Hektor

Game is just not for me. I love puzzle games and psychological horror, but this is overwhelmingly a walking simulator with vague puzzles. I do like the room changes. Makes it hard to navigate and question your sanity. My general rule is that if I can't get into a game or lore within the first hour, I probably won't enjoy the rest. In this case, I game it nearly 2 hours before I got bored. Others may enjoy it, but it's just not for me.

While the shifting rooms is an interesting idea. The implementation of the "monster" you have to deal with is terrible on an epic scale.

Imagine a monster stalking you that is nearly impossible to deal with and will kill you over and over again. Meanwhile the rest of the game finally decides you suck, so it practically just hands you the next objective by making the room you need to go to spawn 100% of the time. This game will literally just let you beat it eventually after a couple of hours of you just running around being confused in an ever shifting landscape while a monster kills you over and over again because you have no means of running from it, or hiding from it. All you can do is see how long it takes for you to bump into it and then try to desperately run away in an ever shifting and disorienting environment that is oddly linear. And the monster runs real fast, so hope you don't find a dead end, which will happen.

TAKE YOUR PILLS!.. but don't expect to notice any difference. Been eating them like tic tacs and yet the vision is permanently swirling like crazy.

Just keep your invisible mental health bar full or get hunted. Much fun. Wow

Great game

Scary and mindfucking at the same time, once you go one way you end up at another.

Great concept, would be better if they perfected it with interface and menu.

While I would like to give this game a better review, the visuals at one point in the game became so unbearable I had to stop the game while I was streaming. Let me explain:

While playing you are to take "benzo" medication which is supposed to help with the visual hallucinations (I guess?) as the room starts to waver, becomes unclear/fuzzy as you explore your location. That's all well and good, though I was never sure how much to take as I would take enough so that the visuals became bearable.

In a generator room it became so ridiculous and waving back and forth like the character was on a ship and so fuzzy and discolored it was not only difficult to see and troubleshoot the puzzle but it became unbearable to continue to view to play the game. The "benzo" didn't seem to help. My viewers and I made a decision to quit at that point.

There are redeeming qualities to the game. There is definitely a spooky atmosphere. There are a couple of jumps and I'm bummed because I think that the game was going to start ramping up the scares at that point. It was a bit confusing where to go exactly as the place kept changing around as you played. Unfortunately as I was unable to finish it, I can't recommend it. But I did pick it up on sale, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price. I would say get it and try it yourself if you can get it on sale.

If you want to see the playthrough on twitch here's the link:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/666405578

+ Beautiful sound design
+ Creepy atmosphere
+ Relatively challenging gameplay
+ Mind-blowing plot

- Having to figure out everything for yourself without any cut-scenes or explanations may be considered as a flaw. On the other hand, that is exactly what makes the game engaging, difficult and demanding.

SPOILER: Repeated phrase "Stop the water, start the fire" – actually hints at the main goal throughout the whole game!

Still one of the WORST "horror" games on Steam.

I finished it in like 50 sessions, just for the sake of it but never again. The game is glitchy(graphics, settings not saving), the story makes no sense at all. And all you do is walk around in the dark in the same areas OVER and OVER. Oh and then some generic monster will chase you, and you start over if it kills you. Might as well play The Stanley Parable(which is a far superior game compared to this crap).

This game is bad in every aspect, and unless you want to torture yourself playing this I would recommend against buying it.

Update: decided to modify my review a bit, since it is now possible to get all the achievements in the game with the help of steam console, redownloading some files using it and a guide by one of the players. Keep in mind that it is still an unoficial way (since the game wasn't patched since i posted my review), so i can't change my attitude towards this game. All the points about bugs remain the same, just ignore the broken achievement ones.

Before writing the review I would like to point out that this game is IMPOSSIBLE TO 100% for achievement hunters, and thus should be avoided. ("Scaredy cat" achievement was broken after one of the patches and "For Kung & Riksdag!" seems to be insanely buggy and at some point stops keeping track of what collectibles you have. Also one of the collectibles was reported to be unreachable. After 5 or so runs i wasn't able to get this achievement.
For casual players who don't focus on achievements, here is my review. I will still mention some bugs I encountered in the game, so be sure to read all of it.

Not sure where to start from. It's just a generic horror game with a monster and notes, but with a bit more effort put into it (it's not complete garbage). Collecting notes is optional, but they help understand the plot. Although i found at least 2 spots in chapter 3 near one of the chess pieces where picking up notes is impossible. I can see the notes but they are glued to the table and it won't let me pick them up. The solution to this is simple: die and hope the note spawns on another table where you can pick it up from. But that shouldn't be the way to solve problems in a GOOD game.

