Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut

Considering my time spent on the Internet, with YouTube and other gaming sites galore, I've had my fair share of experience of games that I've taken quite the liking to watching over the many years, of which those resting firmly within the well-renowned 'horror' genre has to be a favourite of mines. Though many of these are ones I would just watch a good old-fashioned YouTuber have a go at it, enjoy my share of the viewing experience and then move on, a few of those have stuck with me and left something of an impression (a rarity these days!) as such gems like Eversion, World of Horror and Project Zomboid (if you consider it primarily a horror game due to it's realism and hardcore-focused gameplay) among other indies of it's time. Lone Survivor is, indeed, one of these very few horror games that I fancied giving a shot myself although, being a console gamer on the PlayStation side of things primarily at the time, I was never actually able to try it out myself and, as such, it found it's way into the depths of my mind way at the back end, not to be seen again until a recent Steam search for older horror games happened to stumble upon this game once more, hence a quick purchase on my end to finally give it a second shot now that the memories of the Let's Play I had once watched were all but vague, only retaining that it was something special to be experienced. So why am I saying all of this then, despite giving this unique and beloved horror game a negative review? Since I do acknowledge that it still holds up somewhat well, even if having a few technical hiccups and the gameplay being a tad outdated, but I'm getting ahead of myself here as I'll address those issues later on in this review. To start off though, Lone Survivor is a 2D survival horror game set in what appears to be a recent post-apocalyptic scenario involving a deadly infectious disease that has spread rapidly and overtaken society as a whole, where we take control of an unnamed 'lone survivor' who has largely lasted this long on account of holding out in his apartment for so many days and making the most of what supplies were there at the time of the outbreak although, with said supplies dwindling fast and with no hope of being rescued, one must become resourceful and cunning as you are tasked with escaping out of the apartment complex you've been hiding out in and, ultimately, find your way of the infested city for the countryside in greener pastures. Since I did briefly talk about my own views on the gameplay, let's touch into that more as the survival aspect is obvious enough, given the need to converse resources as far as defensive purposes goes, (with limited ammo for your handgun to shoot the flesh monsters, usually taking around 4 to 6 bullets to put one down, whilst flares are an alternative means of stunning the monsters briefly in a large radius which, although not killing or harming them, will be more useful for areas you plan to go in and out of just once or for corridors with a group of them) but also to gather food and refreshments for your character to not die of starvation alongside pills to keep your character's sanity in check as forgoing sleep and enduring too many horrors at once will see an early end without so much as a physical scratch if you don't look after him! Speaking of the many horrors that await in a now hellish apartment complex, rife with infestations of the virus outbreak, the chilling and unsettling atmosphere that Lone Survivor creates is quite convincing when you immerse yourself into the survival experience for the first time as this also ties into the gameplay in a rather surprising way as far as the overwhelming darkness that surrounds many parts of the apartment complex itself goes, given that you also get a flashlight very early on into the game that doubles as a way of finding your way around unfamiliar areas better alongside being able to acquire items or examine various things that your character would otherwise be unable to tell or make out in the darkness, although it's not always consistent as there are some 'edge cases' where a faintly-lit item on the ground or something easy to discern it's purpose can still be utilized but the game will explicitly tell you when the lack of light is posing a problem as the flashlight needs it's own batteries to keep it working so careful use of it is key to successfully getting around the building! (Also beware that turning the light on when those monsters are nearby is a key way to signal your position to them and they will hone in onto you quickly!) Alongside having not just more than a few endings for you to acquire throughout multiple playthroughs, it should be noted that this is the 'Director's Cut' edition that was released in October of 2013 originally for the PS3 and PS Vita, meaning it's essentially more or less the same game but has some extra little additions thrown in that the first version from back in 2012. So, despite all of this that, honestly, could easily warrant a positive review of the game, why is it I have chosen to give this a negative review in the end, given that it is still a good horror game that is effective at what it does and is also potentially enjoyable for a second repeat playthrough for a different ending then? Naturally I have my own personal critiques on the game itself, mainly that the gameplay cycle isn't all that involved once you have it figured out, as the 2D aspect of Lone Survivor limits the variety of what you can do with said horror here in a video game setting, albeit I suppose it's also the constant scavenging for supplies which, whilst not so bad once you have things figured out, is a touch tedious for first-timers who waste valuable resources trying to work out where to go, inevitably putting them in a worse place later on in the game that could possibly soft-lock them into being unable to progress with either no food/pills to feed or keep themselves sane or enough ammo/flares to fend off the flesh monsters which, from what I have seen, do take on more dangerous forms though I only ever got to the bottom of the basement floor, never having reached outside into the bigger city itself. Alongside other issues relating to gameplay, such as having no other means of evading monsters than through specific spots in a few walls that you can hide inside (sometimes you'll need to lure them with a rotting meat to get them away from where you need to pass) which becomes all the more problematic as it seems like they become less common on the ground floor and basement and only helps to exacerbate the issue at hand, there is some technical difficulties when getting this game to run ideally. I'll post down the solution for this in the comments section below for anyone interested although, truth be told, there is a better solution towards this and it is why I turned this from a hesitant positive review into, ultimately, a reluctant negative one. Since I had gotten stuck at the basement part of this game, several hours in, I finally decided to start looking up some sort of guidance on where to go next and, as luck would have it, this led me to a thread which I had perceived at the time to be hinting at an upcoming sequel but, upon further discovery, has not just been released as a full-on remaster that adds even more than the Director's Cut here but is actually quite compatible with modern systems and far easier to set up as a whole! Known as 'Super Lone Survivor', this is the game I really ought to have bought since it looks very much to be the fully-realized version of this horror classic and, although not having really enjoyed trying to get this running and feeling mixed about the gameplay side of things, I am more than willing to give the remaster a shot and intend on buying it as soon as the next Steam sale comes along. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1907440/Super_Lone_Survivor/ I advise you to do the same.

