 |
| I Hate This Place drops you into spaces where moving carefully and staying alert is the difference between getting through and making things worse. |
I Hate This Place doesn’t explain itself up front. You’re dropped into a situation that already feels wrong, and the game doesn’t stop to tell you why. You get just enough context to know you’re in trouble, then it steps back and lets you deal with it. From the start, you’re on your own, paying attention to what’s around you and figuring things out as you go instead of following prompts or tutorials.
At a glance, it looks familiar, but that impression doesn’t last long. Once you start moving, that impression changes. The fixed camera limits what you can see, sound works against you constantly, and staying alive becomes the main concern. Nothing is constantly jumping out at you, but you never fully relax either. Even when an area seems quiet, it doesn’t feel safe.
You play as Elena, dropped into a situation that goes sideways almost immediately. The game sets up its mystery early, then mostly gets out of the way. Instead of dumping story on you, it lets the world do the talking. You pick things up by exploring, running into trouble, and seeing how the environment reacts when you’re nearby. It takes its time, but that slower pace fits a game that’s more about mood than quick scares.
Pretty quickly, you stop thinking about “winning” fights and start thinking about staying unnoticed. You’re listening to your own footsteps, watching sightlines, and deciding if pushing forward is going to cause more problems than it solves.
I Hate This Place Details
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Developer: Rock Square Thunder
Publisher: Skybound Games
Genre: Survival Horror
Game Mode: Single-player
Putting the Pieces Together Slowly
The story takes its time, and you feel that almost immediately. You’re dropped into Elena’s situation without knowing much, and the game is fine leaving you there for a while. You’re not getting constant explanations or big story dumps. Instead, you start picking things up as you move through the world and see how people and places react to you.
Most of what you learn comes from paying attention. You notice warnings that keep coming up, people acting like they’re holding something back, and areas that look like something went wrong long before you showed up. Nothing rushes you forward. You sit in that uncertainty, putting pieces together as you move around and start to see how things connect.
Elena never comes across like she has things figured out. She reacts the way you probably would, cautious, unsure, and clearly out of her depth. Most story moments stay small. Short conversations, quick reactions, details you notice as you move through an area. When something sticks, it’s because you’ve already spent time dealing with the situation, not because the game paused to make a point.
Story details come in chunks, and you’re left to connect them yourself. Some parts are easier to read than others, but it never feels like information is being held back just for the sake of it. By the time the bigger ideas start coming together, you’ve already seen enough fall into place that nothing needs to be spelled out.
 |
| Story moments in I Hate This Place often unfold during encounters like this, where you’re piecing together what’s happening while trying to survive. |
Playing One Step at a Time
I Hate This Place doesn’t reward rushing. Before long, you stop trying to rush and start taking things one step at a time. You creep through spaces, check what’s around you, and keep asking yourself if pushing forward is worth the risk or if it’s smarter to back off.
The camera has a lot to do with that. You can see enough to plan a move, but never enough to feel comfortable. Enemies often sit just outside your view, so you’re constantly working with incomplete information. Sound matters just as much. Your footsteps, opening doors, even interacting with objects can draw attention. Once you realize how easily you give yourself away, you start moving differently without even thinking about it.
Combat is there, but it’s rarely the solution you want. Weapons help, but they’re limited, ammo disappears fast, and mistakes pile up. Firing too early or trying to force a fight can turn a situation you had under control into something messy. Most of the time, staying out of trouble feels like the better call, and when things go bad, there isn’t an easy reset.
A lot of the game ends up being about staying unnoticed. You watch how enemies move, wait for openings, and pick your moments carefully. Sometimes it works exactly how you planned. Other times it falls apart quickly, and you’re left dealing with the consequences instead of being given a clean way out.
There’s a familiar rhythm to how everything plays out. You head out, explore, collect what you can, then decide when it’s time to pull back and regroup. That pattern stays consistent the whole way through. If anything, the game rewards patience more than quick reactions, and the longer you play, the more natural that approach starts to feel.
 |
| Gameplay in I Hate This Place constantly reminds you that noise and movement matter, forcing you to slow down and think before acting. |
Learning to Trust Your Ears
A lot of what makes I Hate This Place stick comes down to how it looks and sounds while you’re playing. The comic-inspired visuals use bold outlines and strong contrast to create a world that feels deliberately stylized. It fits the tone well and helps each area feel distinct.
The camera reinforces that uneasy feeling. Corners, doorways, and narrow paths always feel uncertain, and visibility is limited just enough to keep you cautious. The environments tell their own story, whether you’re moving through rundown buildings, makeshift camps, or areas that clearly haven’t been safe for a while.
Sound does most of its work in the background. You’re listening for movement, distant noise, or anything that doesn’t belong before you’re reacting to what’s on screen. Quiet stretches last long enough that any shift gets your attention fast.
Visually, the game stays consistent. Characters and environments all fit the same style, so nothing feels out of place. You’re never distracted by sudden visual changes or scenes trying to grab your attention. Everything sticks to a clear look, which makes spaces easy to read while you’re moving through them.
 |
| The comic-inspired presentation in I Hate This Place gives its creatures and environments a distinctive look without relying on realism. |
I Hate This Place Keeps You on Edge the Whole Way Through
After a while with I Hate This Place, you never really get comfortable. Even when nothing is happening, you’re still moving carefully, checking spaces you’ve already been through, and assuming something could go wrong if you let your guard down. Familiar areas don’t turn safe just because you’ve seen them before. One bad choice can still put you in a spot you weren’t ready for.
There are stretches where you’re playing things extra safe for a long time, doing the same slow movement and avoidance over and over before anything really changes.
Nothing suddenly changes on you. You’re dealing with the same kind of situations the whole way through, moving carefully, listening for things, and trying not to mess up. Even when a section runs a bit long, it still feels like part of the same experience instead of something completely different dropped in.
If you like horror that’s more about staying alert than charging forward, there’s a lot here to appreciate. I Hate This Place sticks with you because of the habits it builds while you’re playing, moving carefully, listening constantly, and second-guessing every step. It’s not about one specific moment. It’s about how you keep playing that way long after you think you should feel safe.
I Hate This Place Review Summary
Liked
- Fixed camera and sound awareness create steady pressure while exploring
- Stealth-first pacing rewards patience and planning
- Comic-inspired visuals stay consistent and fit the tone
- Environmental storytelling that trusts you to connect the dots
- A strong sense of place that keeps you cautious even in familiar areas
Didn’t Like
- Some stretches repeat the same careful movement and avoidance loop too long
- Limited variation in a few areas can slow the pace more than it needs to
- Combat can feel unforgiving when mistakes stack up quickly
Overall Assessment of I Hate This Place
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3.0 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐½☆☆ (3.5 / 5)
Story: ⭐⭐⭐½☆☆ (3.5 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐½☆☆ (3.5 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐½☆☆ (3.5 / 5)
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. Please stay respectful and on topic.