Night at the Gates of Hell

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Night at the Gates of Hell
Protagonist(s): David Genre(s): Survival Horror Platform(s): PC Playstation 4/5 Nintendo Switch Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Release Date: 2022 Engine: Unity Developer(s): Torture Star Video Puppet Combo

Night at the Gates of Hell is a 2022 survival zombie horror game developed by Jordan King and Henry Hoare, and published by Torture Star Video. The full game was released on Steam on midnight of September 15, 2022, and is available on Itch.io. The game was released on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles on September 8, 2023. On December 8, 2023, the game was released on Xbox consoles. The game is also bundled with The Booty Creek Cheek Freak.

The game's development was first announced around 2021 by Jordan King, and the first trailer was later shown in Puppet Combo's direct show livestream, confirmed as the official Torture Star Video game. On the same night, the teaser demo became available for download on Puppet Combo's Patreon.

Why It's Zombified

1. Uninspired Storyline: The game’s plot is heavily derivative of classic zombie horror tropes without offering new twists or innovations.
2. Characters lack depth and meaningful backstories, making it hard for players to form any attachment or investment.
3. The game quickly becomes monotonous due to repetitive tasks and limited variety in objectives.
4. The combat is bad due to the movement and aiming mechanics being awkward and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
   • The zombies take forever to get you, making it pretty easy to kill them, especially with the mechanic that when the zombies get to you, you can stab them if you have knives, if you don't have knives however you will die, but knives are pretty easy to find so it will be likely for you survive a attack from a zombie.
5. Despite aiming for a retro aesthetic, the game's visuals come off as dated and poorly executed rather than nostalgic, and the somewhat sloppy animation doesn't help.
6. Audio cues and background music fail to create a truly immersive horror atmosphere, often feeling out of place or lackluster.
7. The game’s difficulty spikes inconsistently, making it either too easy or frustratingly hard at random points.
8. The zombies lack diversity in appearance and behavior, reducing the sense of threat and excitement.
9. Numerous bugs, glitches, and performance drops, particularly on console versions.
10. The game’s story progression feels disjointed, with poorly linked scenes and abrupt transitions that hinder player engagement.
11. Bad Characters: The characters are poorly developed, making it difficult to connect with them or care about their fate.
    • David: Bland and lacks a compelling backstory.
    • Captain: Stereotypical and one-dimensional.
    • Belinda: Underdeveloped and forgettable.
    • Charles: Annoying and doesn't contribute much to the story.
    • Skeeter: Clichéd and not well-integrated into the plot.
    • Prisoner: Token character with no real depth.
    • Suzi: Appears briefly with no significant impact on the plot.
    • Father Friedstein: Generic and forgettable villain with unclear motives.
    • Liam: Poorly written and disappears early in the game.
12. The combat system is cumbersome, requiring players to stand still while aiming, which disrupts the flow and makes encounters frustrating rather than thrilling.
13. Lack of Scares: The game fails to deliver a genuinely scary experience, relying on cheap jump scares rather than building a suspenseful and terrifying atmosphere.
14. Bad and almost cringeworthy voice acting and dialogue.
15. Very unneeded nudity in the beginning.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The game pays tribute to iconic zombie movies, particularly those of Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei, which can be appreciated by fans of the genre.
2. The headshot mechanic for defeating zombies adds a layer of challenge that can be rewarding for players seeking a more difficult gameplay experience.
3. Unlockable bonus modes like The Booty Creek Cheek Freak and Evil in the House of Dr. Fleshenstein provide additional content for players to explore.
4. Certain death animations pay homage to classic zombie films, adding a layer of creativity and respect for the genre’s history.
5. Stan stands out as a particularly likable character, providing a rare bright spot in the game's otherwise weak character roster. His bravery and loyalty add a touch of humanity to the bleak setting.

Reception

Night at the Gates of Hell received mixed to negative reviews from players and critics. While some appreciated the attempt at a retro zombie horror experience, some criticized the game for its lackluster execution in various aspects such as story, character development, and gameplay mechanics. Performance issues and clunky controls further dampened the overall experience, leading to an underwhelming reception.

Trivia

• The game is inspired by Italian zombie flicks from Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei.
• The teaser demo contains a slight amount of pre-changed differences compared to its full version. The pause menu is deeply simple, no music is heard, and Razor's death was different, with Liam reacting upon seeing her corpse.
• According to Jordan King, the game takes place after Bloodwash.
• Stan, a character from Bloodwash, returns in this game.
• Creepy Guy from Bloodwash also appears as a zombie, and Liam, Sara's ex-boyfriend, appears as a playable character in the prologue.
• Character Suzi was voiced by TheSphereHunter.
• The game has over 80 unique zombies.
• Some death animations in the game are an homage to Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979).
• The name Woodside Apartment is taken as a reference from Silent Hill.
• The game wasn't initially approved by Xbox, leading to a delayed release on that platform.

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