horrifying atmosphere. a game that commits to its bit so well.
Shipwrecked 64 is a indie/mascot horror game that I was following its development on for a long time. I remember playing the original version of the game a year or so ago, and being very blown away, and very impressed by what I was playing, so when I found out Shipwrecked 64 was becoming a full fledged game, I was extremely excited.
And then, the game came out. It was everything I wanted, and more. Visually, it was significantly better, character models looked better, environments looked better, the movement was better, everything was better from a technical standpoint.
The story is also really good, it's very interesting, and there's many layers to it, and many different ideas that it presents that you could theorize on, and have different ideas and theories on what really happened.
And, even though its a horror game, it's actually quite fun. The movement is just so fun in this game, that just going around your hub area, jumping around, going fast, is just extremely fun in its own right. The parkouring is also really good, and adds to the fun factor.
So, the only tiny issues I have is that the game is not that scary, the first time you get to the Plaza/Layer 3 it's quite scary. But after a while it really does wear off, and does not remain as scary as how it started.
The game is also a bit too easy, they give you lots of second chances, and ways to climb back to where you were, which makes the game much easier, there really is no ''death'' in this game, you dont lose any progress when you are captured, so it does take away from wanting to stay alive, because if you are caught nothing changes and you can get back to where you were in a few minutes.
But this is genuinely a masterpiece, the 4th wall breaks are amazing as well. How it interacts with your PC is groundbreaking, and I hope what Shipwrecked 64 did now, will inspire a developer to improve upon, and go a step further with the meta-horror in the future. As it stands now, this is one of the best indie horror games ever made, both from a playing standpoint, and an actual technical/objective standpoint.
Also, this game was primarily made by an 18 year old, let that sink in. The amount of creativity in this is crazy, and how expansive it is, is also crazy. Knowing an 18 year old made this is actually mind blowing, this developer really has something going for the future.
Overall: 10/10
And then, the game came out. It was everything I wanted, and more. Visually, it was significantly better, character models looked better, environments looked better, the movement was better, everything was better from a technical standpoint.
The story is also really good, it's very interesting, and there's many layers to it, and many different ideas that it presents that you could theorize on, and have different ideas and theories on what really happened.
And, even though its a horror game, it's actually quite fun. The movement is just so fun in this game, that just going around your hub area, jumping around, going fast, is just extremely fun in its own right. The parkouring is also really good, and adds to the fun factor.
So, the only tiny issues I have is that the game is not that scary, the first time you get to the Plaza/Layer 3 it's quite scary. But after a while it really does wear off, and does not remain as scary as how it started.
The game is also a bit too easy, they give you lots of second chances, and ways to climb back to where you were, which makes the game much easier, there really is no ''death'' in this game, you dont lose any progress when you are captured, so it does take away from wanting to stay alive, because if you are caught nothing changes and you can get back to where you were in a few minutes.
But this is genuinely a masterpiece, the 4th wall breaks are amazing as well. How it interacts with your PC is groundbreaking, and I hope what Shipwrecked 64 did now, will inspire a developer to improve upon, and go a step further with the meta-horror in the future. As it stands now, this is one of the best indie horror games ever made, both from a playing standpoint, and an actual technical/objective standpoint.
Also, this game was primarily made by an 18 year old, let that sink in. The amount of creativity in this is crazy, and how expansive it is, is also crazy. Knowing an 18 year old made this is actually mind blowing, this developer really has something going for the future.
Overall: 10/10
2 ARGs in a row that are this good is a massive achievement
even if myhouse.wad is better i would 3000% recommend
These type of games are something else
9/10
even if myhouse.wad is better i would 3000% recommend
These type of games are something else
9/10
I played this with my brother over Discord over two weekends and it was one of the most fun cooperative experiences I've ever had. He works nights so on his off nights we'd stay up until 3-4 AM trying to crack this game's many puzzles and I'll tell you right now they are not easy. Seriously, get ready to get the notepad out because you'll need it. This is a game that not only desires your undivided attention but it is absolutely required if you want to complete this game. Him and I truly got stumped a couple times but we eventually made it through. It is such a rewarding experience.
