Not sure whether this could be played decently outside of DOS-BOX (or if it's even easily accessible...does Steam have this?), but what a great story for its time. Definitely an unexpected gem, though incredibly easy to play through.
It's great, but I could have been much more.
The main issue I have with these old school adventure games (IHNMAIMS is another good example) is how uneven the tone of the story is. Sanitarium has some strong imagery, certain depiction of body horror and gore are strong and effective still today thanks to the incredible and timeless work the art department did in designing some of the most brutal sections (The Hive for example is a visual nightmare), and the writing reflects that, almost lovecraftian in describing the dread felt by the characters.
But then there are other sections filled with out of place humour or clearly toned down (i.e. most of the Lost Village or the Circus), required for some levity or just a way for the developers to have some fun with their game, but still way less impressive or memorable compared to what the game has accustomed the players to.
The story itself is pretty good but without much fanfare or twists, it wants to be a psychological thriller and horror but it plays very straight for most of the time and there isn't much room left for debate about what is going on or what the metaphors under each level mean. Not that being simple and direct is necessarily a flaw, but thematically speaking it felt like halfway through the game it had already played each of its cards and I was just left putting down the royal flush without tension or thinking required.
Also some puzzles are just a pixel nightmare dictated by noticing minute details that for the life of me are indistinguishable from the backgrounds, and the stairs' animation detection with this system of movement is trauma inducing.
Yet all in all it is certainly a timeless adventure game, son of the best the 90s had to offer despite some light missteps and almost consistently enjoyable visually, albeit clearly having some sections much weaker than others.
But then there are other sections filled with out of place humour or clearly toned down (i.e. most of the Lost Village or the Circus), required for some levity or just a way for the developers to have some fun with their game, but still way less impressive or memorable compared to what the game has accustomed the players to.
The story itself is pretty good but without much fanfare or twists, it wants to be a psychological thriller and horror but it plays very straight for most of the time and there isn't much room left for debate about what is going on or what the metaphors under each level mean. Not that being simple and direct is necessarily a flaw, but thematically speaking it felt like halfway through the game it had already played each of its cards and I was just left putting down the royal flush without tension or thinking required.
Also some puzzles are just a pixel nightmare dictated by noticing minute details that for the life of me are indistinguishable from the backgrounds, and the stairs' animation detection with this system of movement is trauma inducing.
Yet all in all it is certainly a timeless adventure game, son of the best the 90s had to offer despite some light missteps and almost consistently enjoyable visually, albeit clearly having some sections much weaker than others.
This review contains spoilers
[First impressions and overview with some spoilers]
This game is one of those ''compilation of otherwise seemingly unrelated short stories with 1 main story that serves to connect all of them together'' kinda stories. It's also one of those ''You get a glimpse of an underlying story through bits and pieces in someones mind/dreams and information in environments, giving it a text but also a clear subtext you keep guessing as to what exactly did happen and didn't'' kinda stories. You know like Paranoia Agent is for Anime.
The game is split into ''chapters'' and sometimes 2 areas/levels/maps between them you can only really move between when specific section ending events are triggered. Odd numbered chapters tend to involve the main story, and while they feel like something is off and weird, they feel more grounded in reality. The even numbered stories tend to be obviously not real dream-like ones that also serve as their own independent short stories where except for the first time the protagonist takes on a different character form entirely that is in some slight way related to the protagonist. This makes for quite some decent pacing as you go back and forth between the two wondering what else weird the game is going to throw at you next.
To connect the two together a bit more, during both you'll slowly regain bits and pieces of the protaganists memory through cutscenes. While they do interrupt the flow of the game for me, they have a mysterious show not tell vibe to them I dig. You slowly start to uncover more and more of what is a twisted but much more accurate representation of reality, and it keeps you guessing without the answers to the mystery ever feeling disappointing. It's clear about the main events, but subtle enough to keep you on your toes. As wacky and insane as a lot of the in-game moments are, these cutscenes their more grounded feel work as an explanation and suddenly the context behind it actually feels very sad and human. Instead of just being fun little short stories with incredibly interesting, creepy imagery it becomes something more than the sum of its parts.
