The Well of Fears

I'd love to hear what people think. I was pretty harsh on it at the start, and I'm still not fond on how relatively half-assed and unimmersive it is

The main aspects for me that could have been improved are
-Proper Casting support, not just "mirror your screen"
-Better GK actor- he sounds like he doesn't understand his lines
-A unique script
-Better rigging around GK's eyes- the uncanny valley is real

Credit where credit's due though, people called Whitney's Gatekeeper cheesy, and they clearly attempted to make it scary at points. There's a point where his eyes are shadowed, and I loved how creepy that was.

So! Let it rip- how do you feel about it?

- A better 3d model would have been nice. I get they were trying to save on bandwidth with just having to stream the audio files, but they could have done a little more with the head. It just feels like a video game at moment.
- The randomization should have been handled with a seed. The Search for Planet X app for an example of a board game doing this well.
- Just rehashing the DVD game was a mistake since the DVD version is superior, but still not as good as Harbingers in the gameplay department. They should have worked with Restoration Games to make a modern version.

The scariest game in the series was the original and I distinctly it being TOO scary for a few young ones which is probably why the horror was toned down a bit afterwards. The app Gatekeeper might be seen as a happy medium.

I was surprised that more direct interaction wasn't integrated into the app itself. Not even any minigames from the DVD or PC version.

With the technology behind smart devices and the "interactive" appeal of the Atmosfear series, I would have anticipated something to take greater advantage of the medium being afforded. Maybe voice recognition to physically respond to the gatekeeper's questions and demands, AR camera integration to project objects into the real world while recognising board elements and motion sensing to influence their digital projections. The multi-device screen interruptions was a good start, but I felt more could have been done on top of that to utilise smart devices as more than just a series standard timer and ambience provider (though I didn't expect the latter to go as hard as it did).

Of course, these are fairly fanciful ideas that would probably prove too taxing for a simple relaunch, though I was disappointed that the creatives behind it apparently weren't able to push beyond what they were already seemingly content with from 2003-2004 into something more elaborate gameplay wise.

I've remember reading somewhere that they were promising updates to the app that would introduce new video elements akin to the classic expansions which would probably make it all worth it imo, but I've seen nothing further as of late.

BonsaiTreehouse wrote:I've remember reading somewhere that they were promising updates to the app that would introduce new video elements akin to the classic expansions which would probably make it all worth it imo, but I've seen nothing further as of late.

Where was that noted?

DarkWolff wrote:Where was that noted?

Had an honest root around on the internet, can't find anything. It's entirely possible that my mind is playing tricks on me because it's telling me that I found the supposed source without even trying the first time around when in fact, it might not even have existed at all...

While I still haven't bought a copy of the 2019 version, I was just overlooking a gameplay stream of it, and honestly it still doesn't appeal to me and some friends. I'm aware of it being both a re-release and remaster of the DVD version (from 2004), its honestly not that scary and feels like a complete downgrade, and the Gatekeeper actor trying to recreate the lines isn't too comedic. His 3D model is rather off, due to some lines not being in sync with his mouth.

All that aside though, at least its a sign to advertise the series to the newer generation, but lately have noticed it being removed off shelves and in the clearance section.