World of Horror Reviews
A horror role-playing game commendable for its inspirations and aesthetics, much less for everything else.
Review in Italian | Read full review
As a calling card for Koźmiński, World of Horror is astonishing – a stunning achievement, an incredible piece of work. As a game? It’s not bad. World of Horror will impress you more than it scares you, but it really is very impressive, at least. For all its faults, fans of Junji Ito would be hard pressed to find a more loving homage.
Structural complexity and a magpie's eye for pilfering makes for a strange, fragmentary journey into nightmare.
Despite being flawed, World of Horror is still interesting. Although it seems different, it only flirts with experimentalism, since its main proposals have not only been previously used in the industry but also executed with better propriety, such as killer7 and The Silver Case, both from Grasshopper Manufacture and which focus on construction of a complicated plot conveyed through unconventional gameplay and a deliberately disorienting interface. Still, it's impossible to say that the product worked on for years in early access by developer panstasz is incompetent. It's a valid and very pleasant option for a quick game on a rainy night.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I really wanted to like this game. More than that, I wanted to love this game, which is perhaps why this review comes across as so scathing. I’ve been let down. I followed this game for years, awaiting the full release with a heart full of hope. I wanted to spend hours upon hours exploring Shiokawa and the game’s other environs. As it is, it’s a game begging for quality-of-life updates that would make it a joy to explore the undoubtedly impressive selection of mysteries that it has to offer. At present, World of Horror vacillates between being overly tedious, pulling you around by the nose, and sometimes being the game that I really wanted it to be. It’s a frustrating experience, with moments of brilliance that shine through like the color out of space.
The visuals and roguelike elements of World of Horror combine to create a wholly unique experience for Switch users. The gameplay loop does become repetitive rather quickly, but the short gaming sessions and changing relationship between events make this a successful and scary diversion from the norm.
World of Horror manages to replicate the same effect of Lovecraft's works, in its own way, even if doing so doesn't always bring the result we want. However, apart from its setting and artistic choice, the game, in relation to its plot and combat system, ends up giving the impression that it would be more impressive if it were more complex. This doesn't mean that I don't recommend the game, but it's important to remember that it's a relatively simple product, designed as a casual pastime rather than a more complex linear story with major investigations.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For those who want to pull the lever on the slot machine, this is a comfy creepfest of odd and disturbing stories in bite-size fashion, though the simplicity and repetition may grow stale after a while.
World of Horror gets its art direction and gameplay mechanics right. But it comes with a learning curve, and can eventually feel stale after doing the same mysteries multiple times.
World of Horror is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for something new and very different than the normal run-and-gun or hide-and-seek horror game. Just be mindful of the fact that the visuals will vary in their delivery and may require you to put a little more thought into what is haunting you.
World of Horror is an incredible horror RPG that functions as a love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft worthy of their names.
World of Horror is a fascinating horror experience that truly adds its own unique (and disturbing) take on the genre, and believe me, it’s a lot of fun to play. There’s something incredibly addictive about solving the many harrowing mysteries of the world and trying to survive through its eerie events along the way, whilst the RPG mechanics make it easy to invest in the world and your character. The combat is slick too, and whilst it is very simple in design, it offers enough strategic depth to ensure players will never feel safe in any showdown they face. It is a little guilty of being unfair with the RNG and the UI can feel a little intrusive to begin with, but it’s hard not to be incredibly impressed by World of Horror. It offers an addictive gameplay loop that’ll keep players coming back for more and more, but, most importantly, it makes for a REALLY good time.
World of Horror is a compelling game that begs the player’s attention, providing an addictive experience that one cannot easily run away from.
The art is spot on in its reverence to the Junji Ito works that inspired it, and the soundtrack matches the game's 1-bit graphics with a collection of fantastic 8-bit style jams, all of which come together to create a visual experience you're not likely to get anywhere else. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the game's interface can be navigated using a gamepad as opposed to a mouse, though if you still prefer using a mouse cursor that is also an option built in as well. I'm not sure I would overall recommend the Switch version over the PC version of the game, but if portability is a big factor for you (an aspect this game lends itself to very well), then the Switch is a perfectly acceptable platform for stopping an old god from engulfing this sleepy Japanese town in madness.
The horror universe created in World of Horror deserves to be checked, especially for its peculiar mechanics. The different stories, accompanied by a competent soundtrack and art direction, make the experience enjoyable and interesting. It's a shame, however, that the cases don't bring as many ramifications, which can make the game repetitive after a few hours of play.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While the premise is great, and it's very polished in execution, sometimes World of Horror can be a frustrating and messy title due to its rogue-like nature. That said, it's so unique, charming, and horrifying, that it's impossible to put down once a good run gets going. It is genuinely gripping, and has just enough intrigue to make players protective of the main characters. Here's hoping this keeps receiving updates, and that the developer rides this success into a new project filled with just as much endearment and love. To conclude, insanely cathartic when luck is on one's side.
World of Horror does an incredible job matching the 80s horror aesthetic in both look and gameplay. While the gameplay and some of the deeper mechanics are obtuse on first entry, through experimentation you'll find out just how deep this roguelike gets.
Drawing from horror authors and their creations, World of Horror builds its own web of eldritch beings and cosmic occurrences. The roguelike nature of mysteries in the game ensures that no two runs remain the same. Though certain mechanics rise above others, World of Horror keeps things fresh with creepy visuals, multiple plot resolutions, and degrees of customization, even as its coastal town falls into decay.
World of Horror is one of the most unique roguelites we've seen on the Switch eShop to date, its expert fusion of text-based adventure, survival horror, and roguelike mechanics makes for a difficult, harrowing, and spooky adventure that we'd recommend you give a shot. Not everyone will be charmed by its extremely retro aesthetics, but if you can get into the right mindset for giving this one a playthrough, you'll find there's a lot to love.