Not going to kill everyone with a 26 page review because other people are more proficient at that and I don't have the patience to do all that. Rather, here's a quick summary of my thoughts.
This game was certainly unsettling which, as a horror game, the feeling shouldn't be anything less. One of the greatest atmospheric and or gameplay qualities I loved about Silent Hills PT was never knowing who or what would be around the next (or the same rather) corner you just turned a few moments ago or what was behind you.. and this game was able to replicate that feeling for me a lot. Every time I completed a task, I didn't want to turn around as I was expecting to get a jump-scare from hell. Not just that but I particularly enjoyed the fact that you walked into a room and had no idea what to do next, but rather had to figure it out yourself to progress through the story. While slightly frustrating, it led to a great sense of accomplishment when you found or did something that led you to the next piece of the puzzle.
The jumpscares were well placed and certainly effective. The spine-chilling audio that left an unsettling feeling was great for the atmosphere and overall feel. [spoiler] Did NOT AT ALL LIKE THE CREEPY ♥♥♥♥♥ CRAWLING ON THE CEILING. [/spoiler] One of my biggest issues with a lot of games is the lack of stable controls and very clunky gameplay.. none of which I experienced while playing. I didn't encounter any bugs or glitches which... A+
There were a few things that frustrated me but not anything that made me dislike the game as a whole. Ultimately, they were only a couple of things which can be quickly listed and are listed below;
-Not anything that interrupted the atmosphere of the game but the lighting would glitch out in certain levels (particularly the hallway) where it would be much darker in one area than the other and with the way it was glooming/blooming whatever the ♥♥♥♥, it didn't appear to be an intentional darkening for the sake of making it more unsettling.
-While the story-line was present and fairly easy to piece together as you got more audio-clips and notes/photos etc., it could've had more of a kick.
-The transition to each area was as I saw was commented on in another review of this game, a little anti-climactic. It was kind of abrupt and upon completing a task, I would immediately be thrown into a loading screen unexpectedly and end up with a "Oh, that's it?" question in my head.
-The ending in IT'S CURRENT STATE (as I believe more there is more work in progress), was a little abrupt. It didn't seem to have much follow through.. like it was unfinished. It kind of felt like I was still figuring out the story and getting cut off in the middle.
Overall, 8/10. It was definitely a well-done horror experience and if I'm correct in assuming there is more to come for this game, I'm certainly looking forward to it. If you're looking for a solid few hours of psychological horror during this spooky Holiday season, pick it up. It's worth it.
