55
It’s one of those horror games that think it’s sufficient to smear the screen with darkness, provide the player with a flashlight and scatter some bloody offal every couple of steps. [10/2016, p.53]
40
Only buy it so Polyslash can afford to make something better. [Issue#255, p.60]
50
A below-average short horror game that pretends to be an Alien: Isolation clone but fails in almost every possible way.
6
=========
worth it
=========
- 1:30-2 hours long
-dark stealth horror game but have glitches
7
Game where you are being chased by some terrible monster that wants to kill you... Oh wait this reminds me of something, wait i know every horror survival game out there. My comparison aside this game is a survival horror with some stealth elements made by Polyslash indie studio. Something that makes this game stand out from every survival horror is your toxin meter where you have to use antidote to lower your toxin levels. Ship is the area you play in and it has some minor design flaws but it's very nice looking. The biggest issue in this game is AI, i don't think it's bad but game would have been better if events were scripted because suspense builds up with ambient then that mosnter wanders and sees you and all that suspense is lost, maybe first few times you are going to get scared but later it's just going to be boring. Game looks very good, fine enemy design and a good handling of horror element building suspense instead of a jumpscare around every corner. Phantaruk has a lot of good elements but the thing why i rated it lower then some might expect is it's similarity with other games of the genre and lack of innovation. To summarise it: Phantaruk is a game with a decent story, good enemy design, fine soundtrack, game looks nice but it's more or less same with every other sci-fi survival horror out there. If you are a fan of sci-fi survival horror games like SOMA you should find this game very enjoyable and interesting while if you aren't a big fan of survival horror games you won't really find it enjoyable. For the price tag Phantaruk is a cheap quality game
7
Phantaruk is a sci-fi horror game aspiring to be like Alien Isolation or SOMA. To be honest: its much smaller game than his AAA cousins but still awesome as a indie horror. Nice story and mood, a few leaks in gameplay.
Phantaruk
Released On:
Aug 16, 2016
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
User score
Mixed or Average
7.4
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
7% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
79% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
14% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Aug 24, 2016
75
Phantaruk is a solid game that makes a great first impression but like that annoying party guest that does not know when to leave, the longer the game goes on the less terrifying it becomes. The game mechanics stay the same throughout which cause the player’s anxiety to become numb like a dentist’s anesthetic prior to filling a cavity.
Aug 19, 2016
65
I like the concept quite a bit, and there are a few other games out there that prove it can be done extremely well, but there are just too many issue here holding back the things the game does well for it to be an easy recommend.
User score
Mixed or Average
47% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
47% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Aug 17, 2016
8
Phantaruk is a small horror game with a nice story and visuals. The tension is great but there is only a few jumpscares. As a let's player I enjoyed the moments with monster chasing me through the corridors.
Aug 17, 2016
8
There is nice story, very good music (shame there is not ost to buy separetely). Monster is scary. Really nice horror and cheap in addition. I think that you can buy it, if only you don't want to have everything like in Alien: Isolation with $10 price.
Aug 17, 2016
60
The several hours needed to complete Phantaruk were quite pleasant. Sure, there are lots of better indie games (especially in the "scary" genre) but Polyslash has a chance to dazzle gamers with their next game. Their debut is a well done mix of horror and stealth that needs some polishing and a better story.
Aug 17, 2016
55
A basic and short survival horror with a decent audio. There aren't many moments of tension, and the gameplay is too simple, as are the graphics.
Sep 29, 2016
50
A below-average short horror game that pretends to be an Alien: Isolation clone but fails in almost every possible way.
Aug 22, 2016
50
Bugs, choppy frame rate, and some finicky controls make exploring the drab and sterile environments a clunky chore. There is something here, though.
Sep 7, 2016
40
Unfortunately, the story never really got going in the game and with the slow crawl through a pretty much lifeless ship this made the game a little underwhelming. The story lasts anywhere between 2 -3 hours depending on how slow you take it and just feels too short and I’m not sure I ever really saw those stealth mechanics.
Aug 24, 2016
7
Game where you are being chased by some terrible monster that wants to kill you... Oh wait this reminds me of something, wait i know every horror survival game out there. My comparison aside this game is a survival horror with some stealth elements made by Polyslash indie studio. Something that makes this game stand out from every survival horror is your toxin meter where you have to use antidote to lower your toxin levels. Ship is the area you play in and it has some minor design flaws but it's very nice looking. The biggest issue in this game is AI, i don't think it's bad but game would have been better if events were scripted because suspense builds up with ambient then that mosnter wanders and sees you and all that suspense is lost, maybe first few times you are going to get scared but later it's just going to be boring. Game looks very good, fine enemy design and a good handling of horror element building suspense instead of a jumpscare around every corner. Phantaruk has a lot of good elements but the thing why i rated it lower then some might expect is it's similarity with other games of the genre and lack of innovation. To summarise it: Phantaruk is a game with a decent story, good enemy design, fine soundtrack, game looks nice but it's more or less same with every other sci-fi survival horror out there. If you are a fan of sci-fi survival horror games like SOMA you should find this game very enjoyable and interesting while if you aren't a big fan of survival horror games you won't really find it enjoyable. For the price tag Phantaruk is a cheap quality game
Aug 17, 2016
7
Phantaruk is a sci-fi horror game aspiring to be like Alien Isolation or SOMA. To be honest: its much smaller game than his AAA cousins but still awesome as a indie horror. Nice story and mood, a few leaks in gameplay.
Aug 17, 2016
7
I enjoyed this one - good storytelling, great ambience, cool spaceship interiors. Not much to do besides hiding and reading notes, but it was good enough to enjoy it while it lasted. And the game is about 4 hours long which for me is an advantage - I like short titles that need an evening or two to finish.
Aug 17, 2016
7
Short survival horror with a lot of potential. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the storytelling. I enjoyed its pace and scary moments. But I gotta be fair here - it needs some polish.
Aug 29, 2022
6
=========
worth it
=========
- 1:30-2 hours long
-dark stealth horror game but have glitches
SummaryPhantaruk combines survival horror with adventure and stealth mechanics. Expect true shivers down your spine as you fight for your life not only facing the dangers of the Purity-02 spaceship, but most of all - when you try to get rid of toxins continually destroying you from the inside.
