Narcosis Reviews
Narcosis' voice acting and writing might hold water but the outdated visuals, laughable horror, and poor gameplay weigh the game down and cause it to sink faster than a corpse with cinder block shoes.
It's hard to recommend Narcosis to anyone who wants something more than just a story. There's some interesting concepts here that could've translated to some great gameplay mechanics, but they feel under developed. The story and characterisation is great, but everything else pales in comparison. Narcosis is a great premise that unfortunately never really lives up to what sounded like high potential.
Despite boasting a few interesting ideas and a story well told, Narcosis is often too laborious and testing to offer incentive to get through the bad design decisions on show.
There's not much I can say about Narcosis. It was too short of an experience to really gather a lot for it. At the same time, this was made for VR and I'm sure if I had played it in VR it would have had a bigger effect on me. Unfortunately, while this is supposed to be a horror game, I never once jumped or was creeped out.
Narcosis tells a grounded, emotional, and surprising story, but you have to wade through a lot of plodding moments to see it through
Narcosis is neither a great nor terrible horror title — it's simply fine. The premise is so strong but the full experience only partially achieves that potential. Its place as a quick completion will attract many of this community, but if you need more than narrative from your games, look elsewhere. It delivers a brief but interesting story with a greatly memorable ending, but in several other ways, most notably atmosphere, Narcosis is dead in the water.
Narcosis is a polarizing game, on one hand, the underwater setting and isolation captures the sense of unnerving tension of being alone but at the same time, the gameplay is slow and vexing. The developers successfully crafted stressful situations forcing you to cautiously walk through the next room but also included frustrating moments of getting stuck in the world's geometry. Narcosis is a great horror title for fans of the genre if they can endure the slow pace.
While the game didn't impress me all that much on the Xbox as is, I can see how the game would perform better in VR. I did enjoy many aspects of Narcosis such as its environment and its unique controls. However, the lack of real tension and linear level design hold the game back too much to not notice.
Narcosis is a disturbing adventure which captures the player with its fascinating and unforgettable mood.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Narcosis is a solid game with a great premise, some excellent voice acting and a great story. The problems I have are with the central premise, which is the pacing of being underwater, and the unwieldy aspects, which this evokes.
Narcosis benefits from a unique environment and some really solid writing, though a short campaign and a story that loses steam detract from the overall experience. In the end, Narcosis winds up being decent, but not as great as it could have been.
Fans of survival horror should give this title a go, and this is especially true if you have the opportunity to experience it in virtual reality. It may not have ghosts and goblins, but Narcosis still provides a suitably haunting experience worth undertaking.
Narcosis is a solid first effort from indie Honor Code. As a first-person survival game, it provides a nice experience with its gloomy setting where one false step can send you plummeting down to your death. If you're not careful, you might run out of oxygen, which I'm sure is a painful way to go. And then there are the giant and deadly crabs that can puncture your suit with a single stab. There's danger around every corner, and Honor Code has done a great job at portraying that on PS4.
If you are not a fan of the genre or you cant get along with its slow tempo, it may be better to just ignore it. But nevertheless, an engaging story mix with a deep atmosphere make Narcosis a very unique title.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Narcosis is a non conventional, intense and well written survival horror game. The abyss is a fascinating setting and the character is forced to survive and fight from inside a heavy diving suit, constantly monitoring the oxigen level. However, gameplay is too slow, awkward and inaccurate.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Narcosis provides a truly scary VR experience despite being a bit shallow in regards to its content and mechanics. Fans of horror games will definitely find something to enjoy.
A good set of headphones or a full surround-sound system is highly recommended for Narcosis.
Narcosis is a suffocating experience in the bottom of the ocean. An interesting game, but it feels a little incomplete in some ways, including its length.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Narcosis is a short experience that can be enjoyed. It compensates for its short duration with achieved moments of tension and a really good setting, but it is a bit far from offering a complete experience. Still we are before a remarkable game. Recommended for those looking for an intense and fast game with which to spend a couple of afternoons of underwater stress.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Narcosis' biggest strength is its oppresive atmosphere, created by the inner feelings of a person trapped in the deep sea.
Review in Slovak | Read full review