This game has some good points, like everything. The artstyle is great.
For a time when an ever-increasing amount of videogames seem to be running screaming away from making something with less than three dimensions, then this game's 2D is executed very well.
There're also 3D elements for inspecting objects, and I actually find it a shame that the PS1 style used for horror games isn't used more for other genres. So praise for that aswell.
But that's where my praise ends. Sure, there's other things that aren't done badly, but those are the only stand-out good things in my opinion.
I mentioned I found it a shame that the PS1 style used for horror games isn't used more for other genres. That would seem to infer that this game is not a horror game.
It isn't. It's more of a dungeon crawler with horror aesthetics and puzzles.
The demo and indeed the start of the game would hint at this game having a horror and puzzle focus. The store description also supports this. The store talks about being hunted, exploring nightmarish environments and that there are moments intended to frighten like jumpscares.
If you read the description and see the material on the sales page, there's no doubt of the following:
1. The description heavily hints at this being a horror experience.
Even directly stated; "Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken is a point-and-click horror adventure"
2. The description does not point at this being a dungeon crawler.
Combat is hinted at, but given the little space it's shown and spoken about, it wouldn't hint at the game being combat-oriented.
You will in fact find yourself being chased, exploring nightmarish environments and perhaps two quasi-jumpscares, one optional. The nightmarish environments are, sadly, just a backdrop, though. A theme, setting, not something that's actually nightmare-inducing. And being chased is sadly only a thing relevant for fighting.
I understand that making a 2D third person game is going to be difficult to make really scary if you don't want it to just be a jumpscare simulator. That doesn't excuse it not trying.
I think the environments themselves could serve as something scary, but if what you put in them aren't, well, no dice. I think there are two things really stopping this game from being scary:
1. The enemies are stupid and you can defend yourself.
With few exceptions at the end, you will never be chased. Not properly. You can just run into other rooms if they're first after you. If you're fighting three enemies? Well, you can kill two of them, run away into another room, fully heal and go back to kill the last enemy. Feeling like you're in control, being better than them, kills any chance of said enemies feeling threatening. I think a big reason many horror games and movies are scary is because of the helplessness. You're being bossed around, pushed around. Subject to the whims of the scary things. If a murderer came running at you from across a field with a knife, it would be very scary; not so much if you had a gun to shoot them with before they reached you.
2. Not feeling alone.
Having side-characters whom you often interact with makes it feel like you're not fully out of depth. Again, safe-zones; not subject to whims of scary things. It most certainly does not help that the side-characters are whimsical and not really all that serious at times.
The game is much more a dungeon crawler than horror oriented. The randomized design of the dreams - the levels - could be a really good horror element; unpredictability and all that. Sadly, due to the control you're given and the frequent combat, it lends itself as a dungeon crawler.
I cannot understate how much combat there is for something that claims to be a 'point-and-click horror adventure'. Sure, you can - and ought to - avoid some fights, but you will fight, and you will fight enemies much weaker than yourself. Fighting is also mandatory, as there're bosses and loot needed to progress the level. I think there're three things really contributing to this being a dungeon crawler as opposed to horror:
1. Frequent combat.
2. Bosses.
3. The existence of levelling up your combat abilities through exp.
And how strong you could get. I felt, around a third way throughout the game, that I should've reached the peak of just how much you should be able to defend yourself in a horror game. It had gotten far too easy to just confront and kill the supposedly scary elements.
Then there's the inconsistency in the, granted, present horror.
It feels like this game was done without much direction. At the start, the goal was to make a randomly generated horror game. This is supported by the first hours, the demo, store page description and promotional screenshots. However, by the time of finishing the third dream we've fully entered dungeon crawler mode. It felt like the direction the developers wanted the game to go changed underway as they were making it.
This is where I will conclude the recommendation of this review before I get into another large criticism which will include spoilers. If there's any doubt, my opinion is: I would not recommend this game, but - if we deposit that it has to be a dungeon crawler pretending to be horror - it's well made. I found the story bad, but if you want to know about that, you'll have to read the rest of the review with spoilers. If you want horror, I would look elsewhere, and if you want a dungeon crawler then it's ok.
Now, what, or rather who, ruins the story? Tutu.
So, let me just be clear:
1. Tutu acts all-knowing but will claim they're just another inhabitant of this world, not knowing all the answers.
Plenty of examples. One particularly bad one is when Amy comes back from the library with the newfound knowledge that she needs to destroy the three pillars... that somehow are integral for defeating her brother. After only being told of that there are pillars Tutu does a 'Let me guess, we have to destroy them?' after they've consistently lambasted Amy for getting ahead of herself in regards to knowledge about the dream realm earlier.
2. Tutu is far too disagreeable.
Tutu already acts so overly smart yet humble, but they're also just disagreeable. After Amy says something about Thomas being dead, Tutu interjects with some half-philosophical remark about how he's not really dead? Thomas will certainly be dead for Amy in the real world, perhaps to be seen again years later, Thomas is, really, dead where it matters in the real world. Tutu will also - except for where you're allowed to not forgive them earlier on - act angry when you question them. This Sphinx who got rid of all their credibility by staking it on a lie that they didn't kill Thomas? I would find it insulting if someone got angry at me for not trusting them after that.
3. The player is consistently forced to act nice towards them and forgive.
Even if you pick dialogue options to not forgive or like Tutu you're forced to be nice to them. I certainly didn't want to be nice to them. I disliked them from the get-go and hoped they'd get killed off.
4. Tutu is just plainly let off the hook for failing to save Amy's brother and instead killing him.
Thomas acts with surprise and tells Amy it's dangerous upon having saved him in the true end - or whatever the best ending is - so we can infer he doesn't remember what was happening when something else had taken over his mind. So, last thing he remembers must be getting killed by Tutu? Ok. So: You've just been murdered by your apparent guardian. You suddenly find yourself elsewhere, moments after, having been saved from the shadow folk. Immediately he forgives Tutu and acts all nice? When he's never seeing anyone he knew or his family ever again, only with chance-encounter exception of Amy? Seriously? Especially when - given you were able to save his consciousness - that it turned out it probably wasn't necessary to kill him back then?
I found myself most animated by how I thought Tutu was terribly dislikeable.
