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Recent reviews by Roy Rogers McFreely

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9 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
8.2 hrs on record (6.0 hrs at review time)
Bought this game for a mere 2.99 on sale.
For that price, it offered 5-6 hours gameplay and some replayability. It is an Indie game, and I will treat it as such.
The developer markets Grimind as a horror/physics puzzle game, and that is about as descriptive as it gets. The gameplay is centered around completing the puzzles without any instruction or hand-holding. Not to say the puzzles are unsolvably difficult, but there are a few moments in which I scratched my head in frustration and uttered a soft "what the hell do I do?" to my computer monitor. Once you get the feel of how the game operates, the puzzles start to become clear. The physics are also quite well done. I understand the developer reworked the inertia of objects and some other parameters for the game's Steam release, and the attention to detail shows. It seems more polished compared to early alpha footage (as one would expect). Objects can be picked up and thrown, liquids respond to disturbances, and soft-bodied pieces like vines move as they should.
The strong point of the game is the lighting. Beautifully done point lights and both "baked" and active shadow casting as well as ambient gloom in certain points lends to a strong setting for a horror scenario. Many levels throw the character into the darkness with nothing but a lit torch, and as everything in the environment is opaque black, one understands that death may be around every turn.
As for the "scare factor?" Some reviewers have thought the game is as frightening as Amnesia: The Dark Descent. That is not necessarily true. The scariest part of the game is the environment itself. The player is pursued by malevolent little--welll--boxes (with no animation) that may only be vanquished with bright light. The enemy design is unbecomingly bland for a game that seems so well-put-together in every other regard. The chase sequences get one's heart pounding, but it is not fear. The character animation is perhaps a little poor as well.
The sound work in the game is mixed. The background music/ambient noise are very impressive, and those elements are quite unsettling for the game. They chant at the player like spectral moans from an unknown source and never failed to cause my hair to stand on end. All other noises sound as though they were recorded by a desk mic in Audacity, like the growls of the monsters, drowning noises when underwater, and thunder of fallign boulders or objects. Their lack of quality just doesn't seem to fit, and they certainly didn't scare me.
Lastly, the game's story and dialogue were originally written in Polish. (I believe?) The English translation is rough around the edges, but I could understand what was being conveyed with a little bit of pidgin translation. The story begins with no scenario, and ends with little more. It was more depressing of an end than a satisfying resolution. Perhaps there is a metaphorical message to it all? Nonetheless, I would have preferred to see a more complete story. Maybe in the sequel we can see more character development.
I give this game 7.5/10. For what it was, I enjoyed every bit of it, but I also see room for polishing all around.
Posted July 30, 2014.
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