Info about Lost in Vivo:

Official game description:
  
**A horror game about claustrophobia.**  
During a storm your service dog is forced down a broken sewer drain. You find the nearest sewer entrance and run in after it.  
Along the way you will meet others that are also stricken by abnormal or psychological fear. You may be able to help them, just as you may be able to free yourself, but just as likely, they and you may be beyond help.  
This game has controller support but you must first click past the graphic options. Do not rebind any of the keys if you plan on using the controller. The menus are hard programmed to the controller input's not the button labels, and currently there is no support to open the steam overlay with a controller.

Release date: Nov 5, 2018

Categories: First-Person Perspective, Psychological Horror, Atmospheric Horror, Survival Horror, Puzzle Solving, Exploration, Story-driven Gameplay, Horror

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has notable issues on Steam Deck, particularly with resolution settings and controller support. While some users have found workarounds, these problems significantly impact the overall experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $12.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users generally find the game worth the full price, which is around $12. Multiple reviews mention that the game is worth the price at full cost, indicating that the community considers this a fair price. Additionally, the game is often recommended even at its full price, suggesting that the perceived value aligns closely with the current base game price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 5.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes multiple user reviews mentioning the time it took them to complete the game or its main story. These quotes consistently indicate that the typical playtime for completing the main story ranges around 4 to 5 hours. There is no strong evidence provided for the typical single-session length or the typical post-story/endgame hours, hence those values are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is perceived as repetitive and boring with few standout moments, leading to a generally negative player experience.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: 0h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive gameplay loops; Tedious requirements; Lack of engaging story progression
  - Unlock drivers: Unique puzzles; Combat moments
  - Conditions: Exploration of semi-open zones; Engaging in unique gameplay moments
- Player Archetypes:
  - Psychological Horror Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking atmospheric and psychological horror experiences.
    - Playstyle: Immersive and exploratory, focusing on story and atmosphere.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Silent Hill fan; horror enthusiast
    - Reference games: Silent Hill; Resident Evil
  - Quirky Horror Fan (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking unique and meta horror experiences with personal touches.
    - Playstyle: Exploratory and engaged, looking for unique elements and meta commentary.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: animal lover; meta horror fan
    - Reference games: Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion
  - Indie Horror Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting indie developers and seeking value in horror games.
    - Playstyle: Diverse, enjoying a range of horror experiences with an emphasis on supporting indie developers.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: indie supporter; value seeker
    - Reference games: N/A


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:
- Outstanding sound design (weight 0.52): The game features excellent sound design, music, and sound effects that contribute to an immersive and atmospheric experience. Players consistently praise the soundtrack and sound ambiance.
- Highly atmospheric gameplay (weight 0.39): The game is praised for its immersive and atmospheric gameplay, which enhances the overall experience. The first-person view and detailed environments contribute to this atmosphere.
- Silent Hill influence (weight 0.35): The game draws heavy inspiration from the Silent Hill franchise, evident in its visual style, gameplay, and atmosphere. It appeals to fans of classic Silent Hill games.
- Claustrophobic and tense environments (weight 0.28): The game effectively uses claustrophobic and tense environments to create a terrifying and anxiety-inducing atmosphere. This design choice enhances the horror experience.
- Psychological horror themes (weight 0.28): The game incorporates psychological horror themes, creating a deeply unsettling and atmospheric experience. This aspect is highlighted as one of the game's strengths.
- Engaging story and graphics (weight 0.21): The game features a well-developed and intriguing story, complemented by great graphics and voice acting. The storyline is noted for its depth and symbolism.
- Creative monster designs (weight 0.19): The game features unique and creative monster designs that are both horrific and visually impressive. These designs contribute to the game's unsettling atmosphere.
- Unique and impressive art style (weight 0.16): The game's art style is praised for being unique, interesting, and visually impressive. The stylized visuals contribute to the overall aesthetic and atmosphere.
- Worth the time and price (weight 0.12): Players find the game worth the time and price of admission, indicating a high level of satisfaction with the overall experience and value provided.
- Homage to classic horror games (weight 0.12): The game is seen as a love letter to old-school horror games, particularly those from the PlayStation era. It successfully captures the essence of classic horror games.

