

33 people found this review funny 0 302 people found this review helpful33 people found this review funny

Not Recommended 2.6 hrs on record

First of all, I have to say, the review bombing here is immature and reflects poorly on the culture and society of the country those reviewers are from. As a foreigner, I saw nothing in this at all that could even be portrayed as political; if there was even any sort of political commentary, it was hidden, and didn't impact the gameplay, story, setting, themes, etc. Please ignore the majority of the negative reviews you see, that's just a bunch of children getting upset and puffing their chests out.



That being said, this game DOES deserve negative feedback, albeit for legitimate reasons relating to the game as a whole. First, and foremost, look at my time played; that is exactly how long it took me to beat it. It is completely apparent to me that they made your character walk slow, and at parts agonizingly so, just to stretch out that time. If I had followed a guide, I would have beat this in about 2 hours 10-15 minutes. With how much the game is stretched out artificially - such as long awkward pauses in between/during cutscenes, unnecessarily long load times, and the previously mentioned slow walking - it seems impossible to beat this in under two hours. This clearly was done intentionally so that no one could request a refund. Unfortunately, I bought the game at full price based on the positive reviews that were here at the time, as well as the success of RedCandleGames' previous release Detention. I could recommend this game for $5-10, but anything more than $10 for an experience barely exceeding 2 hours is just sad, and designed so I can't even get my money back on it.



On top of this, the story is deceptively wonderful and beautiful. That might not sound like a negative, but let me explain further. The introduction and first chapter or two of the game are pretty well grounded in reality - at least, as much as you would expect of any psychological horror game. The things that were happening were either actually happening, or a representation of a character's memories that could easily be understood. It was weaving a very coherent narrative about a family's troubles over the course of a few years. However, once you finish the game's puzzle section (because yes, there is only one real puzzle section), things take a metaphysical turn for the worse. Suddenly you're teleporting around and performing rituals that weren't mentioned up to this point. There are some moments of self-mutilation, but the game doesn't bother to help you figure out if it was literal or figurative. The game makes mention of performing a certain kind of ritual for a full week uninterrupted, but instead of an actual result of that ritual, you just get a music video and credits. I don't want to spoil it completely, because on sale this game would be a worthy experience, but it's the kind of ending where you walk through a door into a sea of white light as a character says, "Let's go home." Horrifyingly sophomoric and ambiguous. Are the characters dead? Did the rituals do what they were supposed to and it was just a metaphysical journey to another land ending? I'm not sure that the game explains enough to actually come to a final answer. I'm all down for some ambiguity, but you have to provide at least enough clues to come to a single conclusion.



The graphics aren't amazing, but they're decent for the price of the game. Some animations are really bad, though, and I feel like animations, more than graphical fidelity/character model quality/high-res textures/etc., can really take you out of a horror game. Horror games need to be scary and mostly serious, so when you can't help but laugh at a character's thumbs bending all the wrong way, something went wrong.



The game really isn't very scary. There are some great moments of creepy setting and high tension, but the majority of the scares in the game are simple jump scares. These jump scares aren't usually even built up by the tension that this game creates - one of the most tense sections, a chase sequence, doesn't even end in an actual jump scare, oddly enough. They're just random, boring jump scares that might make you flinch if you're unprepared, but aren't going to leave a lasting impression. There are a couple genuinely disturbing and grotesque moments and sights, to be sure, but they are few and far between, hardly something you want to hear about a horror game.



I do have to give the game credit on the music and the TV commercial spots. The game's big musical piece, Lady of the Pier, is an absolutely beautiful and wonderful song. The singers they got to record this have wonderful, soothing voices, even the one that is supposed to be a little girl. It's just a magnificent piece that feels so out of place in this game. Please look up Lady of the Pier, even if you don't get this game. The song is well worth a listen. And when the song came up in the context of the game, it moved me to tears. I don't want to spoil the plot, but it does revolve around the central conflict of the family, and when it plays on one of the TV spots, I felt a mixture of sadness, hope, and pride. I really can't say more without spoiling the game, but please listen to this song and give it the credit it deserves. It is easily the most beautiful aspect of the game.



Overall, a solid intro to a disappointing climax and ending, janky animations, and slow, plodding gameplay designed to pad the game out make this a game I cannot recommend at full price. If I were to give it a score, it'd be a 4/10. But, this "political" backlash is just plain stupid and should be ignored.



EDIT: After thinking the game over some more, I realize I was being stupid with my own analysis of the plot. The game is clear on exactly what happens, HOWEVER it still suffers from being completely unhelpful in clueing the player in to what is meant to be literal and what is meant to be metaphorical. I can't get into more detail without spoiling the game, but I still feel the game's story lacks in character development and leaves only a few very important questions unanswered. To me, it is a very unsatisfying ending, especially after you've learned more about the player character. Without going too much into detail, I'll just say, it doesn't feel like justice has been served to certain characters in the game, and the ending seems too happy-go-lucky and upbeat for the short journey you went through. I'd definitely still say the story is weak, albeit not as vague or shallow as I had previously assumed.