THRESHOLD was provided by Critical Reflex for review. Thank you!
I have found myself playing way more smaller-scale indie horror titles this year, and I have fallen in love with them. Mouthwashing was the most recent game I played like this, and it has become one of my favorite horror games. So, I was extremely happy to take on THRESHOLD and see how it is for me and if it could join the ranks of horror experiences I have loved this year. Though I found it a bit too short, it definitely creeped me out and surprised me in a way I didn't expect.
Just like Mouthwashing, THRESHOLD was made by a solo developer, Julien Eveillé, who has designed for bigger games like Deathloop, Hunt: Showdown, and Dishonored. Using the experience he gained from the previous games he worked on, we now have this bite-sized horror title based on a true event, and if this is legitimately based on a true story, I am mortified.
I won't go into too much detail with the story, but it is an enticing one, albeit very short. You have taken a new job, which you are very excited to start, with a goal to keep a mysterious train moving at the specific speed it needs to. As you play, questions start to arise about what the train is carrying and the meaning behind your job, and you'll have to investigate to figure out what is really going on.
I was able to beat the game in one sitting within around 2-3 hours. There are multiple endings and secrets to find, so this could be prolonged to around 4-5 hours, but it is still relatively short. Still, I found the story particularly engaging and interesting, and because it's so short, there wasn't a lot of filler. It was just creepy moment after creepy moment, which I liked. There are also multiple different endings, which do add a bit of replayability.
THRESHOLD is less of a horror game and more creepy and atmospheric. I didn't really get jump scared, but I definitely felt chills when I discovered what was going on. Again, this is insane that the story is based on real events; I can't wrap my head around it.
I also really enjoy the visual style that Julien went for. It has that PS1-era pixel-esque style to it, something I am well accustomed to after playing MOUTHWASH and Sorry We're Closed, and I am growing fond of it. There's a certain charm to it that I can't completely put my finger on, but I love seeing it. It has a perfect amount of detail to make everything out but gives a retro look that feels right at home with smaller-scale horror games like this.
THRESHOLD's gameplay is on the basic side, which I feel is the norm for these types of games. You walk around your station and complete different tasks to keep up with your job, which includes exciting tasks like blowing a whistle, picking up wood planks, and collecting tickets to get glass oxygen canisters that will destroy your teeth and gums. You will need those oxygen canisters, so you'll have to do your job to make sure you can get the tickets necessary, like cleaning up gunk from the water filter with a bucket and taking tickets from the machine that logs how many trains pass.
There isn't a lot of depth to the gameplay, but there are some neat secrets to find, depending on what you do. The gameplay gets the job done, and while the tasks you do are a bit monotonous, it never really feels overwhelmingly boring. With oxygen scarce, you can't really fun around too much, so it is a bit slow to get around, but with how short the game is, the boredom never overstays its welcome. The gameplay is mostly a means to tell the story in different ways, uncover the endings, and answer different questions of this bizarre story.
However, I do wish it was a bit better to play on the Steam Deck.
After playing games like Sorry We're Closed and Mouthwashing, I was more hopeful that THRESHOLD would be a blast on the Steam Deck, but there are two big points of issues I found.
First, we have the general performance. The game will drain a lot of battery if left uncapped, with some minor drops in certain areas. I found that 45 FPS was a good balance, especially for a short game. However, the performance will tank in certain endings. I don't want to say exactly what happens to avoid spoilers, but the first ending I got dropped performance down to 20 FPS with no way to improve it. You may not get this ending, but I was a bit disappointed that it dropped as much as it did.
Then, we have the controls. While playing the game, using a controller was perfectly fine, but navigating menus was not easy to do. There were times that the cursor wouldn't move and I had to use the touchscreen, like when selecting a difficulty when trying to start a new game. It's a nuisance, but doesn't detract from the actual experience.
There have also been a couple of times where starting a new game would skip the difficulty screen and automatically choose Thailand for me while also disabling my controller. I couldn't move and would have to force quit the game to launch it again.
I would say the game is generally playable and can easily handle 45 FPS, but I would say be ready for drops or slightly higher battery drain than you'd expect from a game like this. There aren't any quality settings to change.
There aren't a lot of settings you can change in the game, other than changing the language to one of 15 different supported languages.
The game does not support 16:10 resolutions or cloud saves. It has partial controller support, but it does have some minor issues. There are no HDR settings.
THRESHOLD is an interesting and creepy tale that succeeds in creating an intriguing tale, even if it has some minor issues here and there. The story is extremely entertaining, and I was taken aback throughout the game when I figured out what was going on. It is a bit short, and the gameplay is very basic, but it does the job and, with the fantastic visual style, complements the story which absolutely shocked me.
I do wish the experience was a bit better with a controller and on the Steam Deck, and some optimization on both fronts would have helped a lot. It's still playable, but I wouldn't consider it the best experience. It's an awesome game, and may still be worth it given the short time it takes to complete. Hopefully these smaller Deck/controller issues can be fixed through patches!
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.
THRESHOLD is an interesting game with a fantastic story, and although it has some minor issues on Steam Deck, it's well worth experiencing the tale.