My favorite game of all time. It's fairly simple and straightforward, but the atmosphere and story and dialogue are among the very best. I would love if this ever got some sort of literary or film adaptation.

I got this game many years ago from a Humble Bundle and tried to play it but for some reason at the time I couldn't get into it, I decided to give it an honest try without expecting or knowing much about it and this is now one of my Favorite Survival Horror games. If you're a fan of Silent Hill then you will really like this game. The game does incredibly well at establishing the mood and feeling of the whole story. I played this in the living room where it was completely dark at night time and I was creeped out by just playing the game and felt uneasy at times. The Soundtrack and Sound Design are done masterfully and because of it the Atmosphere of the game itself is exceptionally good. At times I would be sucked into the game world and feel on edge when exploring but feel at ease whenever I would get back into the safe room. I Recommend this game for all horror game fans but there is a Remastered Version called Super Lone Survivor which has updated Graphics, Controller Support (you can only play with a keyboard on this version) Extra Content, just overall a Better and Definitive version, so go buy that one instead. This was a Single Dev Project and I think they deserve every penny. This truly was an amazing experience.

Game was released 13 years ago and you still can't re-bind your controls. Seemed like it had good atmosphere but I can't stand not being able to press the keys I want.

Fell in love with atmosphere and scares, but survival mechanics was too punishing. It felt like I beat a half of the game, but I've just barely got everything for a working stove. Main issue was a map. It's disorienting and game doesen't gave me enought shortcuts in my poinion so I need to do alot of backtracking with a map like that. I've just dropped it after I've reach a basement, because suffering throught another disorienting maze of a map was too much for me

I got this game ages ago from a humble bundle. The game gets some good reviews from fans; it has grim atmosphere and true horror. However for me the RPG-maker jankyness hurts this game much more than helps it. I've played dozens of RPG-maker horror games and they all start to blend together after a while. The controlls are frustrating as hell and the graphics contribute to the player missing items in clear view. The fact that the save system is at the beginning of the day and you might lose ages of progress is dreadful. Also the game doesn't feature any achievements despite having them on Ps4. (not a negative, just a note) The developer released a "complete/super edition" of the game on steam with achievements but I won't be touching that one. The repeated deaths in the 3'd area did it for me... I couldn't finish it. Overall had a bad experience. I'm not recommending this one. Sorry

Являюсь большим фанатом вселенной Silent Hill (что уж говорить - я даже музыку начал писать в 2009-м под вдохновением от композиций Акиры Ямаока), и именно поэтому игра меня НЕ зацепила. Серьезно, ТАКИХ восторженных отзывов я не понимаю. Есть много крутых пиксельных игр со схожим, но уникальным сеттингом - The Final Station, Look Outside, Darkwood и так далее. Концепция каждой из них представляет собой атмосферный постапокалипсис с хоррор-выживанием и философской составляющей. Но Lone Survivor на их фоне выглядит весьма вторично. Просто потому, что тут СЛИШКОМ много заимствований у Silent Hill - от дизайна монстров и антуража до мелких деталей вроде фонарика и радиопомех. Это прям своего рода Silent Hill 2D - пискельная версия с тракторным управлением, но отсутствием сюжета как такового (если убрать всех монстров, останется скучная бродилка). Ставлю лайк за то, что Jasper Byrne - отличный музыкант и создал эту игру практически в одиночку, а это достойно уважения.

