this game is silent hill 3 spooky moments compilation for 5 hours so it is good. do not read the rest of this review
ok fine i'll say some boring reviewer stuff
in a world of trite unity horror, lost in vivo serves a reminder of what a smart indie developer can pull off. the pacing tight enough to keep shit scary. there's a change of scenery, a minor mechanic, or a new monster around every few corners, like a 2010s horror greatest hits. it felt amazing to be scared by a game in a way that didn't feel manipulative or momentary, as the designer knows how to keep things tense without being upsetting.
edit: adding as an addendum the next day - much ink has schlorped over this games use of "liminal spaces" and "claustrophobia horror" and this is one spot where i'd say it too often tries to have its cake and eat it too. it pulls off both being atmospheric and jumpscarey but the fact that i easily can tell when an area will and will not have an enemy or item interferes with that tactile style. it is not silent hill 3 kino. soritris' section handles this problem by making the pickupables much more abstract, believably sequencing the rooms, and using a chaser enemy that requires you move slowly. unfortunately. it also takes place in an area that i'm not as fond of as the warmly orange tinted train station or the p.t. ass loop hallway. if you have no idea what anything i just said was, remember that this sequence of thoughts has been marinating in my rotten brain juices for many hours
ok fine i'll say some boring reviewer stuff
in a world of trite unity horror, lost in vivo serves a reminder of what a smart indie developer can pull off. the pacing tight enough to keep shit scary. there's a change of scenery, a minor mechanic, or a new monster around every few corners, like a 2010s horror greatest hits. it felt amazing to be scared by a game in a way that didn't feel manipulative or momentary, as the designer knows how to keep things tense without being upsetting.
edit: adding as an addendum the next day - much ink has schlorped over this games use of "liminal spaces" and "claustrophobia horror" and this is one spot where i'd say it too often tries to have its cake and eat it too. it pulls off both being atmospheric and jumpscarey but the fact that i easily can tell when an area will and will not have an enemy or item interferes with that tactile style. it is not silent hill 3 kino. soritris' section handles this problem by making the pickupables much more abstract, believably sequencing the rooms, and using a chaser enemy that requires you move slowly. unfortunately. it also takes place in an area that i'm not as fond of as the warmly orange tinted train station or the p.t. ass loop hallway. if you have no idea what anything i just said was, remember that this sequence of thoughts has been marinating in my rotten brain juices for many hours