Do I detect a decent horror game?
The tenants are going missing, screams echo and blood seeps through the walls of Clover Hill. As a detective, unravel the truth that lies within and recover your fragmented memories, or succumb to the horrors that lurk in the shadows within this sinister blend of Survival & Psychological horror.
Pneumata is both survival horror and psychological horror, but it impresses most because its made by a solo developer. On the surface, you’d think a whole team was behind it with it’s amazing visuals and creepy atmosphere, but can the game deliver beyond that?
In terms of a horror game, it does well with its jump scares and genuine dread that you feel when playing one. It’s not a flawless experience though as the core gameplay has its faults in its gunplay and the cracks begin to show, but overall I was impressed with how it was put together, especially by a solo developer.
I feel that if you go into playing Pneumata with low expectations, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how well it turns out overall. It does well to deliver an experience that feels like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, though naturally on a smaller scale. I was incredibly impressed with the visuals and overall presentation though, but I was disappointed that subtitles were missing, though I know they are coming in an update soon.
The Verdict
Pneumata is an impressive horror game that does well, despite some flaws with its gameplay. When you consider it was put together by a single person, it’s even more impressive and I see nothing but good things for them going forward.