It's a solid game. Screen shake is the only reason that I won't rate it any higher than a 3.5.
Animations 5/5 and 1/5
Combat 5/5
Combat balance 2/5
Grind balance 3/5
Story 5/5
Horror 5/5
Characters 5/5
Screen Shake -5/5
Review based on 1.3
The story is well written, has an excellent theme, and an impressive horror element. The combat is turn-based and skills are based on which card you choose. The characters all have great and varied personalities. There are many choices, some of which increase your corruption. The sanity element is well done.
Animations is where this game starts to dip to me. The animations are well done and very smooth, but many rely heavily on screen shake which is a bad thing. POV animations can't even be enjoyed due to the volitivity of the screen shake.
In short, I don't like Screen Shake, it's bad for the brain, equilibrium, and can cause potential motion sickness even in people with no history of it >> enough said.
Edit >> I forgot to include the combat and grind balances. The combat is rough in this game. You start out weak and stay there for a long time. The enemies can range from somewhat stronger than you to death sentence levels of difficult. The grind is also rough to a point. You need a lot of materials to build some things, and the amount of stuff that you get from scavenging can range from very low to ok.
Due to these factors I have reduced my rating from a 4 to a 3-star.
Play with caution and if you have issues with motion sickness, then I'd recommend avoiding this game.
1.9.g
So the story and horror elements are things that I have no issues with. I like that the dev is finally starting to use scenes without nausea inducing screen shake more >> I have no problem with some scenes having shakes, but was a bit much in the early stages of this game.
The grind is still heavy >> combat still has a major balance issue >> areas in the hotel need functionality (a working shower to use, a working bathroom to use, use of the hot tub) . That's it. If the combat and grind were balanced better and functionality added to places in the hotel, this game would get at least a 4 star from me. A 5 star if screen shakes were removed entirely.