Yes, you will get the most out of this game if you are familiar with the original "Resident Evil" (1996), and it wears its influences on its sleeve... but it is more than just a simple clone. Yes, it has some mildly-moderately frustrating flaws, but it is more innovative than you might think and it grew on me a lot over time :) Whilst I won't spoil the "better than I expected" story, not only do you get to play as each member of the team - who have a lot more personality and characterisation than the original RE's characters do - but the limited "lives" system, the "You have five minutes to find the antidote!" if you get bitten, and the weak early-game weapons make the zombies in the early-middle parts of the game feel genuinely terrifying in a way which could put classic RE to shame! The first-person combat makes everything a bit more frantic and intense too, and it's a neat "Resident Evil Gaiden" and/or "House Of The Dead" reference as well. There are even hints of stealth-horror, with the game allowing you to peek through keyholes as well. The game-world is also a "small, but very well-designed" one, with the game opening up shortcuts that let you dodge zombies as you progress. The game is also very generous with ammo, but this is balanced by the tougher difficulty of other aspects of the game. Is this game perfect? No. It could just have been my PC but, occasionally, the weapons were unresponsive in the early-mid parts of the game. And, whilst the limited "lives" make the game scarier, they also push you to play a bit... too... cautiously and conservatively. Some of the puzzles are also a bit too cruel (seriously, if you get just one tiny thing wrong with the shotgun puzzle... And, if you don't do one very specific thing during the intro, then no antidote for you unless you cheat and look up the code online) and I ended up relying heavily on a walkthrough. You also have to re-play a large part of the game at one point as well (albeit with much better weapons). There are no rebindable keys and - seemingly - only one resolution, plus the UI can take a bit of getting used to if you're playing with mouse/keyboard (eg: to select healing items or door options, just move the mouse in the relevant direction). It isn't perfect. Still, despite these flaws, this is a - surprisingly clever - riff on the original "Resident Evil", which does a lot of new and unexpected stuff whilst still FEELING like classic survival horror :) It also has a very unique atmosphere and personality which grew on me over time. The story is more creative than classic "Resident Evil", the characters are more well-written, it's scarier than the original RE and - as a bonus - it will even run at a playable speed on Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics too. Yes, it's a bit of an acquired taste, but it grew on me a lot when I gave it a chance :)
I'll start off by saying that puzzles aren't my strong point... and this almost put me off buying this game. Almost. But I'm a fan of classic survival horror and I'm not ashamed to say that I regularly checked a walkthrough when dealing with the game's many difficult and convoluted puzzles... but I don't regret playing it. it is a work of ART! This "run and hide" game is an innovative masterpiece of suspenseful survival horror game design which every horror fan should play at least once. It innovates in all sorts of subtle ways, such as not pausing the game when you are looking at puzzles, including a "real-time" mechanic, doing something... different... with the hiding places you can find etc... The game's psychological horror elements are stellar too! Don't ignore the in-game content warning about "Anxiety, OCD and depression" because the game WILL put you inside Emily's mind in all sorts of subtle and clever ways. For example, the theme of "Anxiety" is represented by these terrifying "public safety" leaflets you'll find, which present uncommon dangers as immediate and omnipresent threats to you. As well as solid survival horror gameplay, "Homebody" also includes a well-written (if slightly earnest at times) story which will make you care about the other characters who repeatedly fall to the slasher's blade, as well as feeling more and more existential dread as you begin to work out what is happening. The game's story is a "Love it or hate it" type of thing though, but I absolutely loved it! Despite all of the puzzles. On a practical note: You can play with either "point and click" mouse controls or direct keyboard controls (with optional 1990s-style "Tank controls" :) ). The system requirements are also massively over-stated too. The game lets you play at 640x400 if you want to and, whilst this makes some background text slightly blurry, it ran VERY well on Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics at this resolution :)
"Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story" is an interesting mixture of the closely-related "Point and Click" and survival horror genres whilst also being it's own thing. And, yes, if you're used to either of these genres, the game's puzzle-logic for the item-based puzzles will take some getting used to (and may be frustrating at first). Instead of hoovering up lots of items and then deciding what to do with them, you can only pick up items when you've learnt where they're supposed to be used. And only in a logical order too. This shifts the emphasis to memorising item locations. And, when it "clicks" for you, it feels surprisingly satisfying. Whilst experienced horror fans won't find this game ultra-terrifying, the horror elements are fairly good and it also feels like a mild survival horror game at times as well. Still, this is primarily a puzzle/exploration game, with a "better than you'll initially think" story and lots of awesome retro-futuristic cyberpunk atmosphere. It's like a cross between "Ghost In The Shell" and "Silent Hill 2" in terms of atmosphere. Although I'm not in the target audience for the - famously controversial - character/costume designs, this didn't really put me off of playing the game. It makes sense in context, but it also adds unintentional comedy which reduces the scariness slightly. But, yes, this game is an acquired taste and a flawed gem. It's frustrating at times, but improves as it goes along. Yes, if you're looking for a more traditional-style cyberpunk-flavoured survival horror game, then "Hollowbody" (2024) would be a better choice. But if you want a more puzzle/narrative-focused game, then this one is better than it might initially appear to be.
