Lethe - Episode One

Not a bad game. I enjoy the exploration and atmosphere. Not really liking the whole hiding and being chased. Does not have a borderless window option. The story is engaging. What gets me is the creepy atmosphere even with aging graphics.

it's... pretty alright.
doesn't look like there will ever be a chapter two.

it has a lot of inspiration from the penumbra games. story and mechanics are cool.
I had a hard time with objects being stuck/in the way with the telekinesis system. and also the level design made it sort of unclear where to go, i often found myself choosing a random path from multiple options only to irreversibly progress.

I'd only buy it on sale

the game does not feel good to move around in

Horror with great atmosphere. I hope developers will make Episode Two one day.

Excellent Penumbra or Amnesia-like game... Scratched an itch even Frictional hasn't been able to scratch lately with their releases.

had this game a few years now. Decided to give it another airing.Got a new laptop with windows 11.Would not load up. I dug out my old laptop and it works fine on windows 10. Great game .Worth a go. Pity it"s been abandoned.

Just finished this on my Youtube channel (link at end of review for anyone who wants to see a gameplay sample before buying), and overall I thought this was a decent horror game. What is unfortunate is that apparently Lethe Episode One was meant to be the first in a series of games, but sadly said series got cancelled and as such there's never been an Episode Two. But nonetheless, Episode One is worth picking up and playing!

Other people have mentioned it already, but you can definitely see the Amnesia inspirations underpinning this game. In many ways, Lethe is very similar - first-person perspective, exploring dark, sinister environments, finding notes and solving basic puzzles, and using stealth to avoid dangerous monsters. So if you enjoyed the gameplay of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and are looking for games with a similar vibe, chances are you'll probably enjoy Lethe as well.

The basic premise is that you play as a man searching for answers about his own identity, and you are washed up on a strange shore after your boat is wrecked somewhere on the Greek coast. Soon you discover that this stretch of shore and the old mining facility located there are eerily devoid of any life. Cue a story that unfolds about sinister scientific experiments, where the ancient Greek folklore that the game is based upon (Lethe, the river of forgetfulness and oblivion in the underworld) ties in thematically with what is going on.

The visuals are fine and hold up well, as does the sound design. In terms of atmosphere, the game definitely has its moments of general creepiness, especially when you're wandering through dark, claustrophobic tunnels and passages, figuring out puzzles whilst keeping an eye out for whatever creepy entity stalks the place.

The gameplay is nothing special, I would argue, but it does function well and is pretty solid. Lethe does have a gimmick of its own: not far into the game, you unlock the power of telekinesis, enabling you to pick up, manipulate and throw props in your environment. In essence, this is much like the ability to pick up and throw objects in Amnesia, just with a few more possibilities (e.g. being able to pick up and move objects behind fences up to a certain distance). Again, nothing special - but it works well enough.

Overall, the game was fairly well-made; I didn't encounter any bugs or glitches. In terms of length, Lethe isn't very long - I completed it in about 4-5 hours. In terms of difficulty, the game's puzzles are decently challenging without being overly difficult - usually, where I struggled it was more a case of me not engaging my brain properly rather than the game being too hard. So, in summary, Lethe - Episode One is a decent horror game and is well worth a shot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JxvML6NBgY&list=PL05Yc3_TEBpOUe2U3htHoHeuphtvV6_fx&index=1

Lethe was a cool, atmospheric, dingy, first person puzzle game that was pretty fun to go through. Only took 3 hours on my first playthrough and while it had "horror" elements and some chase sequences, the horror was nicely placed and never felt out of place. There weren't any jumpscares or cheap tricks and everything wrapped up in a nice bow. A lot of this games story is in the form of notes to collect but its never too much text that you TLDR. Only issue I had with the game is on the very last level, where you need to toss a certain item above a gate to get it into an unaccessable room, which WAS a thing you could do in previous part of the game, but the gate you throw the item over doesn't look the same as the others and therefore does look as if anything can fit into the gap to proceed. Other than that one hiccup though, I got this game real cheap on sale, everything else made sense and I had a good time playing this game. 7/10

Lethe - Episode 1

The Story
I play a man who discovers that he is not who he believed himself to be. An old document from the attic proves that his real father once placed him in someone else's care. But why? Before he can fully process the shock, the protagonist sets out to find his origins and travels to the house where his real parents lived. Strangely, he wakes up on the beach in front of the shabby little house, and so begins a bizarre quest...

The game is played from the character's perspective. There are no weapons, but you can interact with objects, and some of them can be picked up (for healing, energy, and puzzle pieces). The game consists of a total of 8 chapters. Saving occurs automatically, but you can also save at specific points (once per chapter), which will be very helpful later on.

Later, the ability of telekinesis is added to move things. Needless to say, this is crucial to the game. It was also fun, as I had to draw on old RPG skills for some puzzles - but you should discover that for yourself.
The path is blocked by various obstacles along the way. Whether doors, grates, acid puddles, hot steam, or other things, there is a lot to solve, so it is by no means a walking simulator - this becomes clear at the latest when the evil antagonists appear. Strangely enough, sometimes they are on my side - does this have something to do with the whole story of "my" origins? In any case, the story becomes clearer (and more bizarre) the more clues I find (we remember that the protagonist is searching for his real parents).

The Impression
It begins with subtle horror, so no mutilated undead or other splatter elements or fights. The horror is initially subtle, intangible, playing with expectation and imagination, and it does this well. Although you come across dead bodies, I consider that part of creating a creepy environment, it didn't feel overly forced.

At first, creatures remain in the distance, but their brief appearances still evoke a sense of unease. I had a constant lurking anticipation of contact. Sounds, noises, and music significantly contribute to the mood.
Graphically, I had no complaints about Lethe. The game world is very well depicted, everything seems to be exactly where it belongs. The world is neither overloaded with details nor lacking anything - it's hard to explain, but it just "fits." There is nothing to criticize here.

Controls and Miscellaneous
With keyboard and mouse, it played wonderfully, as I could customize everything individually. Controller support is also offered. Both should be standard nowadays.
In the prologue, it is recommended to play in a dark room and with headphones. I recommend this as well.

Playtime for one run: approx. 5 hours

Steam Achievements
Not too many, but enough to search for. And they are well-chosen for gameplay, with only one being completely pointless. You have to play the game a maximum of a second time, as some achievements are mutually exclusive, like "Step into a trap 3 times" and "Disarm all traps in the game."

Lethe: Episode 1 is a small gem. It can easily withstand comparisons to Amnesia. I found it great and therefore recommend it without any reservations.