Silver Chains is a first-person horror game with a strong
emphasis on story and exploration. I went into this one expecting it to be another
sub-par attempt at an indie game, like the endless tons of others we’ve gotten
in the past. To my excitement and
somewhat surprise, I was wrong and Silver Chains ended up being just the hidden
gem that we needed. In the game you
start of dazed and confused after a car accident in a seemingly remote location.
Your only hope of getting help is a nearby dilapidated mansion up ahead. You now
must search for clues within the mansion to unravel the truth about the
terrible events which have happened there.
Key in envelope Silver Chains; PC Horror Game
To start off, the graphics are highly polished and very visually
pleasing. The game is generally dark and
this does obscure a majority of your vision from seeing the entire environment
but it adds to the overall horror aesthetic.
There are well implemented lighting and particle effects in play. The great treat being the mansion
itself. It is a linearly designed so
that you have to keep moving on a forward path, this minimizes the chances of
getting lots and confused. This is a
great choice as usually happens to me in games like this where the location
feels like a stumbling around a dark maze.
You basically know where you are in relation to the rest of the entire mansion
at most times.
The high point of Silver Chains for me was the story. I loved finding the little notes and piecing
together to underlying narrative of the house. Whilst the story is enjoyable,
it is not perfect nor would most consider it good. It is the standard horror narrative, enter scary
location, discover unfortunate tragedies in scary location, get jump scared and
chased in scary location, end. We’ve
seen it all before and Silver Chains is no different, however this is not a
strike against how enjoyable the game actually is.
Room of hanging dolls in Silver Chains; PC Horror Game
Sound design is good with great ambient sounds, and believable
environmental noises. The main stumble
is the voice acting. The voice actors
sound like unpaid interns who are recording on their lunch break. The performances fall flat at being anything close
to being believable. The other point to
note is the length of the game. Silver
Chains come in at approximately 2 - 3 hours of playtime length for a $25
game. For me the length was acceptable for
a full pickup and play horror experience that you can complete in on sitting
but the some may take issue with it.
All in all, Silver Chains is not perfect, the
voice acting is not the best and there are some technical short comings but, as
a short self-contained horror narrative however
– it is worth your time.
After being on steam early access for the better part of the
last few months.The Blackout Club
finally makes its way to consoles with a full fledged released.For those who haven’t heard of it before, The
Blackout Club is a first-person co-op horror game centered around a group of
teenage friends investigating a monstrous secret beneath the surface of their
small town.1-4 players explore
procedurally-generated missions against a fearsome enemy you can only see with
your eyes closed.
I went into this game with little knowledge other than the
few promotional material floating around online.From the start you will be drawn in by how
deep and compelling the story actually is.It is a true mystery that is well crafted and intriguing enough that
players will get sucked into the lore of the world, taking on the motivation of
the characters.
The graphical aesthetic is well done and in some cases better
than expected.Details weren’t
overlooked and the neighborhood actually looks and feels like it could possible
exist in real life. The gameplay structure is mission based.The main structure of the game is co-op but
single player is also possible.The
player is rewarded for fluid movement and stealth. The tensest moments come when you are back up
against a wall and must try your best to formulate an escape.It is at these times that game really
shines.
An interesting enemy in the game is “the shape”.This enemy can only be seen when your eyes
are closed which makes for some heart pounding encounters. One of the biggest draw backs is that is It's
easy to be a bit underwhelmed by the multiplayer aspect of the game because of
how good the tutorial actually is.After
playing the tutorial you think you're about to embark on this horror/stealth
adventure with friends in co-op, which is true in some regards but unlike the
horror atmosphere of the tutorial.Actually, multiplayer is a faster pace and more of a thrill than a
scare.
All in all, The blackout club is a very fun and addicting
game that you can easily sinking many hours into. If a horror co-op adventure
sounds like fun for you, then consider giving this one a try.
Anime fans rejoice as the hyped release of Kill la
Kill the Game is here. Kill La Kill -IF- is an arena-based
combat game set in the world of the popular animated series of the same name. This
licensed fighter follows the lore of the series it is based on, but tells a
parallel story that fans of show will find surprisingly enjoyable. The game is an almost perfect re-creation of
the anime series, managing to capture all of the style and energy of the show. It uses a flat toned 3D model system that
almost looks like it’s cell shade but not entirely. The colours are vivid, bright and the overall
look feels just like you are playing an episode of the show.
