Whitehaven
- October 18, 2021
- Somnambulist Games
Get on SteamWhitehaven is a single-player, retro-styled horror adventure game, taking place in the abandoned Whitehaven Orphanage. Uncover the mysteries of your past and delve into your mind by exploring the orphanage, collecting clues, and solving puzzles to reveal the events that led to the orphanage's closure. This psychological horror experience includes seizure warnings and is estimated to take about 1 hour to complete.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a decent story with interesting puzzles that keep players engaged.
- Sound design and voice acting are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- There are some genuinely creepy moments that showcase the developer's potential for creating a more fleshed-out horror experience.
- The game is very short, typically taking around 30 to 50 minutes to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
- Gameplay mechanics are frustrating, with issues like unsmooth camera movement, low field of view, and lack of options for customization.
- The horror elements are often ineffective, relying on clichés like looping hallways and minimal scares, leaving players wanting more.
- story12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received, praised for its interesting narrative and effective voice acting, though some players found it rushed towards the end and somewhat predictable. While the game features clever puzzles that enhance the storytelling, many felt it lacked content, leaving them wanting more depth and development. Overall, the story shows potential, with some memorable moments and a solid foundation for future titles.
“The story unfolds nicely, although it is rushed a bit towards the end.”
“Voice acting, and the story is really well made, interesting puzzles, does not rely on cheap jump scares.”
“The story was fantastic and I even got a few scares from it.”
“The story wrapped itself up pretty well... but then I thought the actual game was gonna start... and then I got end credits.”
“Played this for an hour and a half and it was finished, just running around fetching things. I've played longer demos; this could be a brilliant game with a bit more content and story to it.”
“The positive points are that the story was pretty decent for what there was but feels a bit predictable.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects are generally praised for their quality, particularly when experienced with headphones, enhancing the immersive atmosphere of the game. However, some players found the looping background music to be repetitive and annoying, especially during challenging sections, and noted the lack of an option to turn it off. Overall, the voice acting and soundtrack stand out as above-average for an indie game.
“The music and sound effects do a great job when you are playing with a good set of headphones.”
“The voice acting and soundtrack were very good, above the usual indie game fare, so the developers know how to pick collaborators.”
“The music and design create an immersive atmosphere.”
“The background music that loops was getting annoying quite quickly with no option to turn it off, and it made the experience worse while I was stuck on the moon puzzle with it constantly playing.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during longer play sessions.”
“I found the music to be overly simplistic and not fitting for the game's atmosphere, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are polarizing; while some users appreciate the smooth performance and find the visuals appealing, others criticize them as outdated and indicative of a low-budget production. Additionally, the lack of graphic settings and manual save options detracts from the overall experience.
“The game has good graphics and runs very smoothly, and I found the story itself rather interesting.”
“This is just another boring low-budget first-person indie horror game with outdated graphics and gameplay that feels like an adventure game in a cheap horror house with scares that often make no sense at all.”
“There are also no graphic settings, no manual save, and checkpoints are very far away.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by exceptional music and design that contribute to a captivating visual experience.
“The music and design create an immersive atmosphere.”
“I thought the atmosphere and look of the game were great.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being unoriginal and lacking polish, resembling a low-budget first-person indie horror experience with outdated graphics and nonsensical scares, akin to an adventure game set in a cheap horror house.
“This is just another boring low-budget first-person indie horror game with outdated graphics and gameplay that feels like an adventure game in a cheap horror house, with scares that often make no sense at all.”
