(copied from my Steam review) Fantastic game that finds the right balance in a lot of things. If you like old survival horror, be sure to check it out. The opening didn't pull me in at first, but it just kept getting better and better the further I went. The story is interesting and coherent (for a survival horror). Tension, pressure, combat, enemy variety, scarcity of resources seemed just spot on (was playing on Hard difficulty). It's not long, but that's a plus - it doesn't drag on and you can replay it if you need more. Pretty much the only thing I would change is adding more branching outcomes based on your choices.
I can find a lot of flaws in the game, but despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The gameplay is mostly about meticulously combing through rooms to find documents and keys rather than logic puzzles (although there are a few). CONS: - requires suspension of disbelief beyond the usual: having diary fragments and keys scattered all over the place is already common in detective games, but here you're supposed to believe that people moving out of town just left those laying around for the 2+ years since the events took place. Hell, one of the guests at the inn hasn't ever checked out and his things are still there! It seems like an apocalypse happened, not a town being slowly abandoned. This really bothered me during the first half of the game, but I managed to get over it later. - you've never opened so many drawers in your life: i already mentioned the core mechanic of the game is combing through all the drawers and cabinets. It does make you feel like an investigator, but be warned it can also get irritating, especially when you'll inevitably miss something and have to go all over everything again. - writing: while I liked the overall story, the language used by the characters sometimes seems off, especially for children. It's not bad, but it's not book quality either. PROS: - both the start and the end of the game have a great vibe. The start, when you know nothing and are finding out all the connections between the characters. The end, when after all the legwork and all the drawers opened, the last locks fall one by one and you know you're finally getting there. - story: it's sad, maybe more so than the usual murder mystery, but also enjoyable to unravel. - kept me guessing till the end: while I found out the dirty past of the town rather quickly, I wasn't sure of who murdered who until the very end.
Excellent survival horror that replicates the classic titles very well while leaving me with some small gripes. Pros: - excellent puzzle design. They're varied, challenging and (mostly) fair - completely nails the old Resident Evil/Silent Hill atmosphere. You could get confused and think you're playing a game from that era - good tension - good combat. You get to shoot DIY weapons including a pipe shotgun - fine story. It has some convoluted parts, but still is above average for the genre Cons: - some pacing issues. Last area could be cut completely; there was also a moment in the middle of too much backtracking back and forth between puzzles - the map is bad. It doesn't have any quality of life features, doesn't even open on the correct page. If you want to keep list of puzzles you have encountered, you have to do it yourself. And then, there are areas that have no map... - the pickupable items blend with the clutter. I've seen worse, but still, be thorough in searching the rooms - combat in a game with fixed camera angles. But that's what you came here for, right? (copied from my Steam review since I bought the game a second time here)
Really good game. Pulls you in. There's an overreaching story that nicely comes together at the end. Medium difficulty - nothing had me stumped completely, but some scenes required a decent amount of thought. Can be finished in two-three sittings depending on your perseverance.
This game is a blast. Recommended playing for anyone who thinks computer RPG's are light on atmosphere and originality. I first approached this game with hesitation, but it turned out to be a great experience. The story is compelling (even 10 years later, during which the "hero with amnesia" theme has been somewhat overused), the characters memorable and the setting fresh. Honestly, how many games do you know where you have two exactly the same responses in a dialogue, only one of them labeled "truth" and the other "lie"? Or where you can upgrade the teeth of your companion (who just happens to be a strange floating skull) to increase his fighting skill? From the corners of your inventory to minor supporting characters, Torment is full of lovingly crafted detail like these. Are there any flaws, then? Well, the emphasis on conversations means this feels more like an adventure game than an RPG at times, and the mechanics take a second seat to the story. Those RPG fans that love toying with statistics probably won't have their needs indulged. The combat isn't bad, but it's not very interesting either. The only place in the game that is 100% fighting, the cube dungeon, is also the worst. Thankfully, it's somewhat optional.
I never played the game back in the day, but always pondered buying it, and finally did so recently. It has some great moments that make it worth playing, but between them you have to wade through some - not bad, mind you - but certainly average sections. The platforming is decent but not great, and the difficulty can suddenly turn from very easy to bloody hard (*cough* Meat Circus). But the concept of getting inside people's minds creates opportunity for some great worlds, and here Psychonauts fully delivers. Whether it's the brain of a grizzled soldier, a crazy conspiracy theorist, or a giant mutated monster, they all feel memorable and unique. I also mention I didn't like the ending, It's not so much as a hint to a sequel, it could be the intro for one. But the sequel never came, so I guess the joke's on them...
It's a really enjoyable platformer with lots of great features and two flaws. The story is good, the prince's wall-walking, pole-vaulting acrobatics are impressive, and the ability to rewind your blunders fits so well with the genre you wonder why nobody had though of it before. But the combat system is cheap. Learn a simple technique and you can defeat three quarters of the enemies in the game. Learn a second one and you can defeat all. Fights with multiple enemies can be tricky, but it always the same two moves over and over. Secondly, the replayability value is low. Once you finish the game, that's it - you know how to solve the puzzles and surely you won't replay for the combat, right? Additional difficulty levels or some trick modes would really be useful. But since you are buying the game cheap, it doesn't matter that much.
