Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 12
  2. Negative: 6 out of 12
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  1. Apr 7, 2022
    85
    While at first glance I thought this was going to be a horror game in the same way that Grabbed by the Ghoulies is; that is to say very silly and a bit over the top. But I was pleasantly surprised at In Nightmare, as I said horror is not usually my thing but the subject matter here and the way it’s handled is quite masterful. I mean the whole game is extremely relatable as Bill discovers the thing that some of us have already; and that thing is that more often than not we create our own monsters via our subconscious. The situations or people we monster-fy were never as bad as we thought they were. And hopefully I haven’t said too much, because this game is a wonderful experience, despite the wonky jump button and iffy sonar system I enjoyed my time in this nightmare very much. And while there isn’t much replay value outside of trying to 100% everything; at a value price In Nightmare is more than worth it just on the story alone.
  2. May 16, 2022
    80
    In Nightmare is a beautiful landscape touching on the process of working through trauma and bad memories. With stunning visuals and incessant monsters, you’ll feel like a child again.
  3. Apr 4, 2022
    70
    Despite the confusing narrative, In Nightmare is still fun. The puzzles are varied and delightful to work through. And while not the scariest game I’ve played, there’s plenty of anxiety to be had sneaking around enemies and solving puzzles under duress.
  4. Apr 14, 2022
    60
    Overall, In Nightmare hits the mark. It fits its self-defined genre, and was an otherwise decent game. Its overabundance of mechanics and reliance on standard horror game features hold the title back from being more unique than it could be. Though In Nightmare should not supplant any of your favorite horror titles, the game’s narrative and attempt to differentiate itself through its visuals might just be enough to garner a curious horror game fan’s attention.
  5. Apr 4, 2022
    60
    The overall idea of In Nightmare is solid. The trapped-in-a-child’s-nightmare vibe and slow unveiling of his past traumas feel fresh.
  6. Apr 18, 2022
    50
    In Nightmare could have been great, but the atmosphere and environments aren’t enough to make up for the woeful frame rate, frustrating enemy encounters, and overall tedium of the gameplay.
  7. May 4, 2022
    45
    In Nightmare is an experience that will leave players more frustrated than frightened. The story is decent enough, if predictable, but it quickly loses steam since you can guess what'll happen and the pantomimed scenes are too vague. The gameplay teeters between fine to unplayable due to technical issues and an overall design that favors trial and error and memorization versus crafting a more dynamic challenge. All of those things rob the game of a scare factor; there's nothing really horrifying about what you're up against. The ideas are sound, but unless you have to play every single horror game out there, you can safely skip In Nightmare and not miss a thing.
  8. Apr 26, 2022
    40
    In Nightmare is a pale competitor to other titles of the horror-adventure genre. Stealth that’s preferable to charge through, puzzles that are the blandest of time-wasters and a narrative of dark themes burdened with typos and poor delivery. Real nightmares threaten your sleep with terror and fear, whereas In Nightmare only threatens to bore or frustrate you to death.
  9. 40
    In Nightmare has a decent idea at its base and some nice visuals but the fundamental gameplay makes too many missteps to make this one worth playing.
  10. Apr 5, 2022
    40
    Unless you have the patience of a saint, I would steer clear of In Nightmare. It really is a shame, as there’s an interesting story being told from Bill’s eyes and a really vibrant and vivid world with a unique style to explore, but any semblance of gameplay is horribly hampered by a nightmare of poor gameplay designs. I’ll keep dreaming of how much I’d enjoy this game once it sees some quality of life improvements show up to fix the plethora of lackluster stealth gameplay and frustrating “puzzles”.
  11. Apr 4, 2022
    40
    In essence, In Nightmare is a narrative heavy puzzle game where all too often you must engage in more action heavy scenes in order to progress. That, coupled with frequent sections where you must navigate a room of either a single monster or multiple and avoid detection, caused the game to wear out its welcome sooner than it should have. When it’s just puzzles where you have have all the time in the world to reason out is when the game works best, and I found myself wishing for more of that as the game went on.
  12. Mar 29, 2022
    30
    A quaint art direction and an occasional well-conceived puzzle are not enough to redeem this painful slog through a child's living nightmare. Trial-and-error instakill sections and some of the worst hide and seek stealth since Sanity of Morris ensure the greatest nightmare will be your own.
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Negative: 6 out of 11
  1. Apr 26, 2023
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. The game is a bunch of ideas mixed together with neither head nor feet. A type of game that seems impressive when you read or hear about it, but falls flat when you actually get down to playing it. Full Review »
  2. May 15, 2022
    6
    On the whole, "In Nightmare" has become a nice game for the Sony console. Unfortunately, only the storyline can convince a bit and the otherOn the whole, "In Nightmare" has become a nice game for the Sony console. Unfortunately, only the storyline can convince a bit and the other and very important elements only a little. For example, the controls are only conditionally good and the technology is simply weak. So you should definitely watch the launch trailer and videos before you dare to buy "In Nightmare". Full Review »
  3. Apr 13, 2022
    2
    Задумка вроде норм, а остальное ну очень плохо реализовано. Игра отказывается нормально работать, то у "Бикти" дальняя разведка не работает,Задумка вроде норм, а остальное ну очень плохо реализовано. Игра отказывается нормально работать, то у "Бикти" дальняя разведка не работает, то не освещает следы и движущиеся платформыЖесточайшие постоянные просадки на PS5 просто режут глаз. Есть у меня подозрение , что версия для ps4 работает лучше чем версия для ps5. Full Review »