SIMULACRA Reviews
Pairing the found phone subgenre with some FMV and acting gives a little flavor to this indie offering
While I spent most of my time with Simulacra 3 waiting for the game to reach its full potential and never quite seeing it happen, Kaigan Games continues to deliver one of the more unique horror series out there. Scrolling through a phone to discover the world's horrors is always worth it — it at least adds a new definition to doomscrolling, I'll tell you that — but I can't help but wonder what Kaigan Games could do if they met the full potential they continue to showcase throughout this trilogy. Regardless, it's a worthy expansion of the series, and with an affordable price tag, I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
Simulacra is an enjoyable experience, even if it is not the best example of the genre. You’ll find an interesting but ultimately rather shallow story. The concept could have been taken further, with more exploration surrounding what it means to broadcast your identity through a device which fits in the palm of your hand. A device which can be lost or compromised and used against you. In spite of this, I had a good time with Simulacra, and I give it the Thumb Culture silver award.
The phone user simulator with a horrifying twist. Now you can browse your phone and play video games at the same time!
[...]I cannot recommend playing the Switch port, especially if you have any vision issues that may prevent your ability to read the screen properly. Do yourself a favor and download this mysterious story on your phone instead.
An interesting and in many ways strong FMV adventure title, but one somewhat let down by middling acting (at best) and a lack of attention to streamlining the gameplay for consoles as part of the porting process.
If you’re looking for a unique take on the ‘found footage/phone’ horror genre, SIMULACRA is perfect for you. The puzzles you need to complete, in order to descramble and reveal messages and photos, are fun to solve and interesting to read/look at. Although I wish there were more FMV sequences and meaningful choices which changed the narrative more dramatically as the story progressed, the quality of the videos and writing were both top-shelf.
As Found Phone games go, Simulacra is one of the better ones. The dialogue is well implemented, the puzzles all play on the players in-built knowledge of how mobile phones work and there’s this disconcerting atmosphere to the whole experience.
The studio clearly sees potential in the format as a storytelling platform, and I definitely want to see them refine it in the future.
Despite its issues, Simulacra still kept me hooked for the duration of my playthrough.
The puzzles aren't ridiculously difficult, but aren't always easy either. I would like to return to the big question I've been asking all along: is it reasonable to play found game on a console with a controller? It works well enough, minus my gripes about small icons and the annoyance of typing text.
Simulacra has some interesting ideas, but gets in its own way enough that it wastes the advantage afforded to it by its strong premise.
Simulacra 2 is an improvement on its predecessor, but there's further to go. A tighter narrative and better interface design don't quite compensate for sketchy writing and silly horror.
Simulacra is a very clever game that, despite the simplicity of both its premise and gameplay, immerses you into it and doesn't let you go until you've solved the mystery.
Simulacra might not be perfect, but it highlights that the found phone horror concept is one that has a significant amount of potential.
Flawed it may be, but Simulacra is an interesting thriller in which you get to play detective. The found phone concept is a smart hook, while the storytelling delivers a yarn that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.
SIMULACRA on the Nintendo Switch is an FMV adenture based on a story of mystery and horror and if the gameplay experience is not among the most outstanding ever designed, there is definitely something engaging about finding hints and advancing along the plot. The game's different endings add an additional incentive to explore and even though SIMULACRA is no masterpiece, its players will feel involved enough to take the experience to the end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you’ve enjoyed similar games, Simulacra will be right up your street. Its story is creepy and unpredictable, with the variety in gameplay keeping you engaged, even if it drags towards the end.
What’s most baffling about Simulacra is why more wasn’t done to make it a more authentic mobile experience.
Simulacra interweaves a horror mystery with investigative work and puzzle-solving. However, the driving force of this title is simply the narrative and not it's gameplay offering.