Developer: Paweł Koźmiński
Publisher: Panstasz
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, Mac OS
Tested on: PC
World of Horror – Preview
Horror games are not for the faint of heart. Mostly they either rely on quick actions like jump scares, while others will tap into the survival aspect of making it out alive against the odds. World of Horror is in that way a really unique game, blending puzzle, RPG and survival elements into one amazing experience.
It all starts with the story that we have so far, which takes place in Japan in the1980s, where cultists try to resurrect an Old God to rule the world. After the deity has been called upon many mysterious events started happening all around town. The Old God also influences how the town lives and how everything changes, it is only a matter of time before it rises and destroys the world as we know it. It is up to a bunch of teenagers to solve the cases that happen in the former calm seaside town.
The fact that makes World of Horror unique from the start is that each playthrough is randomized. Roguelikes can be insanely hard if you don’t chaperone your player well. This is also a strong suit for World of Horror as there are two different kinds of tutorials. The first tutorial will have you playing out a single case, which teaches you the basics about combat and exploration within a mystery. The second tutorial will let you enjoy the base game with a decent character but is also a bit more sped up so you don’t have to worry all too much about the backstory. As playthroughs are randomized by seeds and sometimes the chosen deity can really destroy your run with its first influence, this will only make gameplay more interesting and challenging.
The real game is pure chaos as your character, the Old God and mysterious cases are always randomized. If you rather have some more control, you can fully customize a playthrough how you want it. By playing, you will unlock more items to choose from, so completing stories is really rewarding. Thanks to its lovely retro-inspired 1-bit and 2-bit graphics, it feels like you are in the 1980s. There is so much attention to detail as injuries and equipped items are visible on your character, minor alterations are immediately noticed and the game changes depending on your choices. Since World of Horror is, as the name implies, a horror game, it threads a fine line between sheer terror and doable gore. The enemy characters are unsettling, yet are not too much in your face so you crap your pants, which makes that World of Horror can be enjoyed by both true enthusiasts of the horror genre and people that want to play a well-created adventure RPG. If you have played terrifying games such as Project Siren or White Day: A Labyrinth Called School, you will know that a lurking presence makes the enemies scary. World of Horror does not use jump scares to scare you but rather builds up tension and unleashes this on the player.
To stop the Old God from being summoned, you must solve five mysteries in your town. You must go on exploration, maintain your character and do the right things while ensuring that hope is not lost. Defeat comes in three aspects, either when stamina runs out and you die, your resolve empties and your mind snaps, or the doom meter is full and the Old God is summoned in our world. You are not alone in this terror as you can always hang around the school and recruit friends to help you in your adventure. They won’t help in combat but will give passive bonuses. Combat is very fun as you have a wide range of actions and each action costs time and you only have a small timeframe per turn to react in. Not all enemies will hurt you physically, some will try to make you despair or cast more doom on the planet.
Last but not least are the amazing music and sound effects present in the game. The graphics are very 1980s and so is the music. At better times, it is a calmer Midi soundtrack, while during cases it is so unsettling that the music alone can make you feel uncomfortable. Sound effects are well-timed as they correspond with interactions and you know what is happening due to the many unique audio cues.
Conclusion
World of Horror is the world that we want to live in and the unique story is brought to you in a nice way. The game itself is very accessible thanks to the two in-depth tutorials that will teach you the ropes to survive in this crazy world. The graphics and sound are a flashback to better times and the monsters, although scary, are just manageable for those who are spooked more easily. The game might still be in Early Access but there is enough content already to enjoy yourself for many hours.
World of Horror – Preview,
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