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Growing up during the Golden Age of Survival Horror has made me a connoisseur of the genre. To this day, it’s still one of my favorites. I have to say though, I’m saddened at how the indie gaming scene has saturated it with crappy games. Flesh Made Fear was one of the few games that piqued my interest enough to want to review it.
It’s definitely a homage to Resident Evil, so that’s already a plus in my book. It also looks like a cross between a PS2 title and a PSP game, which gives it a unique visual identity. Another plus!
When I got the chance to review the game, I jumped at it.
Was it a bad decision?
What is Flesh Made Fear?
Flesh Made Fear is a 3D survival horror game for the PC. It was developed by Tainted Pact, with publishing done by Assemble Entertainment.
Our review key was provided by Assemble Entertainment! Thanks so much!
Originally funded via Kickstarter, Flesh Made Fear is one of the few games that piqued my interest on the platform. The other was, of course, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It’s rare that a Kickstarter game actually comes out in any form resembling its pitch.
Flesh Made Fear defied the convention, and actually did that.
In the game, you’re part of an elite squad called the Reaper Intervention Platoon or R.I.P.
No, you’re not out to stop Death, but rather a serial killer called Victor Reaper. Reaper’s an Adam Crowley-like character (Nightmare Creatures fans should be familiar with the guy), blending his murderous spree with the occult.
Reaper’s been tracked down to the town of Rotwood and it’s here that you begin the game.
If you’ve ever wondered what an unholy union of the plots of Resident Evil and Silent Hill might produce, wonder no more. It’d probably be something like Flesh Made Fear.
Like the OG Resident Evil, you’re able to choose between two starting characters, Jack and Natalie.
They’re obviously an analogue for Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, and both also share traits similar to the Resident Evil heroes.
Jack is beefier and can take more damage, with Natalie having more inventory space. Just like Chris and Jill in the OG Resident Evil. Natalie doesn’t have a lockpick though.
Tainted Pact says that the game’s an homage to PlayStation survival horror games, and I pretty much agree with him on most accounts.
Hell, he even put in easter eggs that will tickle old school fans.
Yup, it’s a shot at Jill, Chris and even Harry Mason (from Silent Hill) – all whom have had to put their hands in questionable liquids.
It’s not just similar in look and feel, but also in gameplay.
My favourite old-school implementation is that of the tank controls and fixed perspective camera angles.
It really takes me back to playing Resident Evil on the PlayStation back in the day. Running through the Spencer Mansion as Jill, saved by Barry from becoming a Jill sandwich because I wanted to nab a shotgun that’s rigged to a trap.
Though I love the tank controls, the turning speed could use more fine-tuning. It’s much too fast compared to how it was in Silent Hill or Resident Evil. If only there was a sensitivity setting to adjust the speed…
There’s not, so it’s an issue for me.
I regularly turn too much whenever I move, which makes my characters all move in an ‘S’. Like they’re drunk. Or snakes. Or drunken snakes.
I don’t have this issue with other tank control survival horror games so it’s definitely the turning speed. You’ll adapt (as I did) but it takes some playing before you do.
Weirdly, Flesh Made Fear also has a dodge button. You’d think it’d be useful, but dodging can only be done forward which makes it… not really useful. Why can’t I dodge in any direction I please? You’ll have to rely on the quick turn button every time you intend to dodge backwards, which is a cumbersome annoyance.
It’s really a perplexing inclusion because done right, it’d be a great addition. It could’ve made the combat feel classic, yet provide an organic way to evade damage not present in older survival horror games.
Yes, in case you were wondering, combat is classic Resident Evil style. You ready your weapon (whether it’s melee or ranged) and then hit RT to attack. There’s no aiming with the ranged weapon (so no aiming for the heads or weak points) and you can’t move while you’re in attack stance. Again, classic Resident Evil.
One thing that’s not a classic survival horror trope is the huge amount of zombies you can have to fight. Multiple times in the game, you’ll encounter hordes of zombies that you’ll either have to kill or dodge around.
This is one thing I absolutely love about the game. One thing about the Resident Evil or Silent Hill games (even the modern ones) is that they’re quite shy at just chucking a horde of undead at you. Apart from Resident Evil 4’s infamous clock tower village battle, there isn’t any other horde fight that sticks out in the RE series.
Flesh Made Fear doesn’t give a hoot. It just pops a horde right in your face and expects you to survive it with no warning. Not enough ammo? Dodge and run around the horde then. Adapt and survive!
One thing I feel that Flesh Made Fear deviates a bit from its PlayStation 1 homages is its visuals.
They look much more detailed and crisper than a regular PlayStation title. I’d say they’re more in line with PlayStation 2 or PlayStation Portable games, especially with the game’s advanced use of light sourcing and 3D gameplay.
The graphics and textures look like Silent Hill and even Koudelka (being that it’s 3D and all), but visually upgraded a notch or two and with a buttery smooth framerate.
It’s not an issue to me though. I actually prefer it.
Rose-tinted glasses doesn’t prevent me from seeing how ugly PlayStation 1 games can be, with texture warping (which is also present in Flesh Made Fear amazingly) and muddy textures. That’s not to say there aren’t issues with Flesh Made Fear.
Some areas are a bit too dark, some of the texture work can be too low resolution. It’s a bit of a shame, because I love the visual design of the game. I really hope the sequel goes for full-on modern realism, because done right, it could be incredible.
The body horror aspects, the gore… it’s all my cup of tea. I really, really dig them.
Thankfully, the game also doesn’t follow old school loading conventions by masking them as door opening (or some other cutaway mechanic) sequences. Here, when you interact with a transition point like a door or ladder, the game straight away loads in the next location.
While the visuals are great, the UI could use a bit of tweaking.
Specifically, the QTEs (Quick Time Events) could use some work. The buttons you need to hit for these events are on the bottom center of the screen.
That is a very bad place to put them.
Not to mention, they’re comparatively tiny!
A bigger notification and a better location would’ve been much more appreciated.
Other issues with the UI that I have is that objects that you can interact with are only highlighted in red when you’re literally right beside them.
Yet, ammo or other consumables still shine in the dark, without being hit by light.
A farther activation range would’ve been better, since you’d know at a glance what you can interact with without needing to rub your shins on them. Flesh Made Fear has so many QoL improvements over old school survival horror games that it’s surprising that something this basic was overlooked.
Yes, I know it’s similar to how it works in games like Resident Evil or Countdown Vampires. Those games were from the 90s though. It’s not like Flesh Made Fear hasn’t added in features that aren’t in those games. The dodge ability for example.
The Bottom Line.
Flesh Made Fear is an undeniable love letter to the golden age of survival horror. It faithfully recreates the atmosphere and gameplay of the classics while layering in small modern touches like the dodge mechanic, creating a satisfying middle ground between old-school design and newer sensibilities.
That said, it isn’t flawless.
The dodge system could use refinement, several quality-of-life improvements would’ve gone a long way, and there are a few rough edges throughout the experience.
Still, these issues do little to tarnish what is otherwise an excellent modern survival horror game. For all its flaws, I had far more fun with Flesh Made Fear than I have with some recent big-budget horror releases.
I genuinely hope the game gets a sequel — preferably one set in a dense urban environment akin to Resident Evil 2 instead of another rural town.
TLDR:
Flesh Made Fear nails the classic survival horror formula, delivering old-school Resident Evil vibes with modern polish — even if a few rough mechanics keep it from true greatness.
The Technoverdict: ESSENTIAL
The Good:
- Great atmosphere.
- Awesome old school gameplay.
- Cool enemy designs.
- Lots of enemies to fight.
- Callbacks to other games in the genre.
The Bad:
- Need to be really close to interact with objects.
- Some areas can be too dark.
- QTE icons too small and placed in bad location.
Salehuddin Husin, EIC
Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.