Common complaints:
- Poor Story and Narrative (weight 0.45): The plot is often described as predictable, unclear, and confusing, lacking a coherent and engaging narrative.
- Repetitive and Boring Gameplay (weight 0.33): The gameplay is often described as repetitive, tedious, and boring, with a lack of variety and excitement.
- Lack of Scares and Engagement (weight 0.24): The game fails to deliver on horror elements, with many players finding it not scary and the story underwhelming and unengaging.
- Short Game Length (weight 0.22): The game is criticized for being too short, which limits its replay value and overall satisfaction.
- Poor Combat Mechanics (weight 0.21): Combat is criticized for being meaningless, messy, and unsatisfying, with some weapons being ineffective.
- Enemy Design Flaws (weight 0.19): Enemies have issues such as passing through walls and spawning inside walls, which are seen as poor game design choices.
- Poor Puzzle Design (weight 0.12): Puzzles are criticized for being either too easy or frustratingly difficult, often requiring external help to solve.
- Lack of Polish (weight 0.07): The game is noted for its lack of polish, with various aspects feeling unfinished or poorly executed.
- Buggy and Clunky Controls (weight 0.07): The game is described as buggy with clunky controls, affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- Frustrating and Confusing Sections (weight 0.07): Certain sections of the game can be frustrating and confusing, detracting from the overall experience.
- Language and Gameplay Issues (weight 0.06): Non-English speakers may find the story hard to follow due to lack of translation, and the gameplay is not always intuitive.
- Annoying Music (weight 0.06): The music in the game is criticized for being annoying and detracting from the overall experience.
- Sound Bugs (weight 0.06): There are reports of sound bugs, particularly in the game menu, which can be disruptive.
- Low Difficulty (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for being too easy and lacking challenge, which can make it less engaging.

Gameplay feedback:
- First-person perspective (weight 0.35): The game is played from a first-person perspective, immersing the player directly into the horror experience. This viewpoint enhances the psychological and claustrophobic elements.
- Silent Hill-inspired horror (weight 0.34): The game draws heavy inspiration from Silent Hill, featuring similar psychological horror elements, atmosphere, and gameplay mechanics. It is often compared to classic survival horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
- Survival horror gameplay (weight 0.31): The game falls within the survival horror genre, featuring elements typical of classic horror games. Players must navigate through terrifying environments and confront various horrors.
- Enemy mechanics and interactions (weight 0.27): Enemies play a significant role, with mechanics that include chasing and attacking the player. Some enemies can pass through walls, adding to the challenge and horror.
- Post-game content and modes (weight 0.24): The game offers additional content after the main story, including New Game+ modes and randomized enemy placement. These features enhance replayability.
- Exploration and puzzle-solving (weight 0.23): Gameplay involves exploring various locations and solving puzzles within ominous and disturbing environments. This mechanic is central to the player's experience.
- Combat mechanics (weight 0.18): Combat includes both melee and ranged weapons like shotguns and pistols. Players can choose to fight or run from enemies.
- Story and art style focus (weight 0.17): The game emphasizes a strong narrative and unique visual style. Players appreciate the story-driven gameplay and the distinct art style that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- Haunting soundtrack (weight 0.17): The game features a haunting soundtrack that complements the horror atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.
- Claustrophobic horror elements (weight 0.17): Claustrophobia is a central theme, with the protagonist suffering from it, adding to the psychological horror. The game creates a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere.
- Fourth wall breaks (weight 0.08): The game occasionally breaks the fourth wall, providing unique and unsettling experiences for the player.
- Limited field of view (weight 0.05): The game uses a limited field of view, which adds to the claustrophobic and tense atmosphere.
- Hidden secrets and extras (weight 0.05): The game includes hidden modes, secrets, and extras that players can discover, adding to the replay value.

