- Publisher: Narcosis Team , Honor Code, Inc.
- Release Date: Mar 28, 2017
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Critic score
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Apr 10, 2017Narcosis is a survival horror game that provides so much more than a few gimmicky jump-scares. This is a beautifully written, immersive psychological thriller which tells a compelling, tragic story, demands observation, planning and problem solving, and yes, also throws a few shriek-worthy jump-scares into the mix. It leaves you questioning reality and explores just what a person and the human mind can handle when pushed to the limit. Solid voice acting and narration makes this an incredibly personal story, and while it’s not entirely free of motion sickness, being aware of where your head and body are can help you avoid the worst of it. Odds are, you’ll be so full of adrenaline that you probably won’t fully register the motion sickness until you take off the headgear. Narcosis is a shining example of a virtual reality psychological thriller done right, and a is must play for any horror junkie.
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Apr 3, 2017Presentation quality is quite good, with the protagonist’s voice-acting being especially notable. Your character at times will have a brief monologue, talking about life working for Oceannova, and the guy’s voice reminds me very much of Tom Hanks’ own voice. The dialog is brief, but well-written, and these spoken moments come up at good intervals to remind the player they’re on the right path. The graphics are also very good and the game is comfortable to play. Ultimately, Narcosis provides players with a compelling experience that’s easy to recommend.
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CD-ActionJun 30, 2017The game makes up for its shortness (ca. 4 hours) with an intelligent, well-delivered story, overwhelming atmosphere of solitude, fantastic audio (including voice acting worthy of a AAA game) and overall high level of polish. [07/2017, p.77]
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Apr 10, 2017Narcosis only runs a few hours in length, not short enough to be a waste of time but not long enough to wear out its welcome. Even still, it could’ve been another hour or so longer but perhaps that’s just because of how much enjoyment I was finding lumbering around the wreckages and sea caves. With a scenario rooted more closely to reality than other horror games, well executed voice acting on part of the player character’s VA and adequate performance from side characters in other instances, you really feel like part of a survival story. The replay value itself isn’t high, but for $19.99 it’s worth visiting it at least once if you’re a horror fan. Even more so if you can experience it in VR.
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Mar 29, 2017Although Narcosis is "the debut effort" from Honor Code, the developers boast experience with legendary AAA games, and it shows. The Honor Code team has successfully crystallized their knowledge and skills, and put together an impressive work of art indeed. Narcosis is not without its flaws, but the level of care in this title is salubrious. The alternatingly terrifying and psychologically taxing atmosphere, paired with storytelling that keeps you rapt until you arrives at the beautiful conclusion, proves a must-play for gamers.
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Mar 29, 2017A great VR horror experience with clever narration and excellent audio. The game can be played traditionally, without an HMD, but it loses 90% of its charm.
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Apr 13, 2017Narcosis is a frightening, cerebral game that taps into your basest instincts of fear and survival with a beautifully rendered environment and thoughtful story. The short length of the game and the actual mechanics keep it from being a masterpiece, but it is an excellent debut effort from Honor Code.
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Apr 27, 2017Narcosis is a suffocating experience in the bottom of the ocean. An interesting game, but it feels a little incomplete in some ways, including its length.
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Apr 5, 2017The price is a little high in my opinion, but if you’ve got a VR setup then it’s definitely worth it. Even without, if you enjoy other horror games where resources are limited and your mind is playing tricks on you, then there’s a good chance Narcosis is worth the money. Just make sure to grab your best headset, and turn out all the lights before you start.
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Mar 31, 2017Fans of survival horror should give this title a go, and this is especially true if you have the opportunity to experience it in virtual reality. It may not have ghosts and goblins, but Narcosis still provides a suitably haunting experience worth undertaking.
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Mar 28, 2017Narcosis is an unconventional, intense and well written survival horror game. The abyss is a fascinating setting and the character is forced to survive and fight from inside a heavy diving suit, constantly monitoring the oxygen level. However, gameplay is too slow, awkward and inaccurate.
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Apr 4, 2017Quotation forthcoming.
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Game World Navigator MagazineJun 5, 2017Although Narcosis turned out to be pretty monotone, it has its own strengths: limited oxygen reserves make you think twice about stopping to take a breather, while subdued sounds keep you on edge. It probably won’t scare you, but it’s certainly an interesting experience. [Issue#220, p.55]
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Apr 22, 2017Once you get past the annoyances of the slow locomotion and uninspired gameplay, it really does start to feel like you’re there, underwater, trudging around trying to find your way. It’s a rare feat in these early years of VR to find the shine of something special, but Narcosis does have the glimmer when you stumble across those perfect moments. If you’re okay with a 2-3 hour adventure that’s a few jump scares spread out between searching for oxygen tanks with an intriguing narrative to guide you through, then Narcosis has enough going for it to be worth a look for some, but not all. [Tested with Rift]
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Mar 29, 2017Although Narcosis’ runtime is fairly short (about four hours), it’s padded by frustrating stealth segments and banal puzzle-solving that get in the way of some great storytelling and voice-acting. While captivating, those aren’t enough to make this experience worth wading through.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 18
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Mixed: 7 out of 18
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Negative: 2 out of 18
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Apr 24, 2017
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Mar 2, 2021This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.
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May 11, 2020