Frustrating Demo

[Shredpirate]

Was stuck in HomaMart for almost an hour trying to figure out where to find a sharp object. Turns out You have to walk backwards or looking to the side to walk through the automatically closing double doors How in the world was someone suppose to know that? After figuring that out I didn't want to play anymore of it.

Things I didn't like about the demo:

Forced to toggle RMB when using gun
Stamina depletes too quickly and I had to stop to regain it back very often.

[necropasia]

at least you got that far, can't find anything to break any of the "this seems fragile" items in the very start

[Corey]

@Shredpirate
There is a note literally right next to that double door with a clue on what you should be doing.... You really can't miss it...

@necropasia
Because you can't find any, yet. There is no item that you can use to break anything, at the beginning of the game. You probably missed something else to advance your progression.

[WITNESS ME]

I know this is a weird complaint but I found the demo was way too long. I quit in the middle of finding the dolls in the house mart because I had been fumbling around looking for items in the dark supermarket for half an hour.

[ANGRY MALICE]

Originally posted by WITNESS ME:

I know this is a weird complaint but I found the demo was way too long. I quit in the middle of finding the dolls in the house mart because I had been fumbling around looking for items in the dark supermarket for half an hour.

Same. Found two and not sure what to do next. Could not find the key for forklift, if that even is the next step.

Its interesting, but it runs rather badly. I would also say the game does not look all that good, but maybe its because its so dark and there are not enough light sources. Or maybe its because it does not have a unique feel/style to it? Like it lacks.. flair.
I like that I get a gun so I dont have to hide like a little ♥♥♥♥♥. Hate those kind of games.
And the kitty is so fluffy and the guy smoking guy is great. He just came and stood behind me while I was writing this. Also, I like the helpful mannequins in stressful moments(the freezer room).

Later edit: Okay, I did figure it out and finished the demo. Turns out I had to scan the food products by pressing LMB. I was pressing F and that simply made me eat them.
I will wait for this game to come out, the impression from the demo turned out to be positive overall.

[argoon]

Originally posted by Corey:

@Shredpirate

@necropasia
Because you can't find any, yet. There is no item that you can use to break anything, at the beginning of the game. You probably missed something else to advance your progression.

First I give thanks to the team for the demo.

Second unfortunately my initial experience was not that good. If you don't need to break anything at the start, then why give the player the impression that you need to! With all respect that imo is bad design.
I got stuck for ages at the start, because of the "looks fragile" comments, they convey the player (me) that you can break things now, specially when there's obvious colectable items, calling your attention behind vents and the wood planks near the rainbow liquid, obviously the player will spend time trying to find something to break said objects to get to the items. Then there's the workbench, where you can construct something that also gives the player (me) the idea that I need to collect something, to construct something, to break the objects. That caused me to get stuck and give up. I walked back and forth in that small area for what to me felt ages, looking at everything, trying to see if the cursor would change, specially frustrating when around you, there's so much stuff that you could use "in real life" to break things. Not a good first impression.

[Esteri]

Regarding the doors - was there a note to read on the nearby wall? I find a lot of things are spelled out for you (the gun, needing a gun to proceed safely, the doors) if you find the note or listen to a telephone call.

[vexe00]

Near the closing doors, you'll find a note where someone complains that he feels like the door knows when he looks away.

What bothered me more is how huge and confusing the entrance of the mall was. IMO it'd help a lot if the game had a map + minimap. I love maps that automatically grow with your progress in games, but I understand if the developers think it would ruin the mood in a horror game.

Maybe the full version should at least have a portable map, or add more waypoints to the shard reflection. Even better, maybe a basic realistic map that you can use a marker to draw notes (see Zelda Spirit Tracks) or put icons on (see CrossCode)?

[♫ Grimbo Jr. ♫]

yall just dont know how to read lmao

[pinkamedic]

if you are talking about the brakeable stuff in the apartment building, you have a gun

[Abdelhazred]

Not sure why I need something to cut that police tape. Or some specialized tool to remove those boards or cheap vent cover. Really? I need to cut tape that's just dangling there? Does this guy's hands melt when he's not carrying a flashlight?

Then again, he has a PhD and can't into empty apartments that don't have deadbolts. Problem solving is fun, silliness like sharp=cut things is not.

Other than that, I really like the demo.

[The Highwayman]

Originally posted by Abdelhazred:

Not sure why I need something to cut that police tape. Or some specialized tool to remove those boards or cheap vent cover. Really? I need to cut tape that's just dangling there?

I'm reminded of an episode of Trailer Park Boys in which Ricky, instead of directly stealing lawn furniture, hires two minors to move people's lawn furniture out to the side of the street. He would then declare it trash that he found on the side of the road, before loading it into his truck. I think he got arrested, anyway, but there was something clever in all the stupidity of his plan.

The protagonist is a pragmatic man and will not risk crossing the "Police Line Do Not Cross" tape. By first cutting the police tape he can try to claim ignorance later on if he's found inside. They won't have evidence to prove that he's the one who cut the tape. Instead he will pretend that he simply entered an open building and got lost.

[lamer]

I beat the demo in one play through, it's not really that hard to be honest, just gotta look and find stuff: Trust me if it was hard I would be the first one to give up.

[Kirill2525]

Ok i missed the breaking part too at the start, turns out you can shoot them with the gun. kinda obvious really but i didnt catch that. also why were people having such trouble with the dolls? like do you read the note? its right there. i think people have just gotten used to games were they run around or just shoot stuff.

personally i loved the game, i guess i was just to afraid to waste ammo but theres plenty of it. i finished the demo without finding a few things in the beginning and i missed a few pills in the store but soo what? the story is amazing and man that ending just hooks you. not to mention the music and the beautiful vocals

[DragonGamer0713]

I played the demo awhile ago (back in Aug 2020) and I remember being scared out of my mind in the super market because Virginia was everywhere and anywhere and I didn't feel safe in the aisles. Also, bear in mind my only other horror game exposure at the time was Outlast (1, Whistleblower, and 2), the first 5 missions of the Evil Within, Subnautica (it is a horror-esque game and you cannot convince me otherwise), the first 4 hours of Alien Isolation, and Condemned. So when it came to legit survival horror, I wasn't very prepared.

However, I did find the demo very engaging and fun, creating a world and not just a level haunted by a ghost. I love the idea of using a shard of a mirror to look behind you and seeing what you cannot see with your own eyes, almost like a mirror dimension (yes, that itself isn't original, but using it as a pocket device to help piece together the thoughts and emotions of the tormented soul that roams the aisles is a very spooky idea). I like how there are puzzles throughout the area, so it's not just a "I need to stop this ghost from killing me", no, it's using the whole environment to tell a story because not only is it horror but it's also a mystery; what happened? What happened to the being that seeks you and wants to harm you? What happened to this place and it's people?

The story is gripping and the fact you are playing as an every man (a therapist...who somehow knows how to assemble a pistol, but I can overlook that. People can be firearm hobbyists) makes it even better. And for the extra layer of "oof", these are his patients. These tortured souls are the people he's been talking to and trying to help, so yeah, five bucks says he's gonna feel a whole lot of guilt and hate towards himself at some point because of what happened to Virginia, he knows things will only go from bad to worse.

Say what you want, but I am foaming at the mouth for this game to come out soon. I know pre-orders are here already for consoles (and for Switch, to my surprise), but I'm waiting for Steam and for the Deluxe Edition. I am so excited for this game to come out and succeed or fail, I'm gonna champion it because it hit a cord within me as a horror fan.