If someone had told me that I'd be playing a mixture of "Silent Hill 2" and the movie "Blade Runner", set in an eerie "1980s horror novel" version of Britain, I wouldn't have believed them. Such wonders surely only exist in idle daydreams, right? But, here we are. This game is a masterpiece :) It's a "quality over quantity" 4-6 hour PS2-style fixed camera survival horror game which is consistently good and genuinely feels like a "lost" Silent Hill game from the early-mid 2000s, but with a cynical British setting and cool retro-futuristic cyberpunk elements. It takes a ton of game design inspiration from classic survival horror games but is also its own unique thing at the same time, with a uniquely bleak atmosphere that... lingers... after you play it. It's an indie game, but it feels "AAA" because it gives you a fascinating glimpse of a much larger world and backstory. Because there is literally no "filler" in this game. It's top-quality from start to finish (Yes, even the sewer level is better and scarier than the ones in the old "Silent Hill" games...). It's a game that was mostly made by one person and this lends it an almost novelistic quality in the best way possible. There's a clear and cohesive artistic vision here. And it genuinely feels like a "lost" horror game from the early-mid 2000s :) , Plus, this game has proper low-resolution options too :) Despite the system requirements, I was able to get it running at a playable speed - with low settings and at 640x400 - on Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics :) There was some occasional freezing/crashing, but I was still able to finish the game. And you can also choose to use tank controls as well :)
You can probably imagine the joyous expletives which filled the room as soon as I looked at this site and saw that none other than the original RESIDENT EVIL had finally got a re-release :) Instantly, I scrabbled for my card. Yes, I have two copies of the PS1 version but my old CD-ROM of the PC version had long since been lost to time. Thank you so much GOG and Capcom :) This is a win for game preservation :) It's a game with cinematic camera angles, zombies, puzzles, cool pre-rendered backgrounds, old-school "tank controls", a creepy mansion and endlessly quotable voice-acting, especially in Jill's campaign ("You were almost a Jill sandwich!", "Stop! Don't open that door!" etc...). The game also changes depending on your character choice and you can complete some parts of it in any order that you want. Modern players might find the game to be a bit old-fashioned, but it's a classic for a reason. As for this PC port - I've only played it for about half an hour but I'm impressed by what I saw :) Yes, it isn't the 1997 "director's cut" (which had alternate costumes, alternate camera angles etc..) but it's also different to the original PS1 version. Not only are the graphics slightly better, but there's the original uncensored intro movie, unlimited saves and I think I even possibly noticed a moment of auto-aim too. The keyboard controls in-game are a bit interesting, and I had to rely on my memories of playing this port over two decades ago. Arrow keys are for movement, the "Z", "X", "C" and "V" keys perform various actions. "A" (?) opens the config menu (where you can rebind the keys) and you can use "F9" to exit the game.
Imagine a mixture of "Super Castlevania IV", "Clock Tower", "Silent Hill", "American McGee's Alice" and an "Elder Scrolls"/"Dark Souls" game, with some subtle hints of "Project Zero"/"Fatal Frame" and a ton of other cool games as well. Maybe a sprinkling of "Game Of Thrones" too. Now imagine that this game is ALSO its own unique and distinctive thing at the same time. These reviews have a character limit and I could write an essay about this game. It's a masterpiece! It's the perfect blend of the survival horror and role-playing genres (feeling more like the former at the beginning and more like the latter at the end). The "rogue-lite" and randomised elements are handled really well too. The "game world" is relatively small but more richly-detailed and interesting than some "open world" games. There are a ton of interesting gameplay mechanics (such as the "curse" system). There's a ton of brilliant world-building. The monster designs are inventive and battles are suspenseful and challenging, even fairly late into the game (though there's also an optional "easy mode"). Then there's the story and the wonderful gothic Victorian atmosphere. This is a game with a distinctive creative vision and a unique atmosphere/personality. The sort of thing which... used... to be standard for "AAA" games. The characters are fascinating, the mansion and its grounds are interesting - and eerie - to explore. There is nothing else quite like this game, and it is a masterpiece. Initially, the price and system requirements made me hesitate about buying this game. But, after sinking 18-19 hours into it - including doing a lot of the optional side-stuff - it is worth every penny AND it has a resolution scaler too (which allowed it to run well on Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics).
