Cry of Fear

🎮 Steam ⏳ 35 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Oppressive Psychological Horror #

This game is a psychological horror game that stands out for its unsettling atmosphere and dark narrative. Built on the old Half-Life engine, it manages to create a deeply oppressive tone through eerie environments, disturbing enemy designs, and an effective soundscape that keeps you on edge. The story dives into themes of depression, trauma, and anxiety, giving it more weight than many horror titles of its time, and its multiple endings add replay value for those curious about different outcomes.

Rough Yet Deep #

At first, this may sound like a cheap jump-scare game, but you quickly realize this has a very good level of depth to it’s story, even more so if you do some research post-credits. Another issue is that it feels like a rip-off of Half-Life since it is using it’s engine, but this is due to it’s development not being ideal, it was born as a Half-Life mod, but quickly became it’s own thing. And I honestly recommend this for fans of Silent Hill and alike, despite it’s low level of quality when it comes to it’s production, this title is very unique and a must-play for fans of psychological horror.

Aged Mechanics, Strong Mood #

That said, the game shows its age in places, the dated graphics and clunky mechanics can make certain sections, like platforming or inventory management, frustrating. Combat can feel uneven, with awkward controls and pacing that sometimes drags. While the atmosphere is strong, the game also leans heavily on jump scares, which may lose their impact the longer you play.

Flawed, Chilling Gem #

Despite its flaws, Cry of Fear remains a memorable and chilling experience, especially considering it is free on Steam. It’s best suited for players who value story, mood, and psychological depth over polish and modern gameplay smoothness. For fans of indie horror with patience for rough edges, it’s a hidden gem worth exploring. I also highly recommend playing the coop campaign, especially if you can get some friends along to join, and if not, it is still a good time even alone. Just keep in mind the coop campaign is balanced towards having multiple players, at least two, and since it doesn’t have any features of adapting itself to how many people are playing, expect a very high level of difficulty if played alone.