- Excellent multiplayer with guest pass feature
- Engaging wildcards and diverse game modes
- Tense, accessible core gameplay with stealth
- Limited content and high price point
- Low player count and dead lobbies
- Mandatory PSN account login issues
Emotions
Players felt satisfied due to the game's accessible and intuitive controls, coupled with consumer-friendly features like the guest pass system and cross-play, which facilitated playing with friends. The core gameplay mechanics, including the 'Wildcard' mode, and the overall polish and lack of technical issues also contributed significantly to a positive experience and perceived value for money.
Frustration stemmed primarily from technical issues such as poor optimization, bugs, and persistent network errors, often preventing gameplay. A significant cause was the mandatory PSN account requirement, especially for guest pass users, and the low player count which led to long lobby wait times and forced bot inclusion, hindering public match experiences.
Disappointment arose from the game not meeting expectations set by advertisements, particularly regarding content depth and value for its price. Players were also let down by the low player count, which made public matches difficult, and by technical issues like input delay and system incompatibility that prevented them from playing or enjoying the game.
Enjoyment was largely driven by playing the game with friends, leveraging features like proximity chat and the 'Wildcard' mode, which created chaotic and fun co-op sessions. The game's simple, casual, and often tense gameplay, combined with its social atmosphere, contributed to a highly enjoyable experience.
Excitement was generated by the game's unique concept, its fun and chaotic gameplay, especially when playing with friends and utilizing the 'Wildcard' mode. The guest pass feature and the game's overall quality and affordability also contributed to a sense of enthusiasm and anticipation for its potential and future updates.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 71% · Negative 29%. Score: 29 / 100
Positives:
- Players overwhelmingly praise the game's fun and chaotic multiplayer experience, especially when played with friends. A significant factor contributing to this enjoyment is the 'Guest Pass' system, which allows one person to purchase the game and invite up to five friends to play for free, making it highly accessible and a great party game.
- The 'Wildcards' game mode is frequently highlighted as a favorite, adding significant variety and chaotic fun to matches. Players appreciate how this mode, along with other diverse game modes, keeps the gameplay fresh and prevents it from becoming stale.
- The game's core mechanics, centered around stealth, hide-and-seek, and shooting in the dark, are highly effective at creating tension and engaging gameplay. The simple, intuitive controls make the game easy to pick up for players of all skill levels.
- Players recognize the game's strong potential and appreciate its unique concept, particularly the immersive atmosphere created by navigating pitch-black environments with limited light. The game is seen as well-developed for an Early Access title.
- The game is noted for its technical polish and stability, with many players reporting a lack of significant bugs or issues. This contributes to a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience.
Negatives:
- Players feel the game lacks content, variety, and progression, making it repetitive and bland. The current price is considered too high for the limited offerings, and recent updates have reportedly removed modes, further reducing value.
- The game suffers from a severely low player count, making it difficult or impossible to find public matches. This issue is compounded by the need for 6 players per match, leading to a 'dead' online community and concerns about the game's longevity.
- A significant number of players are frustrated by the mandatory PSN account login, citing issues with account verification, repeated logins, and general inconvenience. This requirement has prevented some from playing and deterred others from purchasing the game.
- Many players report critical technical issues, including frequent crashes, network errors preventing login or gameplay, and poor optimization leading to unplayable performance on PC. Basic features like full-screen support and key rebinding are also missing.
- The forced inclusion of bots in lobbies with fewer than 6 players is a major point of contention. Players find these bots lifeless, sometimes too deadly, and they detract from the desired multiplayer experience, especially in private lobbies.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay revolves around stealth and light management in a dark environment. Players use a flashlight for visibility but risk revealing their position, encouraging a hide-and-seek style of play.
- The game offers multiple modes, including Free For All and Team Deathmatch, with unique 'Wildcard' modifiers that are voted on by the lobby, adding variety and a party-game feel.
- Proximity voice chat is a significant feature, allowing players to locate others by sound and enhancing the social and immersive aspects of the game. Sound is a crucial element for gameplay.
- The game's mechanics are considered simple and not overly deep, contributing to its identity as a casual 'party game'.
- The game features a 'one-shot kill' mechanic, where players die or are downed with a single bullet, emphasizing precision and tactical engagement.
Performance:
- Player feedback on performance is mixed. Some users report significant lag and poor optimization, while others with good setups achieve high frame rates. This suggests potential optimization issues for a subset of hardware configurations.
- The attempt to use graphic filters for an unfair advantage was unsuccessful. This indicates that the game's anti-cheat or rendering system effectively prevented such exploits.
Recommendations:
- Many players highly recommend the game, especially when played with friends. They see great potential for it to be a fun party game and are excited for future updates and content.
- The guest pass feature is highly appreciated by players, who commend the developers for its inclusion and generosity.
- Some players suggest waiting for the game to be more polished and optimized, particularly regarding PC issues, before purchasing or fully committing.
- Some advice suggests buying the game on sale or trying it with the intention to refund if it doesn't meet expectations.
- There's a general desire for the game to attract more players to improve public match availability.
Miscellaneous:
- Players are eager for new content, specifically more maps, game modes, and wildcards to enhance variety and longevity. There's a strong desire for continued development and updates to keep the game fresh.
- The game is in Early Access and developed by an indie studio, which implies that issues are expected and that there is a development roadmap. Players are encouraged to engage with the community and developers.
- The game evokes nostalgia for classic titles like Goldeneye and The Ship, and some believe it has better longevity than games like Knockout City.
- There's a concern that the friend pass system might negatively impact sales, and player enjoyment can vary depending on having a group of friends to play with.
- There is a suggestion for the implementation of an anti-cheat system, indicating potential concerns about fair play.
