Info about Forgive Me Father:

Official game description:
Sequel available now in Early Access
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About the Game
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As the only one left with full senses, you embark on a journey in search of answers and relief in this FPS game that is created in a distinctive retro horror comic book style and feels as if it came straight out of Lovecraft's books.
Be aware of your madness level which dynamically changes during gameplay and gives you additional power. Choose your active skills depending on your play style and use them to fight against the eternal evil.
Explore this Lovecraft-inspired world that is full of hidden and hard to reach areas, and uncover the entire story to solve the mystery of this crazy place.
*   **Feeling of a classic FPS from the 90s** Timelapse animations, opponents and elements of 2D in a 3D environment; first aid kits and life points, non-reloading weapons, powerups during dynamic combat with numerous opponents.
*   **Custom combat experience** With scripture in one hand and weapons powered by an unknown substance in the other, the player will face the challenge of maintaining their humanity. It is up to the player to decide how their equipment evolves, and to find ways of defeating hordes of unpredictable opponents.
*   **Dynamic level of madness**Directly influencing not only the audio-visual experience, but the gameplay itself, its effect varies depending on the current level of player’s madness.
*   **The gameplay is presented in a comic book style**Hand-drawn graphics designed to maintain a distinctive comic book look, where any screenshot from the game could be a part of a new comic book.
*   **Mood straight from Lovecraft's dark novels**All throughout the game, the player will feel the atmosphere of dread and horror that the works of H.P. Lovecraft are renowned for. Surrounded by the occult and forces of eternal evil, experience the feelings of hopelessness, madness and confusion, and the burning need to find answers and bring back some semblance of reason and sanity to the world.
*   **Many climatic levels and varied bestiary**A diverse world entirely made by hand, full of interesting enemies ranging from possessed inhabitants to monsters straight out of your worst nightmares.
*   **Two heroes to choose from** Each with their own, unique development tree. Experience the story from the perspective of either a priest or a journalist.

Release date: Apr 7, 2022

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Boomer Shooter, Lovecraftian Horror, Comic Book Art Style, Skill Tree Progression System, Weapon Customization, Two Distinct Playable Characters, Exploration

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Tourist; summary: The primary Wiki Tax issue is spatial navigation: users struggle to see ground attacks due to a problematic camera angle, forcing reliance on video walkthroughs. No evidence of farming drop rates, inventory management, or complex mechanic tutorials. The dominant complaint is about game polish and bugs rather than external data needs for grinding or crafting.
- Proton/Linux: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has significant Linux/Proton compatibility issues, including poor Steam Deck performance with stuttering and unplayable turning, a recurring UE4 crash on a boss, and general performance complaints on Linux. These issues require tinkering or specific workarounds, but the game is still somewhat playable.
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Broken; summary: Steam Deck experience is marred by performance issues (stuttering, need to lower settings), poor controller input (unplayable without auto-aim, slow turning), and stability bugs (UE4 crash on boss, freeze on startup). Despite a verified tag, the game requires tinkering and has broken elements, making it frustrating for Steam Deck users.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game performs well on low-VRAM and mid-range VRAM Windows systems, but a severe black screen crash bug affects higher-VRAM setups.
  - Sample size: 68 (6% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (positive, 33 reports): Reports the game works well, with only minor lag mentioned on 4GB VRAM.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (negative, 19 reports): A significant number of users report a game-breaking black screen crash bug that prevents launch or causes instability.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 10 reports): Users consistently report smooth performance and no significant issues.
  - Caveats: 68 of 1128 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews explicitly state the game is not worth its full $20 price and recommend buying during sales, with one reviewer directly calling it a 'solid 5-10 dollar game.' While a minority of reviews consider it worth full price, the dominant community sentiment suggests that the fair base-game price falls between $5 and $10, as higher prices are frequently described as overpriced.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 7.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Game completion time is derived from multiple reviews: a 5-to-6-hour binge, 7 hours (Portuguese), and 6-8 hours (Spanish) indicating a typical playthrough of about 7 hours. Session length is inferred from level durations (10 minutes, 1 hour for a single level) and the total being completed in 2-3 sessions, implying an average session of about 2 hours. No explicit story-only or endgame playtime evidence was found.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game hooks players with fast-paced early fun and a solid aesthetic, but becomes repetitive and frustrating due to poor level design and bullet-sponge enemies in the second half.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: After the initial chapters
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: repetitive and confusing level design in later stages; spawns of bullet-sponge enemies; tedious backtracking, key hunting, and lever puzzles; late-game save point placement that punishes death with time waste; progression flattens out too early
  - Unlock drivers: appreciating the visual style and music; engaging with the progression and skill tree early on; skipping the story for gameplay-only enjoyment; playing on a sale without high expectations
  - Conditions: play in short sessions; ignore the story if it's cliche; lower expectations for late-game level design
- Player Archetypes:
  - Cosmic Horror Connoisseur (buy)
    - Motivation: Immersion in a Lovecraftian horror narrative and comic book aesthetic.
    - Playstyle: Exploration-focused, pays attention to lore documents and environmental storytelling, takes time to absorb atmosphere.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Lovecraft fan; horror enthusiast; comic art lover
    - Reference games: Call of Cthulhu (TTRPG); Darkest Dungeon
  - Boomer Shooter Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Skill-based combat challenge and mastery of the game's systems.
    - Playstyle: Fast-paced, movement-focused, aggressive combat, seeks high difficulty (expert), experiments with different loadouts and characters, aims for full completion.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran; old-school FPS fan; boomer shooter enthusiast
    - Reference games: Doom; Quake; Dusk; Cultic; Project Warlock
  - Disappointed Aesthetic Lover (sale)
    - Motivation: Drawn by the art and concept but let down by flawed gameplay execution.
    - Playstyle: Initially enthusiastic but becomes frustrated by poor level design, tedious backtracking, bullet-hell projectile spam, bugs, and lack of polish.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: boomer shooter enthusiast with high standards; art appreciator
    - Reference games: Half-Life; DUSK; Slayers X; Cultic


