Survival horror games have a certain inclination to things that may leave you disturbed, terrified, and sometimes, even wanting more. Deadbolt Interactive’s Pneumata makes note of all of these, and crafts many of these experiences right.
In my playthrough of the game’s preview copy, I found myself being ‘extra-careful’ around the game’s hideous corridors and pathways, feeling horrified at the thought of a jumpscare around every other corner. Pneumata’s incredible atmosphere reminded me of the times when games like Outlast and Amnesia messed with my heart rate.
While Pneumata tries to juggle a lot of things – puzzles, weapons, enemy types, and story; it often misses the little details that make many survival horror games so rich in environmental design. Janky controls and mismatched animations often got in the way of my experience, but never truly took away the enjoyment of it all.
Pneumata is being developed for PC.
A Creepy and Grotesque Setting That Paces Itself Slowly
Initially, I was drawn into Pneumata‘s carefully-knitted setting that had a clear message. I was here to figure out what exactly was happening around me, and there were others in this narrative who made sure I had enough clues to figure things out.
Except, my sensitive heart had to be a little too careful about the places I explored, as Penumata’s setting is nothing short of gruesome characters and bloodshed. The camera’s shaky, the inventory asks you to be a pro at survivability, and the walking animation takes its own pace to welcome you into this game.
There’s no denying that Pneumata managed to scare the guts out of me with its accurate sound design and jumpscares. However, I never felt ‘helpless’ knowing that I had equipment that helped me fight against mean enemies. The game started off by giving me a sweet baseball bat to work with, and a couple of other things to help my journey.
However, this false sense of security was short-lived when I found out how unreliable weapons felt, and in turn, I found myself kicking and dodging my way through most encounters. To put it simply, the game shuffles between sudden bursts of action to slow, thrilling exploration.
Puzzles Are a Big Highlight Here
From the beginning of my playthrough till the end, I was constantly occupied with solving the ‘next’ puzzle that showed up. Sometimes it was trying to get a door open, other times I was figuring out which way to go. None of this felt like a task. In fact, I looked forward to the next bit that would make me scratch my head.
Some of these puzzles make you go back to previous areas, asking you to keep an eye out for something you may have missed. Pneumata also blends multiple stories into the mix, giving you an idea of what went down in this awful place, while also helping you use this information to navigate through new areas.
As I explored new rooms and pathways through the game’s intertwined world, Pneumata gave me a sense of terror at every turn, urging me to stay wary of what comes next. However, I would have appreciated it more if the game wasn’t showing me arrows and clear indications of where to go next. This could have made navigating through tricky areas even more fun.
Pneumata Does the ‘Why’ Right, but Struggles With the ‘How’
Even with all its strengths, Pneumata struggles with certain things that can still be fixed. A lot of times my frame rates were dropping, and objects would often clip into one another, making things feel quite goofy. Furthermore, animations felt half-done in a lot of moments, and overall the game’s textures felt like they could use some refinement.
I’m happy to say that the game’s core systems seem to be in place, and the narrative aligns well with all of it. That being said, it could certainly improve with touch-ups (if there’s still time for that!). Better framerates, improved animations, better lighting, and a nuanced controller input will all help Pneumata be the survival horror experience it aims to be.
Deadbolt Interactive’s take on an eerie and grotesque survival-horror game fits right into the genre and deserves a spot there. However, I would still give it time until the minor details are fixed, and the game actualizes its vision of being an adventure filled with jumpscares.
