In short:
Vigil is a decent one-and-done horror game with a very unusual mechanic. It is free so it definitely worth playing, especially if you have a webcam.
Full review:
Okay, let’s start with the fact that Vigil has a mechanic that, in my opinion, is genuinely unique. You actually have to pay attention to how you blink while playing. I completed the game twice: once with a webcam, and then again without one while going for the achievement for finding all the notes.
So, what can I say?
My first impression was incredible. The moment I started the game and saw how accurately it was tracking my blinks, I was as excited as a child. I’m not joking, it’s an incredibe feeling. You feel like the game holds you in the palm of your hand and you have nowhere to hide.
It’s also worth mentioning that the game detected my blinks remarkably well, even though I was using my phone as a webcam. (If you don’t own a webcam it might still give you the chance to experience the game as intended).
There is a little bit of lore, although I skipped most of it. The game itself is short, taking around 30-40 minutes to complete. It took me about an hour to unlock every achievement. Considering it is free, that length is perfectly reasonable.
The level design is quite good, in my opinion. It constantly makes you feel as though you're lost, while in reality you're intuitively moving in the right direction and making progress. The graphics also work well and leave a positive impression.
Overall, I enjoyed the game. However, I can’t ignore some of its obvious shortcomings.
The first thing I personally noticed was eye fatigue. Because the blinking animation was constantly playing slower then I blink, eyes became more tired with every blink. It isn’t a critical issue, especially considering that later on the game requires you NOT to blink.
Then there's the Monster. You may disagree, but I simply didn’t find it scary. I played the game around midnight in a completely dark room, but it was only frightening until the first jumpscare. This is probably a problem with many horror games: before encountering the Monster, the anticipation scared me, but that fear disappeared as soon as I actually saw it.
Perhaps the problem was that my first jumpscare happened while I was simply walking down a corridor. I didn’t even see the monster, which somewhat ruined my impression. Nevertheless, the challenge of trying not to blink kept the game interesting, and the game was short enough that it never had time to become boring.
Another obvious issue is that the main mechanic does not always work as intended. The game tries to give you conflicting objectives to create tension. Something along the lines of narrowly opening a door with a eye scanner while the Monster approaches from behind. But it doesn’t really work, because you can simply stand at an angle to the scanner and watch the monster while the door opens.
During my first playthrough, there was only one section where I actually had to act quickly, but I simply died there. During my second try, the Monster didn’t appear there at all, so I completely missed that feeling.
My final criticism is that the game does not fully explore the potential of its central mechanic. I really liked the fact you have to close your eyes to restart, but “don’t blink while looking at the Monster” and “don’t blink while looking at the scanner” felt like too little to fully demonstrate what the mechanic could do. I’m not a game designer, but as a player, I'd have liked to see this concept taken further.
What about playing without a webcam?
It is actually still interesting and has some unique features of its own. Your character auto blinks at random intervals. However, you'll quickly learn how to abuse the X key, and the sense of fear disappears once again. Of course, except when you lose sight of the Monster.
So, does it mean the game is bad?
No, not at all! It isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. It's a good demonstration of an unusual mechanic, and if this idea were expanded upon or used in other projects, it could become something really impressive.
Should you play it?
Yes! Vigil is a unique game with a unique mechanic, although you shouldn’t expect anything special from it. It is a good 30-60 min horror experience that introduces an interesting concept and gives you something unusual to try.
