If you enjoy horror games then WORLD OF HORROR is a game for you. This is influenced by the work of legendary manga horror genius, Junji Ito. Add to this what they are refereeing to as 1-bit style presentation and you have a truly remarkable game that is not like anything else out there right now. Please note, that as I write this the game is in early access.
How to Download WORLD OF HORROR
You can download the full game from Steam. There is also an option to download a demo of the game from itch.io. To make your download choice, click on the Download button at the end of the review. If you like horror games with a Japanese theme, check out also our review of Doki Doki Literature Club!.
The Game Review
The game is set in Japan and in this small seaside town, “The Old Gods” are causing trouble and there are all kinds of spooky and creepy goings-on happening. Currently, WORLD OF HORROR has a handful of mysteries to experience and each one has multiple endings. So even though the game is not “complete” it has a lot of content to keep you busy with.
Let’s start with the first thing that you notice and that is the visuals. The game looks like a cross between a manga and an old school computer game like Oregon Trail. It looks fantastic and you will be amazed at how effective this art style is when it comes to really creeping you out.
Each mystery that you complete will earn you a key as you make your way to what is currently the end part of the game. The game has you moving the cursor around to click and interacting with things and characters. There is a great deal of trial and error here, but for me, that is part of the fun. On the flip side of this, I can see some being turned off by this.
Thankfully the makers of WORLD OF HORROR have realized that this may be many people’s first game of this style. So, there is a mode that you can select which works as a kind of trial run which eases you into things. Even if you think of yourself as a seasoned veteran I would recommend you play this mode first.
You will need to solve puzzles, find items, talk to people and make many choices. All of which will take you on a particular story path. That is not all there is to the game as there is far more gameplay than you may think. For example, you need to keep an eye on your stamina and reason points which work as your health and sanity meters. You need to keep these at a decent level as you play.
That is not all you have to deal with. You also have a leveling up part of the game, plenty of spells you can learn, items to use and more. I was very impressed with just how much there was to actually do an keep an eye on. It means that you will fail more often than not, but that is part of the fun as failing can take you down a different path.
There is also a combat system in the game. This is turn-based and while you only start out with your fists to defend you that is not always the case. The combat is quite straightforward and knowing when to fight and when to do something else is something you will learn as you play more of the game.
I will admit that I was not 100 percent sure what to expect with WORLD OF HORROR. However, even though it is hard and can be cryptic in places it is a fantastic horror game and one that really gets under your skin. Even in this early access state, there is a ton of stuff to keep you busy and scare the heck out of you!
