The Land of Crows
One of the best portrayals of Cthulhu Mythos and Poe out there. Definitely a perfect lovecraftian game in my opinion. The game offers an amazing atmosphere of a desperate land full of polish culture. In fact, one can learn so much from playing this game. Inspirations are very promising and the game provides everything it claims. A really well-written and grim interactive book to read, so to speak.
The somber tale of a very romantic and “curious” polish nobleman filled with a lot of suffering and sorrow for melancholy fans. The most underrated game, I would say.
– Real player with 10.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Gothic Indie Games.
An interesting adventure game that’s filled with Polish history, strange entities and ghosts, but there are a few areas that could be improved upon.
Intro
The Land of Crows is an indie side-scrolling horror adventure game that’s heavily inspired by gothic writer’s of old, such as Edgar Allen Poe and Goete. It was also inspired by classic thriller adventure games of the 90’s, which is why it utilizes an old school art style. When I first discovered the game it immediately reminded me think of games like Downfall or The Cat Lady due to its art style but this is a very different entity in its own right. Do read on to see what I thought of the game.
– Real player with 8.8 hrs in game
Darker : Episode I
This is just like those indie games that you think are gonna be shit, because of the low budget, but isn’t. The soundtrack is just gold and everything in this game scream talent, but not money. I was constantly on my heels playing this, it’s so scary! They handle tension brilliantly.
This could turn out to be an amazing series of Darker games, if it is supported by the community. And this is not a full game! This is just a little teaser and test if we want more of Brothar, wich i would LOVE!
Thanks.
– Real player with 5.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Gothic Exploration Games.
Very short game, with nothing really to do. Have to figure out the controls yourself, as there was no way to figure out key binds. There is not a hell of a lot to do in the game, and no real story. The atmosphere and music were awesome, and this could be expanded into an awesome game, but at the moment, its would be better if it were a free demo.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
Teabat! - Episode One
SHOW NO FEAR!
Teabat! is a stylish retro 2D adventure with fast, tight controls, and a large interconnected map full of secrets and beautifully constructed set-pieces!
Inspired by handheld 8-bit hardware, Teabat! features an advanced palette engine for player customization and plenty of vibrant lighting and color effects.
Features
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Alter the world’s view through unique lenses and additional color palettes.
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Race against the clock, or compete against your own time in Time Trial mode.
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Test your combo skills, and rack up points for a high-score in Arcade Mode.
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Online Multiplayer with up to 250 players!
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Ghost dog!!!
Read More: Best Gothic Collectathon Games.
The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
I just finished REQUIEM, it’s 3:35 am, and I’m feeling very emotional right now. Take what I’m saying with a grain of salt because I’m high off the story as I write this. Who knows how I’ll feel once it has sinked in proper.
That being said, I think REQUIEM is an excellent followup to the original. I also feel like it IS required of the original.
I didn’t think so initially, the first half of the main episode had me kind of dumbfounded, and it felt weird, dull, and slightly repetitive.
So, why the change of heart?
– Real player with 33.6 hrs in game
The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence is a prequel to The House in Fata Morgana though it definitely should be played after the main game.
I’ve finished The House in Fata Morgana quite recently. And frankly speaking, I was a bit reluctant to start the prequel immediately. I dislike any spoilers, so I thought it was not going to be that exciting reading a novel knowing the main events and the outcome. I WAS SO WRONG! If you’ve read the main game and hesitate if you should play Requiem or not, just don’t! It’s totally worth it.
– Real player with 30.0 hrs in game
ArcaniA: Fall of Setarrif
Fall of Setarrif is probably the most sorry excuse of an addon I personally have laid eyes upon. No wait, the sorriest is actually Forsaken Gods for Gothic 3, but this comes in very close.
The “addon” basically is nothing more than a 2-3hour premium priced actual ending to the absolute letdown of Arcania. While finishing the story for good, there is little to no content in this self proclaimed addon which has probably even less content than many DLC which are priced a third of the asking price. While I advise against getting Arcania in the first place, this addon should be avoided like the plague, not because it’s so terrible, it’s actually a bit better than most of Arcania, but the asking price and lack of content are outrageous. Being forced to buy this addon to be able to actually conclude the Arcania storyline is also a d*ck move from the old publisher Jowood. I don’t believe that THQ Nordic should be allowed making any profit off this either though, so do yourself a favour and steer around this.
– Real player with 31.4 hrs in game
In spite of my negative review for Arcania, my review for Arcania Fall of Setariff is positive (or at least positive enough).
