In 2019, a Russian indie video game developer Euphoria Games published a survival horror game set in a spooky theme park called Death Park. Capitalizing on the theme of coulrophobia, the game became an instant success racking over five million downloads in less than a year since launch with an overall score of 4.47/5.
This game follows the same basic principles of a survival horror game. Similar to the Granny and Evil Nun games, the antagonist in Death Park is also a sinister immortal that can eliminate the protagonist in a single blow. It also contains a plethora of puzzles, which serve as the main task the protagonist needs to solve to survive.
As generic as the features may sound, many elements make Death Park stand out from the rest. With that said, we will take a quick dive into some of the elements and features that made Death Park a hit within survival horror game enthusiasts and why you should check out the game (if you are brave enough). So without further ado, feel free to check out our short review of the clown-themed horror game, Death Park.
Story
Death Park starts with the main protagonist waking up in a room just outside a rundown theme park. Right off the bat, the game will provide you with the basic mechanics of the game starting with hiding under the bed. Performing this action will also provide you a glimpse of the antagonist who walks around the room. Once you are on the clear, you need to find the key to the room so that you can begin your quest to explore the dreaded park.
Death Park features multiple endings that provide you with bits and pieces of the game’s narrative. Each end features a cut scene that provides you with a glimpse of what is happening in the game. The narrative of the game is not that intricate to crack which is why to avoid spoilers, we will leave it up to you to uncover the game’s narrative. Having said that, the narrative of the game is worth all the trouble especially if you unlock every ending.
Presentation
Moreover, Death Park is an indie game built by a passionate team of developers. As the first game of Euphoria Games, the developers poured their talents and experience into making the game as spooky and as exciting as possible. Death Park comes with a brilliantly designed environment packed with details. Each area in the game is skillfully designed to provide that eerie and dreadful feel. To make the experience more immersive and scarier, the developers also infused realistic audio and BGM into the game’s core design. This combination of audio-visual elements results in a very effective jump scare and heart-pounding chase across the game’s huge map.
In a nutshell, Death Park still bears traces of an indie game with a limited budget. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, the developers were able to make the game scarier and spookier than most survival-horror games in the genre. In other words, do not be fooled by its modest design as this game has its own unique ways to put you on the edge of your seat.
Gameplay
Furthermore, Death Park does not feature complex controls and gameplay mechanics. The controls are responsive and are conveniently mapped for the player’s convenience. Everything that you will need to survive in the game is accessible with a click of a button. Movements are smooth and hiding spots are easy to spot, too.
In addition, the game also features two items that you can use against the evil clown. The first one is “Fireworks” which can stun the antagonist for 10 seconds, and a shield that can freeze the evil clown for five seconds. You can also purchase various de-buffs for the clown in the main menu of the game. The first debuff reduces the clown’s superhuman hearing while the other reduces its visual prowess.
All of the handicaps mentioned are there to balance the challenges in the game. You see, aside from being invincible, the evil clown also has three eyes and superhuman hearing. On top of that, it can also pop up anywhere in the game. The good news though is that the game will provide you with the flickering of the lights signal when the clown is nearing your location. Thus, providing you with enough time to look for a hiding spot.
All in all, the overall gameplay structure of Death Park is solid enough to maneuver. The in-game controls are responsive and the challenges are balanced enough to provide an immersive and exciting experience.
Overall
Part of what makes Death Park a popular title is that it features a clown antagonist inspired by Pennywise. Euphoria Games did a great job in launching the game the same year as the second chapter of IT. One of the most notable features of the game is the responsive controls, highly detailed environment/characters, and balanced gameplay. So, if you are a fan of games like this, then, Death Park is a game you definitely should check out!