Eventually you'll notice a pattern in the chapters that despite being so seemingly unrelated, you'll probably quickly notice that the even numbered chapters are stories that have parallels and themes in common with the main plot you uncover throughout the game. They're metaphors, but the fun part is always that they work as their own little separate stories first, though it would have probably grown old and predictable if there were even more within the exact same structure. It's fun to see how many ways they could essentially tell the same kind of story. The twist is that when it ends you'll realize that as the game foreshadows, fucking none of it was real, not even the odd numbered chapters. But it's not like it's a cheap ''haha everything was a dream'' because well you could already tell from the start something was just very off, and the gimmick in these kinds stories is in indirectly figuring out what really happened through these dream sequences and memories.
The game's strong point is definitely its imagery. The pre rendered isometric style often used in CRPG's definitely stands out on its own, but fuck if it isn't good at building atmosphere. There's a lot of strange, creepy, yet beautiful locations and moments in this game.
I can't really say the same thing for the voice acting though. It sounds EXTREMELY CHEESY to me and while that adds some 90's charm and kinda fits the ''delusional insanity' theme, it also makes it hard for me to take the game seriously. Ofcourse, the graphics have 90's cheese to them as well, but I find that that actually adds to the uncomfortable and zany atmosphere, the voice acting just takes me out of it at times.
Maybe it's because I'm playing this for the first time and in modern times but I don't seem to find the game as impressive as others do. It's probably because the gameplay is pretty typical point and click adventure but I don't really like its scenario progression in this at all it didn't make much sense to me and I didn't feel much direction. A lot of it basically felt like a really lame escape room riddle with some separate logic puzzle screens thrown in every now and then. I just skipped most of it with a guide, to be honest. The thing is that a LOT of the game is actually gameplay. It's not like you are constantly uncovering clues about the main story, you often just run around looking for clues as to how to progress for the sake of it (You're not really given much motivation) rather than to progress the plot of whatever story you find yourself in. There's some fun quirky characters to interact with but there's a lot of dialogue that at least when playing for the first time feels like goes nowhere, or on the opposite end dialogue that feels purely to be there for the gameplay progression rather than narrative.
I mostly like the game for its story and imagery, but when so much of the story is actually just gameplay scenario progression contextualized into it, it gets kind of tiring.
There's some quality of life features here and the odd control scheme works fine, but the game is pretty janky. I had to reboot a soft lock a few times and well, those action sequences are definitely awkward.
The only chapter I personally just didn't like was the olmec one. I heard a lot of people didn't like the hive one, but I fucking loved that one because I'm into body horror and similar settings. It just felt so weird and otherworldly, I like that kinda thing.
The final chapter, while short was neat as well, culminating every other world into 1 place not just in environment, but also in switching between the different characters. It's a good way to wrap it up and pace it well.
I like piecing together the mystery set up in the intro cutscene, I like how the game ties otherwise unrelated things together with its psychological themes in multiple ways, I like how there's both clarity and nuance to it, but I do think the game can feel a bit incohesive at some points and seemingly aimless at others.
All in all, even if I found it a bit frustrating at some points and dull at others, I think Sanitarium is such a unique intriging experience that even people who don't like adventure games should give it a try. It's the type of thing you typically only see in other mediums, but it still does it in its own way I haven't seen elsewhere.
This game is one of those ''compilation of otherwise seemingly unrelated short stories with 1 main story that serves to connect all of them together'' kinda stories. It's also one of those ''You get a glimpse of an underlying story through bits and pieces in someones mind/dreams and information in environments, giving it a text but also a clear subtext you keep guessing as to what exactly did happen and didn't'' kinda stories. You know like Paranoia Agent is for Anime.
The game is split into ''chapters'' and sometimes 2 areas/levels/maps between them you can only really move between when specific section ending events are triggered. Odd numbered chapters tend to involve the main story, and while they feel like something is off and weird, they feel more grounded in reality. The even numbered stories tend to be obviously not real dream-like ones that also serve as their own independent short stories where except for the first time the protagonist takes on a different character form entirely that is in some slight way related to the protagonist. This makes for quite some decent pacing as you go back and forth between the two wondering what else weird the game is going to throw at you next.
