Astray

This was recommended to me but I didn't have especially high hopes. But I really enjoyed this game. It really reminded me of an Amnesia game with fewer bugs. There are notes throughout the game to tell the story of what's going on. The puzzle solutions aren't obscure but there isn't too much hand holding either. It's a pretty short game but I would recommend giving it a try, especially if you like the Amnesia series.

This game really isn't for me to be honest, but I respect the effort and it had enough of a scare factor that I decided I didn't want to play it before I got to a point that was frustrating. For such a small team (only two people, I'm told) this is an ambitious project that while, from the sounds of it, doesn't quite hit the mark all the time is nevertheless a cheap little adventure. If you're into no combat, hide from scary things while trying to do stuff gameplay, and don't mind it when those games are way too dark, then get this on sale to support the devs and give it a try.

Arriving at an abandoned museum run by your now missing uncle, you explore its darkened halls uncovering only unsettling discoveries that hint at something sinister lurking deeper within. Strange puzzles and cryptic clues guide your path, leading you into a mystery that blurs the fragile line between reality and the unknown. Armed with your wits and a flickering flashlight you must navigate the unknown and uncover the truth—if you dare. Astray is a first-person horror puzzle game that sends the player through a series of interesting and eerie environments to solve puzzles which culminate into a well-done story that borders on the realm of insanity. The controls are quite simple, and all the clues that you need to solve the puzzles are provided, making Astray a very easy game to get into. Overall, the game should take you a couple of hours to complete. The game’s strongest aspect is its ability to instill unease. Certain zones ooze with dread, successfully making the player feel vulnerable and on edge while the addition of a creature wandering around in some levels helps to heighten that experience. Sadly, the world itself often feels lifeless, with environments that appear m…

First half isn't horrible, but it just tries so hard to be Amnesia, but this time you can clip out of the map, usually by accident, and die! I actually was able to skip a section I had no clue what to do in by jumping into the wall until I popped into the other side of the wall. And the AI is honestly more funny than scary. Getting it to chase you is practically invited since you're the same speed and it loses aggro at the most stupid things, like a closed door or just going to a different height, higher or lower. Then it just stares at you and f*cks right off. Was more fun to trap them at previous parts of the level that they weren't supposed to go to than it was to avoid them. Honestly, there are much better puzzle games like the Portal series, and there are better horror games like Amnesia. There are also better horror-puzzle hybrid games, like most of the mascot horror genre, and we all know how terrible that can be. I would recommend SECURITY BREACH over this.

This game is a real mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the museum aesthetic at first, with having to navigate three different exhibits to solve puzzles. It would have been nice to see that concept expanded, instead of later environments devolving into generic hallways and caverns assets. The puzzle variety was nice at the start and the use of physics based objects to solve some of them created a rewarding experience. I found the horror element very lacking. You are stalked by the same poorly modeled zombie/ghoul throughout each level. It's basic pathing and awkward aggro radius make it more of a headache as opposed to any real threat. The checkpoints are fairly generous and the sound design was acceptable if a little bland. Story snippets are told through notes left by other characters in the world. You never really discover who you're playing as or why you're in the museum to begin with. Seems like a missed opportunity to not include some other NPCs to create a more engaging narrative. Instead, I just felt like I was exploring the remnants of someone else's more exciting journey. The ending had some descent cutscenes but still felt overly cryptic, leaving more questions than answers…

Absolutely terrible from start to finish, thank you