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unique comic-book art style (weight 0.64): The unique comic-book art style is a standout feature, repeatedly praised for its visual appeal and fitting the Lovecraftian setting perfectly.
- Fast and fun gameplay (weight 0.52): The gameplay is consistently described as fun, fast-paced, and satisfying, with high-octane combat and enjoyable mechanics.
- Classic Lovecraftian boomer shooter (weight 0.52): Many reviews praise the game as a fast-paced, old-school shooter with a great boomer shooter feel, set in a Lovecraftian world with a unique atmosphere and style.
- Deep skill tree upgrades (weight 0.47): The skill tree and weapon upgrade system are well-received, offering meaningful customization and visual changes that enhance gameplay variety.
- Powerful and varied weapons (weight 0.42): Weapons feel powerful and punchy, with great variety and cool designs that make shooting satisfying.
- Great atmospheric music (weight 0.29): The soundtrack and music are highly appreciated for fitting the atmosphere perfectly and enhancing the overall experience.
- Solid level design (weight 0.19): Level design is consistently praised as good, with interesting maps, tight layouts, and secrets to discover.
- Two distinct characters (weight 0.17): Two playable characters with distinct skillsets provide replayability and different playstyles, notably the Priest being canon and easier.
- Good enemy variety (weight 0.16): Enemy variety is good, with plenty of different foes and bosses to keep combat interesting.
- Entertaining boss fights (weight 0.16): Boss battles are entertaining, fun, and well-crafted, adding to the game's challenge and enjoyment.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive gameplay and excessive length (weight 0.53): Many reviewers note that the game becomes tedious due to repetitive gameplay and excessive length, with levels that drag on and a poorly paced experience that outstays its welcome.
- Weak and incomprehensible story (weight 0.35): The story is widely criticized as incomprehensible, weak, non-existent, and a mess of random phrases, with vague and uninteresting story notes that fail to engage.
- Poor voice acting (weight 0.3): Voice acting, especially the reporter's dialogue, is widely criticized as being terrible, laughably bad, atrocious, unpleasant, and condescending.
- Confusing level design (weight 0.27): Level design is inconsistent and often confusing, with confusing map layouts, poor guidance, and repetitive sections causing aesthetic fatigue.
- Repetitive enemy encounters (weight 0.22): The game suffers from repetitive enemy encounters and predictable AI, with similar attack patterns and a lack of variety that makes combat feel monotonous.
- Frustrating platforming sections (weight 0.2): Platforming sections are tedious, frustrating, and poorly designed, especially in the final act where they become painful and sickening.
- Poor skill tree system (weight 0.19): The skill tree system is poorly implemented with objectively superior skills, feeling unnecessary and out of place, while alternative options are not viable.
- Ammo scarcity issues (weight 0.14): Ammo scarcity is a pain in the early game, though it disappears later; some players experience bullet shortages near the end.
- Uneven difficulty curve (weight 0.12): The game has an uneven difficulty curve with unbalanced difficulty and inconsistent difficulty spikes.
- Disappointing final boss (weight 0.12): The final boss is underwhelming, disappointing, unfair, and terribly designed, leaving a poor impression.
- Poor enemy visibility (weight 0.12): Enemies are not clearly visible against backgrounds, especially with foliage and in dark areas, impairing readability and only distinguishable by health bars in motion.
- Unimpactful weapon upgrades (weight 0.12): Weapons don't feel different from the first level despite upgrades, some upgrades are not improvements, and weapons lack feedback, feeling weak without upgrades.