My judgement probably depends on the fact that Arcania was such a huge disappointment that the small improvements that I was able to experience made this chapter partially enjoyable. Anyway…
PROs:
• At the beginning you can choose to export your old character from Arcania to this new chapter. Most of the items previously owned are available.
• The map was improved : you are still forced to follow the path without any chance of freedom during the gameplay, but, in a certain way, now this is less obvious. Furthermore, I like the fact that you need to challenge yourself with trapped/dangerous paths.
– Real player with 7.2 hrs in game
Belladonna
I love Point&Click games with dark themes and beautiful artwork, Belladonna has that but failed in many other aspects. The story about a corpse girl rising from dead, she doesn’t know who she is and how she ended up in a laboratory. With the aid of the scattered journal pages which belong to doctor Wolfram von Trauerschloss and his wife Belladonna, she’ll start to piece the story and events together. The ending is weak and sudden in my opinion.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1551909424
– Real player with 8.3 hrs in game
Pros and Cons list at the bottom of the review.
Belladonna is a decent point-and-click adventure, and it’s low price tag makes it easier to recommend.
The story is not exactly inspired, somewhat of a generic “Frankenstein’s Monster” story, but it is passable. About halfway through the game you will likely have guessed the rest of the plot.
The game itself is only about 75-90 minutes long, depending on how fast you read and how much backtracking you have to do to grab items you didn’t see the first time. Luckily, the game levels are not very large, so backtracking isn’t much of a pain. The puzzles themselves are not too bad, I had an easier time with this game than some other point-and-click’s where what you have to do next is very obscure.
– Real player with 5.9 hrs in game
Beyond the Sky
More interesting reviews on our Fenol Baron Approves Curator Page
I fell in love with Beyond the Sky literally in the first few minutes of the game. With all that I was somewhat wary of the appearance of the main character in the screenshots, the original graphics, but when the game started, it all became clear and correct at once. Wonderful and skillful presentation of the material, a very correct approach to the presentation of the “dark” fairy tale / The last time the fairy tale so fascinated me in “King’s Quest” Chapter 1, it is very noticeable that the developers are guided by the old-school style of plotting the fairy tale, by playing around in the new fashionable trends.
– Real player with 9.8 hrs in game
BRAVO! Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. I just finished it and started to tear up at the end. The story, art, music and puzzles work marvelously together. I am so impressed by how well thought out the entire game was. The puzzles were logical and challenging. I loved that I had to write things down with a pen and paper and really use my brain! Thank you for this breath of fresh air, please make more games like this!!!
– Real player with 5.8 hrs in game
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
Oh Rats! No I’m serious actually…and bats as well. Just like a bat out of hell Dracula has furry friends in both low and high places. Awaken from an extremely long eternal night and find some nice necks to chomp on. Whip your blood back and forth (Whip it real good). Explore Dracula’s back to the future adventure. Talk about a miserable pile of secrets. You are the prince of darkness! The dragon Dracul! What a terrible night to have a curse.
This is the direct sequel to Lords of Shadow 1, which was one of my favorite Castlevania games. It feels like you are playing a medieval version of God of War. If you liked the GBA/DS SoTN style Metroidvania ones you might not enjoy this one.
– Real player with 62.1 hrs in game
I think I need to add this to the “games that most people hated which I actually enjoyed” list. Admittedly, I’m biased because I really dig Castlevania, enjoyed the first Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate, and am a sucker for the idea of playing as Dracula himself. But even at its most frustrating moments, Lords of Shadow 2 isn’t nearly as bad as Edge Magazine (which gave it a 4/10) or any of the other mainstream reviews would have you believe.
Bloodsucking awesome stuff:
- I feel like combat’s speedier and more responsive than it was in the first Lords of Shadow, and there’s less reliance on quicktime events. This might have to do with the fact that I’m just more experienced with the combat system after playing through the first game and Mirror of Fate, but I had a lot of fun beating up some of the bosses, which leads me to the next point…
– Real player with 42.0 hrs in game
Chaincards
Chaincards is a JRPG where you play as Chain, a young wizard whose goal is to find out his master’s magic notes to reveal the secrets behind his mysterious death. Search powerful spells exploring dungeons. Learn how to control them and unleash the power of magic cards to fight demons and evil magicians. Unveil the truth.
DARK MAGIC
This is a great platformer game, honestly you should get this game for it’s price. Great lore, well thought out platforming, fun combat with interesting enemies, for the most part great sound design, all around great game.
The only issue i have with the game is the sound that plays when you attack is a little harsh, i think it should be a quieter, more subtle sound that doesn’t drown out all other sounds and the music. 8/10 game.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game