I played the demo of this game last summer and bought the full version on launch day :) Despite some flaws, this 4-5 hour low-budget game is a lot better than you might think. A lot of this is because of the game's surprisingly gripping and intriguing story - but I don't want to spoil it here. Although it is mostly a "point and click" puzzle/exploration game, there are also some brief occasional "run and hide" survival horror segments too. The "camera" thing is an innovative - if occasionally contrived - mechanic and the game's pacing is also surprisingly good as well. The relatively small "game world" probably helps with all of this. It feels like a focused game, with no "bloat" or anything superfluous. The horror elements are "medium-strength" - it's scary but it probably won't give you insomnia. And, whilst it takes inspiration from "Outlast" and "Resident Evil", it is also very much its own unique thing at the same time. Seriously, I loved the personality and atmosphere of this game :) As for downsides, the launch-day version had some bugs/glitches (of varying seriousness) but I had so much fun that I didn't regret playing the game. The developer is active on the forums here, so these bugs will probably be patched at some point. Also, given how heavily the story relies on mystery, I don't know how replayable the game is once you know what is going on and what the puzzle solutions are. The game's minimum system requirements seem to be over-stated too (At "low" settings, without "bloom" or anything, it ran at a playable speed on Intel HD 2500 graphics and an i5-3570...). But, despite these flaws, the story, pacing and atmosphere were really good. The gameplay is fairly enjoyable as well. This is a unique game :) I'd give it a score of 4/5
I've just finished playing this fun 1-2 hour "run and hide" survival horror game. Whilst the atmosphere and visual style take a lot of influence from classic "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill", the gameplay is much closer in style to "Alien: Isolation". But it is its own thing, with a unique personality and sense of humour. It is also balanced to be a more "medium-strength" horror game too :) The tennis ball will instantly save you from the monster, but you either have to retrieve it or go back to another area to get a replacement. The monster moves slowly and is easy to run away from... but there are lots of claustrophobic corridors and dead ends, so you have to know WHERE you are running to. The game is somewhat non-linear (you can find some keys and switches in any order), with a "game world" that is small enough that you won't get lost, but large enough to require some exploration and "learning the layout" too. The lighting and atmosphere are really cool too. It's a shorter game, but it is priced appropriately for its length and it remained good throughout :) Aside from a couple of glitches, my main criticism is the lack of resolution options. On Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics, I got an unplayable 1-5 FPS "out of the box". But, when I used a window-resizing program to set a custom resolution of 800 x 600, I got a "slow, but much more playable" 10-20 (approx) FPS. Proper built-in resolution options would really help this game reach a wider audience (because a PS1-style game shouldn't require a GTX 950....). Still, overall, this is a really solid "quality over quantity" survival horror game :) The site doesn't allow for half-stars, but it would get 4.5/5.
This game is very much an example of quality over quantity :) Whilst it might only be 15-30 minutes long, it is one of the most creative and atmospheric games I've seen in a while. Everything from the lighting design, to the mysterious "world" of the game to various subtle details give it the kind of distinctive atmosphere that you typically only find in novels. It's also the sort of genuinely creative interpretation of the fantasy/dark fantasy genre that only a few games (eg: "American McGee's Alice", parts of "Amid Evil" etc... have managed to do). Not to mention that it takes a lot of influence from "Bioshock Infinite", whilst also managing to be something totally unique at the same time :) Whilst the game is listed as "horror", it's more "gothic" than "scary". Whilst there are mild jump scares and menacing moments, the main character cannot be harmed and the game focuses a lot more on gothic dark fantasy atmosphere - think a weirdly reassuring "PG-rated" version of H.P, Lovecraft (but in a really good way). The gameplay is good - yes, it has actual gameplay - with puzzles that require thought but - thanks to a small number of locations, items and hotspots - the puzzles feel fun rather than frustrating. There's some mild pixel hunting in the first library room but that's my only criticism. All in all, this game is a work of ART :) It's unique, creative and brilliantly atmospheric. Yes, its very short but it is actually better than some longer games.