What is unique about this game is that it's constantly shifting/looping corridors, which is interesting and perhaps even fun at first, but becomes annoying and tedious later on in the game (especially when you know what you must do, but the game thinks you need to visit THAT location for the 5th time).

Another mechanic in this game is called "insanity" which makes your screen blurry/wobbly/colorful unless you take your pills. Pills spawning areas are randomly generated of course, so inattentive players may find themselves in a constant state of drunk camera. It's not an annoying effect, although some parts of it literally made my eyes hurt, especially the blurry vision.

Did I mention the game length? Well it's roughly 2 hours (blind playthrough) and less than an hour if you are speedrunning. As for me it's rather short, especially for the price it's sold, but you can always refund it if you don't like it.

The monster...Well it is there and not really annoying, but the game is atmospheric enough and doesn't need a constant threat in my opinion, but of course it is an artificial way of prolonging the game. Without it the game would be even shorter, so it's up to you to decide whether it's a good feature or a bad one.

Now for the painful part...Achievements. One of the achievements requires you to beat the game without using any light source (lighter and flashlight). Do you understand what it means? Yep 2+ hours of bumping into walls and hoping to stumble upon a door. Of course you can adjust your in-game gamma to the max, increase monitor brightness/contrast, but that barely helps and even when it does, it still hurts the eyes and is just a poorly designed achievement.

So overall i can say that this game has its flaws and bugs but a casual player might even enjoy it, especially since it's so short.
The sad part here is that the devs completely abandoned this game and ignore players who add them as a friend so it will never be patched/fixed and you can forget about your 100%.

Other than that feel free to give the game a try and see if you like it or not. Although why support developers which abandon their game after a few patches?

Glad I bought it and played it, but I don't think I can really recommend this to others.

* Camera effects are completely nauseating. I went to the Options to tone it down, but the Options don't really work. It wouldn't save my changes. Furthermore, you are supposed to be able to take benzos to calm the screen down, but even taking multiple pills didn't seem to have any impact. I found myself trying to get killed just to clear the screen.

* The monster materializes out of nowhere. I don't mind a tough game, but I don't want it artificially difficult. Just walking down a hallway, a sound plays, and then there he is right in front of you, completely out of nowhere. However, as I said above, it was almost a reward to get killed so the character would regain his sanity.

* I had to close and restart the game several times to allow myself to progress due to glitches; for instance, once I got trapped on the wrong side of an NPC and there was just nothing I could do.

* Due to the nature of the game (routes sometimes change) you have to walk through the same areas over and over.

Now I did think there were some nice things. Overall, I thought the sound design was nice, and I enjoyed the monster character models. The graphics, as a whole, were just average, though. I did get scared a few times by noisy jump scares, and a number of scenes made me tense, particularly BEFORE the monster was introduced.

Anyway, I did end up enjoying it, but there are just too many problems to really recommend it.

This game has potential, but is tragically undersupported.

I bought this game around when it came out, over a year ago. There are few news updates in general, and when there are they are usually not pertaining to overhauls of the game itself, but rather promotional concerns.

As others have stated, it's an original, quite terrifying experience for the first hour or so, then one is confined to repeating the same places over and over until you unlock the right combination; so it's kind of like playing in a claoustrphobicizing psychedelic combination-lock labyrinth. I hope that this game continues development, it has a lot of potential to be a groundbreaking horror classic. I'll update my review when there's a sizable patch.

Definately a solid title, but nothing amazing. I liked the atmosphere and the story was rather interesting. Sometimes the game got repetative, but that really only added to the atmosphere, in my opinion. The graphics were decent, and I thought the sound design was excellent. I can say that it isn't anything amazing or special, but if you're looking for a game that is definately scary and definately good.

NOTE-PICKING-UP SIMULATOR

This game is SCARY!

WARNING: If you get motion sickness easily beware this game has an "insanity" feature which blurs and waves the screen. Some people have been known to get headaches or feel ill from playing. Even if you're not someone who typically gets motion sickness/ headaches I'd still suggest taking a break and letting your eyes rest. I'm usually fine and yet I've found I needed a break to clear my head.

If you've been blessed with an iron stomach and like creepy games then get this game!

The game is very easy to play and has a vey creepy atmosphere. There's no clear objectives from your surroundings but the game has a way of leading you to where you need to go so long as you keep exploring. If you keep exploring you'll find your objectives. Be mindful of looking for shiny objects so you can pick them up. Take your pills periodically lest you fall into insanity and get a super trippy screen.

