Set in a remote town in Missouri, Pneumata offered plenty to entice horror fans with its unsettling atmosphere and Lovecraftian creatures. As a new game from indie studio Deadbolt Interactive, it also promised to take cues from beloved classics like Silent Hill while carving out its own haunting identity. Playing the introductory demo last year, I was gripped by the gloomy backdrops and how effectively the lighting ratcheted up the tension. Everything from the creepy figures glimpsed outside to flickering streetlights drew me into the setting. Deadbolt clearly aimed high with their debut.

Yet after the full release, I found Pneumata pulls you in, only to let you down where it truly matters—the gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to visuals, this game delivers. Environments benefit from painstaking details and weather effects that stir the imagination. But beyond the atmospherics, serious issues emerge that weigh down the experience.