In Sound Mind Reviews
In Sound Mind is a psychedelic survival horror with shooting, sneaking, platforming, and puzzles. The story is fantastic, and the soundtrack is even better. But for the expensive cost of clunky gameplay and horrendous lag, In Sound Mind just isn't worth the price tag.
In Sound Mind is an ambitious project that seeks to depict dark subject matter and does so successfully with a narrative about overcoming our mental fears. The experience is dragged down by a frustrating inclusion of combat, and an approximately 12-hour length that isn’t justified, at a detriment to the story. It’s not conventionally scary - though it has its hair-raising moments - but it’s disturbing and at times uncomfortable due to a sometimes grounded and sometimes surreal delve into the effects of mental illness on the mind. On the plus side, there is an uncanny valley companion cat - that you can pet - which is instantly a redeeming factor.
In Sound Mind is a case of a great idea hobbled by flawed execution. It has some fascinating mechanics and an engaging story to tell. However, to experience the game’s best parts, you’ll have to suffer through a lot of moments of frustration. If you’re up for the challenge, this might just be a psychological horror title worth checking out. For anyone else, you might want to wait and see if developer We Create Stuff can iron out the kinks first.
As a movie, In Sound Mind may have been an interesting and quirky, if slightly derivative, story of introspection and psychological understanding. As a game though, it simply doesn’t have the depth of mechanics to hold you through its 5-6 hour runtime. Sporting awful combat and stealth sequences, boring level design and inconsistent presentation, In Sound Mind activates too few of the adrenaline-controlling brain areas. Instead, it peaked some interest which slowly faded out the longer I played. You wouldn’t be out of your mind to play it if you’re a psychological horror fan, but you’ll potentially be in two minds of whether it was actually fun to play.
In Sound Mind is an atmospheric adventure with a decent plot and cool puzzles, that suffers from low budget and some minuscule gameplay issues.
Review in Russian | Read full review
In Sound Mind features plenty of unnecessary and frustrating mechanics, but a complex, entertaining story and the deft application of classic and psychological horror tropes help carry the game.
Despite some disappointing and frustrating moments, there’s enough compelling stuff that I can still recommend In Sound Mind to fans of adventure-leaning indie horror games. Overall, I dug this team’s ambition, and I was excited to see where it was headed. I just wish the game ran better and streamlined some of its level and puzzle design.
In Sound Mind boasts an intriguing story, decent (if repetitive) combat, and enjoyable puzzles and platforming. However, the lackluster horror, uneven character development, and lack of immersion bring down an otherwise solid psychedelic horror experience.
Amusing spectral therapy in your own mind.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
In Sound Mind, a new psychological horror adventure, is an ambitious title that blends many different styles into a perplexing package
In Sound Mind is a flawed but fun horror-adventure game. Flawed on the horror but fun on the adventure.
The overall story is fine but lacks that punch to push it over the top. If it were a movie it would sit comfortably with in the B movie section next to Pooka! and The Babadook-which is damn good company, if you ask me. Depending on just how long it takes you to solve the various puzzles, In Sound Mind takes an average of 12-ish hours from start to finish. Not too shabby if you are looking for a game to run over a single weekend. Could be just the thing you want this Halloween.
In Sound Mind tells an interesting story and provides an intriguing combination of first-person exploration, puzzles and shooting, but it fails to have the impact it could've had due to bland visuals, mediocre combat, and the fact that it's a horror game that isn't very scary.
All told, In Sound Mind wasn’t the game I was expecting. But I still found myself pushing forward, eager to uncover a little bit more. If you’ve got any appetite for cerebral horror and puzzle solving, In Sound Mind might be just what you’re looking for.
In Sound Mind nails a majority of the typical survival horror elements and then some. It’s just a pity that a couple of rotten game design aspects drag down an otherwise top-notch presentation and puzzle construction. It’s an easy pick-up for horror fans, but be warned – there will be several moments of frustration.
In Sound Mind encapsulates what it means to be greater than the sum of one’s parts–its disparate elements coalescing to form a simultaneously unsettling and campy horror title.
In Sound Mind is quite an average title. It contains a lot of interesting and entertaining parts, but it's also really rough around the edges. By no means is it a horror or the smoothest gaming experience, but if you're looking for something that will give you a new perspective on classic indie horror games, you've come to the right place.
Review in Czech | Read full review
In Sound Mind is a Survival Horror where we will play Doctor Desmond Wales and try to survive in a strange place where the most unpredictable events take place.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
In Sound Mind is a psychological thriller that tells a twisted story about corrupted and ill minds, but fails to be coherent and often presents bad design choices.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In Sound Mind attempts dark humor to great effect, but quickly falls back into basic first-person shooter gameplay tropes, leaving its original intentions behind. The game still plays well, and makes for an engaging puzzler and exploration game; it just doesn't maintain its horror vibe for very long.