I Hate This Place

The main pros of the game

• Art Style: The comic-book art style is widely praised for its boldness and vibrant colors, effectively capturing the 80s horror vibe.
• Atmosphere: The game successfully creates a creepy and immersive atmosphere, enhanced by sound design and music that align with the horror theme.
• Crafting and Resource Management: Players enjoy the crafting mechanics, which allow for the creation of weapons and resources, contributing to the survival aspect of the game.
• Sound-Based Stealth Mechanics: The stealth system, which relies on sound, is noted as a strong feature, adding tension to gameplay.
• Engaging Story and Lore: Many players find the story intriguing, with some appreciating the backstory and character development throughout the game.
• Exploration: The game encourages exploration, with players finding various items and lore that enhance the experience.

The main cons of the game

• Combat Issues: Many players report that combat feels unsatisfying, with enemies being "damage sponges" and weapons not delivering the expected impact.
• Enemy AI: There are complaints about the enemy AI being frustrating, as they can track players too easily, even when stealth mechanics are employed.
• Performance Problems: Several users experienced frame rate drops and performance issues, even on high-end systems, which detracted from the overall experience.
• Lack of Tutorials: Players noted that the game lacks a proper tutorial, making it difficult to understand mechanics and controls initially.
• Control Customization: The absence of key remapping options is a common frustration among players, as the default controls are not intuitive for everyone.
• Fixed Save Points: Some players find the fixed save points inconvenient, preferring an auto-save feature for a smoother experience.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

• Tutorial or Guidance: Many reviews express a desire for a more structured introduction to the game mechanics, including crafting, combat, and navigation.
• Control Customization: Users want the ability to remap controls to suit their preferences, as the current setup is often seen as awkward.
• Balanced Resource Management: Players suggest that the crafting system could be better balanced, as resources become too abundant later in the game, reducing the survival challenge.
• Improved Enemy Mechanics: Suggestions include refining enemy AI behavior to make stealth gameplay more rewarding and less frustrating.
• Optimization for Performance: Users are calling for patches to enhance performance, particularly for those playing on lower-end systems or handheld devices like the Steam Deck.

Summary

• In summary, "I Hate This Place" has a strong foundation with its art style, atmosphere, and engaging gameplay mechanics. However, it suffers from issues related to combat, enemy AI, performance, and a lack of guidance for new players, which could be addressed in future updates to improve the overall experience.

Summary generated on: February 23, 2026