The game has a story, versus
and practice mode – as well as a gallery.
The story mode as mentioned before, tells a new scenario of events separate
from anime. Versus mode is where you get a chance to test your skills in the
arena against AI or human opponents. Multiplayer options allow for competitive
battle amongst friends or linking up with challengers from around the world for
head to head battles.
The game surprisingly
includes both the original Japanese voices and the English dub. This is rare inclusion that many other
anime-based games have neglected adding in the past. Having the option to choose is a very
welcomed addition here. That being said,
fans of the either the dubbed or subbed version of the anime will instantly be pleased
by which ever vocals they pick, as both are equally as good and accurately
match their respective characters.
What about the fan
service? What would a Kill la Kill game be without its most iconic element? The developer of the game Arc Studio Works
were quick dispel fan concerns, that the game would be censored on
consoles. They assured fans that game
was going to release uncensored, the way it was meant to be experienced. Based on the pre-released version of the game
and the demo it seems that they were true to their promise.
As an anime inspired
game, Kill la Kill IF has everything a fan of the series would want. An engaging story, compelling visuals,
multiple audio options and an enjoyable solid combat system. All in all, whether you are an ultrafan of
the anime or just someone looking for a visually stylized fighter to pick up
and play, Kill la Kill IF is a solid game and worth your time.
From the start you’ll realize that the game is very polished
and highly detailed.The vivid colours
and smooth graphics is indeed a treat to the eyes.The environment is very large scale and most
of the set pieces are large scale rooms that do an amazing job of making you
feel the sense of scale.You do feel
like you actually in the game world.
The premise of the game is that in the near future, most
jobs have become automated and thus humans have lost all purpose for their
existence.In this time of need, a
savior arises in the form of a company called Activitude.Activitude is a Virtual Labor System that
matches humans with A.I. clients.These
clients however, have needs that only humans can fulfill.
Virtual Virtual Reality can be described as taking the best
parts of games like Job Simulator and Accounting+ and combining them into
something that just works.The gameplay
comprises the completion of a sequence of tasks for each of the A.I. clients,
who would then score your performance.When each task is completed you are taken back to a hub world where your
guide Chaz (that’s the robot with the single eye) would comment on your
performance before setting up for the next task.Not wanting to spoil a minute of anything it
has to offer, I intentionally did not include the any surprises, specific jokes
or plot twists in this review.
Nothing is taken seriously, each comment from Chaz is double
meaning. The A.I. clients take every
opportunity to belittle you if you don’t follow exact instructions. And the
entire thing is a hodgepodge of comically weird situations, overarching
conspiracies and self-doubting moments – And I have to say, I loved every
moment of it. These types of games can
be a hit or a miss with audiences as they are catering for a niche of persons
that would be interested in the premise they have make to offer. Virtual Virtual Reality wins on all
fronts. The game is filled with dialog
choices that all correspond to your actions.
You really do find yourself questioning your actions and thinking of
what is the best action to take before you do it.
You can play with 2 PS move controllers, which is
recommended for the most immersive experience.
Or you can play with the dual shock 4 controller which is not as
immersive but offers slightly more exact controls. My biggest and only problem is with
navigation. There is no turning option
mechanic to speak of, you physically turn your body to reach the periphery
areas or you can tap the move button three time to do a complete reversal to
face the opposite direction. It’s not
ideal and the difficulty with navigation was a bit of hindrance at times.
Whilst playing you do feel a sense of freedom and the
ability to do anything you want to do within the environment. Most objects are intractable, and the voice
acting along with the over the top dialog is perfect. Virtual Virtual Reality is definitely a must
buy. It deserves to join the ranks of
the must have games released on the PSVR platform thus far. Anyone looking for a light hearted, pickup
and enjoy experience will enjoy Virtual Virtual Reality.
