Saturnalia is a horror survival game with a unique art style, free from the Epic Games Store until 3rd November 2022. Is it worth the sacrifice of the downloading it? (clue to the game there…)
Find out here!
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/end-credits
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I love this game, it looks like a hidden gem so far. Glad I discovered your channel and these reviews, cheers! I hope you keep doing this
I found this game to be incredibly charming. Uncovering the many truths of the village of Gravoi is excellent fuel for my curiosity, which compels me to explore and steels me against the danger. If I had one complaint, it would be that said danger doesn't feel right. It's…inorganic? While in the town proper, the code governing the monster does a deecent job of making it feel like the creature is wandering and approaching from a distance, as it would naturally. The same is often (tthough less reliably) true in the mines, where the claustrophobic confines and redundant tunnels make it truly terrifying to determine which direction to run. However, there are certain locations – chiefly, the castle and surrounding ruins, but also any particularly open area that happens to arise out of the shuffling of the village – where this breaks down. By the time I was halfway through the game, I suspected that the monster had a chance to simply spawn near me. Then, while I was atop the castle tower, I saw it happen: the monster spawned directly beside me, in my field of view, and started hunting immediately. I never used another firecracker after that. What use is there in luring or outsmarting the creature, if best practice is simply to expect it at any time and always have an exit strategy?
As for the hunts themselves – the pulse-pounding mad dash through Gravoi, praying to turn the right corner and find the right hiding spot – what a rush! It's unfortunate that I never got to see the creature wander past one of my hiding places. A savvy player will be able to run and hide – at least from the mine monster, loud as it is – with a near-100% success rate. The real tension is from having to be on constant alert, always knowing where the nearest safety lies. It's only a matter of time until, engrossed in solving the mysteries of the town, you slip just once…
(Spoiler Warning) What really elevated the game for me was when Paul got captured after seeing the creature, and (NO REALLY, SPOILER WARNING) it converted him. No longer was I being chased by a loud, rattling beacon of a monster – it was my friend, quietly groaning behind his mask. It was no longer a simple matter to determine which direction I was being approached from, and my encounter success rate plummeted.
Overall, the devs have created a solid, straightforward game that is well put together, and made truly unique by the setting and art direction. As I said: incredibly charming. Santa Ragione, I adored Saturnalia. Thank you for creating this experience.