Gray Dawn Reviews
Truth be told, I had a great time with Gray Dawn.
A short and mystical experience marred by several flaws, Gray Dawn falls short of its great potential.
Gray Dawn is a religious psychological thriller that offers an intriguing story with some breathtaking visuals that is sold a little short by some tedious gameplay and subpar voice acting
Grey Dawn tells the compelling story of a young priest devoured by his distorted inner world. It uses religious imaginary and blafemy to convey the struggle he's facing, adding a backstory of an alleged murder. Too bad it is too easy and offers bizzarre gameplay solutions.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Gray Dawn is true to its description of being a psychological thriller with religious elements, but it can't seem to focus in on which religious elements it wants to portray.
A middle ground between a point-and-click adventure and a walk simulator, Gray Dawn is intriguing and uses the religious theme well to sustain a good supernatural suspense, but it lacks boldness in puzzles and mechanics, in addition to its usability being unresponsive.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An abstract, intimate tale of grief crafted by a team with enough resources to realize their vision effectively. Its focus on religion and spirituality really helps set it apart from the crowd and it felt cool to inhabit and explore the world of the game. It was also lean and didn't overstay its welcome.
The only downside to the formula adopted by Interactive Stone is that they have clearly exaggerated with the religious iconography. Apart from that, and a few design issues, Gray Dawn is a short but deep immersion into the human subconscious, an exposition of the endless battle between good and evil.
I have never played any other game quite like this which uses all the trappings of religion in a way that subverts our everyday conceptions of it. What happens when you hold people to artificial standards of behaviour that turn everyday acts into punishable sins? This game peers at the line between portraying real life religion in a game and using it as artful commentary, and completely obliterates it.
You can undoubtedly tell an interesting story without elaborate gameplay, and that's what Gray Down manages to do. Father Abraham's story keeps the player's attention but sidelines the pure gameplay aspect. The Interactive Stone production arrives on console perhaps too late, making the gameplay mechanics feel outdated. It's playable but may disappoint those seeking a more layered and longer title.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Gray Dawn gives us a story out of the ordinary with some quality and very disturbing moments. A pity, however, are the puzzles, which are very simple and sometimes banal, acting as a banal side dish to our exploration of Father Abraham's dream world.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This story is something new and unorthodox. This is helped by the beautifully crafted setting, which represents a journey through purgatory (the beautiful places represent pieces of paradise and the dark places represent hell). You will follow a soul who feels guilt, and so ponders whether she is truly guilty or innocent. If you don't mind some of the ungodly things that are in the game, and some very dramatic scenes, try playing this game about guilt and innocence.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Gray Dawn has great potential, but it fell flat in many aspects, ranging from overused horror tropes to undercutting loading times but loading textures as you play. Calling it rough around the edges is an understatement because it doesn’t seem like it got the work needed to shine, and it can come across as a little underbaked. If you can look past all the flaws, it has a somewhat interesting story, and the lore used gives the story a bit more depth, even if it is a little far-fetched.
Gray Dawn takes on the familiar territory of religion and the supernatural, but it does so with a surprising amount of maturity and dedication. The story will have you scratching your head, but its multiple endings each offer some emotional payoff.
While the game is beautiful and has a rich story, I don't feel it breaks any new ground. However, if you want a mature psychological horror game dealing with spiritual matters this is a must buy. But, if you're looking to play a horror game, I would look elsewhere.