Gameplay feedback:
- Fast-paced boomer shooter genre (weight 0.65): Players describe the game as a fast-paced boomer shooter with classic old-school FPS mechanics like key collection and arena combat. The genre is a core identity of the game.
- Skill tree and weapon upgrades (weight 0.45): The game features a skill tree system that allows upgrading weapons, abilities, and character stats. Weapons can be upgraded with visual changes and new functions, adding variety to gameplay.
- Lovecraftian / Cthulhu theme (weight 0.45): The setting and story draw heavily from Lovecraftian mythology and Cthulhu lore, creating a dark cosmic horror atmosphere. This theme is frequently mentioned as a key appeal.
- Two distinct playable characters (weight 0.32): Players can choose between two characters, such as a journalist and a priest, each with unique abilities and playstyles. This provides replayability and strategic choice.
- Comic book art style (weight 0.22): The visual presentation uses a comic book or cell-shaded art style, often described as retro and Gothic. This aesthetic complements the horror theme and old-school feel.
- Weapon and enemy variety (weight 0.16): There is a good variety of weapons, spells, and enemy types, ranging from realistic to cosmic horrors. This keeps combat interesting and supports different build strategies.
- Endless mode available (weight 0.09): In addition to the story campaign, there is an endless mode where players survive waves of enemies with limited healing and scarce ammo. This adds replay value.
- Arena combat encounters (weight 0.09): The game includes arena-style combat sections where players face hordes of enemies. These encounters emphasize fast-paced movement and crowd control.

Performance notes:
- Fatal crash on launch (weight 0.15): Multiple players report a 'Low Level Fatal Error' crash or black screen on launch, often requiring driver updates or indicating a corrupted package.
- Crashes during gameplay (weight 0.15): The game crashes unpredictably during gameplay, sometimes blocking progression or requiring a manual restart, indicating stability issues.
- Smooth performance for some (weight 0.13): Several players report smooth performance, with the game running at 144 FPS without drops, even on lower-end hardware, indicating optimization works for some configurations.
- FPS lock issues (weight 0.07): The game has a default 60 FPS lock that cannot be disabled or increased beyond 144 FPS, frustrating players with high-refresh-rate monitors.
- Game fails to boot (weight 0.07): Some users report the game won't boot at all, even after verifying files, reinstalling, or replacing files, suggesting a persistent compatibility issue.
- Performance drops in later levels (weight 0.07): Performance degrades in the second half of the game, with FPS dropping from 144 to 60-80 even on high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090, and stuttering on space/platforming levels.
- Steam Deck performance problems (weight 0.07): On Steam Deck, the camera rotation speed is excessively slow, and stuttering occurs near the end of the game, making it unplayable for some users.
- GPU overheating concerns (weight 0.07): The game causes the GPU to run very hot, with some users attributing this to the Unity engine, raising concerns about hardware safety.
- Mysterious optimization issues (weight 0.07): Some users experience frame drops with low GPU and CPU usage, suggesting optimization problems that are not hardware-related, while others report lag causing deaths.
- GPU overheating (weight 0.04): The game makes the GPU very hot, which may be related to the Unity engine, raising concerns about thermal management.
- Crash due to software conflict (weight 0.04): One crash issue was caused by a conflict between the Armory Create app and Windows 11 updates, indicating external software interference.
- Crash resolved by driver update (weight 0.04): A black screen crash on boot was resolved after updating the GPU driver, suggesting driver compatibility issues for some users.

