Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel Reviews
Fobia has the right ingredients for a successful game but didn’t use them. It has a great atmosphere and soundtrack but without good gameplay, it falls apart.
Unfortunately though, it all adds up to a survival horror experience that is hard to recommend. You may enjoy some of the puzzles and how the game looks. But other indie games have done it better. There’s promise underneath all the cruft, and I do hope there’s another crack at this from the team, but I can’t say I enjoyed much in Fobia outside of the visuals. Fobia reminded how hard it is to pull off a tight survival horror experience. I kept waiting for something to truly surprise me or show me a twist I hadn’t seen before. Ultimately, I wanted something more.
Everything that Fobia does has been done both worse and better by other titles. There’s potential in the concept, providing some of the rougher edges are smoothed off, however as it stands Fobia is the horror game equivalent of a plain bagel.
Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel lifts liberally from the best of the horror genre but its unsatisfying core gameplay loops leave you out in the cold. A nifty camera mechanic allows for some entertaining time-bending exploration and the game has a solid grasp on 2000s grunge aesthetics, even if the story at its heart is a little old hat.
Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel offers a solid blend of challenging retro puzzles and some modern horror elements but lacks any enjoyable combat as well as a poor English dub.
FOBIA – St. Dinfna Hotel is still worth a look if you truly enjoy survival horror titles; just don’t expect to be surprised as it’s a journey you’ve likely taken before under better circumstances.
There’s not much else I can say about St. Dinfna Hotel. If you’ve played horror games then you know what you’ll be getting from this one. If you haven’t played many horror games in the past then the clumsiness of the combat, and the lack of assistance through the puzzles, makes this a poor entry point to the genre. Indeed, if you’re not familiar with the classic horror titles St. Dinfna is in homage to, the entire experience is almost pointless. I do think the developers have talent and passion for the genre, and I hope that this is successful so they can get a second run at it. If they do, all they need is to have their own voice and the confidence to add to the genre, rather than parrot it, and I do think they have it within them to create something special.
Ultimately, Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is a bit rough around the edges. Its voice acting isn’t great, which ruins the tension at times, as do its poor enemy animations and sub-par combat. But in an age where new, half-decent survival horror games are few and far between, this isn’t worth writing off completely. Its puzzles are enjoyable, and it does a good job of creating an eerie atmosphere. Particularly if you’re a fan of the classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, it’s worth checking into St. Dinfna Hotel.
Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel offers an embarrassment of riches for horror game fans, but throwing all of the best scary game mechanics into one title and hoping they make for a great game doesn't quite pan out. Still, this hotel should satisfy those players looking for some old-school scares, even if others may want to consider spending the night elsewhere.
Fobia - St Dinfna Hotel is an adequate horror game with good scares but disappointing combat.
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel delivers a great story and innovative concept, but poor combat, cumbersome inventory, and gameplay holds it back from being a great indie horror entry.
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel is a game that has been on my indie-horror radar for quite a while. The location within a vast hotel that seemingly shifts through various realities, not only screamed out the desperate isolation of ‘The Shining’ but also adds quite a hook to its narrative.
The tense exploration of the hotel calls back to the good old days of Resident Evil. It’s a wonderfully designed location that is easy to get lost in thanks to the little direction, yet still doesn’t feel too obtuse. Unfortunately, the game is let down by some weak combat and a story that is completely forgettable.
Ultimately, how much enjoyment you get out of Fobia depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re just dying for gripping gunplay with myriad monsters to encounter, there’s no denying that you’ll probably be pretty disappointed with what this title has to offer. But if you can look beyond its rougher edges, Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel offers tantalizingly terrifying accommodations for survival horror fans.
Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to survival horror, but it's an engrossing thrill ride nonetheless.
Phobia: St. Dinfna Hotel, it is not a bad survival horror, perhaps it has mechanics that are little used and a sound section that is not very remarkable but due to its visual section and its more than 18 hours, it is a very interesting title. Recommended for fans of the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There's a lot of potential in Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel, and it has some moments of excellence. Unfortunately, the lackluster visuals, weirdly unfriendly UI, and general awkwardness drag it down. It's a fine game to play if you want to scratch the survival-horror itch and you've already gone through a lot of other titles, but it doesn't do enough to distinguish itself. I'd be deeply interested to see a more polished and refined sequel because the potential doesn't shine through as well as it should.
FOBIA: St. Dinfna Hotel can be best described as a very competent and enjoyable alternative for gamers who enjoyed Resident Evil 7 or Village. It is certainly not perfect, but has nothing broken about it either. Its story is told effectively and has some genuine scares that will make your blood run cold. Classic horror fans will definitely appreciate what FOBIA: St. Dinfna Hotel offers.
Phobia: St. Dinfna Hotel is a good debut for Pulsatrix Studios: in four years they have managed to package an aesthetically and playfully pleasing horror, with the right mix of puzzle-investigative and shooter elements.
Review in Italian | Read full review