At first the game seems very straightforward but with the newer mysteries in the most recent update and tons of really well done content most people will miss, World of Horror’s strength lies in its ability to be unexpected. After playing a lot, like really a lot, you may get to know basically every event and all the mysteries but there’s enough to last players hours that will constantly catch them off guard and barely give them a rest, especially on harder difficulties. The art style also finds ways to continue being unnerving with its mix of Junji Ito and old Japanese DOS aesthetics. The battles can be rewarding some of the time, especially when you clap a ghost away by chance, but for the most part they’re a desperate struggle that you’ll be really tempted to run from. There’s tons of references to horror games, Japanese horror movies, and even some unrelated pop culture. There’s even an entire mission oozing with references to the movie Suicide Club. The music really fits well almost all of the time, and tends to stick with you for a while even after playing it. Most importantly, the mysteries and even campaigns are pretty short so if you do feel the urge to try to get different endings you can really mess around in order to figure things out for yourself an not rely on the wiki. So definitely get it and try it and make sure something truly evil gets you within its grasp.
I never imagined a game could get philosophical about the act of separating “burnable” trash and “non-burnable” trash which both get incinerated in the same place but here we are. Suda really does shine a light on the most mundane yet passionate facets of life (in Japan in this case). Definitely recommend playing or watching the first one, it’s not necessary but you’ll definitely get more out of it. It’s much nicer looking and the gameplay is way less awkward, though it’s still not really what we’re here for. The story takes the first game’s set up and takes things in many interesting places, not just with the societal obsession of separating trash that goes to the same incinerator correctly.
This game is probably best for people who have played and enjoyed Flower, Sun, and Rain or Killer 7. I wouldn’t recommend trying to get any gameplay benefits out of it, but just try to enjoy the atmosphere and story. With gameplay sections you need to keep in mind how weird gameplay was on many PS1 games. Just having this game in English is something I never imagined and still think about years after finishing it. That being said, the story is weird and many characters have this unique sort of crassness that people who’ve played the games I mentioned should be used to by now, though this is the most story heavy game Suda 51 has made (as well as its sequel) so I can understand a bit why it seemed to drive other reviewers crazy. But I think anyone who’s enjoyed a Suda 51 story before will get a lot out of this if they plow through. It’s a lot of set up in the first two chapters but it starts to pay off and shoots in various different interesting directions from there. The sound design is also amazing and I’ve had this game stuck in my mind recently only because I heard someone use the sound that ends a scene in a YouTube video. Ironically for a game where you should kill the past, it’ll stick with you for a long time.
