If you are looking for your next survival horror, then why not check out EVERDARK: Undead Apocalypse? It aims to blend fast-paced action, with survival horror, all with a nice classic 80s tone. Well, that is what it says on the Steam page. It will cost you £16.99, and there is a comic you can buy too for £3.99.
Night of the living… eh?
Gameplay
EVERDARK is a challenging game with its main focus on survival horror. Supplies are scarce and melee weapons break after several hits so it is best to take caution. Since we are fighting Vampires the player is only able to stun when dealing damage. This is quickly resolved when getting the stake from an NPC early on. The story itself has us placed in the shoes of a random guy, who is pulled into a nightmarish night. And must save the world from the oncoming vampiric invasion. The gun-play, is inspired by classic games, such as Doom, Quake, and other classic FPS games.
You will struggle through the game thanks to how awkward it is to stave of the small swarms. We do get the classic crucifix that stuns masses, although it does get a recharge. Sorry divine power comes in micro doses I guess? Levels are small but filled with enemies, and so far I have not come across any collectables.
Graphics & Audio
On the steam page, Undead describes itself as a love letter to 80s horror movies, and I can definitely see it. The designs of the enemies are very much Nosferatu-like (think vampire masquerade), and there’s a constant soundtrack throughout. The voice acting is also suitably very cheesy. Although many times I would experience delays in the in game audio. The level designs are well detailed, look great and easy to navigate around. However, I find it easy to get stuck in tight tunnels, corners and environmental objects. Even though the spaces are large, the creatures are fast, and it makes it easy to get cornered.
Longevity
I beat EVERDARK in 3 hours, the game offers a new game plus after finishing the game. If you want to hunt them, there are 26 achievements for you to hunt down. Most were from the story. While others are for kills or specific tasks. I was surpirsed to see how short it was, but by the looks of things. They are going to split the game into 3 parts, with this one being called Lovitar.
Final Thoughts
For a retro inspired shooter, EVERDARK does really well. However, the game could do with turning down the amount of enemies, or improving the stealth mechanics. As it is too easy to be sighted by vampires, and when a swarm is on you, it isn’t easy to take them all down. The level designs are okay, but I wish that I could have really looked around. But due to the issue I just mentioned this wasn’t easily done, with the sewer areas in particular when heading to the church. I think the price is a little steep for the amount of gameplay you get. I mean on the puzzle side, there are only two door puzzles in the whole game. And I wouldn’t say it is all that fact-paced when it comes to the action.
I would definitely say it there is some charm to EVERDARK, but nothing that makes it stand out. That and the difficulty spikes might dissuade most people. So I am awarding EVERDARK: Undead Apocalypse, the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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