Some gamers say the horror genre has declined in quality over the last decade, and to an extent, those claims are true. Particularly with big franchises like Dead Space and Resident Evil drifting from survival horror into all-out action games, it has left the impression that the horror genre is in decline. But just because big titles have drifted away from the horror genre, it doesn’t mean smaller ones haven’t succeeded.
Mahi from NoobFeed writes: ROUTINE is a work of focused horror design. It focuses on mood rather than show, immersion rather than ease of access, and conflict rather than power fantasy. The game does a great job with interface design, environmental stories, and sound effects. ROUTINE works because it trusts people to think about what they do instead of just reacting.
Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes:
"It came as something of a surprise to learn that when Routine was released it had actually been a game that was first announced over thirteen years ago. Despite the slew of horror games and retro-futuristic titles that came afterwards, Lunar Software persisted with their vision in creating a horror game that does everything it can to make sure players are kept on their toes as well as immersed in the experience as possible by leaving them hanging with every puzzle and navigating the creepy halls of the lunar base. The question is, while the wait was a long one, has Routine turned out to be a success, or a routine failure?"
