Montague's Mount Review

By AJ Hanson on 29/04/2024 21:50 UTC

I have no idea how to describe this game.

I spent many hours playing this game, and still have no solid idea of what is going on.

The premise is simple enough; explore the island, find items to solve a puzzle or open a door, rinse and repeat. That's it. That's the game and it felt like a huge waste of time.

Don't get me wrong, the horror premise a la Amnesia: The Dark Descent is wonderful. With a great atmosphere, masterful music, and plenty to look at by way of props and objects scattered around the island. It’s a shame that you move about at such a pace that makes a snail seem quick. This makes exploration an extreme chore. The “bit” is that your character sustained an injury which is fine and all, but when I've spent 5 minutes wandering from one side of the beach to the other just looking for a small item only to find I missed it at the beginning of the area it’s disheartening.

For example, I spent 10 minutes looking for a key to unlock a basic door. Only to find that I missed it sitting on a ledge covered by moss. What? Who does this?!

Those issues aside we come to the puzzles. Surely these must be better, as part of the core game play right? WRONG. One word describes every single puzzle I completed (or attempted to complete); maddening. Absolutely maddening. Every puzzle must be completed with precision like accuracy and timing. You miss a cue by a millisecond? START THE WHOLE PUZZLE OVER!

My favorite (sarcasm intended) puzzle I came across was one where I was set to lower a draw bridge on the island. This required me to set four colored discs to the correct pattern nearby. Apparently you're expected to know morse code, as you are to decipher the correct pattern by reading flashing lights nearby. You don't really need to know morse code of course, for there is a handy key to decipher the lights! All the way back which you came from...

The puzzles are maddening, the exploration is long and drawn out, but this is a horror game! It's supposed to be scary right? Wrong again. Any attempt at horror or thrills was just lessened for me by the sheer frustration I felt at the puzzle I just completed or the long walk I took trying to find the answer to a puzzle.

5

“Frustrating”

It really sucks, because Montague's Mount has so much potential to be more. A visually beautiful game, the atmosphere is great with the dark tones and somber music contrasted by a few pops of color from a light or something shiny nearby. The game has such a promising setting full of intrigue and mystery but the snail’s pace of movement only to be rewarded with a small victory over and over again and the nonsensical puzzle placement, and puzzles themselves take away any immersion or enjoyment I could have had and replaced it with frustration and anger.

By the end of the game, I didn't even care what was happening. That's not how you want someone to feel...

Story40%
Gameplay40%
Graphics80%