Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Purgatory
- July 23, 2024
- Different Tales
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Purgatory," play as Samira, a refugee werewolf investigating murder, monsters, and madness amidst Poland's border crisis. Your choices along two investigative paths shape Samira's story, leading to different endings. Experience tabletop RPG mechanics in this dark fantasy thriller set in the World of Darkness universe.
Reviews
- Engaging story with compelling characters that feel impactful, allowing for multiple playthroughs with different choices.
- Improved mechanics and character customization over the previous title, enhancing the role-playing experience.
- Beautiful art and music that complement the immersive atmosphere of the game.
- The narrative is heavily focused on political themes, which can feel preachy and detract from the core werewolf experience.
- Limited player agency with many choices leading to similar outcomes, making the game feel more linear than expected.
- Some characters lack depth and development, feeling more like stereotypes than fully realized individuals.
- story56 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as engaging and immersive, featuring multiple branching paths that enhance replayability and player choice. However, some reviewers criticize it for lacking depth in character development and being overly focused on political themes, which can detract from the overall narrative experience. While the game successfully weaves real-world issues into its supernatural setting, it sometimes feels predictable and fails to fully explore its more complex themes.
“Good story, compelling characters; it felt as if my choices had a genuine impact.”
“I like that it weaves the real-world struggles with the supernatural threats a werewolf faces into a very immersive story.”
“Engaging story and excellent follow-up to Heart of the Forest.”
“The unyielding agenda of communicating one uncompromising point of view in a game that should pride itself upon its storytelling variety is what annoys me.”
“While the story gives some insight into real-world struggles, it is very predictable with flat, cookie-cutter characters that check off stereotypical boxes with absolutely no depth.”
“The story falls flat in the last act unfortunately.”
- music15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and dynamic soundtrack, which complements the art style and enhances the overall experience. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, some express mixed feelings, noting occasional issues with volume and personal taste. Overall, the music is considered a strong element, contributing significantly to the game's immersive storytelling and visuals.
“The art and soundtrack are quite good.”
“Great visual novel, amazing graphics, audio, and music.”
“The music and art were amazing, the writing less so.”
“Music is more a miss than a hit.”
“Also, I didn't like the soundtrack to this.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its seamless integration of new mechanics, such as harano and gifts, into the existing system, enhancing the experience without adding unnecessary complexity. Players appreciate the depth added to character interactions and choices, as well as the engaging story routes that offer substantial playtime. Overall, the gameplay maintains the smoothness and charm of its predecessor while introducing meaningful improvements.
“The new mechanics (harano, gifts, and items) all slotted beautifully into the system that was already in place, without making it overly complex.”
“I really felt drawn into Samira's character and enjoyed how the harano mechanic was a foil for rage/willpower and affected in-game choices, adding a layer to the gameplay mechanics first established in 'Heart of the Forest'.”
“Just like before, the dynamic soundtrack is amazing and wisely follows the path of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' The devs have consistently maintained the same art style and core gameplay elements that made 'Heart of the Forest' such a smooth and memorable experience.”
“I was worried that the transition to the mechanics (and lore) of fifth edition was going to kill the game for me.”
“Some random ratings to explain my reasoning for this: setting: 9/10, story: 7/10, gameplay: 5/10, illustrations: 9/10, music: 9.5/10.”
“The game mechanics are all choice-based point and click, but the story drew me in and the scene transitions were great as well.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics and audio in the game are consistently praised for their atmospheric quality, maintaining the same art style and dynamic soundtrack that contributed to the success of its predecessor. Users appreciate the unique and cool abstract visuals, which complement the moody soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience despite some critiques of the storytelling. Overall, the game's graphics and music are highlighted as standout features that create a memorable visual novel experience.
“The artwork and music work well with the setting.”
“Great visual novel, amazing graphics, audio, and music.”
“Cool abstract graphics, awesome moody soundtrack, and a neat story.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily due to its two distinct storylines that encourage players to experience both. While some players may find value in customizing the main character's backstory, the overall depth of supporting characters is limited, which may affect long-term engagement. In contrast, Purgatory enhances replayability with a broader range of choices and optional storylines, providing a richer experience for multiple playthroughs.
“The game is a bit longer than others with two main storylines to choose from, making it replayable for at least one more time if you want to see the other one.”
“You choose between two main plots that seem unconnected, so the game is replayable at least once.”
“Purgatory, by contrast, provides players with a longer book to read through, and retains the replayability aspect with a full range of auspices, tribes, and optional storylines to experience in your playthroughs.”
“The game took me 4 hours to complete with seemingly modest replay value. I think I will play through it once more, but not more than that.”
“Main character Samira is a blank page the player can color with their chosen backstory/characteristics, so there comes potential replay value. Other than that, I can't say much about her, and for supporting characters, there's not enough time to make them more fleshed out, excluding maybe a couple that starred in the previous title.”
“And also, you choose between two main plots that seem unconnected, so the game is replayable at least once.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its artistic direction, music, and sound design, effectively maintaining the quality of its predecessor. While the themes and mood are well-received, some players express disappointment with the brevity of the experience, feeling that it concludes just as it begins to develop fully. Overall, the atmospheric elements are a standout feature, despite some critiques regarding the writing and length.
“It also maintains the atmospheric artwork, music, and sound of the previous game.”
“I liked the atmosphere, the themes, and mood.”
“Heart of the Forest was praised for its atmosphere, artistic direction, and sound design.”
“The atmosphere in the game is lacking depth and fails to immerse the player in the world.”
“While the visuals are stunning, the overall atmosphere feels hollow and uninspired.”
“The game attempts to create a tense atmosphere, but it often falls flat and feels more tedious than engaging.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being heavily intertwined with a political agenda, suggesting that it serves more as a promotional tool for open borders rather than focusing on gameplay or player experience.
