Warning: Play with the lights on
Platform: Playstation 1
What's it about
A physiological horror in the style of Resident Evil. In other words a scare the pants off you kind of game while trying to navigate your way through a compelling story and solving puzzles. Just look at the front cover, even that gives me shivers brrrr.
What happened?
Warning! Seriously the first the screen is a warning that there are violent and disturbing images, well we are off to a good start then if that is what you are looking for.Music starts with text "The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh" well it is a horror game. A mish mash of characters, man in a suit, a nurse, a female cop, all thrown into a montage of doing there thing, looking a bit creepy and sinister. And the music on top, just amazing. This intro does an amazing job of making you think, what the heck is going on? But after a while it becomes clear we are looking at a Dad who is taking his daughter on some trip and the Mother has died? Then he swerves to avoid a figure in the road and crashes. No talking or nothing, just music and images, incredible way to open a video game.
Next up is the title screen, think ill choose 'Normal' difficulty as I have a feeling this is going to get a little hairy. So it carries on right from the car crash with our man waking up in the car, and shock horror (sarcasm) his daughter isn't in the car. Time to go look for her I guess, and....wait there she is running off into to that creepy looking mist covered town. Why? Is it her? So off we go running goofily through the town chasing a shadow and having an uneasy feeling of dread looming over because something is going to happen that's for sure.
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| The cut scenes are simply incredible |
And sure as the snow is falling it gets darker and darker and scarier especially now as I am in a ally way.....looking at a wheel chair? Then blood? Harry (the main chraacter) couldn't have put it better, "what is this!?" he says, "what is going on here?" And then horrible looking creatures with knives come out and......game over.....or is it?
Conclusion
Even as I type this I'm already feeling a little afraid, like the hairs on the back of my head standing. That is pretty much all you ever feel throughout this chillingly and sometimes shocking of a game.
I won't bore you with the overall graphical look, or the pokey aim (although our hero is just a simple man, not a commando soldier) I'll just say that if anyone ever asked, "what's the number one game that comes to mind for best introduction?" Well this will be very near the top.