To connect the two together a bit more, during both you'll slowly regain bits and pieces of the protaganists memory through cutscenes. While they do interrupt the flow of the game for me, they have a mysterious show not tell vibe to them I dig. You slowly start to uncover more and more of what is a twisted but much more accurate representation of reality, and it keeps you guessing without the answers to the mystery ever feeling disappointing. It's clear about the main events, but subtle enough to keep you on your toes. As wacky and insane as a lot of the in-game moments are, these cutscenes their more grounded feel work as an explanation and suddenly the context behind it actually feels very sad and human. Instead of just being fun little short stories with incredibly interesting, creepy imagery it becomes something more than the sum of its parts.
Eventually you'll notice a pattern in the chapters that despite being so seemingly unrelated, you'll probably quickly notice that the even numbered chapters are stories that have parallels and themes in common with the main plot you uncover throughout the game. They're metaphors, but the fun part is always that they work as their own little separate stories first, though it would have probably grown old and predictable if there were even more within the exact same structure. It's fun to see how many ways they could essentially tell the same kind of story. The twist is that when it ends you'll realize that as the game foreshadows, fucking none of it was real, not even the odd numbered chapters. But it's not like it's a cheap ''haha everything was a dream'' because well you could already tell from the start something was just very off, and the gimmick in these kinds stories is in indirectly figuring out what really happened through these dream sequences and memories.
The game's strong point is definitely its imagery. The pre rendered isometric style often used in CRPG's definitely stands out on its own, but fuck if it isn't good at building atmosphere. There's a lot of strange, creepy, yet beautiful locations and moments in this game.
I can't really say the same thing for the voice acting though. It sounds EXTREMELY CHEESY to me and while that adds some 90's charm and kinda fits the ''delusional insanity' theme, it also makes it hard for me to take the game seriously. Ofcourse, the graphics have 90's cheese to them as well, but I find that that actually adds to the uncomfortable and zany atmosphere, the voice acting just takes me out of it at times.
Maybe it's because I'm playing this for the first time and in modern times but I don't seem to find the game as impressive as others do. It's probably because the gameplay is pretty typical point and click adventure but I don't really like its scenario progression in this at all it didn't make much sense to me and I didn't feel much direction. A lot of it basically felt like a really lame escape room riddle with some separate logic puzzle screens thrown in every now and then. I just skipped most of it with a guide, to be honest. The thing is that a LOT of the game is actually gameplay. It's not like you are constantly uncovering clues about the main story, you often just run around looking for clues as to how to progress for the sake of it (You're not really given much motivation) rather than to progress the plot of whatever story you find yourself in. There's some fun quirky characters to interact with but there's a lot of dialogue that at least when playing for the first time feels like goes nowhere, or on the opposite end dialogue that feels purely to be there for the gameplay progression rather than narrative.
I mostly like the game for its story and imagery, but when so much of the story is actually just gameplay scenario progression contextualized into it, it gets kind of tiring.
There's some quality of life features here and the odd control scheme works fine, but the game is pretty janky. I had to reboot a soft lock a few times and well, those action sequences are definitely awkward.
The only chapter I personally just didn't like was the olmec one. I heard a lot of people didn't like the hive one, but I fucking loved that one because I'm into body horror and similar settings. It just felt so weird and otherworldly, I like that kinda thing.
The final chapter, while short was neat as well, culminating every other world into 1 place not just in environment, but also in switching between the different characters. It's a good way to wrap it up and pace it well.
I like piecing together the mystery set up in the intro cutscene, I like how the game ties otherwise unrelated things together with its psychological themes in multiple ways, I like how there's both clarity and nuance to it, but I do think the game can feel a bit incohesive at some points and seemingly aimless at others.
All in all, even if I found it a bit frustrating at some points and dull at others, I think Sanitarium is such a unique intriging experience that even people who don't like adventure games should give it a try. It's the type of thing you typically only see in other mediums, but it still does it in its own way I haven't seen elsewhere.
