Agony (Review)

In this post we are talking about the new horror game released by Madmind Studios.

Looking at an in depth review about the positives and negatives of the game.

As always i will be a fair judge of character to give my honest opinion on the game with a fair critique.

What is Agony?

Previously mentioned Agony is a video game created by Madmind Studios an new up and comer in the video game world with this being there first finished title. The game originally was a kick starter project that which surpassed its goal in no time at all. It would be safe to say that the promise of a new style of horror game in the works excited audiences. The game released in May of 2018 with low reviews of 4/10 and a 45% from metacritic.

The games story follows that of a male who falls into hell or a demon realm that has its own law from the minds of the creators of the game. 

The mechanics are similar to most new horror games created these days which is why the game probably fell flat more on that later.

Following a traditional first person perspective you navigate through hell avoiding enemies,collecting items & upgrading your stats with an overall objective of trying to escape hell.

Positives

One of the main things i can say about this game is that the style is something new that is creating a new genre among the horror game world. I will title this "Gore-Horror" or "Shock Horror" the premise of this is using objects that are warped or disfigured to make our audience feel more uncomfortable maybe even physically sick. The same reaction one would get watching hell raiser or the SAW movies.

Using "Shock Horror" tactics usually is a good way to drive sales. Which is why so many people were drawn to the idea of this game similar to this game another game titled "Scorn Part 1" one is currently in development using the same tactics as Agony. However the art style follows more of an H R Geiger style rather then a hell landscape. 

Graphically the game is pretty to look at the environments are shocking and warped which adds to the charm of the game as well as the varieties of enemies in the game. Going back to the "Shock Horror" tactics a lot of the enemies in this game are warped  or disfigured in some ways. Some are even based of human gender showing both male & female appendages such as breasts & genitals. 

This obviously is the reason for the capped age rating of 18 or mature. 

Negatives

All though the game looks graphically please to horror fans there are more negatives in this game then there are positives to warrant this game having such a low score.

Firstly content there isn't enough content in the game to call this a full release game the game is only a few chapters long as well as not enough to warrant another play through. Unless you want other endings in the game or are the achievement hunters out there. The reason the game feels longer then it is due to fact the AI in the game is intensively difficult this making the game feel longer as you spend a good two hours trying to get to the end of the level.

This is a shady gaming tactic to make your game feel longer so you get "hours of content" when in actual fact the game could probably be beaten in an hour. Unlike games like "Dark souls or Bloodborne" these games are known for being rage inducing monsters. However they have the hours of content behind them to make the game feel like a full game even the most experienced "Dark Souls" players would take a few hours to beat the game.

Secondly the game just feels generic other then the setting the game is like every other first person survival horror game on the market. The point is simple get out or escape get from A to B and survive the onslaught of AI monsters stopping you from getting to your goal. Another tired trope i personally do not like is the ability to be a feeble bystander in the game. Most human reaction when threatened is to fight where as the protagonist in this game has no skill or back bone so is instantly trampled which means another restart at the checkpoint you spent an hour getting to just to move another fifth teen feet.

Furthermore your abilities  you unlock in the game are pointless as they barely impact your game play at all it effects the game in the most minimalist way. You should of just taken that part out or made it so your upgrades allow to impact the ending of the game or trigger events etc.

Most upgrades allow to do certain things for longer however it doesn't affect your health in the game or the ability to loose enemies quicker. Now i could slam the game for being unmerciful as its a horror game set in hell so the developers want you to feel that way. Personally i like that idea however i hoped to get a 10+ hour game for the time i put in. I beat this game in five hours that isn't even a full work day of content right there. I was expecting the game to give me content or give me a reward for the work i put in to escape hell such as  better ab lites to fight a boss or navigate my way out.

The game is pretty much a rage simulator for players as most gamers these days play on line multilayer games so single player games are struggling to keep an audience but making a game feel impossible to then beat but then realise you have spent half a work day one game you payed full price for is not a great feeling to have.

As well as bad audio bugs & glitches i saw throughout my play through this game did not deserve a full price tag underneath its belt.

What could make it better?

First and foremost we need more content in a game like this if you want to make a great horror game you will need an engaging story,great setting & content to back that up this game had none of that for me the setting was original but the story was basic & lack of content.

To improve this maybe make a branching story arc. What i mean by this is the goal is to escape hell but you choose the way you want to such as do you fight the devil,do you save souls in hell or do you not leave at all?

A well thought our branching story with abilities that allow you to fight enemies or make it easier for you to evade them or take less damage is a bonus as you feel the griding you make in the game impact your game play. Much like when you grind on games like Destiny the pay off is a new set of armour or a gun.

In this case collecting enough statues allows you to regain health 10% faster. Something so basic that the fact its missing in a 2018 is ridiculous.

Rating & Conclusion

In concliusion this game is not worth the full price tag it deserve a £20 max for the lack of cotent in the game. Pretty graphics & a scary setting wont sell a game to me or most people these days. The company are currently working on another horror game set to be realsed in 2019.

Lets hope the reviews will show them how to prove on there formula.

Rating

3/10