As a follower of ARGs for a while it was so much fun getting to feel like I was part of one for once instead of being a bystander like I usually am. It's $8 entrance fee is well worth the price. Support the creator and his years of hard work and give it a try; you will not regret it.
As a follower of ARGs for a while it was so much fun getting to feel like I was part of one for once instead of being a bystander like I usually am. It's $8 entrance fee is well worth the price. Support the creator and his years of hard work and give it a try; you will not regret it.
so legitimately well made and cool as long as you also feel ok sitting with a notepad and frantically scribbling numbers like an obsessive freak locked in a dark and dreary basement
I ended the game with 9 pages of notes, 2 photoshop files, 3 drawn up maps, so many fucking open tabs, and 1 mental breakdown
I got this game without reading its steam disclaimer, so i thought i bought a simple N64 style platformer, ala toree/kiwi64...
in the name of twigs, this demented arg masterfest disguised as a game starring a disney rip off mascot, will leave you scared, interested, and appaled at what skeletons Broadside, the maker of the lovable fetanyl loving Bucky Beaver, has in its Island resort Closet.
Think outside the box, question everything, and whatever you do,
Delta Oscar November Tango
Tango Romeo Uniform Sierra Tango
Mike Alfa Romeo Kilo...Stand-by
in the name of twigs, this demented arg masterfest disguised as a game starring a disney rip off mascot, will leave you scared, interested, and appaled at what skeletons Broadside, the maker of the lovable fetanyl loving Bucky Beaver, has in its Island resort Closet.
Think outside the box, question everything, and whatever you do,
Delta Oscar November Tango
Tango Romeo Uniform Sierra Tango
Mike Alfa Romeo Kilo...Stand-by
GIVE ME THE VANDAL GAME BROTHER
Went in with low expectations and left pleasantly surprised. Kind of felt like a breath of fresh air from some of the more boring and pretentious "Analog Horror ARG" things out there, as this game took the right inspiration from the big boys of the genre and spun it in a way that had me hooked in its world. Also gave me a few spooks and a great double take that had my jaw dropped i was so blindsided. The ARG's story is ok at best, feels like the weakest part of the game but I can see how people would find it engaging. The gameplay itself is fairly boring and it has one section that almost ruined the experience for me, but overall this was a good way to spend an evening with the lights off.
I sometimes have the tendency to look down on these ‘Lost games' ARG BS that flood itch.io and steam. Not because they're bad or not scary but because they're always the most basic bog standard creepypasta BS you could possibly think of with very little to show for it in scares, puzzles, or clever use of the ARG format. I think the only games I’ve seen done well were Ben Drowned, Godzilla NES, and Petscop, two of those are just hi-effort Creepypastas and one that doesn't even exist. Which is why I'm glad to say that this game goes out of its way to not only pass the super low bar of lame creepypasta lost game bs; but also carve its own path as a pretty great ARG and a genuinely scary experience. Finally we can have a lost game ARG where it's not about a dead person/child controlling the game but rather something much MUCH worse.........disgruntled employees.
Also I really wanna give this game a huge thumbs up for the game's N64 like presentation. It's not one for one like the games of its era and at points you can clearly tell it’s not a game that could’ve worked on a real N64, but they make it work in the lore of the ARG along with still having the ability to make the atmosphere all the more dreadful by going for a more basic lower quality look.
I don't have much else I wanna say about it without giving away spoilers but I do think the puzzles are a little too obtuse at times but the game was designed to be a community driven ARG experience so really if anything they did too good of a job if you think about it. But overall it's just a really solid horror experience I'm glad I gave a chance instead of just scrolling past it like any other itch.io ARG creepypasta schlock.
Also I really wanna give this game a huge thumbs up for the game's N64 like presentation. It's not one for one like the games of its era and at points you can clearly tell it’s not a game that could’ve worked on a real N64, but they make it work in the lore of the ARG along with still having the ability to make the atmosphere all the more dreadful by going for a more basic lower quality look.