Adventure, strategy, and RPGs were the pinnacle of PC games back in the mid to late 90’s, and Sanitarium is one of those games. You play as Max who suffers a car accident and is stuck in his own insane delusions, or is he? You explore 12 sick and twisted chapters with excellent voice acting and very interesting characters, but don’t forget those adventure puzzles.
The game isn’t much different from the standard adventure game where you wander around and click on items to proceed to the next area. Your icon is a magnifying glass and you hold down the right mouse button to move your character around. This was my first annoyance with the game being that the characters walk so slowly and there’s no run button. Despite this clicking on things is actually interesting because most of it doesn’t even pertain to the real world. Your first area is an asylum where guys are bashing their heads against walls, and the people you talk to are completely out of their minds. This gets even worse as the game progresses, but that’s a good thing.
As you collect items you find ways to use them in interesting ways, and it actually makes sense. However, most of the times the way to use them is so obvious that you will miss it. This game isn’t exactly easy and just gets harder as the game progresses. You get thrown a couple of puzzles at the beginning, but towards the end, the game gets very puzzle heavy and they are not fun or easy. Sure they are unique to the individual worlds, but they aren’t easy. I had to use a walkthrough through most of the game because I just couldn’t get what to do most of the time.
My favorite part of the game was wandering around and talking to people and hearing their strange voices or weird stories. The world themselves are characters because each one has a big problem to solve, but thankfully each level is small and it’s not easy to get lost in. The game is paced well with some CGI cutscenes (of course they look horrible being from 1998), but it’s nice that this game feels high budget for its time. I always looked forward to the next zany world and what weird character I would run into. I never got bored, and always wanted more. The game is nicely paced at around 5-6 hours, and it had a satisfying ending. The one surprise I had, however, was a couple of boss fights. Most adventure games don’t have these, but these were strange.
Overall, Sanitarium is an excellent adventure game that shows how great the 90’s were on the PC. You can pick the game up on GoG.com for only $6, but I did run into one huge problem. The game crashes a lot on the newer operating systems, and GoG never addressed the issue. If you can, get the CD and use on an older operating system (like Windows 98), but otherwise, you will have to trudge through the constant crashes.
The game isn’t much different from the standard adventure game where you wander around and click on items to proceed to the next area. Your icon is a magnifying glass and you hold down the right mouse button to move your character around. This was my first annoyance with the game being that the characters walk so slowly and there’s no run button. Despite this clicking on things is actually interesting because most of it doesn’t even pertain to the real world. Your first area is an asylum where guys are bashing their heads against walls, and the people you talk to are completely out of their minds. This gets even worse as the game progresses, but that’s a good thing.
As you collect items you find ways to use them in interesting ways, and it actually makes sense. However, most of the times the way to use them is so obvious that you will miss it. This game isn’t exactly easy and just gets harder as the game progresses. You get thrown a couple of puzzles at the beginning, but towards the end, the game gets very puzzle heavy and they are not fun or easy. Sure they are unique to the individual worlds, but they aren’t easy. I had to use a walkthrough through most of the game because I just couldn’t get what to do most of the time.
My favorite part of the game was wandering around and talking to people and hearing their strange voices or weird stories. The world themselves are characters because each one has a big problem to solve, but thankfully each level is small and it’s not easy to get lost in. The game is paced well with some CGI cutscenes (of course they look horrible being from 1998), but it’s nice that this game feels high budget for its time. I always looked forward to the next zany world and what weird character I would run into. I never got bored, and always wanted more. The game is nicely paced at around 5-6 hours, and it had a satisfying ending. The one surprise I had, however, was a couple of boss fights. Most adventure games don’t have these, but these were strange.
Overall, Sanitarium is an excellent adventure game that shows how great the 90’s were on the PC. You can pick the game up on GoG.com for only $6, but I did run into one huge problem. The game crashes a lot on the newer operating systems, and GoG never addressed the issue. If you can, get the CD and use on an older operating system (like Windows 98), but otherwise, you will have to trudge through the constant crashes.
Great art style, fascinating setting and excellent writing. Definitely one of the best point and click adventure games out there. It's always a treat to discover what the next level holds.
