Pierline

Only 1920×1080. Windowed not working. Progress impossible, can’t pick up required item after 1 min gameplay. Restart, still stuck. Refund request, 10 seconds.

i literally do not know how to progress :/,

I really wanted to give Pierline a fair chance, especially because I had already played the preview build before release and noticed that the developer was actively working on the game. And to be fair, some things have improved. The fishing minigame, which was extremely frustrating in the preview, has been adjusted significantly. The target area is now much wider, making the mechanic far less punishing and actually manageable. Unfortunately, most of my broader problems with the game remain. One of the biggest issues is still the lack of clear guidance. Quite often I simply don't know what the game expects me to do next or in which order certain actions need to be performed. Instead of naturally figuring things out through exploration, progression frequently turns into trial and error. The sound design also feels almost nonexistent. You occasionally hear the character's strange footsteps while walking across the pier, along with some light wind or ocean ambience. Apart from that, there is very little going on acoustically. This hurts the horror considerably. Jumpscares appear occasionally, but without any real buildup or surrounding atmosphere they simply don't have much impact. Horror depends heavily on sound, especially in a game with such a minimal setting, and Pierline currently feels far too quiet for most of its runtime. Visibility is another major problem. After completing the fishing section, I restored the power using the generator and was told to look out toward the sea because someone or something was apparently there. The problem was that the entire ocean was so dark that I literally couldn't see what I was supposed to be looking at. I walked around, stared into the darkness and tried different positions, but eventually reached the point where I simply had no idea how to continue. There is also no brightness or gamma slider in the options, so I couldn't even compensate for the problem myself. At that point I abandoned the game again. The camera controls could also use more options. Mouse sensitivity is extremely low, even though I normally use a fairly fast mouse setting. Turning around often requires me to lift and reposition the mouse several times. A sensitivity slider should really be available in a first-person PC game. My biggest frustration with Pierline is therefore not one specific mechanic or bug. It is the accumulation of small and large usability issues that repeatedly stop me from progressing naturally. I have followed several patches since the preview build and tested the game again in between. The developer does seem to be actively working on it, and I genuinely appreciate that effort. Some things have clearly improved. But unfortunately, every single time I have returned to Pierline, I eventually had to stop playing again because I simply couldn't continue — either because of a game mechanic, a progression issue, or, in this latest attempt, because the game was so dark that I couldn't even see what I was supposed to interact with or look at. I don't think the game is beyond saving, but in its current state I still can't recommend it. [b]Step deeper into the darkness — discover more horror gems and nightmares.[/b] 💀 Follow our curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45809849-Sanctum-of-Horror/ 🎮 Watch the horrors unfold live on Twitch 📺 Full playthroughs & reactions on YouTube