I had high hopes going into this game and as far as the game goes, it's gorgeous. It's creepy. It's eerie. It's got the puzzle solving and rando item fetch questing with characters that react to environment the same way you do. It all shapes up to be yet another horror classic that could rival the likes of Resident Evil or Silent Hill.......BUT Let's talk about the respawn mechanics. While, in itself, it is a clever mechanic. Had it been handled well it could've made for an interesting way to build a relationship with your chosen character, but it's not handled well. They couple the permadeath instant kill with another mechanics. That of listening to the doors to catch the "entity" on the other side and running and hiding to avoid said entity. If you hear it then you best avoid the door. This is a clever yet frustrating quality to adhere to, especially when your focus is elsewhere. Ambience, scenery, puzzles, etc. Now, you could argue that Its the players fault, perhaps. But the moment I uninstalled the game was after giving it a fair chance and getting a good ways through chapter 1, I hear the entity on the other side of the door, so I avoid it. Then the lights flicker and its made obvious you have to lose the thing since its after you. The first door I come across is the one opposite side of where I clearly heard the thing, I don't check the door because I know the thing is behind me, but sure enough I get snatched. Fine I say to myself, but not 10 minutes later, maybe less, my next character ends up jumping to her death from the attic window, no warning or word of caution. No hint that that may be a bad idea. So I'm sorry to say this is not a good game. Maybe for players who enjoy unnecessary punishment, but I prefer to enjoy my gaming experience, not suffer through it. I'm not into Dragons Lair type gameplay of memorize the whole map and do it better next time. If this game had save points I'd still be playing. Modders, let's get a save point mod!