Rush VR is a game that takes on wingsuit racing in virtual
reality. The premise is simple, jump
from the top and speed your way to the bottom.The game was developed by The Binary Mill, who also released versions
for Steam and Oculus devices.From the
moment you put the VR headset, you get an outline view from the perspective of
if you were actually wearing a helmet.This touch greatly adds to the immersion and pumps you up for what is to
come.In Rush VR, you race at high speeds
down the sides of various locations, at different times of day and weather
conditions.You are encouraged to push
yourself to the limit to increase your boost meter.Your boost meter is a quick speed kick that
can be activated when needed.
Controlling RUSH VR (PSVR) Using PS Move Controllers
The game features 80 tracks, spread across 4 environments,
and dozens of wingsuits to unlock. As
well as game modes including Race to the finish, Time Attack, and Score
Challenge. There is a single player campaign and online multiplayer which
allows for up to seven players to take part at a time, in a race.
Rush VR excels when it comes to giving you methods of
control.You can play with a DualShock
4, one or two PS Moves controllers, and multiple other combinations of
these.You can also control using head
movements for steering, or by pointing to locations.The most fun to be had, is obviously
pretending to be Superman – with Move controllers each in hand and experiencing
the feeling of speeding through the air at high speed.
Competitors at base camp (RUSH VR - PSVR)
Rush VR is currently available on NA PSN for $24.99, with a
limited time discount of 20% off for PS Plus members – bringing the price down
to $19.99.Rush VR is an enjoyable, and
highly addicting title that is worth your time and is highly recommended that
you pick this one up and try it for yourself.
AFFECTED: The Manor is a passive horror gaming experience,
released by Fallen Planet Studios. In VR
you navigate a creepy mansion at night, referred to – ominously as “The Manor”.
The experience is roughly 30 minutes
long and would require you atleast 2 playthoughs in order to see both of the
branching pathways and a third one if you want to 100% get all trophies as
well. AFFECTED: The Manor is a passive horror gaming experience,
released by Fallen Planet Studios.
In VR
you navigate a creepy mansion at night, referred to ominously as “The Manor”.
The experience is roughly 30 minutes
long and would require you atleast 2 playthoughs in order to see both of the
branching pathways and a third one if you want to 100% get all trophies as
well.
The experience begins with the player outside of the manor,
allowing for the full size and scale of the structure to be fully observed before
entering.Once inside, doors will sequentially
shut forcing the player forward along the route.
This experience is definitely for fans of horror or for
persons looking to be genuinely terrified in VR.This hands down, was my most terrifying
experience to date in VR.You are warned
at the start of the experience to expect jumpscares but this is little comfort
for how well they are implemented to great effect.
The graphics are clear and textures are high resolution
adding to realism of the experience.You
can play with either the dual shock 4 or with the PS Move controllers.While playing with the Dual Shock 4, the
light of your torch, corresponds with viewing direction.Whereas, when playing with the Move
controller, light from the torch is directed from the controller.
For those interested, there are 5 trophies to be collected.2 of which are story related and the other 3
are time based. Due to lack of free
exploration, in order to achieve the time based trophies you will have to either
loiter around “the manor” until the specified amount of time passes.Unfortunately, gameplay time is not cumulative
and if you want to get the 2 hour long explorer trophy, it has to be done in
one sitting.
AFFECTED is an example of what it would look like if you
were to combine the best part of Layers of Fear with the VR mode from Resident
Evil 7.The best way to describe AFFECTED:
The Manor is as a premium haunted house experience in VR.
The game is available right now on the North
American PS store for $7.99.It’s the
perfect price for what you get and is a definite ‘must buy’ for anyone interested
in the horror genre.
Based on the preview trailers, In Death may come across as
yet another VR shooter with a medieval skin on top. This is where you would be wrong. I myself went into the experience with
tempered expectations, but an open mind. Needless to say, the game more than proved
itself. So should you give it a try?
Let’s take a closer look in our review of “In Death” for the PlayStation VR (PSVR).
