Echoes of Fear

There’s nothing wrong with the game’s idea or some design choices, but the engine is simply broken. This is a walking sim in which you look for clues on a map. Although it’s difficult to navigate because it takes place in a forest, the map isn’t that big. Paths typically lead somewhere, but there are no road signs or other distinguishing features to help you out. The only useful building is a tower in the middle of the map that provides a view of the surroundings. Although the houses you explore contain some detail, they are generally vacant and similar in appearance. However, each has certain distinguishing features that make them more interesting. The problem is that the forest appears to be haunted. You might observe blood markings or doors closing on their own when you go inside a house. I believe there is something in each of the houses. On the other hand, you only spent a minute or two in each house. There are no waypoints or even visual cues on essential things, so finding what you need is mainly by luck. The required clues appear to be books, but there is no hint for picking up when you get close. Those identical books are also sometimes just a generic element and cannot be picked up. Stamina is preventing you from having fun while exploring this area. It depletes quickly and restores excruciatingly slowly. It was so bad that I kept going until I out of stamina, alt-tabbed to do something else, returned to run some more, and repeated. Naturally, the game includes a wolf to keep you on the go. It's not a big threat because it's slow and can be stopped with simple steps. With determination, all of the aforementioned difficulties may be overlooked. Unfortunately, the game's engine is simply too flawed. Some of it stems from a lack of polish and testing. On one path, for example, there's a miniature diorama with a blue arrow and a wind cone. It has no place in the game and is most likely a trigger from the game's engine. One of the houses also has a handful of triggers. Clues are also messed up. When you find them, you may read them by hitting buttons 1-5. But when I discovered hint number three, the corresponding button did nothing. Surprisingly, I was able to read hint number one, which I had not yet discovered. Another strange point is the absence of clues. The book I discovered near the statue in my first game was not present in my second. I still pushed the use button and still got the clue. Because there is no saving, the game must be completed in a single run. However, there is a severe bug that breaks the game. This bug disables all buttons and resets all three bars (health, stamina, and flashlight battery) to zero. The only way to exit the game is to force-quit. The bug occurs on one of the paths you’re supposed to follow, which means you will hit it every time.