NightCry is supposedly a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series (if you remember that). Having been directed by the original talent too. You know, those point-and-click survival horror games featuring a gigantic scissor-wielding enemy chasing 'defenseless' women, which I never played... busted! However, after having finished this, I am more eager than ever to try them!



The Gist:
You start off as Monica Flores, a gorgeous typical blonde who's enjoying a party aboard a cruise ship alongside her classmates and professors. While searching for a friend, she feels that something is obviously amiss. Much to her regret- a ghastly apparition with a pair of gigantic scissors stalks her relentlessly and the mass murder begins.

! Max Caulfield; Trish! Just in case you were wondering.... Oh and spoilers!!



(a) Room Service
The controls are simple enough with the entire game playable through only a mouse as the genre implies. Click once to walk and interact with objects. Double-click to run. That and the space key which skips dialogues, cutscenes and door animations. It's that simple!!

(b) Cruising for A Bruising
The game is comprised of three main portions; the exploration, the chase and the QTE! Exploration has the character walk around, solve simple puzzles and comment (often hilariously) on everyday objects meant to give a sense of their personality.

Chases are intense at first but once you know not to deplete stamina and end up paralyzed- making for easy picking, it is fairly simple. If caught, successfully completing a QTE (also drains stamina) will stun the enemy for a few seconds. Only certain objects are interactive during this phase either to hide behind or use to fend off the Scissorwalker (SW).

It doesn't matter whether you are spotted or far away when you choose a hiding spot. Only the QTEs will decide your fate. There are not that many of these which is a shame because these were creative and what was most thrilling for me.

(c) Shady Characters
The main characters are modeled well (wish I could say the same for the rest) despite being very bland and poorly voiced (which you'll grow accustomed to). Personally, the best I think is Monica, Leonard and then Rooney... Which is ironic because this is the exact order in which you play them.

Their character development is severely restricted until the third act. Even then, only Monica and Rooney are explored, if not just a little. Monica acts all gold-digger-like because she has younger siblings to look after but she is actually surprisingly tough. Rooney is haunted by her past, an incident revolving her sister(?) as a child and people referred to her as suicidal...

(d) Moth Effect
The redeeming factor to this game is its choices mechanics. Certain items are optional (cough, easily missed) to pick up which are 'necessary' for the good or other endings. However, it is only after experiencing so many deaths and inspecting a timeline checklist that will slowly guide you to better, positive outcomes.

Not only that, there are 'horrors' scattered throughout the game which are basically mini hauntings; objects come to life, something passes by and etc. These were unpredictable yet really exciting when they do appear before your eyes.



(i) What in The Actual F
I tried so hard to make sense of the game's plot. I know there is a cult, ghosts, a mastermind but it all boils down to WHY?! It is apparent the effort that went into the story is minimal but concentrated (if you can even call it that) on gameplay. Perhaps, the story requires critical thinking in order to be deciphered.. TONS OF IT!!

It does not seem coherent at all. Even the cruise passengers do not seem to care much for a serial killer as they call it, on board until the SW is right in their faces... By then they're just shouting and milking the moment.

(ii) Crippling Fear?
I mentioned earlier the game is easy to play. Well, it would be if it had worked properly. The camera is uncooperative at times (mostly during chases) and often ends up glued to/blocked by the character. Making escape near impossible and so frustrating.

Furthermore, in Scene 3 onward- opening doors become so difficult and slow. The characters appear to have a stroke or ants on their bodies. Good luck with the SW constantly right behind you moving perfectly and at an unreasonable pace!! Just pray that his AI goes batshi* crazy and he just patrols endlessly, ignoring you (happened a few).

Then there are more bugs. The ones I can recall involve the place with containers, opening doors but still stuck in the room (AND KILLED). I just find some bizarre new ones whenever I chose to replay asScene. You'd think that the game devs address them by now... But I mean the game was a Kickstarter after all.

(iii) An Unfortunate Accident-
The game has only the default difficulty and even then is already quite tough. It takes time to master which I can appreciate. It also teaches the players to be careful what to interact with and use their 'common sense'. For instance, there was a section where Rooney receives a phone call from Jessica (who is supposed to be dead) about Eric and how you shouldn't trust him.

That point on- I did the exact opposite of whatever advice he gave and died over and over. So I do not, for the life of me understand if it is genuinely poor writing or deliberate attempts to stir mysteries... I guess it's the latter. The timeline is also questionable. Monica's and Rooney's start simultaneously. Then they intersect in the middle. That's fine... Throw in Leonard's however and the whole part just doesn't add up.

Jerome (Rooney's apparent love interest) was supposedly kidnapped and shirtless but suddenly gets fully clothed when Rooney finds him later on. I guess time is much faster for Rooney because her chapter ties everything together and that she is a discount Max Caulfield.



To sum up, NightCry is a fun, if not unpolished title at worst. I know I come off as being annoyed (which I was) BUT I truly, wholeheartedly enjoyed the game as a mega fan of horror myself. With all these plot holes and unknown fates of certain individuals- perhaps there'll be a sequel or even whole franchises? I know a lot of people loved it (actually equal if not more hated its guts) too despite its glaring shortcomings.