In Death is a VR first person shooter that puts you in a procedurally
generated medieval world of floating ruins, in which you must defeat various
enemies on your journey progressing forward.From the start, you aren’t given any context or story points at
all.You are literally dropped at a
starting point, given a bow and left on your own.My first time playing, I was caught off guard,
as there is no hand holding or objectives to guide you at all.This strategy definitely did pay off on the
part of the developers, in forcing players to hit the ground running and start
figuring out the mechanics of the world for themselves.That being said, this is means that story
telling is non-existent, so those looking for any meaning narrative will be
sadly disappointed.What you can
discover however, is the context of the world as you journey forward.With each play session in game being referred
to as the “afterlife” – This is because, as the title suggests, from this point
you are journeying forward ‘in death’.
The game features various types of enemies that require
varying amounts of hits to take them down, with head-shots being the most encouraged
way of quickly dispatch enemies.From
the undead looking, zombie-like creatures called the abominations being easily
dispatched with one hit – to flying enemies like the cupids that require a
constant barrage of hits to be defeated.
‘In Death’ is an unforgiving, and extremely challenging
first-person shooter. Each play session
is treated as one complete journey through the “afterlife” – the point at which
you die is the end of that journey, there is no continuing afterwards.You then restart, back at the starting place
called “Sanctuary”. This is most
frustrating for boss encounters, as death means you must play your way back to
the boss fight, entirely from the beginning.
Floating Ruins (In Death PSVR)
Three Abominations about to attack (In Death PSVR)
The game allows for use of either the Dual Shock 4 or PS
Move controllers – it also allows for full movement locomotion, with snap
turning at various angles of rotation.The dual shock 4 allows for greater efficiency and simplicity while
playing – whilst the PS Move are more immersive.Using the Dual Shock 4, you reload and fire
your arrows with the right trigger, whilst changing your arrow types with the
right shoulder button.The left Trigger
is used for teleportation and left shoulder button activates the shield for
blocking incoming enemy attacks.The
left and right analog sticks are used for locomotion and rotation respectively,
with the D-pad being used for directional dashing.Despite having PS Move support, my preference
in this case was the Dual Shock 4.If
this was a stationary shooter, the PS Move controllers would be perfect, but
the added complexity of full locomotion, shooting and dodging was beyond the
design capabilities of the Move controllers and was more of a disadvantage
while playing.In which case I opted for the Dual Shock 4. In this case, I suggest trying both control
methods – then deciding which method works best for you.
Unfortunately for all its good points, the game’s biggest
stumbling point is in the sound design.It starts on a high point with low toned, religious themed music –
setting the atmosphere.Fitting well
into the narrative of being in a Christian inspired interpretation of purgatory
and the afterlife.But after this, it
sadly falls flat.There is no background
music in game, which is not a negative for me as I prefer not having background
in most cases – however, some may find the silence not to their liking. The real issue is the lack of proper sound
effects for the enemies.Enemies
approach silently with no audio cues, which prevents the player from being able
to listen for enemy footsteps or noises.This allows enemies to sneak up from behind unnoticed until they attack.In fact, the only sound effects you will be
hearing constantly is the clanking of weapons before and during attacks and the
death cries of enemies when they are defeated.
Anakim the Abomination - Boss Fight (In Death on PSVR)
Holding crossbow (In Death PSVR)
All in all, after spending many hours roaming the medieval floating
cathedrals, secret dungeons and tortured infernos of “In Death”, it has without
a doubt earned a spot of being one of the best PSVR titles I have played to
date.Its premise is not for everyone,
and it does have a few minor issues, but for those who are interested - it is a
definite buy.We give In Death on the
PSVR a 4.5 out of 5
Downward Spiral: Horus Station is the debut title from
developer 3RD Eye Studios described
as a “mysterious and atmospheric zero gravity thriller.”
From the start you are put aboard the Horus Space Station,
weightlessly floating with all systems in emergency mode. There are no introductory cutscenes, no
opening musical scores or narrative exposition from the start. You are forced to get accustomed to the
navigation mechanics hands on. Using the
dual shock 4, each analog stick represents an arm. Movement is achieved by pushing the analog
stick in a specific direction then pulling back to create movement
momentum. Whilst movement for move controllers
allows you to use each hand while floating in zero gravity and propel yourself
around. The feeling of being able to
propel yourself is one of the best parts of the game as it is enjoyable, if not
a bit scary when you pull yourself forward with too much force go off hurdling
out of control.
Downward Spiral can be played both in VR and Non-VR, with a
normal campaign mode and an exploration mode.
