- Enjoyable exploration and puzzles
- Immersive atmosphere and beautiful graphics
- Engaging story and impressive soundtrack
- Combat mechanics heavily criticized
- Optimization and performance problems
- Numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes
Emotions
The game fell short of expectations due to a combination of factors including poor optimization, lackluster combat mechanics, and a linear, unengaging story. Players also noted repetitive gameplay, lack of enemy variety, and numerous technical issues such as bugs and performance problems. Additionally, the game's short length and lack of originality contributed to the overall disappointment.
Players experienced frustration primarily due to technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and poor optimization. The controls and movement mechanics were also criticized for being unresponsive and slow. Combat mechanics, confusing storylines, and occasional game freezes added to the frustration.
Many players enjoyed the game's atmosphere, story, and puzzles, finding them engaging and well-crafted. The Lovecraftian horror theme and detailed environments were particularly praised. Despite some flaws, the overall experience was fun and immersive for those who appreciate the genre.
Players found satisfaction in the game's atmosphere, story, and combat mechanics. The puzzles were deemed reasonable and enjoyable, contributing to a positive overall experience. The game's graphics and immersion were also highlighted as satisfying aspects.
Players appreciated the game's atmosphere, narrative, and puzzles, as well as the strong actor choices and interesting setting. The game's tone and survival horror elements were also well-received, providing a satisfying experience for fans of the genre.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 53% · Negative 47%. Score: 47 / 100
Verdict
Needs Improvement
Summary
The primary user complaints revolve around the complexity and lack of clarity in the game's puzzle mechanics, as well as the need for external guides to understand quest outcomes. These issues significantly impact the user experience, making it difficult for players to progress without additional resources. Score: 50 / 100
Top points
- Complex Mechanics - High
- Quest Outcomes - Medium
Verdict
Tinkering Required
Summary
The analysis of user feedback for 'Alone in the Dark' on the Steam Deck reveals several key themes. Performance issues, including stuttering and screen tearing, are frequently mentioned and significantly impact the gaming experience. Control and UI issues are also notable, with mixed reviews on the game's controls, leading to potential frustration. Battery life on the Steam Deck OLED model is reported to be around 3 hours, which may require frequent recharging. Despite these issues, users have found the game playable with some tweaking of settings, indicating that optimization is possible but not perfect out of the box. Score: 50 / 100
Top points
- Performance Issues - High
- Control and UI Issues - Medium
- Battery Life - Medium
- Optimization and Settings - Low
Positives:
- Players find the exploration-based gameplay and puzzle-solving aspects enjoyable and well-done, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- The game's atmosphere is highly praised for being engaging, immersive, and well-crafted, capturing the essence of 1920s Louisiana and Southern Gothic themes.
- The graphics and visual design are frequently described as beautiful, stunning, and well-crafted, enhancing the game's atmosphere.
- The story is praised for being interesting, engaging, and intriguing, with good characters and twists.
- The game's soundtrack and sound design are highlighted for their high quality and atmospheric contributions.
Negatives:
- Many players found the combat mechanics to be frustrating, clunky, and unsatisfying. The gunplay and melee systems were frequently described as janky and poorly designed.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to lag, stuttering, and performance issues. Players reported graphical glitches and frame rate drops.
- The story was often criticized for being linear, vague, and unexciting. Players found it confusing, cliché, and forgettable, with a lack of convincing narrative.
- Puzzles were described as simple, unengaging, and poorly designed. Many players found them repetitive and straightforward, requiring little effort to solve.
- The game was criticized for its short playtime, with some players completing it in around 6 hours. This was often coupled with a lack of replayability and content.
Gameplay:
- The game features a variety of puzzles that are integrated into the gameplay, offering a mix of simplicity and complexity. These puzzles are often accompanied by long texts and are considered fair and interesting by players.
- The game blends classic and modern survival horror elements, creating a mysterious and atmospheric experience. It draws comparisons to classic horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
- Players appreciate the exploration aspects of the game, which are often combined with puzzle-solving and detective elements. The exploratory gameplay is noted for its old-school style and integration with combat and narrative elements.
- The game offers multiple endings based on player actions and features different storylines for each playable character. This adds to the replayability and depth of the narrative.
- The combat system includes melee weapons and item throwing mechanics, though some players find the combat slow. The game offers a variety of combat scenarios, including combat with monsters and firearms.
Performance:
- Players encounter constant stuttering throughout the game, including micro stutters and traversal stutters. These issues are widespread and affect the overall gaming experience.
- The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to poor performance and graphical weaknesses. Players frequently report that the game runs poorly and experiences performance issues.
- Players report a range of bugs, from minor annoyances to significant issues that affect gameplay. These bugs include graphical glitches, character getting stuck, and bugs in cutscenes.
- The game is prone to occasional crashes and freezes, which can disrupt gameplay. These issues are noted by multiple players and occur at various points during the game.
- Screen tearing and other graphical issues are reported by players, often caused by micro-stutters and other performance problems.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for fans of detective horror, Lovecraftian mysteries, and classic survival horror. It offers a modern touch to old-school survival horror, making it appealing to a wide range of horror enthusiasts.
- Some reviews recommend waiting for significant discounts before buying the game. This suggests that while the game is enjoyable, it may not be worth the full price for some players.
- The game is recommended for fans of the horror genre, particularly those who enjoy mystery and investigation elements. It is also suggested for fans of specific franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
- Playing as different characters offers varied experiences, with the detective providing a more serious tone and the lady offering a more absurd experience.
- Some reviews recommend trying the console version of the game if possible, suggesting that it might offer a better experience than the PC version.
Miscellaneous:
- Several players mentioned that they waited for a discount before purchasing the game.
