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- Ares Dragonis
- Ares Dragonis
- Ares Dragonis
- Ares Dragonis
THE SHORE
Released On: Feb 19, 2021
58
5.5
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
58
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
88% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
13% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
58
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
88% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
13% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It’s a worthwhile couple of hours. It’s always spooky, sometimes
scary, and as I’ve said over and again, the creatures are incredible.
Like its setting, The Shore is both rugged and stunning. While lacking finesse and complexity in gameplay, the Lovecraftian horror adventure is unquestionably impressive as an almost one-man indie effort. Standing out from other Cthulhu Mythos games, The Shore is stuffed with cinematic moments that establish the scale and otherness of its universe. It’s very brief, but that helps make a detour to The Shore worthwhile.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.5
21% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
36% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.5
21% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
36% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Followed this project for a long time!
Okay, when the game came out, it was with some bugs and glitches, but i do believe it was excusable, not only 'cause of the small team (one guy basically did all the in-game stuff by himself) but also because in the following day fixes were already bein' issued.
I played the entire game without finding somethin' game-breakin' or immersion-breakin', so not much of a problem either way!
Now the game itself... it is Short.
And that's a shame 'cause... the game's really good!
this is the Biggest Lovecraft-Loveletter i have ever seen!
Full of references, nods, creatures and locations from the Mythos!
some that i never seen together with another one in any movie, book or game before!
It is a small Lovecraftian experience that manages to condence an amazin' Eldritch Adventure in a single game!
It is replayable, even if only to walk 'bout with that amazin' soundtrack!
And it seems more content is on the way!
SO COUNT ME IN!
10/10
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PC
The Shore is a first person story driven game with a beautiful atmospheric environment. Unfortunately its gameplay and narrations have many gaps.
Despite the great atmosphere based on H.P. Lovecraft, the clunky and unnecessary battle system ruins the experience partially.
The Shore is a Lovecraftian adventure that leaves a lot to be desired. The weird combination of genres and the lacklustre mechanics are disappointing. Furthermore, the story is lacking and this was unfortunate. However, it looks fantastic and this is where it excels.
I appreciated The Shore’s Lovecraftian atmosphere and the fact that it tried to be something more than a Dear Esther’s clone. Sadly, the game is just not good enough and proves that even two hours (or less, because you can finish The Shore quicker) can be enough to bore and frustrate the player. [05/2021, p.37]
The Shore Lighthouse Level
The Cthulhu Mythos has been around for years in the world of literature, movies, and gaming. Indie developer Ares Dragonis has released its first game set in this horror lore steeped with excellent adaptations in The Shore. Combining exploration, puzzle-solving, and a first-person narrative, The Shore takes players on a mysterious journey to find their lost daughter who went missing on an island. Everything seems normal enough until the protagonist begins finding cryptic letters scattered all around the island, leading them deeper into the Lovecraft-world of monsters and madness.
The overall gameplay of The Shore consists of players searching the island for clues and trinkets to unlock other areas of the game. It feels and plays very much like any other classic exploration game. Here is where issues begin to rise out of the depths much like a slumbering monster shaking off sleep: invisible walls are everywhere, and it is never truly clear visually where the player can and cannot go in the early levels of the game. When getting started, players can only walk at an incredibly slow speed, or hold the shift key to walk slightly faster. This certainly helps players take in the visual environment of The Shore but becomes increasingly frustrating when navigating through its world.
Related:
Best Lovecraft Video Games To Play On Halloween
The Shore does begin to ramp up a bit once players get through the initial Lighthouse level, offering puzzles that range from overtly obvious to incredibly frustrating. There are never many clues at where to go next and the constant invisible walls created some solutions requiring players to "find the gap" that allows them to continue. Eventually, The Shore allows players to jump using the space bar, but this ability only unlocks at the point the player needs it. That seems to be a common thread in this game - players start with practically nothing, then when an ability is needed to progress the game simply unlocks it.