Definitely a creepy game, if a bit confusing, but then again it's a psychological horror game so that confusion works....at least a litlle. I still don't know exactly what's going on in this game after 2 playthroughs but I think it has something to do with brainwashing experiments being carried out at a secret, underground facility called, yep you guessed it, Hektor.

Initially it was very atmospheric and scary and I was literally holding my breath while creeping along darkened hallways with nothing more to light my way than a ye olden times zippo and some random, faulty lighting. I definitely dropped many OFB's while playing this (TRANSLATION: the word 'OH' followed closely by a commonly used word for copulation and then finished off with 'BOMB'). The first time I saw the emaciated, floaty ghost that's rockin' some hardcore denim was merely the first of many OFB moments. After that, those moments were basically only used for when the Predator showed up (no, not the good kind that keeps your skull as a keepsake) but a cracked out version of the emaciated, floaty denim ghost.

The use of sound and music is effective, though I have to say that the trippy, tilting screen effect throughout the entirety of the game gets a little annoying. Oh yeah, then there's the profusion of doors....so many doors, so little time!

Anywho, Hektor was a creepy surprise for me and I can't wait to see what the devs do for their next game. Definitely pick this up (though i recommend you hold out for a sale, as $20 is a little steep for this one).

To Deaf & Hard of Hearing gamers out there:

Do not buy the game. It is far from deaf-friendly! When the game was first released, it was shown on the store page that the game had English subtitles available. Sure enough, there was an option to turn on subtitles within the game. The problem? It didn't work at all, the settings would reset themselves once you actually started playing the game. Even after trying several proposed fixes, it did not come anywhere close to working.

Then I found out that despite the option being there, the subtitles were actually not implemented yet. Emphasis on the word "yet." I asked for an ETA on the subtitles, never got a response.

A few weeks later, I decide to give the game another shot, see if it had actually been completed as per the game's store page. I checked the game's options and was confused to find that the subtitles option had vanished. There was an announcement stating they had updated the options to properly work but no mention of the subtitles. Checking the store page revealed to me that the developers had quietly removed the check under "Subtitles" section under the "Languages" header.

Do not buy the game unless you want to go into the game without subtitles and not knowing what the hell to do besides wander around like an idiot suffering from constant vertigo.

Shame on the developers for not sticking to their word.

EDIT: I accidentally a word.

Hektor is an unpleasant maze adventure. It uses the environment to trick players by swapping rooms and corridors when you are not looking. You go through identical locations numerous times over the 1-3 hour game and collect story notes found in the exact same place. It is near impossible to determine if the world has actually broken, but rest assured it will break numerous times. Maybe it won't progress forward until you reload, placing you in a never-ending loop, or maybe you just get stuck in a room with no exit.

There are two monsters, one screams when he sees you, and another that chases and slashes at you. The screaming monster broke several times and refused to scream, deciding instead to get in my face and block my progress. The slashing monster will get stuck on the world and just walks through doors you closed. Hektor makes navigating the world nauseating and the monsters are either broken or annoying. Do not get lost in this maze, play another horror adventure.

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The Game is a bit overpriced for the content it provides. Should have bought it for no more than 7$.
Once you realize the live level generation will get you to where you are supposed to go, no matter where you turn, it becomes a really relaxed experience. The Monster has bothered me every now and then, but that's ok, every time he killed me I wound up closer to the goal, and closing doors in his face didn't really stop him from walking through anyway.

I liked the ending. The Music is great.

Unfortunately, this game is getting a lot of bad reviews. Most of them saying that the game is too short, and that there really isn't a huge threat because the monster doesn't really chase you and rarely shows up. That being said, it's still a great horror game, and keep in mind that it was developed by only 5 people. And for 5 people to create this type of horror game that goes on for 2 hours (only if you know EXACTLY what you're doing) is impressive. Furthermore, eventhough the monster might not be chasing you all the type, the eerie and terrifying atmosphere and sound effects makes it seem like they're behind every corner, which frankly scares the shit out of me. Even if I wouldn't have encountered a single monster, I still would've thought this game was great, because I always thought I was being chased. Good job Rubycone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMfyowV_NYk&index=1&list=PLKMxTuqznyPNSCr1OJYithq4UN29NiPHa

Super creepy game that plays on yourr fears. The whole world shifts around you in unsettling ways leaving you unsure as to what is going to happen next - and yet somehow you always manage to find the correct path.

Part maze exploration game, part psychological horror story - this game gave me chills down my spine. Highly reccomend if you like to be scared and unsettled.

I spent about 30 minutes getting the game set up, prepared for a good long thrill ride.

That ride abruptly came to an end after about 2 hours when the game ended.

