Paranormal Steam Early Access Preview/Review

Paranormal Steam Early Access Preview/Review

Gameplay: 

While the gameplay felt fluid for the most part, the shuddering of the camera from side to side (used to add realism to the game) was slightly off-putting. I'd often be trying to click on/pick something up only for the camera to jolt around uncontrollably. This didn't ruin the whole experience of the game for me but it was slightly off putting. 

Some of the jumpscares were slow and subtle to start with but they begin to slowly ramp up as you complete your daily cycles. For the most part this worked really well and added a sense of atmospheric fear that most horror games seem to skip over these days. 

Graphics: 

Definitely one of the games weakest points is the look of the game, which could pass off as a half life mod. This isn't a major turnoff put can ruin some of the more suspenseful moments of the game. This of course isn't a reason to steer clear of the game but keep this in mind before purchasing the game.

The sound effects on the other hand are superb and really bring the idea of being trapped in a haunted house to life. They set the spooky and desperate tone as you fumble around trying to piece together clues on the source of the haunting through the medium of the protagonist reading aloud letters. This brings me onto another issue with the game.

The voice overs in the game are at times pretty bleak. They get the job done but, barely. They sound like they are all done by one person which would be fine if they all didn't sound very similar making figuring out whose talking tricky at times. 

Layout: 

By far my biggest issue with the game is the layout of the menu. It looks like text from word was literally pasted onto a fuzzy background and the links on a majority of the buttons seem to hardly work. it's a nightmare just trying to start the game, which is a shame as this may stop people getting to the strongest point of the game, which is the gameplay itself. It can take up to five minutes to get started sometimes but as the game is in early access this is some what excusable. 

The Verdict:

Unfortunately it's probably best to steer clear of the title for the time being at least while it's in the early stages of steams early access programme. But keep an eye out on this game as with the right amount of tweeks and fixes it could be a truely horrifying experience and I mean that in a good way.

62% Avoid for now