THRESHOLD Review Summary

Immersive, unique, unsettling atmosphere: The game is praised for its immersive and unsettling atmosphere, often described as oppressive, eerie, and unique. This atmosphere is a key element of the game, enhancing the overall experience and creating a sense of unease and mystery for the player. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to draw them into its world through its strong atmosphere.

Effective retro PS1-style graphics: The game's visual style, often described as retro or PS1-inspired, is a significant draw for many reviewers. The low-poly aesthetic, dim color palettes, and pixelated edges contribute to the game's overall atmosphere and create a sense of nostalgia or unease. Reviewers appreciate how the graphics enhance the game's themes and create a distinctive visual identity.

Simple and intuitive gameplay: Reviewers found the game simple and easy to pick up, with an intuitive gameplay. The game is also considered well-polished, especially considering it's a one-person project. The game avoids the "just figure it out idiot" mentality common in the genre, making it more accessible.

Explores themes of oppressive work: The game explores themes related to work, exploitation, and the pressures of corporate environments. The oxygen mechanic is often tied to the stress and desperation of the workplace. Reviewers find these themes resonant and appreciate the game's commentary on modern work culture.

Unique and interesting experience: The game is described as a unique and interesting experience, often praised for its originality and effectiveness. Reviewers found the game to be engaging and captivating from beginning to end. The game is also described as a great entry in the workplace horror subgenre.

Story/worldbuilding underdeveloped, confusing: Many reviewers found the story and world-building to be underdeveloped, confusing, or unsatisfying. The plot is often described as incomplete, with unanswered questions and a lack of meaningful choices or consequences. Some felt the narrative was pretentious or nonsensical, failing to deliver on its initial promise.

Game plagued by bugs/softlocks: Numerous reviews cite game-breaking bugs, softlocks, and performance issues (frame rate drops, freezing) that halt progression and require restarts. These technical problems significantly detract from the experience, sometimes making the game unplayable. Several specific bugs involving character interactions and level geometry are mentioned.

Short length, low replayability: A common complaint is the game's short length and lack of replayability, especially considering its price. Reviewers felt the game ended too quickly, with limited content and little incentive to replay for different endings. Some felt the price was not justified by the amount of gameplay offered.

Repetitive, tedious gameplay loops: Several reviewers noted repetitive gameplay loops and tedious tasks, such as backtracking and item collection. This repetition diminishes enjoyment and makes subsequent playthroughs feel like a chore. The game's core mechanics are not engaging enough to sustain interest over multiple runs.

Not scary, but anxiety inducing: Some reviewers found the game not scary, despite its atmosphere. Others found the game to be stress and anxiety inducing.

Linear story, stressful time-management: The time management system can create anxiety, especially when the next steps for story progression are unclear. The story progression is fairly linear, with a few branching points.

Oxygen is a critical resource: Oxygen is a critical resource that depletes with nearly every action, including movement and communication. Players must manage their oxygen levels by acquiring and consuming air canisters, often through unconventional and even harmful methods like breaking them open with their teeth.

Secrets encourage multiple playthroughs: The game features multiple endings and hidden secrets that encourage exploration and multiple playthroughs. Discovering these secrets and alternate paths enriches the narrative and provides a deeper understanding of the game's world and story.

Difficulty based on starting country: The game's difficulty is influenced by the player's starting country, which affects oxygen consumption rates. However, some reviews suggest that the difficulty settings offer minimal payoff.

Mysterious, solitary world: The game world has mysterious rules that the player must learn. The game focuses on the experience of solitude and being lost.

Performance issues and game crashes: Several reviewers reported performance issues such as lag, freezes, stutters, and crashes, particularly in later stages or during specific scenes with intense visual effects. Some experienced high CPU usage, and progression could be blocked by bugs. These technical problems detract from the overall experience.

Runs well on Steam Deck: Multiple reviewers specifically mentioned that the game runs well on the Steam Deck, indicating good optimization for that platform. This is a positive point for players who prefer handheld gaming.

Subtitle display bug: One reviewer encountered a bug where subtitles only appear momentarily. This can make it difficult to follow the story or understand dialogue, especially for players who rely on subtitles.

Camera zooms on interest points: The game's camera will zoom in on points of interest when the player looks in the right direction. This feature may help guide the player or highlight important details in the environment.

Worth playing, especially on sale: Many reviewers recommend the game, especially when on sale, citing its originality and unique experience. Some suggest its short length justifies the price, comparing it to a movie ticket, while others recommend waiting for a sale. Some reviewers also express a desire to support the indie developer.

Avoid until bugs are fixed: Some reviewers advise against purchasing the game in its current state due to significant glitches and bugs that can disrupt the gameplay experience. They recommend waiting for patches or fixes before buying to avoid frustration and progress loss.

Short, memorable psychological experience: The game is frequently described as a short, memorable experience, often compared to a psychological horror movie. Reviewers highlight its ability to deliver an impactful narrative within a concise timeframe, making it suitable for players seeking a brief but engaging adventure.

Desire for more content: Several reviewers express a desire for more content from the developer or within the game's universe. This suggests that the game has created a compelling world or story that players want to explore further.

Play it blind for best experience: Reviewers suggest experiencing the game with as little prior knowledge as possible to maximize its impact. This recommendation is based on the game's unique atmosphere and surprising elements, which are best enjoyed without spoilers.

Country choice affects difficulty: The initial country selection determines the game's difficulty level and starting location. Choosing China places the outpost on Mount Everest, increasing the challenge due to rapid oxygen consumption.

High-altitude, text communication: The game is set in a high-altitude border outpost with limited oxygen, where communication is primarily text-based. This setting impacts gameplay and narrative elements.

Mentions specific in-game elements: Some reviewers mention specific in-game elements like finding a pan or searching for a duck named Roberto. These points lack broader context or significance.

Vague descriptions, hard to review: Some reviewers describe the game as weird or uncanny, and express difficulty in providing detailed reviews without spoilers. These points are vague and lack specific details.

Psychological horror focus: The game is classified as a psychological horror title, emphasizing psychological elements over traditional horror elements. It utilizes a low-poly visual style to enhance the atmosphere.