[Buy it only during sales... You'll thank me]

6.4/10

[code]Curator page here-->[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37670120/] DaRevieweD #11 [/url]<-- [i]New review every Sunday[/i][/code] NightCry is supposedly a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series (if you remember that). Having been directed by the original talent too. You know, those point-and-click survival horror games featuring a gigantic scissor-wielding enemy chasing 'defenseless' women, which I never played... busted! However, after having finished this, I am more eager than ever to try them! [h1]"Making The Cut."[/h1] [u]The Gist:[/u] You start off as Monica Flores, a gorgeous typical blonde who's enjoying a party aboard a cruise ship alongside her classmates and professors. While searching for a friend, she feels that something is obviously amiss. Much to her regret- a ghastly apparition with a pair of gigantic scissors stalks her relentlessly and the mass murder begins. [spoiler] ! Max Caulfield; Trish! Just in case you were wondering.... Oh and spoilers!![/spoiler] [h1][+] PROS;[/h1] [b](a) Room Service[/b] The controls are simple enough with the entire game playable through only a mouse as the genre implies. Click once to walk and interact with objects. Double-click to run. That and the space key which skips dialogues, cutscenes and door animations. It's that simple!! [b](b) Cruising for A Bruising[/b] The game is comprised of three main portions; the exploration, the chase and the QTE! Exploration has the character walk around, solve simple puzzles and comment (often hilariously) on everyday objects meant to give a sense of their personality. Chases are intense at first but once you know not to deplete stamina and end up paralyzed- making for easy picking, it is fairly simple. If caught, successfully completing a QTE (also drains stamina) will stun the enemy for a few seconds. Only certain objects are interactive during this phase either to hide behind or use to fend off the [b]Scissorwalker (SW)[/b]. It doesn't matter whether you are spotted or far away when you choose a hiding spot. Only the QTEs will decide your fate. There are not that many of these which is a shame because these were creative and what was most thrilling for me. [b](c) Shady Characters[/b] The main characters are modeled well (wish I could say the same for the rest) despite being very bland and poorly voiced (which you'll grow accustomed to). Personally, the best I think is Monica, Leonard and then Rooney... Which is ironic because this is the exact order in which you play them. Their character development is severely restricted until the third act. Even then, only Monica and Rooney are explored, if not just a little. Monica acts all gold-digger-like because she has younger siblings to look after but she is actually surprisingly tough. Rooney is haunted by her past, an incident revolving her sister(?) as a child and people referred to her as suicidal... [b](d) Moth Effect[/b] The redeeming factor to this game is its choices mechanics. Certain items are optional (cough, easily missed) to pick up which are 'necessary' for the good or other endings. However, it is only after experiencing so many deaths and inspecting a timeline checklist that will slowly guide you to better, positive outcomes. Not only that, there are 'horrors' scattered throughout the game which are basically mini hauntings; objects come to life, something passes by and etc. These were unpredictable yet really exciting when they do appear before your eyes. [h1][-] CONS;[/h1] [b](i) What in The Actual F[/b] I tried so hard to make sense of the game's plot. I know there is a cult, ghosts, a mastermind but it all boils down to WHY?! It is apparent the effort that went into the story is minimal but concentrated (if you can even call it that) on gameplay. Perhaps, the story requires critical thinking in order to be deciphered.. TONS OF IT!! It does not seem coherent at all. Even the cruise passengers do not seem to care much for a serial killer as they call it, on board until the SW is right in their faces... By then they're just shouting and milking the moment. [b](ii) Crippling Fear?[/b] I mentioned earlier the game is easy to play. Well, it would be if it had worked properly. The camera is uncooperative at times (mostly during chases) and often ends up glued to/blocked by the character. Making escape near impossible and so frustrating. Furthermore, in Scene 3 onward- opening doors become so difficult and slow. The characters appear to have a stroke or ants on their bodies. Good luck with the SW constantly right behind you moving perfectly and at an unreasonable pace!! Just pray that his AI goes batshi* crazy and he just patrols endlessly, ignoring you (happened a few). Then there are more bugs. The ones I can recall involve the place with containers, opening doors but still stuck in the room (AND KILLED). I just find some bizarre new ones whenever I chose to replay asScene. You'd think that the game devs address them by now... But I mean the game was a Kickstarter after all. [b](iii) An Unfortunate Accident-[/b] The game has only the default difficulty and even then is already quite tough. It takes time to master which I can appreciate. It also teaches the players to be careful what to interact with and use their 'common sense'. For instance, there was a section where [spoiler]Rooney receives a phone call from Jessica (who is supposed to be dead)[/spoiler] about Eric and how you shouldn't trust him. That point on- I did the exact opposite of whatever advice he gave and died over and over. So I do not, for the life of me understand if it is genuinely poor writing or deliberate attempts to stir mysteries... I guess it's the latter. The timeline is also questionable. [spoiler]Monica's and Rooney's start simultaneously. Then they intersect in the middle. That's fine...[/spoiler] Throw in Leonard's however and the whole part just doesn't add up. Jerome (Rooney's apparent love interest) was supposedly kidnapped and shirtless but suddenly gets fully clothed when Rooney finds him later on. I guess time is much faster for Rooney because her chapter ties everything together and that she is a discount Max Caulfield. [h1]"Join The Online Forums"[/h1] To sum up, NightCry is a fun, if not unpolished title at worst. I know I come off as being annoyed (which I was) BUT I truly, wholeheartedly enjoyed the game as a mega fan of horror myself. With all these plot holes and unknown fates of certain individuals- perhaps there'll be a sequel or even whole franchises? I know a lot of people loved it (actually equal if not more hated its guts) too despite its glaring shortcomings. [Buy it only during sales... You'll thank me] [i]6.4/10[/i]