As we live in an age reliant on nostalgia, this game hits all of the necessary boxes to feed those cravings, however, the execution is a little mixed. The game is extremely short, but it does a good job of knowing when to quit while its ahead, and ends just before any fatigue sets in. The overall aesthetic goes for an 70s/80s grindhouse/exploitation mood, with an excellent synthwave score to bolster its attempts. The vibe I got was, strangely, Manhunt with visual elements of Silent Hill, mixed with the gratuitous gore of Resident Evil. The tried and tested tank controls and fixed camera angles from yore were obviously a welcome formula for me, and when the serial killer jumps out at you it was legitimately tense. The story borders on satirical and relishes in the slasher genre's tropes, but there were some genuinely disturbing themes presented at times -- namely where he stored his previous victims and what he subjected them to. However, the main problem I have with the game is the jank and lack of consideration for the little things. Though the game's map is small, centred in a house, the lack of map was particularly jarring -- expecting a big problem down the line. Thankfully, I never found myself stuck, but it was something that could and should have been easily avoided. The same goes for the vague item descriptions. The controls and response of the character movement is best described as "floaty", which took a shade of time getting used to, and the inability to change weapons quickly, or provide an inventory menu in real time became an unnecessary challenge at the climax and when the killer comes at you. That said, Murder House isn't difficult. I didn't attack the enemy once until the end, and I feel the game works best that way, and should have never provided weapons. Overall though, for £5 this is well-worth your time. I wouldn't pay more than that mind, since the game only takes about 2-3 hours to complete on your first go, with little replay value.