Gameplay wise it's in a good place too, it doesn't play itself like modern adventure games, but it doesn't have convoluted puzzles and constant game overs either, despite how surreal it gets at times. I believe this may even be a good entry point for people interested in older adventure games.
Gameplay wise it's in a good place too, it doesn't play itself like modern adventure games, but it doesn't have convoluted puzzles and constant game overs either, despite how surreal it gets at times. I believe this may even be a good entry point for people interested in older adventure games.
Starts out as a psychological horror, but not much later turns into a really strange, surreal journey (everything gets explained in the end, though). It's definitely a unique experience, but not very scary. Most of the puzzles are fun, however, I could never get used to the weird movement controls.
Immagino che ci sia qualcosa di almeno storicamente notevole in Sanitarium, vista la grande varietà di scenari, ambienti ed elementi di gameplay che si susseguono dall'inizio alla fine, ma la mia esperienza di gioco non è stata granché positiva: giudicandolo come punta e clicca, il sistema di movimento estremamente grezzo e la pochissima cura messa nell'evidenziare gli oggetti di interesse a schermo rendono l'esplorazione sgradevole e poco appagante, mentre i puzzle sono generalmente carini; volendo giudicare la scrittura, ho trovato la narrazione molto confusa, sconclusionata e incoerente, povera di temi effettivamente interessanti e condita da una serie di stereotipi da psicologia spicciola che ad oggi penso si faccia generalmente molta fatica a digerire. Con la giusta apertura mentale e magari un minimo di interesse o simpatia per i thriller psicologici anni '90, bizzarri e grotteschi, magari può risultare in qualche modo affascinante, ma non fa per me.
joya oculta
Beautiful game with a very keen eye for detail. Very interesting story , exploring both the pysche and the traumas of the protagonist , Max.
Gameplay wise, the puzzles are a little too simple and contained , but for this particular title it works for keeping focus in each separate level .
The only reason this is not a 5 out of five , is because of the time sensitive labyrinth at the end of the Olmec section. In a point and click this type of desin is only anoying.
Gameplay wise, the puzzles are a little too simple and contained , but for this particular title it works for keeping focus in each separate level .
The only reason this is not a 5 out of five , is because of the time sensitive labyrinth at the end of the Olmec section. In a point and click this type of desin is only anoying.
Quest items are not so visible on locations. Therefore puzzles are difficult. Story not so deep
Best point-and-click game i have ever played.
Point n' click from the 90's with the best puzzles I've ever seen and that doesn't need a guide to play it.
Made me cry.
Starts off as a pretty solid psychological horror but leans too hard towards the absurd later on, akin to watching a lackluster version of Courage the Cowardly Dog. The transparent metaphors didn't help alleviate it either.
Nevertheless, it's a pretty simple story of a man learning to deal with his guilt, and for a crudely animated janky ass point-and-click game, it did manage to evoke some genuine emotional moments.
I just wish good things happened to video game characters named Max.
Nevertheless, it's a pretty simple story of a man learning to deal with his guilt, and for a crudely animated janky ass point-and-click game, it did manage to evoke some genuine emotional moments.
I just wish good things happened to video game characters named Max.
great exaMple of interactive unease until it goes off the rails with you know what
What a plot twist turns out you played a ginger the whole time!
Is This A Nightmare? Am I Insane? Is This Reality?
Maybe This Is Death Or You Just Live In :turkey:
Maybe This Is Death Or You Just Live In :turkey:
This intriguing isometric adventure game has its share of gameplay flaws, including awkward character movement (requiring the player to hold the right mouse button down to go anywhere) and some classic 90s pixel-hunting puzzles. Fortunately, most of the brain teasers focus on conversations with NPCs, and these characters and the surreal worlds they inhabit are varied and interesting. The story has a nice mix of atmospheric horror, humor and sentimentality; it's light on jump scares and can be surprisingly touching at times. The major narrative weak link is the main antagonist, who feels too bland for a game that's so imaginative otherwise. You might scarcely remember that he exists while you're dealing with more esoteric troublemakers. Still, Sanitarium is easy to recommend to any fan of adventure games or slow-burning horror.
