Rating of
2.5/5
Bite-Sized Horror Leaves Me Hungry for More
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/07/17
After the success of games like Amnesia and Outlast (and the PT demo), everyone jumped on the horror bandwagon. Kraven Manor is essentially a college project that turned in to a full-fledged game. Much like Slenderman turning into Slender: The Arrival, this is a work in progress that was a popular Beta that was eventually released on Steam. Taking that in to account, Kraven Manor isn't a bad game - but, at the same time, it's incredibly short and really doesn't distinguish itself from the pack. That being said, if you can get it at a good price, it can provide a short horror experience and, for some people, that might be enough.
Presentation: The game looks fine but, if you read other reviews, you'll find its capped at 15 fps - on my dinosaur it's probably not a big issue, but for people with high-end gaming machines, it's going to make a big difference. The game is dark, as per horror rules, and because it's first person, you'll be searching around with your flashlight a lot. There is plenty to find - articles, pictures and other such. There is only one, real enemy - a bronze-cast mannequin, and it is pretty creepy. The music and sound is decent - with plenty of creaks, thunder and metallic groans to keep you on your toes. I like the game doesn't rely solely on jump scares for its horror, though those are present as well. The game crashed on me once (other reviews state it sometimes has trouble loading and will crash - which is what happened to me), but I didn't lose any progress. Still, for such a short game (you should be able to finish in an hour), you would think it would be more polished.
Story: The game doesn't really give you a backstory - I guess you're exploring Kraven Manor, and the enigmatic William Kraven, for some reason. It turns out William is really into the occult - especially the power to harness the soul. You find out some dark things about him - namely it seems he killed his parents (making it look like a murder-suicide), likes experimenting on the destitute and homeless and has an affinity for dipping things in bronze. In any case, he learned that the soul can survive outside the body - for a short time in specially-designed spheres, but for a much longer time in specially-crafted mannequins. These mannequins seem to serve as some kind of guards, as they constantly harass you (and can kill you). The best part about the game is learning the creepy history behind the mansion and William. I wish there was more lore as what is given, and the fact they simply throw you in, is kind of weak.
Gameplay: A typical horror-themed adventure game. You walk around, solve a few puzzles, hear scary noises, maybe a jump a few times and, of course, avoid the enemy. The enemy in this case is a creepy bronze-dipped mannequin who only moves when your back is turned (thus if you keep your flashlight on him and back away, the creepy thing keeps still). It's a gimmick employed by other games, but at least it keeps things mildly interesting. Some of the puzzles were decent, though no big head-scratchers here. The game throws in one boss battle at the end, but otherwise, it's mainly avoidance, dark places and scary noises. It's not unnerving enough to be memorable but, luckily, also doesn't rely on just jump scares for its horror.
Replayability: I'm guessing I got the "bad" ending, meaning there is a better one out there, as well as Nightmare difficulty. For such a short game, I guess there's some reason to go back, but the incentive just isn't that appealing.
Overall: A horror game that obviously takes its cue from better games - buy it cheap if you want a short, horror experience, but don't expect too much.
Presentation: 2/5
Story: 2/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Replayability: 3/5
Overall (not an average): 2.5/5