Recommendations:
- Strongly not recommended (weight 0.23): A consistent set of strong negative recommendations indicates significant dissatisfaction with the game, citing it as not worth purchasing.
- Recommended for boomer shooter fans (weight 0.2): Many positive recommendations specifically target fans of fast-paced, old-school shooters like classic Doom, suggesting the game excels in this niche.
- Appeals to Lovecraft and retro FPS fans (weight 0.15): Combining old-school shooter mechanics with Lovecraftian horror and demon aesthetics appeals to a specific subset of retro FPS and horror fans.
- Overpriced for its value (weight 0.13): Feedback consistently mentions the game is overpriced, suggesting it offers limited value unless significantly discounted.
- Great for Lovecraft lore fans (weight 0.12): Multiple recommendations focus on the game's appeal to fans of Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraftian horror mythology.
- Recommended conditionally on sale (weight 0.09): A moderate recommendation, commonly suggesting waiting for a sale to purchase, reflecting good but not excellent value.
- Mixed recommendation for boomer shooter fans (weight 0.09): Mixed feedback for boomer shooter fans, advising tempered expectations and recommending the game mainly for veterans on sale.
- Definitely worth buying (weight 0.06): A small number of reviews give a full endorsement, stating the game is definitely worth its full price.
- Worth trying for genre fans (weight 0.06): A weak recommendation suggesting the game is worth picking up only if one is already a fan of the genre.
- Comparable to DOOM and Quake mods (weight 0.06): Comparison to DOOM and Quake mods, indicating the game will appeal to players who enjoy those classic experiences.
- Worth full price for uniqueness (weight 0.06): Some reviews affirm the game is worth full price for its unique experience, particularly for shooter fans.
- Cannot recommend overall (weight 0.06): A minority of reviewers explicitly state they cannot or do not recommend the game overall.
- 100% recommend for genre fans (weight 0.06): Strong endorsement specifically for genre enthusiasts, suggesting it is a must-play for them.
- Buy both parts on sale (weight 0.06): Advice to buy both game parts together on sale, implying better value from a bundle deal.
- Good for any shooter fan (weight 0.05): General recommendation for any shooter fan, suggesting broad but somewhat generic appeal.
- Commonly on sale, wait for discount (weight 0.05): Consistent suggestion that the game frequently goes on sale, so players should wait for a discount.
- Rated 8/10 overall (weight 0.05): A moderate positive review that rates the game 8/10, indicating a solid but not perfect experience.
- Highly recommended for DOOM fans (weight 0.05): Strong recommendation specifically for DOOM fans, positioning the game as a Doom-like experience.

