In today’s fast-paced society, many of us find it hard to carve out time for big-budget games… and are probably thinking, “I want to play a game that’s satisfying even if I only have a little time…”
The game we’re reviewing today, *OZARK*, takes about three hours to complete. As an armed special forces operative, you venture alone through a dark underground facility, staying alert for enemy presence as you head deep into this mysterious complex where contact with your teammates has been lost. In addition to single-player mode, the game also supports local co-op.
For the purposes of this article, we received a Steam key from the developer, ALTER-BOY.
Advancing Through a Dark Facility as a Special Forces Operator
This game is a 2.5D side-scrolling action-horror title where you control a special forces operative. You advance deep into a facility—where human experiments are likely taking place—while engaging in firefights with enemies blocking your path.
The first thing that stood out while playing was the atmosphere of navigating the dark facility alone.
You make your way through the rain-soaked streets to infiltrate the facility, then explore dark, endless corridors. Environmental sounds—such as footsteps—really enhance this atmosphere. As I moved forward, listening closely to the sound of my own footsteps in the darkness, I felt like a special forces operative cautiously venturing into a dangerous area.
Additionally, during firefights with enemies, you can experience the exhilaration of a single operative taking down large numbers of foes. One moment you’re cautiously making your way through the dark facility, and the next, you’re shooting down wave after wave of enemies to break through. Alongside the tense atmosphere during exploration, the satisfaction of mowing down enemies with gunfire is another major appeal of this game.
The game was reportedly “designed with playing together on the couch in mind,” and it supports local co-op. In addition to progressing through the main story as two special forces operatives, the game also features competitive modes, making it a great choice for having a lively time with friends and family.
However, while enjoying the exhilaration of these firefights, there were some issues with the controls that stood out.
In this game, auto-aim kicks in when targeting enemies. While this feature is meant to save you the trouble of aiming manually, in practice, the crosshairs often failed to lock onto the intended target, making it difficult to attack as intended.
Some enemies run toward you quite quickly. When they get right in front of you, the auto-aim sometimes stops working for some reason, leaving you in a situation where it’s hard to fight back even when you have your gun drawn.
Furthermore, the inability to freely move the camera angle adds to the difficulty of combat. The camera is essentially locked into “close-up” and “wide-angle” shots and cannot be moved up, down, left, or right. As a result, even when attacked from off-screen, I couldn’t determine the enemy’s position, making it difficult not only to counterattack but even to grasp the situation.
Exploding Cans, Rope Descents, and a Stuck-in-Place Bug
Inside the facility, there are cans placed here and there that explode when shot. They can even explode if hit by a stray bullet, and the blast is powerful enough to cause almost instant death if you’re caught in it. While you need to be careful around them during combat, they can also serve as powerful weapons if used effectively.
However, if you panic, the auto-aim can sometimes lock onto an exploding can. You might intend to attack an enemy but end up detonating a can instead, getting caught in the blast. Even when paying close attention to my surroundings, there were moments when I felt there was simply no way to avoid it.
As you progress through the facility, there are also sections where you must rappel down on a rope. While rappelling, you cannot move your camera view or use weapons. If enemies are waiting above or below you, you cannot fight back if attacked, and depending on the situation, you may find yourself in a dead end.
It would be ideal to pinpoint enemy positions before starting the descent, but due to limited visibility, there isn’t always enough room to avoid danger.
Furthermore, during this playthrough, I encountered several bugs that made progress impossible. Once, I got stuck in the terrain, and the second time, a necessary item seemed to have disappeared.Also, when I restarted, the game resumed with an enemy right in front of me, and I was defeated again before the UI even appeared. Since the tension of navigating a dark facility is part of this game’s appeal, it was disappointing to have the flow of gameplay interrupted by such glitches.
*OZARK* is a game that draws you in with its atmosphere of navigating dark underground facilities as a special forces operative. The scenario of exploring an unpredictable environment alone delivers a satisfying horror experience. I felt that playing with friends would be quite enjoyable, especially during the parts where hordes of enemies swarm in.
However, there are many issues with the combat that stand out: the auto-aim is difficult to use, attacks come from off-screen, there are instant-death explosions, and there are moments during rope descents where you’re completely helpless. Including the bugs that prevent progress, the rough edges that hinder immersion in the atmosphere were quite noticeable during this playthrough.
Since the game certainly has appeal as a horror title where you explore dark facilities, I’m hoping they’ll prioritize improving combat controls and fixing these bugs first. Also, since it doesn’t currently support Japanese, I’m looking forward to seeing that added in the future.
*OZARK* is currently available for PC (Steam).
