It wouldn’t be October without plenty of horror game reviews. Our latest one sees us taking on Pneumata, a psychological horror game that attempts to invoke the same eerie atmosphere and tension as horror classics like Resident Evil. But while it has the foundations of something truly unsettling, its execution on the PS5 feels clunky, marred by slow gameplay, repetitive mechanics, and an underwhelming sense of threat.
On paper, Pneumata has everything needed to deliver a solid horror experience, but in practice, it struggles to fully immerse players or deliver on its potential. Let’s find out why…
Story: A promising beginning that loses focus
The story of Pneumata begins on a high note, offering an intriguing narrative. You awaken in your house by your doorbell ringing, leading you to discover a videotape that has been left on the doorstep. Playing through the tape, the plot hints at a shipwreck and the possible loss of a loved one. Setting the stage for what could have been a deeply emotional and harrowing tale.
As the game progresses, however, the story loses focus. Instead of uncovering the fate of your partner, you’re tasked with investigating a mysterious town, with seemingly random objectives and little direction. The storytelling slows significantly, and what started as a promising narrative quickly becomes bogged down by repetitive tasks and a lack of emotional depth.
The sense of urgency fades as you’re forced to perform menial tasks in the town rather than continuing to uncover the personal stakes that were established at the beginning. This lack of narrative cohesion left me feeling disconnected from the story and its characters.
Gameplay: Slow and unremarkable
Pneumata‘s gameplay, while borrowing heavily from classics like Resident Evil, struggles with pacing and challenge. Combat is far too easy, and the enemies pose little threat, moving slowly enough that you can often just walk away from most encounters. Inventory management is familiar and can add a bit of tension, but overall, there’s not enough urgency to make you feel like survival is at stake.
There are some moments of challenge, like falling through the floor in a block of flats, which leads to your first real encounter with a room full of enemies. But even then, the intensity is fleeting. Bigger enemies look visually interesting, but mechanically, they offer no significant challenge. You can easily exploit the environment, such as jumping onto a ledge, to fire at enemies from safety, reducing any tension or danger they might have presented.
The tool system, which unlocks gates and opens new areas, also feels inconsistent. While you get one tool at the beginning, it inexplicably disappears after use, while future tools stay in your inventory. This small inconsistency breaks immersion, especially when no in-game explanation is given. All it takes is for your character to say something like “ah crap, it broke”, and it would’ve helped heal this small and irritating plot hole.
Graphics and Sound: Atmosphere undermined by glitches
Visually, Pneumata creates a dark, dingy world that’s appropriate for the horror genre. The town is bleak, the environments are grim, and the game makes effective use of lighting to build tension. Unfortunately, the game is plagued by graphical glitches that break immersion.
There are moments when entire sections of the environment disappear, such as clusters of vehicles vanishing from view. This makes the game feel unfinished. Moreover, during certain visions or flashback sequences, players are confronted with solid pink walls that feel out of place. These moments break the tension and leave you wondering if you’re playing a game still in development.
The sound design is decent, with ambient noises and unsettling audio cues working well to create a creepy atmosphere. However, the sound of save points can often be heard through walls or floors, leading you to believe you’re near one when you’re not. This misleading audio design can cause unnecessary confusion, particularly in a game that relies on careful exploration.
Overall thoughts on Pneumata
Pneumata has the building blocks of a good horror game: a creepy setting, a mystery to unravel, and gameplay that pays homage to survival horror classics. Unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver on its potential. The story lacks focus, the gameplay is slow and unchallenging, and the game is riddled with technical issues that detract from the experience.
While Pneumata might appeal to die-hard fans of the genre looking for something new, for most players, it’s likely to feel like a missed opportunity. The game has promise, but in its current state, it feels more like a rough draft than a polished final product.
Pneumata is developed by Deadbolt Interactive and is available to play now. While we played the PS5 version, the game is also available on other formats such as Xbox and PC via Steam. If you’ve played this yourself, let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments. And if you want to check out some more of our recent game reviews, click right here.
