Last Half of Darkness

I received this game as an offer from the creator to try it out and stream it, which I gladly did! This game is honestly an extremely cool experience worth trying out for yourself. I knew nothing about the original game before I was reached out to, so I don't know the source material but I can tell there is so much love for this game. I love that the creator is keeping it alive 35yrs later with a really fun updated experience! It really does not hold your hand, and you might get lost once or twice but the game gives you more ways than one and enough info to piece things together yourself and progress -just might take some wandering and a good memory! This game is well worth the price point so I recommend giving this a try yourself! Pros: - Fantastic sound design and music - Immersive exploration with a lot of freedom to move about how you'd like, even jumping on furniture and over obstacles which a lot of games in this genre don't let you do - Great story, I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed reading the notes - they aren't overly long but give enough detail to be interesting and informative - Aunt & Cousin are hot but you didn't hear it from me - Great feeling of tension that you're never really safe anywhere - Puzzles feel balanced in both difficulty and quantity Cons: - Some buggy textures that break immersion, not too distracting but definitely noticeable (water looking like a hole with floating things, dirt texture moving with camera in garden) - Janky combat sometimes, if you spam the gun too much it uses ammo without actually shooting - Some events trigger a bit too frequently/should probably stop happening after a certain checkpoint and other things will reset entirely even after you've already past it - though there is always an alternate route.

The Last Half of Darkness (35 Year Anniversary), your beloved "horror house" type adventure game, from them olden times. Now with action parts! I enjoyed this quite a bit. As for most of these games the main contributers to the atmosphere (at least for me) are the sourroundings of the House; and in this case an extensive outside part. Most of which have been designed with a particular love for detail. Strewn in are some jump scares (nothing too obtrusive) and some scares which are a little bit less jumpy (in the sense of beeing a little more persistent) From the maze-like ruins to the haunted halls, this house oozes a certain charme. It's not top notch graphics, but if you can see beyond this, there is a certain cohesion in stile and the design of the areas is well done. So exploration is fun and rewarding (yes, you also find things, if ambience is not enough for you) The action is enough to put you (a little) on the edge sometimes, without distracting too much from the atmosphere (in the end this hasn't been advertised as a coverbased tactical shooter, has it). That said, fighting is sometimes a bit clunky. The story is mostly conducted via notes, books and some dialogue. Maybe nothing to write home about, but for the genre it's pretty decent. As it seems, additional efforts have been made to tie the story a bit more together? Now, i have a confession to make, i didn't play the original game. But in regard of WRF Studios games, this is not my first. Given the fact that a lot of what i said also applies to other games from this developer, and i had a lot of fun with this one, it also might not be my last.

Awesome game. I loved the whole thing!!

Awesome little game, not too long not too short. Creepy mansion with a creepy backstory, crazy aunt (RIP), some strange cousins, and a great atmosphere. I never played the point and click game but I bet it was awesome for it's time, Lots of little details and the puzzles are fun, and you need to make sure and find all the little clues lying around to solve some of them. I love games like this that small dev teams put a lot of passion into. Being a huge fan of the horror/haunted house genre, this one, The Dark Occult, and The Beast Within, are 3 of my favorite small horror games, they are not overblown AAA titles, they are just good games at a decent price with good details that are fun to play. You can tell the Dev loves his work, and wants everyone to enjoy it, so supporting him can only lead to good gaming things!! Good times!!

I've been a huge fan of the original Last Half of Darkness ever since I played it as a kid in the early 90s - so much so that I revisit it regularly. In many ways this remake remains true to its original, for better or worse. Fisher's games are often a little rough around the edges, but in a very charming kind of way. Playing the original game as a kid was the first time I realized that someONE has created this - not a big faceless company, but a person with a passion for video games, just like myself - an experience that this remake manages to faithfully recreate. This is part of the fun, and you will need to accept that in order to fully enjoy this game. The cons, most of which I expected when I made the purchase: * A few major graphical glitches and frame rate drops, especially noticeable in outdoor areas and on the Steam Deck. Human characters look a bit stiff. * Writing could be better; there are spelling errors, and that cringe inducing poetry is better left in the past * Terrible voice acting * Gunplay - it doesn't add anything to the game; getting sprung by randomly appearing enemies while trying to solve puzzles is more frustrating than scary. Ditto for limiting flashlight batteries. Pros: * Visual design - this is where WRF excels. The mansion looks fantastic and exploration is fun and exciting. * Atmosphere (or "eerie ambience", I should say) - this is is the reason I keep coming back to the original, and Fisher manages to recreate that feeling in a modern way. * Works well as a remake - it feels like a new game but also familiar if you have played the original. * Simple but fun and effective puzzles. * Passion project - what Fisher manages to accomplish as a solo developer is nothing short of impressive, and the fact that it is recognizable as a passion project makes it a deeply personal experience. The game just pulls you in with its rustic charm. If you are a fan of the original, you will get what you expect and you will very likely love it. If you are looking for a polished game with high production values, you might be better off checking out the likes of Outlast and Layers of Fear (both of which I'm sure Fisher drew inspiration from - and maybe they were inspired by his original?). If you are curious to find out what this incredibly unique franchise is all about you should definitely give this game a try.

Man I played this as a kid. 5 minutes in and I'm already getting goosebumps. 2 hours in, and I start remembering the twins...... now I'm looking for them at every corner. Creepy little freaks. I also remember getting stuck after using the axe and trying to water the stumpy neck cause I wasn't sure what to do next. Can't wait to try it again.

Awesome to see a developer keep his game alive even after all the years! I went into this game with no knowledge of the previous game, and I'm still blown away by how one person can achieve so much greatness when making something they put their heart into. You should definitely give this game a try. The graphics look good, music and ambiance are great! Controls work well, and the story will keep you intrigued. CHECK IT OUT!