Jawbreaker

Pros: - scary atmosphere - interesting world Cons: - frustrating - forced stealth sections - confusing story - somewhat short - last chapter Overall: I almost gave it a positive review but sadly the last chapter was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ both in story and gameplay. I mean wtf was that ending!?

Jawbreaker, developed and published by Vincent Lade, is a tense and oppressive first-person survival horror experience that immerses you in a fractured, post-collapse world where human desperation has replaced any semblance of order. Set after a catastrophic economic downfall that has left society splintered into violent factions, the game places you in the shoes of a scavenger sent by your dwindling gang to infiltrate a derelict police station in search of supplies. What should be a simple raid quickly twists into something far more unsettling, as the building’s abandoned silence gives way to the unnerving realization that you’re not alone—and that the danger stalking you is far more brutal than you expected. Jawbreaker builds its tension slowly, relying on atmosphere, audio design, and claustrophobic layouts to keep you second-guessing every step. At the heart of the experience lies a blend of stealth and survival mechanics that demand caution and constant awareness. Ammunition is scarce, enemies are persistent, and loud actions attract attention in ways that can easily get you killed. This scarcity forces you to rely on shadows, hiding places, and distraction tools rather than brute force. Navigating the police station becomes a psychological exercise: each creak in the walls, each flicker of a distant light, each sound of footsteps around the corner feels like a threat pressing in on you. Hiding under desks, slipping into lockers, or using improvised tools to throw foes off your trail gives the gameplay a deliberate pace that rewards patience. When combat does occur, it is brutal and brief, reinforcing the idea that survival hinges not on strength, but on staying unseen. The presentation is one of Jawbreaker’s standout qualities. Vincent Lade’s knack for environmental tension is evident in the way the ruined police station is constructed—dim corridors, scattered remnants of abandoned lives, and the oppressive architecture all feed into a sense of confinement. The lighting is particularly effective, casting heavy shadows that both conceal enemies and provide havens. Sound plays an equally crucial role: ambient noises echo through the halls, distant thuds hint at movement you can’t see, and the sudden crash of a door or shout from an enemy spikes the player’s anxiety. This careful balance of sight and sound creates a compelling atmosphere that elevates the game beyond its indie framework. Despite its strengths, Jawbreaker’s mechanical execution can occasionally undermine its ambition. The stealth system, while central to the experience, can feel inconsistent or unforgiving. Enemies sometimes detect the player from improbable angles, and certain hiding spots don’t always function as expected, which can lead to frustrating restarts. Because the game limits ammunition so strictly, firefights rarely feel like viable alternatives, making the advertised “combat and stealth mix” largely skew toward the latter. These moments of imbalance can break immersion, especially when a single mistake leads to replaying long sections or watching repeated cutscenes. For players who prefer clearer stealth feedback or more balanced resource management, these issues may become sticking points. The narrative, while compact, offers enough intrigue to support the game’s structure. The desolate world outside the station and the hints of betrayal or manipulation from your own gang layer additional unease onto an already fraught mission. Multiple endings provide replay value for those who want to explore different outcomes, though the overall story remains focused and tightly contained. The pacing oscillates between quiet, suspenseful exploration and intense, sudden encounters, giving the game a dynamic rhythm that keeps players engaged despite its limited scope. Jawbreaker ultimately succeeds as an atmospheric, nerve-wracking survival horror title that will appeal most to players who enjoy tension over action and scarcity over empowerment. Its strengths lie in its mood, its immersive world design, and its emphasis on vulnerability. While its stealth mechanics and difficulty balance may frustrate some, those willing to embrace its demanding structure will find an experience that lingers after the credits. It’s a game that asks you to creep rather than rush, to listen rather than shoot, and to accept that survival sometimes means merely enduring long enough to escape. Rating: 6/10

TRASH game. The controls are so stupid. don't recommend.

I'm sure it's a nice game, but it's always a risk with any Unity game, because you can't get custom resolutions to stick. Launch parameter command lines do work on "some" Unity games, but it doesn't stick with this one. Lost in Vivo has the same problem. Changing areas or a loading screen the display flickers and it defaults to whatever the dev has set internally. Changing resolution in-game switches to windowed on confirmation and while using ALt+F4 does work to switch to fullscreen, it also defaults the resolution.

Неочікуванно гарний .... горор з хованками. Не дуже довготривалий звісно ... з купою проблем. Наприклад у грі відсутній горор та хованки. Але загалом мені сподобалось. Я би не відмовився від другої частини. А ще мені потрібен ОСТ з 15 рівня. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dna_x5-I_j8&t=4108s

Encountered a progress-halting bug within 5 minutes of game time and then fell through the map. Astonishing.

