The Heilwald Loophole

I have never written a review for a game before but this game was too good to not write a review for. This game is very unique, not only in it's graphics but also its story, a story about medical care gone wrong and the feeling of being put through medical treatment you do not want but are forced to go through anyways. This game hits especially close if you have experienced some kind of forced medical treatment that you did not want. Having gone through that myself, the games story hit me especially hard. Combined with the PSX style graphics and the gibberish of the other characters voices, the experience feels truly surreal almost like a fever dream but without the overstimulation. The game also does a great job at delivering a horror experience with characters chasing you, dark rooms, and the general feeling of unease. That being said, the game also has multiple depressing elements to it with neglected patients, the soundtrack, constant raining, and the feeling of being trapped in a place of misery. As you try to escape, you will need to solve multiple puzzles along the way which requires some thinking and going back, looking for different routes, etc. but it was never too difficult for me. I completed the game twice and it took me only 7 hours even though the actual gameplay never felt that short, and I wish it was longer. This was the best horror game I have seen in a long while, it captures a perfect story, a great atmosphere, and the perfect amount of puzzles and horror elements that make the game both emotionally and mentally impactful while adding a genuine sense of horror.

Phenomenal sound design, I ♥♥♥♥ my pants at like 5 different sound effects already

Absolutely stellar game, presentation visually and audibly is incredible, the non linear structure really clicked with me and I was a little torn about it being stripped back towards the end but I had a great time with this!

Its a good game very simple but also challenging in some areas. the story is very open with lore so you can come to your own conclusions so if your thinking of getting this game get it and go down the loophole, once again.

Amazing horror gem

A unique, delightful horror romp with some cool concepts that you can probably chew on for an evening or two. [h1]PROS[/h1] [List] [*] Good gameplay, a decent amount of puzzle-solving, but not too overly complicated. [*] Good story for what it was. I would have liked to see a few more in-depth looks on some of the concepts surrounding Heilwald, but maybe I'm just thinking of other deeper, more intricate lore-heavy games. And despite a main drive of this game being the lore, I suppose at the end of the day you already have [i]most[/i] if not all the pieces you need overall to at least understand the essentials and some of the dressings. [*] Great graphics! I could definitely feel the haunted PS1 influence throughout this game, plus the additional atmospheric vibes of Bioshock, Silent Hill, Lost in Vivo, and even Nightmare House 2. [*] Decent playtime! I 100% completed the game in roughly just over four hours, 90% without a guide. A fun little evening horror romp is always a good romp. [*] More of a personal note, but this game was fun to run through. And I even came away with atmospheric reminders of the aforementioned Bioshock, Silent Hill, Lost in Vivo and even Nightmare House 2. Almost like this game was a genuine horror take on what Nightmare House 2 [i]hypothetically could have been outside[/i] of the final product. (Which for reference was still good in my opinion, but back to relevance.) [*] Sauer gave me a good laugh in the sea of crazy, don't @ me. [/list] [h1]CONS[/h1] [list] [*] No option to skip dialogue in case you've already run through, which [i]could[/i] be repetitive at times, especially in places like the bathhouse. [*] I was a little confused on a couple concepts even by the end of the game, but I suppose it's more of a personal thing considering you can take away what you want from the nitty-gritty anyways. And at the end of the day, this game still gives you a coherent, competent game and story. And regardless you are given the essential to figure the story out yourself regardless. [/list] [h1]CONCLUSION[/h1] A unique horror romp that I found quite enjoyable for an evening, and I think you will too! I personally found it enjoyable for an evening, and in turn, I think you will too! Because I found it enjoyable for an evening, so therefore...

Verdammt cool. Wirklich gut gemachter Mix aus Horror und Comedy (der noch besser funktioniert, wenn man Deutschsprachig ist.) Kann in den ersten paar Minuten zwar etwas rough wirken, ist aber ein wirklich gutes Spiel. Sehr kreativ und echt schwer nicht mal zu grinsen oder Lachen beim Spielen. Ich finde nur, dass man das Puzzle mit den Statuen entweder weg lässt oder anders macht, mir hat das nicht so gefallen. 8/10

its a amazing game that has one of the best sound desing i ever heard and even tho the game is a bout a crazy place i also feel that it's atmosphere can be both tense and comfortable especially the courtyard

颇为有趣的敌人和关卡设计，很独特的游戏

Les sensations que ce jeu m'aura fait ressentir sont étranges à expliquer alors je ne vais pas m’éterniser dessus. Est-ce que ce jeu vaut le coup ? Oui, absolument oui, il est pour moi l’un des meilleurs jeux d’horreurs indépendant auxquels j’ai joué, et même le meilleur depuis bien longtemps. Ce n’est pas de l’horreur traitre. Non, loin de la. Le jeu ne contient presque pas de jumpscare ou de choses dans ce genre la. Je dirais que tout se base sur le son. L’ambiance sonore de ce jeu, les bruitages comme les musiques…c’est absolument remarquable. Et le deuxième plus gros point fort du jeu, est selon moi ses personnages. Je n’arrive pas à savoir comment, mais le développeur a tellement bien sur les gérer qu’en les voyant seulement une dizaine de minutes, on les connaît déjà, on connaît les grands traits de leur personnalité, et surtout on s’en rappelle. C’est fou comme malgré leur courtes apparences, chacun des personnages est mémorable. Même après avoir fini le jeu, ils sont le genre de personnages auxquels on réponse des fois, qui reviennent dans nos pensées sans prévenir. Surtout, évidemment le Docteur Randolph. Et d’après moi, Astrid. Je n’en dirais pas plus, mais ce jeu vaut vraiment le coup, vous ne serez pas déçu !