Other player notes:
- Aggressive buy recommendation (weight 0.03): Some players strongly advocate for an immediate purchase using aggressive language, indicating a very positive but forceful recommendation style.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.21): Players expressed intense frustration over progression-halting mechanics like infrequent saves, losing progress upon death, and crashes that prevented 100% completion. Boss fights were criticized for unfair design including large hitboxes, invulnerable minions, and bullet-hell difficulty spikes, while late-game levels were described as overlong, boring, and repetitive with confusing layouts and enemy spam. Technical issues like bugs and poor platforming further compounded the negative experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.15): Players were disappointed by the game's decline after an initially strong start, with later acts suffering from repetitive gameplay, poor level design, and an underwhelming final boss. The story was criticized as weak with terrible voice acting and abandoned plot threads, while the gunplay felt stiff and unimpactful despite attractive visuals. Many felt the game lacked innovation and offered mediocre replay value, with technical issues like crashes and bugs compounding the letdown.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoyed the challenging gameplay, unique comic book art style, and excellent metal soundtrack that complemented the Lovecraft-inspired horror atmosphere. The fast-paced combat, fluid movement, and satisfying gunplay with a wide variety of weapons and upgrades provided an engaging experience. The immersive world design and effective sense of mission from the narrator contributed to the overall enjoyment from start to finish.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Players were excited by the punchy, high-octane gunplay and fast combat combined with a stunning comic book art style and banging metal soundtrack that energized the experience. The variety of weapons, challenging levels, secret collectibles, and brutal bosses created a frantic and fun gameplay loop that felt fresh in the FPS genre. The Lovecraftian themes and impressive visual setpieces added to the thrill, making the player feel fully immersed in a standout boomer shooter.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Players felt satisfied with the smooth, punchy shooting mechanics and the solid balance of difficulty, weapon variety, and upgrade systems that rewarded skillful play. The excellent art direction, heavy metal soundtrack, and Lovecraftian atmosphere combined with satisfying headshots and limb destruction provided a highly enjoyable experience. Completing the game to 100% was seen as worthwhile, with good value and optimized performance contributing to overall contentment.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): Players were annoyed by late-game visual darkness forcing gamma adjustments, technical issues like crashes and performance drops, and frustrating level design including water boss fights and harpoon-only sections. Annoying enemy mechanics such as teleporting, tracking projectiles, and explosion-on-death were highlighted, alongside poor voice acting and the absence of a map leading to frequent disorientation. The heavy metal music in cramped arenas and enemy spam were also criticized as aggravating.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciated the game's stunning hand-drawn comic book art style and strong 1930s Lovecraftian atmosphere that created a distinctive visual identity. The satisfying gameplay mechanics, solid weapon design, and excellent sound design were praised for supporting the immersive world. The old-school level design combined with ARPG elements and challenging difficulty spikes made the experience feel rewarding and worth the effort.
- Boredom (weight 0.04): Players grew bored due to the excessive length and repetitive level design, with many levels becoming tedious mazes requiring key-hunting and backtracking. The gameplay felt monotonous after the first hour, with enemy variety limited to recolors and weapons feeling mediocre, leading to a drawn-out and predictable experience. The lack of novelty in later acts and the need to camp or grind through ever-spawning monsters made the game feel like a chore.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players were angered by persistent crashes that required manual restarts and game-breaking bugs on launch that no fixes could resolve, rendering the game borderline unplayable. Annoying design choices like one-shot orbs, lack of aim assist for gamepads, and poorly designed final bosses with garbage stories and bad endings exacerbated the frustration. Poor enemy balance with bullet-sponge mechanics and useless abilities against the final bosses further fueled anger.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Players found amusement in the fun, silly premise of a priest using faith-fueled lead psalms to fight Lovecraftian monsters, describing it humorously. The enjoyable voice acting, despite not being great, and the funny character moments at save points added to the lighthearted tone. The ability to run past over half the levels without combat gave the game a playful and less serious feel.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players loved the game's fantastic pop art and cell-shaded visual style that perfectly matched the Lovecraftian setting, along with creative weapon designs like weird tentacle-based weapons. The satisfying gunplay and fun skill tree upgrades enhanced the experience, with detailed Easter eggs and homages adding charm. Many expressed that they loved the game even more than its sequel, pushing through initial difficulties to fully appreciate it.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Players found the game fun due to its engaging gameplay, fluid movement, and the overall boomer shooter experience despite some confusing levels. The story and endless mode were specifically mentioned as contributing to the enjoyment, with the gameplay being typical of the genre but executed well. The combination of fun shooting mechanics and an interesting narrative made the experience worthwhile.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admired the game as a loving homage to old-school shooters with great visuals and soundtrack, noting that a small team created a masterpiece. The art style, tight level design, and cool weapons like the energy accelerator were highlighted. Players appreciated how the game outperformed larger studio efforts in creating an engaging campaign.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players were enthusiastic about the great shooting impact, cool visuals, excellent soundtrack, and interesting upgrade system that made the game feel polished and engaging. The wide variety of weapons, spells, and content was praised as a must-play for fans of the genre. The impressive bestiary and excellent boss design contributed to the high energy and positive response.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players were confused by poorly designed maze-like maps and convoluted puzzle layouts that made navigation frustrating and unclear. The map design often left players wondering how they ended up back in previous areas, while abilities were described as half useless with only one effective option for the final boss. Some levels felt labyrinthine and unnecessarily complex.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players were pleasantly surprised by the game's overall quality and unique graphics, particularly encountering secret content like Trogdor the Burninator. Despite a slow start, the game quickly picked up to become very fun, exceeding initial low expectations. The visual style and hidden easter eggs contributed to the positive shock.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): Players expressed disgust with the high price tag for what they considered a broken product, citing enemy spam, traps, and bullet scarcity that made the game unfun. The combination of poor design choices and lack of polish led to a feeling that the game was not worth the cost. The core gameplay loop was seen as fundamentally flawed.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players felt relief when they were able to finally unlock a stubborn achievement after much effort, or when they quit the game to end their suffering. The act of stopping the frustrating gameplay experience provided a sense of closure and escape from the ongoing problems. These moments of resolution brought a welcome end to persistent difficulties.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players experienced joy with the game being hailed as the best boomer shooter in a long time, providing a lot of fun despite generic mechanics. The love for the art style was a significant contributor, with the visual presentation elevating the overall experience. The sense of excitement and satisfaction from the gameplay loop led to a genuinely happy response.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Players approved of the game's short length, which did not require a large time investment, making it accessible and easy to pick up. The approachable design allowed players to get acquainted safely with the mechanics and world without feeling overwhelmed. This brevity was seen as a positive trait, especially for those with limited gaming time.}