What do you know about the horrors you are about to face? Sometimes that’s a rhetorical question as you aren’t meant to know anything. The horror comes from having the unknown surprise you even when you know what to expect. Enigma of Fear takes that concept and runs in an interesting direction. You don’t know what you’re up against. Your team is a mystery. All you know is that your father went missing somewhere and you are finding out what happened.
Enigma of Fear is a mystery horror game from Dumativa and provides some amazing detective work that truly pushes your analytical mind. Piece together obscure clues to figure out where to go and how to solve the next big puzzle. You also have a dark environment that helps build the horror atmosphere when enemies attack. However, the difficulty can be high because the detective challenges are not easy to master. There are also some bugs and freezes that hamper gameplay. It’s a decent experience but prepare to be challenged while expecting the unexpected.
You play as Mia. Her father has recently gone missing on a mission and Mia is going after him with her dog Lupi. Along with allies Samuel and Agatha, Mia must explore an area known as the Perimeter to find her father. During her search, she discovers what happened to the team her father brought with him and the Cult of Fear. She must explore the Perimeter but explores however she wishes.
The way the introduction is set up would make you think Enigma of Fear had a prequel. You are thrown into a situation where the characters know everything and you know nothing. Most of the game’s background is shown to you as you play. This isn’t inherently bad but it reduces the stakes of the story. Mia’s father feels like a stranger and you don’t feel motivated to find him. The story is all about the search but there’s no emotional gravitas or desire.
You eventually learn the background information of the characters but it’s hard to get attached. The mystery is the most important aspect and you pick up clues on other characters. While all stories eventually reveal details about the world, the pace in Enigma of Fear isn’t fast enough. You don’t develop much attachment to the crew or anyone who is involved. It feels like the story wants you to assume details, which results in a lack of clarity.
The gameplay also has a shaky start, not giving you all the controls up front. You barely learn how to attack when an enemy appears. Fortunately, most of the awkwardness passes and you learn what you need. You must carefully comb areas for clues while fighting enemies. Using firearms is effective but you should save ammo for the bosses. Stealth kills are more effective, especially when most enemies trace your location through sound.
Thanks to the dark atmosphere, it feels like a survival horror game with tough detective puzzles. Every document, tape, or object could hold a valuable hint and you must look at everything. This is a game where every detail matters and you must put them together. The level of detective work is amazing, even if you are playing on the default difficulty. It challenges you to consider everything you have seen and put clues together like a real detective.
The downside is that it makes the game more difficult than other horror games. You must do most of the work in your head without a place to organize files or put clues together. Even if you do use the game’s mindmap, it only shows you areas you haven’t fully explored. Enigma of Fear’s hint system is too broad with few specific hints. For players that aren’t used to using a pen and paper to write down their hints, this could be a tough game to recommend.
There are also bugs throughout Enigma of Fear that can ruin your experience. Frozen loading screens or enemies failing to deal damage break any trace of immersion. It may not seem bad to have a bug where enemies can’t deal damage, but that ruins the entire horror aspect of the game. Having the screen freeze when you change locations is even worse. While bugs may not appear frequently, they are inconvenient enough to ruin the experience when they do appear.
When it comes to establishing a horror detective game, Enigma of Fear takes things to the next level. It’s hard to find a game that challenges you on two fronts: fear and intelligence. However, this mix isn’t perfect and it can be more frustrating than enjoyable. Enigma of Fear can be a good experience but it’s more complicated than what you might be used to. But if you want a horror experience that makes you think, you can’t go wrong here.
Victor played Enigma of Fear on PC with a review code.
