Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 66 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 66
  3. Negative: 6 out of 66
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  1. Kaniya
    Sep 24, 2013
    10
    I bought this game once it was available in store today. I played the PC version and I should say this is a much better game. Lone Survivor is one of the best survival horror indie games I have ever seen. It starts mysteriously in a very nightmarish world filled with a really moody atmosphere and step by step it will tell you the story. I will not spoil anything about the story.
    Lone    I bought this game once it was available in store today. I played the PC version and I should say this is a much better game. Lone Survivor is one of the best survival horror indie games I have ever seen. It starts mysteriously in a very nightmarish world filled with a really moody atmosphere and step by step it will tell you the story. I will not spoil anything about the story.
    Lone Survivor is pretty much about surviving. In the game world you have to explore and while you explore you have to be careful to take enough food and sleep. You have to keep your sanity stable as well by consuming pills. the game really relies on resource management and as you go through the game the more depth will be added to the overall survival mechanism. Since the items are important therefore exploring in the game is very rewarding as well.
    However, exploring will not be that easy. It is all about the choices that you will make based on your items. you can go ahead and kill all the monsters you can chose to accomplish you goal by stealth rather than fighting with enemies. depend on which action you chose all the items you have found will come in handy, depend on the item the consequences will be varied. you can stunt enemies, blind them, burn them or kill them with your shotgun and so on. There is a really crazy variety of items that you can use and since you will treat everything as a scare source therefore the gameplay will not be repetitive throughout the game.
    Other than these sort of challenges which you will face through the adventure in the game, also for exploring you will be required to look for maps, there are various puzzles to solve as well which all together adds more variety to the core gameplay.
    The game world is truly beautiful. Mostly it reminds me of the silent hill series but it has its own art style. even though it is pixelated but as the matter of the fact this kind of graphics adds a better level of the atmosphere to the overall presentation. Sound effects, dialogues and so on are quiet quality work.
    I recommend this game to every survival horror lover.     … Expand
  2. drlowdon
    May 6, 2020
    6
    Lone Survivor is a 2d survival horror title that follows a nameless protagonist as they try to escape a monster infected town. Never quite making it clear exactly what is going on the game creates an increasingly disturbing atmosphere (headphones and a darkened room are a must) despite its simple graphics, something that many recent bigger budget so called horror games have completelyLone Survivor is a 2d survival horror title that follows a nameless protagonist as they try to escape a monster infected town. Never quite making it clear exactly what is going on the game creates an increasingly disturbing atmosphere (headphones and a darkened room are a must) despite its simple graphics, something that many recent bigger budget so called horror games have completely failed to do.

    Much of the actual game is spent trying to avoid monsters and find your way around obstacles such as locked doors and, much like the older Resident Evil or Silent Hill titles, there is a fair amount of (often frustrating) backtracking in order to use found items on previously impassable sections. Like all good survival horrors ammo for your pistol is hard to come by, and so items such as flares and decaying meat must be used to help distract the monsters allowing you to sneak past them. In all honesty there is little variety to the gameplay but the constant fear of being alone and vulnerable means this isn’t as much of an issue as it might otherwise have been.

    At about four hours in length its not a long game, and there isn’t much reason to replay it, but at the budget price it’s available for it Lone Survivor is worth giving a go.    … Expand
  3. dkao12
    Dec 11, 2013
    9
    Lone Survivor, this game is really awesome. For a 2D pixel horror game, it did a good job it making it heart pounding in a lot of instances, Here is my honest review of the game. You don't have to agree with me, there is a bit nitpicking but nothing that lowers the score too much. (0.5 at best). Hope you like it.

    Gameplay The controls were tight and responsive. The only downside was    Lone Survivor, this game is really awesome. For a 2D pixel horror game, it did a good job it making it heart pounding in a lot of instances, Here is my honest review of the game. You don't have to agree with me, there is a bit nitpicking but nothing that lowers the score too much. (0.5 at best). Hope you like it.

    Gameplay The controls were tight and responsive. The only downside was the lack of options to change your key bindings to your liking. Some of the buttons were a bit to spread out or too close to each other. Otherwise, the controls did its job well it was fluid. The game was challenging and trying to get a good ending was not a easy task. I liked how it only stuck to the pistol and not give you a stronger gun. It made you have the edge but can be vulnerable of being overwhelmed. It's all about survival rather than fighting, it's about avoiding as much conflict as possible and gather your resources. It was taking care of your main character rather than making him your Rambo. My gripe was that the lack of hiding spots in certain areas of the game. I also did not liked how very linear it was. OKAY I KNOW THIS IS WAS A STORY DRIVEN GAME, but they could have added side quests to it. More insight on the place he is tormented in(This will affect the Lasting Appeal though not the gameplay). 9/10

    Music the music in this game was really good, it was eerie at times but also has catchy tune. Don't believe me? Listening to the Director or the Party BGM. The sound nailed the atmosphere, those weird squishy noises, and the sound those things makes. The sounds design did a fantastic job in setting the atmosphere. 9/10

