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A bite-sized classic survival horror experience | Full Review - Heaven Dust

985 View2023-05-28

Heaven Dust

8.1

SurvivalActionHorrorPuzzle

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Heaven Dust is an old-school-style zombie survival horror game that combines puzzle-solving, storytelling, and a classic isometric third person view.

🟩Pros

+Classic Resident Evil atmosphere

+Simple gameplay mechanics

+Challenging puzzles

🟥Cons

-Clunky controls

-Limited camera view due to portrait orientation

-Omission of controller support despite having a PC/Switch version

With its mixed PS1 and PS2 levels of visuals, a haunting atmosphere, and old school style isometric camera, it beckons players to explore a mansion filled with zombies, solve puzzles, and uncover its dark secrets. Originally released for PC, an Android port is now coming soon and I was able to test this version out.

You wake up in a mansion, a former research center that has now transformed into a labyrinth teeming with menacing zombies and treacherous traps. In order to survive, you must face these dangers, gather items, solve puzzles, all while revealing a mysterious storyline that unfolds gradually as they explore the mansion and uncover hidden documents and diaries. The narrative is intriguing, as players piece together the events that led to the mansion's current state and their own presence within it. While the story is not overly complex, it provides enough motivation to drive players forward

At the start, you can easily tell that this game is inspired by the classic Resident Evil games. The typewriter sound bits used to open the survival story, as well as the gameplay mechanics upon the start of the gameplay confirmed my suspicions. Even the menus, item combination system, safe room storage box, heart rate graph indicating health, and healing herbs are all ripped straight from classic Resident Evil.

The game's overall feel not only pays homage to the classic survival horror games of the past but also adds a certain charm and nostalgia with its chibi-looking characters. The environments capture the essence of a creepy mansion with dark corridors, dimly lit rooms, and ominous ambiance.

Heaven Dust offers a mix of puzzle-solving, exploration, and zombie survival, creating a well-rounded gameplay experience that we are all familiar with. As you navigate through the mansion in an isometric view, you'll encounter various puzzles and riddles that require observation, critical thinking, and item combination/manipulation to progress. The puzzles are well-designed and logical, offering a good balance of head scratching and satisfaction.

The combat in Heaven Dust is reminiscent of the shooting system in Resident Evil, you just equip the weapon, raise it up, and click at the zombies you'll frequently encounter throughout the mansion. While combat mechanics are relatively straightforward, they require strategic positioning and resource management to overcome the undead.

Ammunition and health items are limited, adding an element of tension and forcing players to carefully consider their actions. However, some players have found the controls to be a bit clunky, and the portrait view of the game a bit limiting, particularly when moving around and trying to get by on a very limited horizontal view. While the PC and Switch versions offered controller support, this title surprisingly did not when I tested my Xbox Controller on it, despite the tutorial still showing gamepad layouts to the player.

The exploration aspect of the game is rewarding, with secrets and hidden items scattered throughout the mansion. The zoomed out isometric camera slightly helps in making this game a bit accessible, as you can easily see rooms even across walls and closed doors. Backtracking is often necessary to unlock new areas or access previously inaccessible rooms, which can feel repetitive or disorienting for some players. However, the mansion's layout remains engaging due to its nonlinear labyrinth nature, encouraging players to revisit areas and discover new paths.

Heaven Dust introduces players to a mysterious storyline that unfolds gradually as they explore the mansion and uncover hidden documents and diaries. The narrative is intriguing, as players piece together the events that led to the mansion's current state and their own presence within it. While the story is not overly complex, it provides enough motivation to drive players forward, and the multiple endings based on player choices offer replayability and encourage further exploration.

Conclusion:

Despite its minor drawbacks such as the clunky controls and limited camera view, Heaven Dust successfully captures the essence of classic survival horror games while simplifying its gameplay mechanics enough that it doesn’t become too complicated to play, especially now that it is ported to mobile. It delivers a nostalgic and atmospheric bite-sized experience for players. Its old school mechanics, haunting atmosphere, and challenging puzzles create a compelling journey through the zombie-infested mansion.

Mentioned games

Heaven Dust

8.1

SurvivalActionHorrorPuzzle

Get

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