And we finally come back to another game I got free from the Epic game store. In this case, I didn't walk in with the highest hopes for the title: I knew it was supposed to be a horror game and that reviewers liked it a lot, but I don't hold a lot of faith in what reviewers say these days. But still intrigued, I installed... and I'm glad I did. While much more gloomy then scary, this was absolutely an experience to have.
Story: Paul Prospero came here on a mission... a mission to save a poor kid name Ethan. He had gained the detective's attention by fan-mail, but it wasn't long before it was apparent the kid needed help. He had found his way into things no kid should ever be aware of existing... dark things not of this world, and Paul's specialty is the paranormal.
This basic point will be where you start and the game will leave you to your devices, discovering the story for yourself as you explore the valley, uncover the sinister events that happened and try to prevent it from reaching the worst of possible conclusions.
I literally can not explain anymore then this as the game relies heavily on your discoveries to figure out what exactly is going on, why, and how to try to get Ethan out of the mess he finds himself in. It's not the deepest of stories, but it is told exceptionally well by the world and the events you uncover. Enjoy this dark tale.
7/10
Graphics: Now before we proceed, I played the Redux edition of this game, so your milage may vary here, but I found this game absolutely gorgeous from start to finish. (Also worth noting this edition comes free with every version of the game, and is exactly the same in gameplay and story as the original. It has no additional content of any sort: it is just an update to translate the game from Unreal engine 3 to Unreal engine 4.) You will explore a wooded valley in first person, and graphically it is absolutely stunning. From the light of the setting sun through the forest to the run down buildings to some of the most cinematic landscapes I have seen in a game! The world you are about to enter will floor you.
It is not pristine, however showing the gory detail of a world aging in it's abandoned state. Rusted trains, rundown buildings, the character of loneliness here abounds... and that's before the ghostly visages start to appear. These are perhaps the weakest part of the game's look though, standing out for not getting half as close to photorealistic the rest of the land does. Still, they are not here often and are more a treat for story then a treat for the eyes. And as such they do not take much away from the staggering beauty this game puts before you.
9/10
Sound: This is another game where the music is often subdued by the world and often does not exist at all. What is here is haunting, however, adding the general feel that something is just plain wrong in this valley, adding chimes and tones just as needed when melodies don't suit.
But there is little else in this world besides the ambiance and the music since most of the time, you will be alone... most but not always. Those ghosts do make a strong contrast as they are used to replay the events before you got here, allowing for some voice acting to take center stage. I won't call it the best work I have ever heard, but it is good, and carries the heaviness of what happened... there are two exceptions to this, however: Ethan himself and Paul. In Ethan's case, I'm afraid he's the the weak link. He just doesn't carry his role well in the few lines he gets coming across as many child actors do, sadly.
Paul, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. As you move between locations, he gets to make many monologs and it just comes off like vocal butter. The man has seen things anyone without "the sight" or anything like it can't even dream about, and he knows how dangerous the things here are. And you will get just how grim he is when he speaks up, even as you can feel the hope he has to find Ethan before it's too late.
8/10
Gameplay: When you first start this game, before you see or hear anything else, the game will tell you it does not hold the player's hand, this is very true. You will play the roll of Paul as he wanders the valley searching for clues (both physical and supernatural) to the whereabouts of the boy and what he is up against... but outside of looking at the control mapping, you get nothing for what you are supposed to do or how the game will play. The world itself will be the only hints you get.
On the plus side, this can be a very freeing experience as there is no real order you have to do everything in, but you can just do the parts and puzzles you run into as you run into them. But on the minus, if you miss something, it is entirely possible you will just go past it and never know. Nor is the game going to go out of it's way to give you a quick way back should you miss something and what to go back to it. While the world is very open by design, it is also very linear in location, each spot with significance falling in line along a natural path the game will do little to let you stray from. Now that is not to say there are no ways to loop around and make such backtracking faster if you desire to, but you will have to find them for yourself in side routes you will have to take the time to discover.
But at the same time, these side routes are often the most rewarding, for you can find more lore this way in the form of writing Ethan left behind and responses of heard of those who he gave these pieces to. And at the same time if you miss something, that doesn't mean you can't finish the game. Almost every puzzle you find in this game is optional: you want to complete it to see more of the story, but the game won't stop you from progressing if you fail to. There are a few exceptions to this, but not many, leaving how you want to play pretty open, although to be fair this is definitely one of those "get out what you put in" games in this regard. Happy hunting....
7/10
Bugs: While it should be noted I played the Redux edition (which appears to be a free upgrade available across all store fronts and is in essence a remaster of the game in the Unreal 4 engine), I did not notice any bugs. This game ran great!
Score: While I went into this game expecting very little, I have to admit it pleasantly surprised me. The amount of content for it's current asking price seems a little steep, but what is here ranged from good to exceptional, carrying the experience side of a game much better then many games who live off it. While I would recommend waiting for a good strong sale before picking it up, that is more about quantity then quality as I can personally attest I finished the game in about 3 hours trying to do everything I could find. What is here is superb, it just doesn't last.
7/10
System Requirements:
- intel Core2 Duo
- 4 GB RAM
- Any Direct X 12 compliant video card with at least 1 GB of VRAM
- 9 GB hard drive space
- 64-bit version of Windows
System Specs:
- Ryzen 7 (2700) 3.2 Ghz
- 16 GB RAM
- Nvidia Geforce 1660 (6GB VRAM)
- Windows 10 (64 Bit)
Source: EpicGames Store
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