    Graphics Its 2D pixel, I do not why I find these kinds of graphics to be fascinating. I love how smooth the animation was and the grey tone through the game. the only nitpicking would be the colour palette could have been a bit better but this isn't a real problem at all. 9/10

    Lasting Appeal Sadly It is the weakest part of the game. The game was substantially long (sorry I don't remember how long it took me to beat it, but I guess at least 24 hours or less when I was trying to scavenge everything and do everything in one playthrough). There is no replayability, though this was a linear experience which I had not much problem with, for example I loved Dead space 1 & 2. I just wished I had more things to do other than the main storyline. The only reason to come back is to collect all the pages and get the other endings. -7/10    … Expand
  4. DeusXCom
    Sep 21, 2014
    7
    Nice indie survival horror. Retro pixel art games are always perfectly suited for Vita, so I had a good time playing it at night. The mood reminds me of Silent Hill, there are even some dreamy Lynch style moments and from the first moment I liked what the game is trying to do. The indirect story-telling and some thought-provoking dialog. Who you are? What's actually going on? This is rightNice indie survival horror. Retro pixel art games are always perfectly suited for Vita, so I had a good time playing it at night. The mood reminds me of Silent Hill, there are even some dreamy Lynch style moments and from the first moment I liked what the game is trying to do. The indirect story-telling and some thought-provoking dialog. Who you are? What's actually going on? This is right up my alley, but for some reason, I wasn't really scared which was something I was expecting but didn't get, the gameplay wasn't as fluid and responsive as I would like and the map was quite chaotic to navigate but despite that it's definitely a game worth experiencing at least once. 7/10… Expand
  5. TheQuietGamer
    Oct 17, 2014
    7
    To me survival-horror games just aren't really at home on portable gaming systems. There at their best when played in dark rooms alone. If you're like me when you do travel you're with other people, or are going out in the daytime. That's just not a time to play a game like this. This is one you probably want to save for when you get to your destination. I personally still recommend it onTo me survival-horror games just aren't really at home on portable gaming systems. There at their best when played in dark rooms alone. If you're like me when you do travel you're with other people, or are going out in the daytime. That's just not a time to play a game like this. This is one you probably want to save for when you get to your destination. I personally still recommend it on consoles though. However is the Vita is your only option then by all means pick it up. You could still play it at home, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of portable gaming?

    Anyway, the actual game does have some problems. It can be frustrating to play and I personally didn't find it scary at all. However horror fans should still check this out. It's story and world are worth exploring even if some gameplay flaws get in the way. It's a solid title, and while I don't feel the Vita should be your first choice to play it on, if it's all you got and you love some horror then check it out. There's some cool stuff going on here.    … Expand
  6. Sebas236
    Sep 4, 2014
    8
    Graphics: 9 Gameplay: 8 Fun: 8.5 Controls: 9 Ease to Learn: 7.5 Story:8.5 Length: 7 Re-play: 8.5 Audio: 10 Bugs/Glitches: none JKFISJFSGJGSLKGJSLKFGJR
  7. hooper-316
    Mar 8, 2014
    9
    Imagine Resident Evil done on a commodore or spectrum and it would probably look and play like Lone Survivor. It's a brilliant game and the music and sound effects make it extremely creepy to play in a dimly lit room. Download this beauty and enjoy some old fashioned frights.
  8. lazatoy
    Jun 30, 2014
    9
    (NOTE: I forgot to mention this in the review a few months ago, but here it is:
    Lone Survivor is NOT for everyone. As a matter a fact, all the people I know actually
    pass on it. So why should you play it? the game can be good depending on your tastes. If you like old games, or hell, even scary ones for that, you should give it a shot, if you want to try out the survival horror genre,    (NOTE: I forgot to mention this in the review a few months ago, but here it is:
    Lone Survivor is NOT for everyone. As a matter a fact, all the people I know actually
    pass on it. So why should you play it? the game can be good depending on your
    tastes. If you like old games, or hell, even scary ones for that, you should give it a shot,
    if you want to try out the survival horror genre, you could try, but like most of the people
    I know, you might pass on it. So even though I gave this game a high rating, I still don't recommend this
    game all in all to EVERYONE but the people who know whats in the package and/or have played games in the same genre. Not that thats out of the way, you may continue onto reading this review)

    (ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: March 21, 2014)