:(

-Final Review

Hektor is a very disappointing experience for the USD$14.99 that it currently charges. It has a nonsensical story that is neither as sophisticated as it thinks it is, nor as interesting as it tries to be. Its music and art assets are frequently recycled throughout the entire game. It currently has barely 2 hours of game content, which is encased in a platform that seeks to draw out the experience over 3-4 hours through the use of confusing level design.Then there's the glitches, like being unable to interact with in-game items that are necessary for you to proceed further, causing you to have to reload your game.

The worst part, and perhaps the most insulting thing about Hektor, is that it isn't scary at all. Outlast was scary, Alien Isolation was a stressful and harrowing experience. Hektor? Hektor is a complete disgrace to the horror genre of games. Watch any of the lets-plays that are currently on Youtube. Not a single one of them is enthralling, immersive, or in the least bit frightening. Many claim that the game's atmosphere is intensely creepy, and that they would prefer a game like Hektor to one filled with jump scares. Sure, jump scares alone do not make a horror game. Neither do games that are all about the long drawn out creepy atmospheres that eventually amount to nothing.

You can only play so much of Hektor before you feel cheated and violated, like the boy who is strung along by a candy man with all the promises of a sweet future, only to end up in the back of a windowless van. No, there is nothing causing that sound that appears to be made by the wheels of hospital beds rolling across the corridor. Its just one of the many sound assets that the game randomly plays every now and then to build up 'atmosphere'. In fact, I haven't seen a single hospital bed move in this game. How about those creaks and groans and that squeaky violin sound you hear as the background music reaches its crescendo? Yup, just more of the same. Sounds with no force of a credible threat behind them. And do you know why there is no hiding in this game? Because there is no need to - the game is a bloody walking simulator. The only threats in Hektor reside in the creatures that you will encounter in this game, and what a disappointment they are.

The developers advertise this game as having a horrific monster that tirelessly pursues you. Yes there is only one monster in the game capable of killing you. But the only times you experience being chased by this presence is halfway through the game when you first come across it, and towards the end when the game artificially ramps up its difficulty level by putting the creature in your path. Beyond those two occasions, you almost never encounter the creature, much less get 'pursued' by it. Additionally, it is difficult to be afraid of a monster that has pathing issues. There was one occasion when the monster ran continuously into a box that was in front of me as it tried to get at me.

Besides this monster, the game scatters, with no logical rhyme or reason, half naked deathly pale people around the map. These death-camp prisoner of war lookalikes cannot hurt you physically, but are capable of reducing your character's sanity level if you are near them when they scream. The first time you encounter one of these people is a decently shocking experience, but towards the later part of the game, their presence is at best an irritating encounter as the game uses the same audio asset for their screams, and at worst you might end up laughing in their face, especially when you see their ridiculous transition from person into a reddish spectre.

Who are these people-like things? What is that monster that chases you? What is the Hektor program? Who are you? Why are you at the facility? How did you come to develop your psychosis? Why do you guzzle antipsychotic medications like M&Ms? You'd probably have a better chance of getting that information from God than this game. In fact, Hektor hardly explains anything properly. The game conveys its tale singularly through badly written journal or diary entries that are randomly distributed throughout the entire level in a humdrum and erratic manner. Walk into the intelligence room for the first time, pick up a journal entry. Walk into the intelligence room again at a later time, great there are 2 more journal entries to pick up. What the fuck is this? Shouldn't the intelligence room be empty now given that I have just explored it earlier? The entire attempt feels so lazy, so half-hearted. It destroys any remaining immersion that one might have in the game up to this point.

The main story is simplistic. It is also full of boring cliches. How many times can we pretend to be interested in the stories told by the people who eventually develop the 'crazies', or some aggravated form of 'stockholm' syndrome? Leave that for the bad movies, it is their rightful domain. You are supposed to be making a horror game that scares us, unnerves us, that makes the hairs on our skin stand as we uncover the story bit by bit. And this is the best you can come up with?

$14.99 is too much money to spend on this utter filth and garbage. $14.99 is too much money to spend to be insulted by the developers, who think they can masquerade this bad cashgrab as a 'psychological horror game'. The only thing that is horrifying about this game is our ridiculously low expectations when it comes to paying for and hyping garbage like this on Steam.

If you enjoyed 'Daylight', which is another horror game with procedurally generated levels, you might enjoy Hektor. They are both equally bad. Another option is to skip both games, and simply watch a let's play from one of the better youtubers out there. It will require a considerable amount of good acting skills on the part of the youtuber to beat some life into this dead dog's body.

Otherwise, FASTER FASTER... avoid Hektor. You have been warned.