This 4th Dread X compilation focuses mainly on horror shooters. The number of games included is lower than usual, but each game is long and ambitious, so it feels more like they've focused on quality than quantity.
From best to worst:
The Fruit: 4/5
This is the best game of the collection. It's very ambitious and polished. It has a great atmosphere, good gameplay ideas, and manages to feel like a true survival horror. The mechanics of the manually reloadable rifle and the book of runes are well thought-out. Even the plot, while not revolutionary, has the merit of making the adventure captivating.
Rose of Meat: 4/5
Alright, this one is WEIRD. I thought I'd played a lot of weird games, but this one easily makes the top 3. Is it a good game? Impossible to say, really. But it's so unique and deranged that I can only respect the author. Probably the most divisive game of the lot.
Axis Mundi : 3.5/5
It's a paranormal game inspired by Project Zero/Fatal Frame. You can capture ghosts with a camera. You can also relive the past of the deceased, taking you back in time. The atmosphere is varied and well made. It alternates well between combat, puzzles and exploration. Pretty good overall.
Uktena 64 : 3.5/5
A N64 inspired hunting FPS. Not the most remarkable game, but there's an undeniable charm to the visuals, music and humor.
Black Relic : 3/5
It's the only game that's not a FPS but a TPS. You can tell it's inspired by Resident Evil 4. It's pretty good, but the pixelated visual style is very pronounced, making sometimes confrontations difficult to read. The gameplay is also rigid, with slow reload and pickup animations. I understand that slow movements makes a survival horror more stressful, but in this case it feels more clunky. The Fruit managed to execute that idea much better imo.
The House of Unrest : 2.5/5
Basically first person RE1 with an exorcist. The minimalist atmosphere isn't bad, but it's too easy (ammo is unlimited) and the puzzles aren't interesting.
Seraphixial: 1/5
This one is very bad, I'm sorry. It's really ugly to look at. The gunplay is boring and repetitive. Even the sound effects are laughably bad. Also the only "scares" come from lazy jumpscares.
Also the main hub of the compilation is an adventure game inspired by The Thing. Nice atmosphere and it's overall enjoyable. However, the main character is particularly annoying, with voice lines that remind me of Wolfenstein Youngblood.
From best to worst:
The Fruit: 4/5
This is the best game of the collection. It's very ambitious and polished. It has a great atmosphere, good gameplay ideas, and manages to feel like a true survival horror. The mechanics of the manually reloadable rifle and the book of runes are well thought-out. Even the plot, while not revolutionary, has the merit of making the adventure captivating.
Rose of Meat: 4/5
Alright, this one is WEIRD. I thought I'd played a lot of weird games, but this one easily makes the top 3. Is it a good game? Impossible to say, really. But it's so unique and deranged that I can only respect the author. Probably the most divisive game of the lot.
Axis Mundi : 3.5/5
It's a paranormal game inspired by Project Zero/Fatal Frame. You can capture ghosts with a camera. You can also relive the past of the deceased, taking you back in time. The atmosphere is varied and well made. It alternates well between combat, puzzles and exploration. Pretty good overall.
Uktena 64 : 3.5/5
A N64 inspired hunting FPS. Not the most remarkable game, but there's an undeniable charm to the visuals, music and humor.
Black Relic : 3/5
It's the only game that's not a FPS but a TPS. You can tell it's inspired by Resident Evil 4. It's pretty good, but the pixelated visual style is very pronounced, making sometimes confrontations difficult to read. The gameplay is also rigid, with slow reload and pickup animations. I understand that slow movements makes a survival horror more stressful, but in this case it feels more clunky. The Fruit managed to execute that idea much better imo.
The House of Unrest : 2.5/5
Basically first person RE1 with an exorcist. The minimalist atmosphere isn't bad, but it's too easy (ammo is unlimited) and the puzzles aren't interesting.
Seraphixial: 1/5
This one is very bad, I'm sorry. It's really ugly to look at. The gunplay is boring and repetitive. Even the sound effects are laughably bad. Also the only "scares" come from lazy jumpscares.
Also the main hub of the compilation is an adventure game inspired by The Thing. Nice atmosphere and it's overall enjoyable. However, the main character is particularly annoying, with voice lines that remind me of Wolfenstein Youngblood.