Тот случай, когда неизвестная игра про прятки от быдла (причём жанр хорроров такого плана для меня абсолютно чужероден) по атмосфере и нарративу ебёт аналогичное ААА говно (вайбы Condemned и Manhunt здесь присутствуют, что лично для меня плюс). Здесь можно стрелять, но патронов у вас мало, врагов много и на всех не хватит [spoiler] (и их лучше приберечь для маньяка с бензопилой на одном из уровней, чтобы не душнится с ним в прятки). [/spoiler] В игре так же есть резикоподобный менеджмент инвентаря (ограниченные ячейки, комбинирование материалов для создание лучших хилок), а так же монетки за которые можно получать полезные предметы в автоматах (включая пистолет с глушителем), но честно сказать в этом нет особой необходимости, ибо практически все уровни можно пройти скрытно и без урона, а расходников в игре мало (т.е. рукожопость игра не жалует и больше заставляет полагаться на собственный скилл). Но минусы тоже есть: слабая 3 глава игры в которой ничего почти нет и не происходит [spoiler] (враги "зомби", которые еле плетутся и кроме ора ничего не могут противопоставить) [/spoiler], довольно странные и несколько не вписывающиеся в общую атмосферу боссы [spoiler] (последний из которых - механический кайдзю, серьёзно?!), [/spoiler] бэктрекинг в последней трети игры и непонятный сюжет, который ничего почти не объясняет [spoiler] (чтобы вообще разобраться с чего началась вся котовасия нужно собрать 3 важных предмета на определённых уровнях и использовать их в секретной комнате, что при первом прохождении скорее всего сделать у вас не получится). [/spoiler] Но игра всё равно вышла зачётная, а тот факт что у неё довольно редкая для подобных жанров атмосфера и вовсе заставляет желать, чтобы автор (да, разрабатывалось всё это одним челом) продолжал дальше в том же духе и намного лучше.

My short and sweet opinion: absolutely abysmal stealth mechanics. I think it's a cardinal sin for horror/thriller experiences to root the fear entirely in the helplessness of the protag by giving you no defense and making you sneak around at a snail's pace hoping the copy-and-paste block of code doesn't turn around and make you reload a save.

Jawbreaker è stata una vera e propria scoperta! Nonostante non sia un titolo che rivoluziona il genere, riesce comunque a regalare un’esperienza piacevole e intrigante. Il fatto che sia stato sviluppato da un piccolo team è un ulteriore motivo di apprezzamento: la qualità grafica e sonora è sorprendente, e tutto sommato riesce a creare una bella atmosfera di tensione. I jumpscare sono ben posizionati e riescono a mantenere alta la suspense, mentre le situazioni di tensione sono perfette per chi ama il brivido del survival horror. Sebbene il gioco non sia particolarmente lungo, la durata contenuta non è un difetto, anzi! Si rivela perfetto per una sessione di gioco intensa senza troppi fronzoli. I puzzle non sono impossibili da risolvere, e anche i collezionabili facoltativi non richiedono sforzi incredibili per essere trovati, il che rende il gioco accessibile anche a chi non vuole impegnarsi troppo in ricerca ossessiva. In sostanza, Jawbreaker è un gioco che fa molto bene il suo lavoro: non pretende di essere una rivoluzione, ma sa come coinvolgere e offrire un'esperienza survival horror intensa e soddisfacente. Un’ottima scelta per chi cerca un po' di adrenalina in un gioco ben fatto, ma senza complicarsi troppo la vita!

ENGLISH: The savepoints in this game are so frustrating. Sometimes the AI is too dumb to see you, even if you're crouched sideways of their view. Other times they do see you. I'm one hour into the game and played til the first stealth segment you also play in the demo so I need to definitely play it more, but what already bugged me in terms of stealth in the demo a few years prior still does. I'd just hoped that the full release improved the steath, but we'll see. Maybe the game is more fun when the weapons come to play. Doesn't mean it's a bad game. Sometimes other stealth games also feel unfair. At this point I would say that if you don't mind to re collect and redo everything you did a few times in a segment this will be a fun and creepy horror game. (If you're a slow learner like me. You probably doesn't notice it at all as a pro gamer) And don't get put off by the graphics. Sometimes uglier games are better and more focused at the thing the developer wants to accomplish instead of just show off nice graphics. At least for me it's too frustrating. Frustration isn't creepy, just annoying. DEUTSCH: Die Speicherpunkte in diesem Spiel sind so frustrierend. Manchmal ist die KI zu dumm, um dich zu sehen, selbst wenn du dich seitlich von ihrem Blickfeld weggeduckt hast. Manchmal sehen sie einen aber doch. Ich bin erst eine Stunde im Spiel und habe bis zum ersten Stealth-Segment gespielt, das man auch in der Demo spielt, also muss ich es auf jeden Fall noch weiter spielen, aber was mich schon in der Demo vor ein paar Jahren in Bezug auf Stealth gestört hat, tut es immer noch. Ich hatte nur gehofft, dass die Vollversion den Steath verbessert, aber wir werden sehen. Vielleicht macht das Spiel mehr Spaß, wenn die Waffen ins Spiel kommen. Das heißt aber nicht, dass es ein schlechtes Spiel ist. Manchmal fühlen sich andere Stealth-Spiele auch unfair an. Zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt würde ich sagen, dass es ein lustiges und gruseliges Horrorspiel ist, wenn es einem nichts ausmacht, alles, was man getan hat, ein paar Mal in einem Abschnitt neu zu sammeln und zu wiederholen. (Wenn man ein langsamer Lerner ist wie ich. Als Profispieler merkt man das wahrscheinlich gar nicht) Und lasst euch nicht von der Grafik abschrecken. Manchmal sind hässlichere Spiele besser und konzentrieren sich mehr auf die Sache, die der Entwickler erreichen will, anstatt nur mit schöner Grafik zu prahlen. Wie dem auch sei, ich finde es zu frustrierend. Frustration ist nicht gruselig, sie nervt nur!