    This game is epic, really. Now, I wouldn't praise it as "THE BEST HORROR INDIE TITLE OUT THERE EVER" because, while it is a thrill and joy to be playing, it just isn't the best ever. First of: the controls. They work at times, but you will find yourself in moments where the controls outright feel awkward, the shooting works, but its not always plan a and if you want a GOOD ending, it's best you barley even use it at all. Second off: gameplay. This game can be fun and shocking, at the same time, the horror is there, and this game is not action driven (DEAD SPACE *COUGH* *COUGH*), and thats where this "survival" aspect takes a turn for the better. As I mentioned before, some of the controls can feel awkward, and while this doesn't affect the gameplay too much, it still makes some areas harder than they should have been! And finally: you will get stuck... ALLOT! unless you don't have the right mind to know what to do next, or if you don't have a walkthrough with you, this game can be a real pain in the butt. Thirdly, the music and sound design. The music feels catchy, scary, and sometimes nice. Sound plays a major part in this game, or does it? sure its nice to have sound on to know exactly where monsters are, which is a cool concept so your not forced with the peek-a-boo method. I also like how you stick with a pistol and a pistol, because then it can focus more on the horror aspect, and less on the "LETS SHOOT EVERYTHING WE SEE CALL OF DUTY STYLE". And lastly, replay value and lasting appeal. While some may argue that this has no replay value, it seems... false. If you DON'T know what I'm talking about look no further then the multiple ending. There are three endings, the red ending, the blue ending, and the green ending, its easy to guess which ending is which but if you haven't figured that out yet, here's what each colors ending represents: RED ENDING/PILL = BAD ENDING, BLUE ENDING/PILL = BAD/GOOD ENDING, GREEN ENDING/PILL = GOOD ENDING. It's not easy to get the good ending ether, which adds on the challenge of NOT massacring everything you see, and the replay value of "well i got the blue/red ending, might as well try again". The lore behind this (to me) was interesting, though for some the endings are hard to figure out, unless you've gotten time to think about them, or you watched an explanation video of it. Another problem about this game is that while the lore/story overall is good it can be hard to explain without giving away spoilers of any kind. Also, the game can be found as short, depending on how well you play it (LIKE MOST VIDEO GAMES), if you find it easy, or this is your second time playing it, you may finish it within 1, 2, or 3 hours, but if this is your first time, 3, 4, 5, 6, or heck even 7 HOURS. Another awesome thing is that if you have a Playstation plus account you can get this for free right now (but I didn't come to spread the word).

    9.75 OUT OF 10

    PROS:
    -Smart gameplay and/or mechanics
    -Interesting story
    -Great use of horror
    -Awesome soundtrack
    -Controls are good most of the time but...

    CONS:
    - ...it can feel awkward sometimes
    -Can be found as short    … Expand
  9. AgamePlayed
    May 1, 2017
    10
    The best Indie survival horror I've ever played, it reminds me so much of Silent Hill but offers an original storyline, one of the most polished and atmospheric game soundtracks across all platforms, and multiple game endings with many secret items and story branches. The theme of strength in times of adversity is one that most can relate to, and the depth of plot and characterisationThe best Indie survival horror I've ever played, it reminds me so much of Silent Hill but offers an original storyline, one of the most polished and atmospheric game soundtracks across all platforms, and multiple game endings with many secret items and story branches. The theme of strength in times of adversity is one that most can relate to, and the depth of plot and characterisation coupled with very polished music and sfx make the game a joy to immerse yourself in, and to return to multiple times.… Expand
  10. ericwithcheese
    Nov 11, 2015
    9
    Atmospheric and haunting, Lone Survivor is a game that gets under your skin in all the right ways. Boasting an old-school, it is genuinely unsettling and best played wearing headphones. The sound design is awesome and makes this game stand out.
  11. pppoopoowewebut
    Oct 3, 2020
    9
    One of my favorite games of all time, and I'm not even that big on horror! Lone Survivor is a quintessential 2010s' classic. Sure, it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but if you love horror or just want something to make you feel uncomfortable for a few hours, this is THE game. Although I own a digital copy of this, I also bought the Limited Run Games version, and I totally unashamedOne of my favorite games of all time, and I'm not even that big on horror! Lone Survivor is a quintessential 2010s' classic. Sure, it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but if you love horror or just want something to make you feel uncomfortable for a few hours, this is THE game. Although I own a digital copy of this, I also bought the Limited Run Games version, and I totally unashamed of that fact.… Expand
  12. Puma_Jam25
    Sep 20, 2022
    8
    Interesante juego, lo jugué luego de 5 años de haberlo obtenido. A la falta de un nuevo Silent Hill, creo que esto está a la altura. Un juego corto, un 2D survival horror, que tiene una historia interesante, buscar llaves y objetos como todo juego del género. Lo recomiendo totalmente.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS Vita Game of 2013
23
#23 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2013
12
#12 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. RPG Fan
    Dec 1, 2013
    79
    A daringly ambiguous piece of storytelling with some scary moments.
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  2. XGN
    Nov 15, 2013
    80
    Mysterious and gauntly terrifying, Lone Survivor delivers what it promises. A two-dimensional adventure with 8bit graphics is quite strange, especially in the area of horror games. Lone Survivor is one of those surprises for the PlayStation Vita.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Oct 23, 2013
    80
    There's really nothing else like this on Sony's handheld right now. [Issue#140, p.116]
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