This review contains spoilers
Well this was a huge dissapointment. There were many things i strongly disliked about the game.
First of all, the voice acting which is just terrible, and one of the first thing you’ll have to learn to live with if you’re truly willing to finish this game. Surprisingly, i feel like the children’s voice acting are actually the best of the whole cast.
Second and probably most important: Many chapters feel like i’m just suddenly playing a whole different game. The excuse of schizophrenia/fractionary subjectivity (depending on your psichological theory of choice) feels at this point as a poor excuse for tying up different unfinished projects of games, and in a completely messed up way. And if they were going for a surprise effect, it doesn’t really work in a good way either.
Third, mechanics are kinda lame. It’s not really that bad of a flaw, i would have probably ignored it, if it wasn’t for the other ones. When you’re rating negatively, every flaw counts, sadly.
Fourth, and SPOILER ALERT: the ending, guys, all of this for a lazy variation of the “it was all a dream” trope? Dissapointed is not enough by this point.
It’s kinda sad because it’s pretty obvious how ambitious this project was. And actually the first two chapters are pretty ok, the game is still promising by the end of the second chapter, but after that, with a few exceptions (some moments of chapter 4) it’s all downhill to me.
First of all, the voice acting which is just terrible, and one of the first thing you’ll have to learn to live with if you’re truly willing to finish this game. Surprisingly, i feel like the children’s voice acting are actually the best of the whole cast.
Second and probably most important: Many chapters feel like i’m just suddenly playing a whole different game. The excuse of schizophrenia/fractionary subjectivity (depending on your psichological theory of choice) feels at this point as a poor excuse for tying up different unfinished projects of games, and in a completely messed up way. And if they were going for a surprise effect, it doesn’t really work in a good way either.
Third, mechanics are kinda lame. It’s not really that bad of a flaw, i would have probably ignored it, if it wasn’t for the other ones. When you’re rating negatively, every flaw counts, sadly.
Fourth, and SPOILER ALERT: the ending, guys, all of this for a lazy variation of the “it was all a dream” trope? Dissapointed is not enough by this point.
It’s kinda sad because it’s pretty obvious how ambitious this project was. And actually the first two chapters are pretty ok, the game is still promising by the end of the second chapter, but after that, with a few exceptions (some moments of chapter 4) it’s all downhill to me.
Isso já aconteceu com meu mano Marcelo
was fun at first, got a bit annoying later on. experienced a couple bugs which made me lose half a chapter's progress each
surrealist horror (haha.... or IS it)
everything looks foul and i love it
everything looks foul and i love it
A very good adventure game with a neat premise for every level. The Aztec sections near the end are fairly weak, but the game is still worth playing.
I hate the puzzles but the story and vibes redeem the game, good stuff.
Very good Psycho-Like Point and Click Game. Amazing Graphics and Gameplay for its Age ^^
very wacky game indeed
to say a few things:
story was absolutely amazing to me. it's a game with not only eye-catching aesthetic but has an actual interesting story to it. sure, it's gameplay mechanics are an pain, walking is insanely slow, puzzles are impossible without a guide and even with a guide it was difficult to do. but i still loved the game and it's story.
story was absolutely amazing to me. it's a game with not only eye-catching aesthetic but has an actual interesting story to it. sure, it's gameplay mechanics are an pain, walking is insanely slow, puzzles are impossible without a guide and even with a guide it was difficult to do. but i still loved the game and it's story.
An old horror adventure game from 1998. You play a man trapped in an asylum trying to regain his memories, confront his past and find a way back to reality. A decadent horror you'd normally find in Silent Hill's otherworld. Says nothing about mental health.
Easily one of the greatest Point & Click games of its time period. A cult classic overlooked by the horror gaming enthusiasts. The theme of psychological horror and mental illness helps to set an incredible atmosphere to the game, accompanied by a fitting OST created by Stephen Bennet James C. McMenamy. At times the game does get bit ridiculous with how convoluted the narrative is, but I think that's also the point of it. Because we see it from the perspective of the protagonist, who undoubtedly is mentally ill. But I won't deny, it does get (un)intentionally ridiculous at times.