I don't have much else I wanna say about it without giving away spoilers but I do think the puzzles are a little too obtuse at times but the game was designed to be a community driven ARG experience so really if anything they did too good of a job if you think about it. But overall it's just a really solid horror experience I'm glad I gave a chance instead of just scrolling past it like any other itch.io ARG creepypasta schlock.
This review contains spoilers
-Interesting ARG type game with horror as the main genre.
- Got frustrating with the number pads and the obscure puzzles until you get to layer 3 where it just tells you what to do.
- The monster are actually scary on the lower levels but are really just time wasters until you wait for them to go away.
- I wish the final plot went somewhere else but we got what we got, at least there is a side plot and different interpretation of the main plot.
- Got frustrating with the number pads and the obscure puzzles until you get to layer 3 where it just tells you what to do.
- The monster are actually scary on the lower levels but are really just time wasters until you wait for them to go away.
- I wish the final plot went somewhere else but we got what we got, at least there is a side plot and different interpretation of the main plot.
This review contains spoilers
This is a really tough one to rate. On one hand, the story is engaging and I really appreciate all the unique ways it is told throughout, and on the other hand there are some glaring flaws that ultimately had a somewhat negative impact on my immersion, without ruining it outright. Here are just some of my scattered thoughts on this wild ride of a game.
- Love when something in-game causes something else to happen on your computer or outside the parameters of the game window, such as opening up tabs, launching videos and even downloads, and even going as far as to send you a friend request on the Epic Game Store. Original, and honestly pretty terrifying.
- Forces you to lose mini games in order to progress the story, which I thought was cool.
- Scares run the gamut from simple atmospheric horror, to over-the-top jump scares. It's all over the place, and I love that.
- Use of the otherwise empty black bars on the sides of the screen is really creative and spooky.
But there are some downsides.
- Platforming can be annoying at times, especially wall jumping. Needs a little more polish.
- Most of the gameplay is more or less finding passcodes and inputting them correctly to progress, yet some of the solutions to these are SUPER convoluted (which I guess is the point, but ruins momentum).
- Probably my biggest gripe comes in the later layers of the game, when you are tasked with outmaneuvering and sneaking by the monsters. What starts as a genuinely creepy part loses its charm when hiding from the monsters, which can be for MINUTES at a time in one spot. Like I'll hide in a tube and wait for them to disappear which can literally take up to 5 minutes. Makes my mentality go from "oh this is scary, let me avoid them" to "I don't care if I get jump-scared I just want to progress." Really this can be fixed to be slightly more forgiving for a better overall experience.
Overall, despite these flaws, I would recommend this for anyone interested in a horror game that takes an unusual approach to storytelling.
- Love when something in-game causes something else to happen on your computer or outside the parameters of the game window, such as opening up tabs, launching videos and even downloads, and even going as far as to send you a friend request on the Epic Game Store. Original, and honestly pretty terrifying.
- Forces you to lose mini games in order to progress the story, which I thought was cool.
- Scares run the gamut from simple atmospheric horror, to over-the-top jump scares. It's all over the place, and I love that.
- Use of the otherwise empty black bars on the sides of the screen is really creative and spooky.
But there are some downsides.
- Platforming can be annoying at times, especially wall jumping. Needs a little more polish.
- Most of the gameplay is more or less finding passcodes and inputting them correctly to progress, yet some of the solutions to these are SUPER convoluted (which I guess is the point, but ruins momentum).
- Probably my biggest gripe comes in the later layers of the game, when you are tasked with outmaneuvering and sneaking by the monsters. What starts as a genuinely creepy part loses its charm when hiding from the monsters, which can be for MINUTES at a time in one spot. Like I'll hide in a tube and wait for them to disappear which can literally take up to 5 minutes. Makes my mentality go from "oh this is scary, let me avoid them" to "I don't care if I get jump-scared I just want to progress." Really this can be fixed to be slightly more forgiving for a better overall experience.
Overall, despite these flaws, I would recommend this for anyone interested in a horror game that takes an unusual approach to storytelling.
