Escape From Violet Institute Is A 2D Sidescrolling First-Person Survival Horror Game

Chances are, that title made you do a double-take. How in the fuck can a game be 2D and first-person? It seems like something an emergent AI would come up with before it figures out how to be horribly racist. And to be fair, it isn’t really both at the same time. As you can see from the trailer, Escape From Violet Institute lets you swap perspectives between first-person and 2D on the fly. So you can explore every nook and cranny in first-person to hoover up all the extra ammo, then switch the 2D when you need to do some platforming.

Everything about Escape from Violet Institute just screams “experimental indie project.” Not only does it swap perspectives, but the game also only gives you one life. There are no checkpoints. You die, and you start over. It also has branching paths, meaning you can make different decisions to get different endings. It’s a Frankenstein creation of a ton of experimental concepts. There’s no telling if it’s a beautiful mosaic or a monster trying to kill you.

The game clearly suffers from some graphical limitations, with repeated makeshift objects and a layout that gives it the feel of an even blockier Wolfenstein level. The monsters also all look like they’re all floating on top of the ground. But honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Escape From Violet institute makes up for several points of polish with the boldness of the concept. I can’t promise that the game will be good. But it’s certainly unique. And that’s what being indie is all about. Even if the game isn’t perfect, you have to give it credit for trying something this new and bold.

So if you want to support an indie creator and try something new, you can get Escape From Violet Institute on Steam for $15.