*SINGLEPLAYER REVIEW - Ending 4 on first playthrough*

Did I play the same game as everyone else?

I tried really hard to thoroughly experience Cry of Fear after hearing about how it's one of the great HL2 mods, and that its exploration of themes related to mental health and suicide are thorough and profound. However, after one playthrough, it left me feeling exhausted and disappointed.

The atmosphere of Cry of Fear is its biggest advantage. It definitely encapsulates isolation which mixes well for a survival horror game. The different ways in which the game plays with urban, rural, and industrial settings is very impressive yet fitting for the narrative of the story. Additionally, it's a fair example of good survival horror mechanics, including making use of inventory for items necessary for progression and survival.

The aspects of Cry of Fear that left me feeling disappointed were its story and the other aspects of the gameplay. Typically, with games, when either gameplay or story is lacking, the other can still salvage an experience and it can still be considered decent. However, Cry of Fear falls short on both. I believe that there was a lot of potential with this story, but the way that it is told is unbearable, especially the voice acting. I really feel like less would have been more, especially with a team so small. When I started the game, I expected no spoken dialogue and only written dialogue. I figured that it added to the creepiness of the atmosphere and I think it would have added a lot to the playing experience. However, every time I entered a cutscene, it felt like I was sitting through an especially bad B-movie. Additionally, the character of Simon is annoying and unlikable, and the antagonists and enemies are uninspired.

The gameplay is similarly hard to engage with. I appreciate what the developers did with the GoldSource engine to create a great atmosphere and decent mechanics. However, I found other mechanics like combat, movement, and its save system to be pretty messy. I understand that combat in survival horror is typically discouraged. However, even in moments when you are required to fight, like in a boss battle or when you're in a tight space, melee combat feels like it only works half the time and gun combat feels ineffective. I got used to the dodging and combat system quickly, and it is easy to detect the basic patterns of enemies. However, using different weapons and feeling for their different levels of effect feels lost, and it feels like whether the enemy is affected or hit is up to chance. Similarly, the gun combat is not good. Aim and fire are there, but it is uncertain how many bullets will take down one enemy. Sometimes it's five, other times it's one or two. This overall makes the combat feel lackadaisical and unrewarding. This is especially frustrating when save points feel badly placed. I like that they are limited, but a lot of the time I found myself having to go through frustrating or annoying areas to complete one poorly-designed area to be able to get to a save point. Sometimes it would be unnecessarily challenging to get through certain areas, like the platforming, since the movement oftentimes feels static, and I would get stuck by an invisible wall or small item often. This would cause the experience to feel repetitive and annoying often.

I was really looking forward to experiencing Cry of Fear. For a game made 12 years ago, I think it still can be considered a horror game classic and I understand that a lot of people love this game. However, I couldn't find myself enjoying it. I found it to be a pretty boring and dull experience, and it admittedly does baffle me that people enjoy it as much as they do. I just don't see it. Therefore, unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game.

*SINGLEPLAYER REVIEW - Ending 4 on first playthrough* Did I play the same game as everyone else? I tried really hard to thoroughly experience Cry of Fear after hearing about how it's one of the great HL2 mods, and that its exploration of themes related to mental health and suicide are thorough and profound. However, after one playthrough, it left me feeling exhausted and disappointed. The atmosphere of Cry of Fear is its biggest advantage. It definitely encapsulates isolation which mixes well for a survival horror game. The different ways in which the game plays with urban, rural, and industrial settings is very impressive yet fitting for the narrative of the story. Additionally, it's a fair example of good survival horror mechanics, including making use of inventory for items necessary for progression and survival. The aspects of Cry of Fear that left me feeling disappointed were its story and the [b]other[/b] aspects of the gameplay. Typically, with games, when either gameplay or story is lacking, the other can still salvage an experience and it can still be considered decent. However, Cry of Fear falls short on both. I believe that there was a lot of potential with this story, but the way that it is told is unbearable, especially the voice acting. I really feel like less would have been more, especially with a team so small. When I started the game, I expected no spoken dialogue and only written dialogue. I figured that it added to the creepiness of the atmosphere and I think it would have added a lot to the playing experience. However, every time I entered a cutscene, it felt like I was sitting through an especially bad B-movie. Additionally, the character of Simon is annoying and unlikable, and the antagonists and enemies are uninspired. The gameplay is similarly hard to engage with. I appreciate what the developers did with the GoldSource engine to create a great atmosphere and decent mechanics. However, I found other mechanics like combat, movement, and its save system to be pretty messy. I understand that combat in survival horror is typically discouraged. However, even in moments when you are required to fight, like in a boss battle or when you're in a tight space, melee combat feels like it only works half the time and gun combat feels ineffective. I got used to the dodging and combat system quickly, and it is easy to detect the basic patterns of enemies. However, using different weapons and feeling for their different levels of effect feels lost, and it feels like whether the enemy is affected or hit is up to chance. Similarly, the gun combat is not good. Aim and fire are there, but it is uncertain how many bullets will take down one enemy. Sometimes it's five, other times it's one or two. This overall makes the combat feel lackadaisical and unrewarding. This is especially frustrating when save points feel badly placed. I like that they are limited, but a lot of the time I found myself having to go through frustrating or annoying areas to complete one poorly-designed area to be able to get to a save point. Sometimes it would be unnecessarily challenging to get through certain areas, like the platforming, since the movement oftentimes feels static, and I would get stuck by an invisible wall or small item often. This would cause the experience to feel repetitive and annoying often. I was really looking forward to experiencing Cry of Fear. For a game made 12 years ago, I think it still can be considered a horror game classic and I understand that a lot of people love this game. However, I couldn't find myself enjoying it. I found it to be a pretty boring and dull experience, and it admittedly does baffle me that people enjoy it as much as they do. I just don't see it. Therefore, unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game.