- Title: World of Horror
- Developer: Pawel Kozminski
- Publisher: Ysbyrd Games
- Release Date: 10/19/2023 (PC), 12/8/2023 (consoles)
- Platform(s): PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5
- Reviewed on: Steam Deck
Looking for something stimulating to play this Halloween or just need a good spook but tired of the run-of-the-mill horror games? I had the pleasure of checking out World of Horror on Steam, and boy was it a refreshing take on the genre. Who knew retro styles = refreshing? Let’s dive into a world of the paranormal and delightful monstrosities.
SYNOPSIS
In short, World of Horror takes place in a fictional city in Japan in 1990-something. An apocalypse draws near, and you must resolve various phenomenon.
World of Horror is a Lovecraftian-inspired RPG with a retro art style. If you are familiar with Junji Ito’s manga, you can see the inspiration from that as well. The game presents itself in a modular fashion, where you can test out a sample mystery scenario or play out an entire run where you investigate several mysteries.
Each mystery you investigate is different, and you must obtain information while surviving randomized elements and battles with monsters (some based on existing urban legends). The battle is turn-based and can be complex as you’d like. There is even a custom mode you can play in, leaving World of Horror up to the player on how they wish to experience the game. A typical play through can run one to two hours; however, if you are unfamiliar with the interface and mechanics, it could feel longer (or end too quickly…).
ANALYSIS
Visual and Audio
As mentioned above, World of Horror leans into the retro art style. More specifically, it’s presented in 1 or 2-bit black and white. You can change the monochromatic color scheme at the beginning of each play through if you wish. Believe it or not, the in-game artwork was all drawn in MS Paint, which seems to work on leaving an unsettling feeling in your stomach.
The music jives with the art style. The chip-tune soundtrack (by ArcOfDream and Qwesta) doesn’t grate on the nerves as I initially anticipated.
Game Play
This is the meat and potatoes of World of Horror. The various mysteries to investigate support the more “random” feel of the game. In various scenarios, you roll for success or failure, and you could gain or lose various character attributes such as strength, dexterity, stamina, and doom. Sounds like a typical RPG, right?
In most cases, I felt at home with the RPG elements, but World of Horror crams a lot into its user interface, which made it challenging to navigate. It took me a few play throughs to get used to it.
There are melee, defensive, spiritual, and supportive actions to choose from. They appears as squared options on the screen, and can be a bit small and obtuse. Once you select a sequence of actions–each action takes a chunk of time, and you can build them in any order you wish until the meter is full–you can launch the sequence.
The battles can be fun, but the longer ones can feel a bit tedious. There are lots of options, but the options themselves can feel basic, like kicking/punching or basic attack with a weapon like a bat or razor blade. There is a bit of a learning curve, but what I appreciate the most is the diverse experiences. I once fought a “bloated teacher” in the school swimming pool, and one of his attacks led me to be bloated as well. I noticed it was an effect with a disturbing description of something writhing inside my stomach! Another time, I ran into a being that couldn’t be harmed by physical attacks. I died because I had no spells or perhaps couldn’t figure out another method to kill it since I wasn’t allowed to run away.
There is a lot crammed into World of Horror, and I found myself eager to try another run, even if some left me frustrated. The game play made it seem like I had too many options and scenarios to leave at just one or two play throughs.
Final Score:
World of Horror is a solid experience for someone who wants to experience a different kind of horror game. The art style and sound design is clever and will send chills up your spine like any 4K, HD, open world survival horror. I also appreciated the rich lore and creatures encountered.
The game play can be complicated for newbies, but there is a mini walk-through available before you start your first run. The walk-through didn’t turn me into a World of Horror master by any means, but I felt that the creator genuinely took care to ensure you have the best experience possible. The UI isn’t the most user-friendly, and it feels a little claustrophobic, but I still walked away from this game with a positive impression. You can be sure I’ll be playing World of Horror this Halloween and beyond!
I recommend this game for those that like in-depth game mechanics, who have the patience to try and fail a few times before a truly successful play through. If you enjoy a grass-roots indie game with lots of character, and is forgiving of density and a crowded screen, give World of Horror a try.
Author’s Note: A game code was provided in order to experience World of Horror. Thank you!
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