Performance notes:
- Various technical bugs and glitches (weight 0.22): The game has several technical flaws, including bugs, glitches, and occasional crashes. Some players have also reported clipping through walls and getting stuck.
- Performance issues on low-end systems (weight 0.18): The game has been reported to run poorly on low-end systems, with some users experiencing as low as 20 FPS. This includes general performance issues and stutters.
- Optimization and graphics issues (weight 0.15): While some players praise the graphics and optimization, others have reported optimization errors and resolution issues. There are also mentions of FPS problems during specific sections of the game.
- Alt-tabbing causes resolution changes (weight 0.12): Players have reported that alt-tabbing out of the game causes resolution changes, which can be disruptive to the gaming experience.
- Audio and volume issues (weight 0.07): There have been reports of audio bugs and issues with volume levels, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- Controller support and FOV (weight 0.06): Some players have mentioned issues related to controller support and the field of view (FOV) in the game.
- Enemies not working as intended (weight 0.04): There have been reports of enemies not behaving as expected, which can impact gameplay.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for horror fans (weight 0.38): The game is highly recommended for fans of horror, particularly those who enjoy Silent Hill style and survival horror games.
- Worth playing and enjoying (weight 0.15): Many players find the game worth playing and enjoyable, suggesting it provides a good experience.
- Unique and memorable experience (weight 0.1): The game is noted for its ability to genuinely freak players out and leave a lasting impression, with some describing it as a fever dream.
- Positive mentions of soundtrack (weight 0.09): The game's soundtrack is highlighted as beautiful and worth experiencing, especially for fans of ambient music.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.09): The game is compared to other horror games like Cry of Fear and Afraid of Monsters, with some players recommending those over this game.
- Recommend on sale (weight 0.07): Some players recommend buying the game on sale due to its short length, suggesting it might not be worth the full price.
- Blind playthrough recommended (weight 0.04): Players recommend experiencing the game as blind as possible for the best experience.
- High praise (weight 0.04): Some players give the game very high praise, calling it a 'goated' game.

Other player notes:
- Accessibility issues (weight 0.04): Players have reported various accessibility issues in the game.

Emotions:
- Fear (weight 0.2): The game's atmosphere, sound design, and monster designs are the primary sources of fear. Players are particularly unsettled by the claustrophobic environments, terrifying moments, and the oppressive, creepy atmosphere. Additionally, poor performance and vulnerability in certain zones heighten the sense of fear.
- Excitement (weight 0.2): Players are excited by the game's unique and intense horror experience, which includes engaging encounters, sound design, and a suspenseful atmosphere. The game's homage to Silent Hill and its unique gameplay mechanics also contribute to the excitement.
- Frustration (weight 0.12): Frustration stems from various gameplay issues such as difficult puzzles, technical bugs, and repetitive mechanics. Players also express frustration with the game's save system, enemy behavior, and combat balance.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from the game not meeting expectations, particularly in terms of story, gameplay design, and overall polish. Players also express disappointment with performance issues and the lack of explicit content.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the game's unique horror elements, immersive atmosphere, and engaging storyline. The game's sound design, monster designs, and overall gameplay experience contribute to their enjoyment.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Admiration is directed towards the game's impressive visual style, sound design, and homage to classical horror games. Players also admire the game's atmosphere, story, and creative monster designs.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy is derived from the overall fun and enjoyable experience of the game, including interactions with the dog, the beautiful soundtrack, and the game's atmosphere and music.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Satisfaction comes from the game's storytelling, atmosphere, and overall experience. Players are particularly satisfied with the game's polish, lack of frustration, and the emotional impact of its horror elements.
- Positive (weight 0.03): Players express overall satisfaction with the game, highlighting its emotional impact, quality of sound design, and music. The game's similarities to Silent Hill, enjoyment of secrets, and extra modes also contribute to the positive feelings.
- Tension (weight 0.02): Tension is created by the game's atmosphere, sound design, and effective use of suspense. The claustrophobic environments and labyrinthine sewers add to the constant feeling of unease.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's homage to old-school horror games, particularly its reminiscent elements of Silent Hill and PS1-era games.
- Anxiety (weight 0.02): Anxiety is induced by the game's atmosphere and design mechanics that create a sense of tension and hopelessness. The game's themes of eating disorders and body image also contribute to feelings of anxiety.
- Negative (weight 0.01): Negative feelings stem from strong dissatisfaction with multiple aspects of the game, including locations, animations, combat, graphics, and plot. Specific issues such as sound bugs and the effectiveness of weapons also contribute to the negative experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the game's incoherent level design, surreal and dreamlike atmosphere, and confusing plot.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from funny moments, humorous take on the game's elements, and the cute dog interactions.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game comes from the overall experience, including its symbolism and the emotional impact of its story and atmosphere.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is expressed due to frustration with the game's quality and specific disturbing elements, such as the ending and personal anecdotes.
- Intrigue (weight 0.01): Intrigue is sparked by the game's unique plot and choices, as well as its engaging horror experience.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the game's ability to create a deep and engaging horror experience, along with its overall art style, story, and sound design.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation is expressed for the game's terrifying, funny, depressing, and messed up elements, as well as its inspiration from Silent Hill and its identity as a psychological horror game.}