Man, I really loved this game. I hadn't heard all too much about it beforehand but it seemed like the kind of game I would enjoy. With games like Soma and movies like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner being some of my favorite pieces of media for the topics and philosophies they discuss, I was bound to enjoy this.
The game is played as a classic survival horror like Resident Evil or Silent Hill being the games its compared to the most, and while not having played either of those I can definitely see the inspiration. The gameplay of this game is very solidly made and although probably the tamest part it was always enjoyable and as fun to play as a survival horror can be.
Where the game really gets me is the story itself and its presentation of said story. Nothing in the game is really laid out for you, if you don't do a little digging and connect some dots you can come out of it not really understanding anything that happened. Now I will say even with reading everything I came across I probably understood less than half of the overall story even after a second playthrough for 100%.
This kind of storytelling isn't for everyone but its personally one of my favorites and you can tell that everything is very thought out on what information is displayed and when, its not ambiguous to cover up for bad storytelling like some games but to elevate the story even more. After watching several hours of lore and theory videos I'd say I have a solid grasp on what the game was trying to say, or at least an interpretation of it and I just love it.
There are some many layers upon layers and symbolism in this game its impossible to list it all. The presentation of the game is also beautiful, it goes for an older type of aesthetic, with screen glitches and even a toggleable CRT effect that I chose to play with. All these little details in the game and the way its presented add to the horror vibe in a really cool way and they also have implications on the story itself if you're looking for it.
Overall I really loved the game and I think its safe to say it will end up in my favorites as its just a combination of many things that I personally really love and while I don't think its a 100% perfect game its perfect to me.
The game is played as a classic survival horror like Resident Evil or Silent Hill being the games its compared to the most, and while not having played either of those I can definitely see the inspiration. The gameplay of this game is very solidly made and although probably the tamest part it was always enjoyable and as fun to play as a survival horror can be.
Where the game really gets me is the story itself and its presentation of said story. Nothing in the game is really laid out for you, if you don't do a little digging and connect some dots you can come out of it not really understanding anything that happened. Now I will say even with reading everything I came across I probably understood less than half of the overall story even after a second playthrough for 100%.
This kind of storytelling isn't for everyone but its personally one of my favorites and you can tell that everything is very thought out on what information is displayed and when, its not ambiguous to cover up for bad storytelling like some games but to elevate the story even more. After watching several hours of lore and theory videos I'd say I have a solid grasp on what the game was trying to say, or at least an interpretation of it and I just love it.
There are some many layers upon layers and symbolism in this game its impossible to list it all. The presentation of the game is also beautiful, it goes for an older type of aesthetic, with screen glitches and even a toggleable CRT effect that I chose to play with. All these little details in the game and the way its presented add to the horror vibe in a really cool way and they also have implications on the story itself if you're looking for it.
Overall I really loved the game and I think its safe to say it will end up in my favorites as its just a combination of many things that I personally really love and while I don't think its a 100% perfect game its perfect to me.