • “It often glitches in front of you.”
    • “It's a little buggy and jank, but the world and characters are very interesting.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some noting tedious backtracking due to unclear paths and repetitive tilesets, as well as frustrating boss fights that can feel overly long and disorienting. While the level design can be cryptic and navigation challenging, the game's shorter length helps mitigate the grind, making it less of an issue overall. Despite these frustrations, many appreciate the game's art design and secrets, suggesting that the grind is not a defining characteristic.

    • “The level design is sometimes needlessly cryptic; you can't tell when water is about to kill you, and once you clear an area, it's dead content that's tedious to backtrack through.”
    • “The bosses are all beatable with the good old circle-strafe while jumping, and their health bars are ridiculously tedious.”
    • “Then at the very end of a long, long, tedious boss fight, I suddenly went from 500 to 20 HP, so I had to use godmode because I just couldn't be asked to circle strafe it all again.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its compelling story and impactful moments that resonate deeply with players, often described as heart-wrenching and immersive. While some find the narrative to be a powerful emotional experience, others feel it can be undermined by linear gameplay and pacing issues. Overall, the game evokes a strong emotional response, with many players appreciating its weighty themes and satisfying conclusions.

    • “The world around you is so enthralling, and the story you're in is incredibly compelling and has real emotional weight.”
    • “This game made me feel like I was a child with nothing but a rattle, in a section of my house with baby-proof fencing keeping me trapped.”
    • “The story being an emotional gut-punch is just the icing on top of the cake.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I felt no real emotional impact; the narrative was predictable and uninspired.”
    • “The game tries to evoke feelings but ultimately falls flat, leaving me feeling indifferent.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its good storytelling and excellent character design, contributing to a beautiful and diverse world. While most characters are engaging and visually appealing, some players find certain designs, like a specific boss, to be less interesting. Overall, the combination of compelling narratives and unique character aesthetics enhances the gaming experience.

    • “Good story and excellent world/character design.”
    • “I'm terrible at words but this game is beautiful. The environments are all super diverse and interesting, the sound design and music are amazing, and I really love the character design and story.”
    • “Cool character designs and environments!”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by quirky character designs, such as a perpetually smiling mason, and memorable moments like a humorous final cutscene featuring an exaggerated anime character. Additionally, the unconventional save feature adds a layer of comedic absurdity, reminiscent of classic gaming quirks. Overall, the game successfully blends visual gags with situational humor.

    • “I still wonder why the last mason looks like he's smiling all the time, but I find his face pretty funny.”
    • “The final cutscene made me laugh really hard when the naked anime Tumblr woman looked into the camera with her big anime eyes while Imagine Dragons was epically playing in the background.”
    • “The save feature is a little funny, because that wasn't really in Doom either, so I strongly suggest you save manually in console.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is generally viewed positively, as it avoids intrusive ads and does not feel exploitative or like a cash grab, allowing players to engage with the content without frustration. However, some players note that the lack of ads contributes to easier boss encounters.

    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “I feel like I'm constantly being pushed to buy in-game currency, which ruins the overall experience.”
    • “The prices for in-game items are outrageous, and it feels like the game is designed to squeeze money out of players.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for its poor weapon performance, which detracts from the overall experience, especially given that all weapons have infinite ammo pools. This design choice seems to diminish engagement and immersion for players.

    • “The optimization is lacking, especially since all weapons have infinite ammo pools, which, coupled with their generally poor performance, further zones your brain out.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I found the optimization to be quite poor, as the game often struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Vomitoreum

Play time

3hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games