World of Horror
World of Horror, also known by its Japanese title Kyōfu no Sekai (恐怖の世界), is an indie role-playing video game with a 1-bit retro graphical style, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Junji Ito.[1] The game was created by Polish developer Paweł Koźmiński, and published by Ysbryd Games.[2] It was released into early access on February 20, 2020 on Steam, GOG.com, and Microsoft Store.[3][4][5]
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Developer(s) | Paweł Koźmiński |
Publisher(s) | Ysbryd Games |
Platform(s) | PC, Nintendo Switch (planned) |
Release | Early Access: 20th February 2020 |
Genre(s) | Horror, RPG, Roguelike |
Mode(s) | Single-player ![]() |
The game takes place in the town of Shiokawa, Japan, where the player must explore various locations and fight otherworldly creatures in order to halt the apocalypse.[1]
Development
The game's developer, Paweł Koźmiński (a.k.a. Panstasz) worked on the game part time in between his work as a dentist.[6] All of the in-game artwork was designed using MS Paint, with additional writing provided by author Cassandra Khaw.[2] Music was composed by ArcOfDream and Qwesta. The game is still in early access, and there are plans to release the game on other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch upon the game's launch.[7]
Gameplay
World of Horror features turn-based combat where the player queues up actions and attacks to be used against hostile creatures,[8] many of which are based on creatures from Japanese horror manga or urban legends, such as Kuchisake-onna.[9] The game also incorporates adventure game and roguelike elements in its exploration and puzzle-solving.[10][11]
Reception
Jordan Devore of Destructoid called the game "a rare treat" and praised its modular format, as well as its "eerie chiptune soundtrack and rising tension during a long, hard-fought run", but also criticized its combat as becoming tedious over long sessions.[12] Jenna Stoeber of Polygon called the game's horror "engaging", though she criticized the visuals as "mixed", and called navigating the interface "frustrating".[13]
References
- "WORLD OF HORROR". wohgame.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "ysbryd games". Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "WORLD OF HORROR on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "WORLD OF HORROR". GOG.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "Buy WORLD OF HORROR (Game Preview)". Microsoft Store. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- Conditt, Jessica (2019-09-20). "A dentist made a game in MS Paint and it's terrifying". Engadget. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- Smith, Callum (2020-02-19). "World Of Horror: PS4 and Nintendo Switch release date after Early Access on Steam". HITC. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "World of Horror: Beginner's Guide to Combat and Enemy Stats". ScreenRant. 2020-05-03. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- "World of Horror | A Junji Ito Fan's Nightmarish Paradise". IndieObscura. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- Norman, Thomas. "WORLD OF HORROR: An Investigative Interactive RPG, Grimoire of Horror". Grimoire of Horror. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- Watts, Rachel (2020-02-21). "World of Horror is a gruesome adventure game inspired by the work of Junji Ito". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
- Devore, Jordan (2020-02-26). "Early Access Review: World of Horror". Destructoid. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- Stoeber, Jenna (2020-02-24). "World of Horror lets me bring doom upon myself". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-12-10.