The Shore Cthulhu Awakening
The Shore isn't all puzzles and walking , as there are creatures out to kill the player, and they will almost surely die many times. Almost every creature reveal is done to create a jump-scare, and with zero knowledge of what to do to combat, or run away from, the abominations, there's a cycle of every creature reveal essentially forcing at least one player death. The Shore relies on trial and error from the player but doesn't pull it off in a positive way like Super Meat Boy or Little Nightmares 2 does.
Where developer Ares Dragonis' project truly begins to shine is in its visuals. The island and outer worlds of The Shore are amazing landscapes to see. Nothing ever feels like cheap repeated textures, and even the rocks that make up the island all look unique. The overall creature design is spectacular and truly creates the feeling of giant Elder Gods coming to destroy the Earth. This game is a nightmare-scape that truly pulls off the look of Lovecraft design.
Aesthetic aside, it's hard to forgive The Shore of its many downfalls. Slow pacing and unintuitive puzzles really hurt this beautiful game and turn it from horror exploration into a horrifyingly frustrating walking-sim. The lore of the Cthulhu Mythos is well represented, and the story is an interesting one, but getting over the hurdles of bad gameplay is a road into madness that should be reserved only for those who love the universe this game was built upon.
I really enjoyed the game after several patches.
If you are a fan of HP Lovecraft, you shouldn't miss it.
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PC
Un ambiente único e intrigante tal como las obras de H.P Lovecraft, múltiples referencias a sus libros anteriores y con una banda sonora decente a pesar de ser un juego indie, pero no puede considerarlo un juego de otro mundo e impactante, pero uno buena para pasar una ****.
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PC
Insanely atmospheric game. if you are a fan of Lovecraftian horror you will find joy in this game.
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PC
This game sounds good on paper but in reality, it's not that good, it starts off strong with discovering the island and creepy stuff happens around you and you won't see it except if you pay attention to it. but after that the game starts getting bad, it starts teleporting you to random dark places without linking the whole world together.
and the voice acting is too bad it's emotionless especially the creature that talks to you, it's like he's trying to scare a little child by deepening his voice and also failing at it.
the puzzles are just you clicking on stuff nothing creative or even make you think for a moment, just look for the odd thing in the environment and click on it, that's it.
the only good thing about the game is the graphics are kinda good for an indie game, although the animations are too clunky.
I don't recommend buying the game.
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PC
The Shore
An initial great game that starts to sink halfway through.
The shore is a 3 hour long first person adventure game.
Youre in search of your daughter and of course ocean monsters wanna help you find her.
At firs I absolutely loved the shore.. it felt like pure ps3 nostalgia… the music, the level design, the environment.. it was like exploring an elder scrolls game for the first time… exploring the area to find items to place them in other items blocking my path, going to the epths of the ocean, solving simple puzzles but excited to see whats on the other side of the corner.. and im gonna tell you whats on the otherside of this gret one 3rd of the game.. pure mediocrity.
The shore becomes unbearable at times beyond its intial hour… for starters, this game feels unpolished and buggy, youll get stuck having to kback out of the game completely to progress.. youre given an item to kill enemies and then youre immeditaly thrown into a section with overr powered 100 foot tall tree monsters that chase you, instantly respawn after you kill them, and are lighting fast.. one of the most frustratingly annoying sections ive ever played through in a game… what was the point of giving me an item to kill things and then instantly put me in a room where it doesn’t work? If you somehow managed to not put the controller down and walk away there, don’t worry. The shore does everything it can to make you want to stop playing, from puzzles and section with no logical epxlination.. to litrally a room full of hundreds of heads, and the game wants you to find the right one without telling you what to look for or even thats what it ultimately wants.. youre just in a room of heads…
It breaks my heart to tare this game apart, especially because of how much I loved the beginning, sure itlooks and feels dated, but it felt like magic going back to a game that looks the way it does in the way playing a remaster of an old favorite feels… but the game just falls apart around its strong start and theres no part of me tha can recommend this game.
I give the shore
a 3/10
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PC
Summary THE SHORE is a first person story driven game with an atmospheric environment and narrations, You will encounter mysterious creatures and unravel the secrets behind them. Strong elements of horror, struggle to survive an unknown world that will make you question your own sanity.
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Feb 19, 2021
Developer:
- Ares Dragonis
Publisher: Ares Dragonis
Genres:
