I Hate this Place

I Hate This Place has some good points — an art style inspired by the Kyle Starks/Artyom Topilin comic of the same name; a somewhat interesting plot involving cults worshipping demons, underground science labs, and familial drama; and a refusal to handhold the player through some of its more esoteric puzzle solutions. But it’s largely just a collection of half-baked mechanics that don’t gel and feel like busywork. I cannot recommend it.

I Hate This Place has some interesting ideas inspired by its comic-book origins, but its moment-to-moment gameplay is dull at the best of times and deeply frustrating at the worst.

I Hate This Place is based on the cult-favourite Image Comics series of the same name (with the alternative title being the slightly less marketing-friendly Fuck This Place) written by Kyle Starks. This comic features the adventures of a young lesbian couple who inherit a farmhouse, only to find that it is at the centre of a host of mysterious events. The resulting story contains ghosts, monsters, aliens, secret government operations, time travel and just about every other pulp horror trope you can think of. The game takes this inspiration and turns in a thoroughly fine adventure.

I Hate This Place has some great visual flair and interesting lore but unfortunately it's bogged down in an obtuse and often uninspired survival stealth adventure.

With its comic book visual style, isometric viewpoint and focus on crafting, I Hate This Place is a unique entry in the survival horror genre. It's just a shame that it's let down by gameplay that feels rough around the edges and a lacklustre story.

I Hate This Place has good ideas, but its execution misses the mark. A lacklustre story, not enough horror, and disjointed mechanics likely won’t appeal to survival horror fans.

A sorely underdeveloped, crafting-orientated survival horror game, whose neat comic book art style isn’t enough to compensate for sub-par combat and storytelling.

I Hate This Place had a lot going for it, with a unique setting, an interesting isometric layout, and crafting at its core. However, it doesn't reach its full potential, and all of its systems are lackluster, resulting in an experience that is underwhelming overall. The resource economy is broken, the day and night cycle feels pointless, and the controls on consoles are so frustrating that the end result is headache-inducing, rather than an enjoyable experience. There are some moments of greatness, especially in its stealth gameplay and paranormal environments, where the exciting nature of the...