Lone Survivor é um jogo pelo qual tenho muito carinho. Conheci quando tinha por volta dos 14 anos, através daqueles típicos vídeos de "jogos leves para PC fraco" que geral assistia na época em que todo mundo tinha um computador ruim. Hoje em dia, nem lembro que vídeo foi esse, mas recordo que, quando vi o jogo, fiquei muito interessado pela estética dele: toda a ideia de ser um jogo de terror/suspense em 2D, e, claro, o principal fator... ser leve, kkkkk. Naquela época, eu não tinha grana e nem como comprar nada na internet, mas isso não ia me impedir de jogar. Acabei baixando a versão pirata mesmo, e foi só sucesso. Logo de cara, curti o game por causa da atmosfera única que ele transmite: você realmente se sente ali, sozinho, no seu quarto (que é uma saferoom), num mundo totalmente devastado e cheio de desgraça. Além disso, é preciso fazer o possível para sobreviver. Apesar de ser um jogo em 2D, isso não tirava a tensão e a ansiedade de explorar aquele universo. O simples ato de abrir uma porta correndo o risco de dar de cara com um monstro era sinistro demais. E tudo isso era intensificado pela trilha sonora incrível. Ela mistura sons do ambiente, pequenos ruídos dos monstros, barulhos "gosmentos", além de músicas que se encaixam perfeitamente com as situações e cenários. Algumas são melancólicas, enquanto outras, como as do estilo jazz, são mais vibrantes. Muuuuito massa! O jogo tem muitos detalhes que me prenderam. Por exemplo, as falas dos personagens são super carismáticas. É muito engraçado quando você prepara uma comida boa, e o personagem comenta que até caiu uma lágrima de emoção (também, depois de tanto sofrimento, né? Chorar é o mínimo depois de fazer uma carne assada!). Inclusive, essa mecânica de cozinhar foi algo que achei muito legal. Você pode combinar alimentos, como frutas para fazer salada de frutas, cozinhar feijão, preparar um café... É necessário se preocupar com a fome do personagem e também com a saúde mental dele. Coisas como jogar num portátil, dormir bem, ajudar "outros sobreviventes", conversar com um gato de pelúcia ou até adotar um gato de rua ajudam muito nesse papel. Aliás, essa última parte (adotar um gato) é um dos detalhes mais legais do jogo. Esses detalhes tornam a experiência muito mais orgânica e natural, o que deixa o jogo ainda mais bonito. A gameplay é bem simples e fácil de entender. O problema mesmo é ter coragem para explorar os cenários e encontrar o que falta para seguir em frente. Os monstros, por sua vez, podem ser enfrentados diretamente ou evitados, dependendo do seu estilo de jogo. Suas escolhas, aliás, influenciam o final, e o jogo tem 5 finais diferentes. Claro, não é tudo perfeito, mas só consigo pensar em dois pontos negativos: o primeiro é a mobilidade do personagem enquanto segura a arma. Depois de dar um tiro, eu tentava recuar para me afastar dos monstros, mas o boneco ficava meio travado, e acabava apanhando muito dos monstros, o que era bem frustrante. O segundo problema, aparentemente exclusivo da versão de PC, é a mudança repentina da dificuldade. O jogo tem dois níveis de dificuldade, normal e difícil. No meu caso, coloquei no normal, salvei, saí do jogo, e, quando voltei, ele estava na dificuldade difícil. O mapa não aparecia, e nem os ícones de interação com os itens ou o cenário, tentei até usar a função de alterar a dificuldade dentro do jogo, mas só dá pra alterar do modo normal para o difícil, mas não o contrário. Felizmente, isso aconteceu no começo do jogo, então não foi um grande problema começar um novo save. Fui buscar uma solução na comunidade, e vi que muitos outros jogadores enfrentaram esse problema. A boa notícia é que o próprio Jasper Byrne, criador do jogo, pediu desculpas pelo erro e deu uma solução: apagar um arquivo específico na pasta do jogo dentro do AppData. Depois de seguir essas instruções, nunca mais tive problemas, e consegui jogar tranquilo. Ah, e obviamente, depois de muitos anos (põe tempo nisso), comprei a versão legítima na Steam (do contrário não estaria fazendo essa análise). Sempre tive em mente que um dia eu precisava comprar o jogo, principalmente para dar uma moral para o criador dessa obra. Jasper Byrne fez um trabalho primoroso, desenvolvendo praticamente tudo sozinho, desde a gameplay até a trilha sonora. Então, meus parabéns, Jasper. Você fez um game incrível, parceiro. Recomendo e posso dizer com toda certeza que esse jogo é tão bom quanto me lembro.

Bad

Серия самых коротких рецензий: Нормальная (6 из 10) P.S.: Расшифровка: Трэш — знакомиться с игрой рекомендуется исключительно тем, кто в диком восторге от описания, скриншотов и продолжительности. Остальным, из контакта с этой игрой, только тыкать палкой, как ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ку на дороге. Так себе — в основном, эта игра предлагает меньше, чем вы увидите из описания и скриншотов. Рекомендуется только тем, кому вышеперечисленные критерии окажутся «зашибись». Нормальная — неплохая игра своего жанра. Сами судите по описанию, скриншотам и продолжительности. Игра, примерно, соответствует своему наполнению. Хорошая — весьма неплохой представитель своего жанра. Многие могут найти тут «свой шедевр». Зачастую, игра приятно соответствует своему описанию и скриншотам. Отличная — эти игры, зачастую, превосходят свои первые впечатления, основанные на описании и скриншотах (в расчёт не берём репутацию, ибо «тот кто знает, тот поймёт»). Крутые представители своего жанра.