This review contains spoilers
Shipwreck 64 is a unique attempt at a palpable "youtube series" video game ARG that I quite enjoyed. It's friendly introduction to a more sinister depth, common and expected, surprisingly kept me engaged with cypher puzzles, exploration, and out-side-the-box thinking.
The game craftily places expectations of how the game should be with two in-game versions. The 2024 version, which is described as the way the planned game was intended, and the 1997 version where all the spooks and scares appear but can only be accessed after playing the 2024 version. This seemed odd to me at first but after finishing the game I realized that the 2024 version was implemented to comfort me in the world, to show me what was seen as natural and normal before changing it in the next version. It slowly, but without stopping, pushes you more and more deeper into the game. Changes being more and more apperent to the point you almost forget what "normal" is, which I deeply enjoyed.
The developers must have loved working with the ARG aspect of the game, as is shown through the effort and passion was put to every aspect. For example, you can find a computer that'll take you to a custom designed hand-written guide by two of the ingame characters on your default browser which made looking through it more of a spectacle and wonder.
My main issue with the game derives from the story, which I initially fell in love with but quickly fell out of said love. It's main premise being extremely believable and easily translated as a real life event. The quick run down being that an animation studio that had a history of covered up incidents and deaths in its theme park hired a game company to develop for them and hopefully boost attention and financial gain. After 2 years the CEO disliked the game that was presented and cut funding, leading to the head developer, in anger and disbelief, to disappear and finish the game by himself, but implementing exposure of the company's darker side. A story I thought could be told as a real event and be believable which I adored. However, deeper digging into the game reveales aspects of "undead spirits returning" and "immortality experiments" which I am frankly sick of at this point of recycled horror slop :/
My experience playing it was along side my brother, keeping paper and pencil near until we filled it with marks and scribbles keeping track of lore, important locations, cypher translations and doodles will be absolutely unforgettable. Coming across new events and solving difficult puzzles were my favorite to watch with my brother, as we looked back and forth at each other soyjacking at new information that connected/solved a previous piece of text or screaming at a scare will stick to my heart
Overall, the gameplay, atmosphere, and interactivity is phenomenal although very simple. The writing is grand and overall quality shows for itself. The game only falters in a story that could be great but fell flat so quickly. (Also bugs and glitches would be appear more than wished and be very cumbersome, but my brother had to be the one to deal with em, not me, so I didn't mind :B)
The game craftily places expectations of how the game should be with two in-game versions. The 2024 version, which is described as the way the planned game was intended, and the 1997 version where all the spooks and scares appear but can only be accessed after playing the 2024 version. This seemed odd to me at first but after finishing the game I realized that the 2024 version was implemented to comfort me in the world, to show me what was seen as natural and normal before changing it in the next version. It slowly, but without stopping, pushes you more and more deeper into the game. Changes being more and more apperent to the point you almost forget what "normal" is, which I deeply enjoyed.
The developers must have loved working with the ARG aspect of the game, as is shown through the effort and passion was put to every aspect. For example, you can find a computer that'll take you to a custom designed hand-written guide by two of the ingame characters on your default browser which made looking through it more of a spectacle and wonder.
My main issue with the game derives from the story, which I initially fell in love with but quickly fell out of said love. It's main premise being extremely believable and easily translated as a real life event. The quick run down being that an animation studio that had a history of covered up incidents and deaths in its theme park hired a game company to develop for them and hopefully boost attention and financial gain. After 2 years the CEO disliked the game that was presented and cut funding, leading to the head developer, in anger and disbelief, to disappear and finish the game by himself, but implementing exposure of the company's darker side. A story I thought could be told as a real event and be believable which I adored. However, deeper digging into the game reveales aspects of "undead spirits returning" and "immortality experiments" which I am frankly sick of at this point of recycled horror slop :/
My experience playing it was along side my brother, keeping paper and pencil near until we filled it with marks and scribbles keeping track of lore, important locations, cypher translations and doodles will be absolutely unforgettable. Coming across new events and solving difficult puzzles were my favorite to watch with my brother, as we looked back and forth at each other soyjacking at new information that connected/solved a previous piece of text or screaming at a scare will stick to my heart
Overall, the gameplay, atmosphere, and interactivity is phenomenal although very simple. The writing is grand and overall quality shows for itself. The game only falters in a story that could be great but fell flat so quickly. (Also bugs and glitches would be appear more than wished and be very cumbersome, but my brother had to be the one to deal with em, not me, so I didn't mind :B)
This review contains spoilers
i had A LOT lot lot lot lot of fun doing the arg!! it was so deep with so many secrets & so, so, so much fun. some puzzles were very hard but getting everything done was satisfying. the visuals & sound design were AMAZING. i loved the parts that were using the 4:3 black bars on the side.. that was incredible!!
