Death Mark

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
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  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Nov 5, 2018
    90
    Aside from the occasional localisation foible, Death Mark is a magnificent example of how a more literary approach to horror can really work within the context of a video game.
  2. RPG Fan
    Nov 1, 2018
    85
    Experience Inc. are on to something exciting with Death Mark; it's a quiet, slow-burning horror the likes of which we rarely see in favor of unrelenting, high octane scarefests. Playing it alone in the dark with headphones on is incredibly affecting, and yet its misguided swerves into fetish territory make me hesitant to casually recommend it. A follow-up to Death Mark that focuses on the scares without getting bogged down with tacked-on titillation could be really special. Hopefully spiritual sequel NG, which recently released in Japan, will be just that.
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 14, 2018
    80
    You really need to be ready for some cleverly placed jump scares. Having to survive and investigate makes Death Mark more akin to Zero Escape than Steins;Gate. All of this, plus the beautifully gruesome artwork, clever dialogue, and a classical soundtrack that sends shivers up your spine, creates a visual novel experience you won’t easily forget. It’s unlike any horror visual novel before it. [Issue#156, p.86]
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  5. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Oct 31, 2018
    80
    Death Mark does nail its atmosphere of otherwordly unpredictability, looming dread, and urgency that sells its central plot quite well.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 30
  3. Negative: 7 out of 30
  1. PixelGal2000
    Dec 16, 2018
    9
    I wasn't very fond of how some of the dead bodies/jump scares were nude women, and there were rare typos due to translation error. Other thanI wasn't very fond of how some of the dead bodies/jump scares were nude women, and there were rare typos due to translation error. Other than this, I still found the game scary. It has a subtle, growing horror that doesn't hit you right away, but, as stated before, it grows and even successfully jump scares you at different points. There are moments pf dread, confusion, and shock as certain events happen, and most importantly, the characters are pretty good. From the jerk with a heart of gold detective to a ditsy idol, the game has a good way of showing how the dreaded Mark affects everyone and anyone of all ages and occupations. In the world of this game, NO ONE is safe. In short, I really like this game. The art is really well done, the story and characters are interesting, and the scares aren't too bad but still pack a punch.… Full Review »
  2. Subject98
    Aug 12, 2020
    4
    A budget game that should have gone for a budget price. 40 dollars is straight up robbery for this game, so get it on sale if you'reA budget game that should have gone for a budget price. 40 dollars is straight up robbery for this game, so get it on sale if you're interested. I would recommend a hard pass for any price over 15 dollars. It has a pretty interesting gameplay concept where you fight ghosts by making the right dialogue choices or using the right items but everything around it doesn't hold up. The dialogue and characters are dry and lifeless, and there are only a few very small locations that reuse images for many of the 'rooms'. There are only 5 chapters yet not every chapter sends you somewhere new to explore.… Full Review »
  3. tomvs123
    Jun 23, 2020
    6
    Decent, but short (12 hours or so) Japanese horror game.

    Unlike some other popular Japanese story-based games, this one is relatively    Decent, but short (12 hours or so) Japanese horror game.

    Unlike some other popular Japanese story-based games, this one is relatively grounded, mature, and free of big plot holes (opposite of Danganronpa). There's still the occasional issue or dumb thing happening here and there, but I was able to forgive it (and I'm very picky about stories).

    What's best about the game is its great representation of modern Japanese folklore and myths about ghosts and the supernatural. Many Japanese adamantly believe this stuff, likely because of their lack of recent widespread god-fearing religions, so it's great to see this first-hand from people who understand it.

    The main story is 5 chapters. You start out having lost the majority of your memories due to a curse (the death mark), encounter other people who have the same mark, and then work with them to destroy or save the spirits who caused them. All the while, you're learning more about spirits and your past, with a few believable twists thrown in for good measure. It's well-done, but short. Thankfully there's a post-game chapter that's pretty long that extends the playtime a bit more.

    The game deals with themes such as rape and suicide and the characters thankfully don't overreact to them. They instead talk about them maturely, which is quite the relief after being disappointed by many other supposedly "good" Japanese game releases, that in hindsight, were obviously aimed at kids. The nudity and gore are also relatively well-done, reminding me of my time I spent looking at crime scene photos (which is a great way to horrify normal people). Although the game made the nude girls, even the dead ones, just a little more sexy than they would have been if this were real life.

    The gameplay is decent. It's not as involved as the Zero Escape games, but is definitely more than you get from visual novels. Dialogue sections are very long, which makes it feel like a visual novel at times, but then you get to the point-and-click adventure style gameplay and life-or-death decision making sections.

    The point-and-click adventure sections are were most of the gameplay happens. you will be searching haunted areas for items and clues that will help you progress through the area or give you information to fight the main spirit. The game makes it very easy to know what parts of the scenery is intractable, unlike in Zero Escape, where I sometimes had no idea that I could interact with a certain thing.

    Exploring areas was quite fun, and a bit scary. Finding dead bodies, ghosts, or even new characters who join you is interesting. The game does standard jump scares occasionally, such as when you move into a new section, it will pop up a ghost face and make a noise. It didn't overdo this, which I appreciated. Also, when shining your flashlight on dark areas, you'll sometimes see ghosts who quickly disappear. I prefer this over the jump scares and wish it was used just a bit more.

    And then we get to the decision-making sections. Spirits will occasionally put you in life-or-death situations and you must make the right choices or use the right items to survive these or defeat the spirit. For the most part, these are well done and make logical sense, as long as you've been paying attention to the clues you've been collecting. Just don't overthink them, as the solutions are normally quite simple. Though there were a few instances where the choices made no sense and I had to simply die and try again (the game makes it easy to retry). Even after these few encounters, and re-reading all of the clues and information, I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to know these things. Maybe it's a localization issue, or maybe I missed some clues. Either way, this didn't happen often enough to ruin the experience.

    Also, there's multiple ways to solve each main spirit encounter, which is a nice touch. Normally someone dies if you choose the not-so-optimal path, and everyone lives if you choose the best path. Either way, you get to proceed with the story and I had a lot of fun reloading and doing both, just to see the different character reactions.

    So I liked my time with the game and will pick up the sequel.    … Full Review »
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