but.. the ending made me.. way too sad. i don't like games with endings like that. it soured the entire game sadly but i still really enjoyed playing it. it was my "first" arg that i got to do myself, mostly i just read other people's discoveries. i sat almost 11 hours straight deep into it. i really, really, really wish it didn't have to end like that.. :(...
but.. the ending made me.. way too sad. i don't like games with endings like that. it soured the entire game sadly but i still really enjoyed playing it. it was my "first" arg that i got to do myself, mostly i just read other people's discoveries. i sat almost 11 hours straight deep into it. i really, really, really wish it didn't have to end like that.. :(...
This review contains spoilers
bbbbbbuckykykykyky
STAY OUT OF THE WATER
STAY OUT OF THE WATER
A legitimately brilliant idea for a game that’s dragged down by some clunky gameplay elements, and some pretty bad puzzles
I used to think that Source is the best medium for creating uncanny atmosphere and liminal spaces in games, but the n64 aesthetic is maybe even better at that. Plaza got me pantpoopin on a level I haven't achieved in years, but unfortunately gameplay vise the horror side got annoying pretty fast, and I couldn't make myself finish the final part. Overall really fun and captures the feel of old creepypasta games, provides lots of extra hidden content that gave me that childlike wonder that I hadn't felt in quite some time, while also telling a pretty good story, grounding its horror in something very human
Upd: after getting more into the secrets of the game, I take back that last statement lol
Upd: after getting more into the secrets of the game, I take back that last statement lol
This review contains spoilers
Bad platforming, bad puzzles, generic creepypasta plotline, ARG elements show effort but are uninspired, same goes for the horror elements. Not a good experience. Game goes with the cheap "le creator went mad and killed himself" style of ending. Almost nothing interesting happening here.
This review contains spoilers
Golly gee is this game an experience. A wide ARG style story about an N64 game pulled from shelves. When it works, it's amazing, forward thinking, and genuinely horrific. However, the game has an addiction to jumpscares, so much so it eventually became exhausting for me to play. There's some very good puzzle sections that are ruined by the way the enemy encounters are setup. and in the endgame "hide and seek" section, i was yelling obscenities at my screen from how much hoopla the game was tossin at me, spawning 3 of the 5 monsters on top of me and having the other 2 walk into the tiny room im in and do circles for 5 minutes isnt fun, and they have far too wide of an agrro range for it to be fun to avoid them, and whenever you're seen(not caught, just seen) you get jumpscared. I probably missed out on a lot of great lore from the game's voicemail things because frankly i had to have my volume so incredibly low at all times because the jumpscares are super loud and got me to throw and almost break my headphones in shock multiple times :( i love everything this game wants to be and is trying to do but it annoys me to hell and back in it's latter half. It's still worth your time though. Whatever yhe dev makes after this i can gurantee will be amazing and worth checking out. This is just a prelude to something truly great, i can feel it.
Been sitting on this for awhile. Initially didn’t think much of this game but then…
well I was shocked. This is SO dense with SO much content both story and gameplay wise and it takes you too all sorts of crazy places. PLEASE check it out if you can. It’s deeper than you think. And it’s actually very unsettling. The best mix of the best of analog horror with the best of fake retro games like Petscop.
well I was shocked. This is SO dense with SO much content both story and gameplay wise and it takes you too all sorts of crazy places. PLEASE check it out if you can. It’s deeper than you think. And it’s actually very unsettling. The best mix of the best of analog horror with the best of fake retro games like Petscop.