The exploration mode allows you to wonder and explore around the Horus
Station with having to worry about being attacked by enemies. There is very minimal on story to almost
none at all. This is not a problem as
the eerie atmosphere and haunting silence drive you to want to find out more
about what happened to result in things being the way that they are.
Gameplay graphics are clean and visually pleasing in VR but
nothing exceptional, but it does achieve the goal of making you feel like you
are aboard a drifting space station. Sound
design is on point as the often lack of musical score at points in time allow
for the monotonous hum and beeping of the machines to set the stage of
believability that you are actually alone, drifting in outer space.
The greatest downside of the game is the sometimes
overwhelming monotony that sets in at the half way point. Rooms start to blur together as the feeling
of “been there, done that” starts to set in.
Downward Spiral is not for persons looking for high action, space
adventure with an intriguing narrative.
Instead, it should be viewed as a slower pace, “experience” aboard a
space station in the midst of distress.
We give Downward Spiral: Horus Station on the PSVR a 6 out
of 10. For the point of view of being a Dead Space inspired walking simulator,
there is fun to be had with tempered expectations.
Blind is the latest game from Tiny Bell Studios. In it you navigate through the darkness of a
mysterious mansion, trying to get to your brother who you believe is also being
held captive there as well. The game
begins with a cutscene of the main character and her younger brother driving
along a road at night in the pouring rain before a sudden flash of lightning
strikes and you get to see the image of a man standing in the middle of the
roadway.
After you take control of the main character named Jane, she
is told by a disembodied voice that she was involved in a car crash and has
lost her vision. It is from this point
you are set free to roam the creepy mansion on your own.
The world you explore in Blind is high contrasted with most
objects and figures only appearing as visible outlines. The premise of blindness is used to great
effect here in its presentation. Sight
is mainly achieved through echo location so sound is an important part in being
able to reveal your surroundings for navigation. Despite the well implemented visual aesthetic
of the world, the navigation leaves a lot to be desired. The game works best with the motion
controllers for navigation. With forward
and back movements mapped to the left controller and rotational turning mapped
to the right. This unfortunately is not perfect, due to the
fact that the button layout on the move controllers not being designed for such
purposes. In most cases you end up
pausing the game unexpectedly by hitting the wrong button.
As you progress you are explore the mansion guided by the
mystery man, you literally stumbled through the darkness slowly unraveling
pieces of the story by completing various puzzles. Despite the puzzles themselves not being very
difficult, frustration can occur from a combination of trying to find the
solution in the dark, and trying to make enough noise to trigger echos to see
what you are doing at the same time.
The biggest shortfall of Blind however, lies in its lack of
substance below the surface. Once you
get a hang of the basic mechanics of the game and begin to progress deep into
the narrative you realize there is not much depth. This becomes clearly obvious the more you
progress beyond reaching the final conclusion.
All in all, Blind on the PSVR was implemented well, but with
a few minor issues. The visual style
works well and it offers something we haven’t seen before in VR.
Unearthing Mars 2: The Ancient War is a futuristic first-person shooter developed by Winking Entertainment. A sequel to the first Unearthing Mars released in 2017.
This time around, all aspects of the original are improved, especially the graphics and many of the gameplay mechanics. This is seen in the stunning visuals and highly detailed character models. Sadly, for all of its positives - there are many shortfalls as well that keep Unearthing Mars 2 from reaching its full potential.
The large sense of scale, especially in boss battles and facing larger enemies is truly impressive. Moments such as these can be very intimidating in your first encounter. The game’s opening sequence is of particular note, as we are first greeted with some of the best character models even seen of any game on Playstation VR thus far. Unfortunately, the visual design is very inconsistent as moments later you are greeted with some of the worst graphics right after.
Combat is straight forward, with you simply taking out wave after wave of a handful variety of enemies, before progressing to the next level and doing the same all over again. You get a handful of gun to use but generally all feel pretty much the same with minor changes to their rates of fire.
There are 10 levels broken up in to chapters. Each chapter taking approximately 10 – 20 minutes to complete. There is not much in the way of replay value as the story is highly forgettable and the voice acting is not the best.
All in all, we give Unearthing Mars 2: The Ancient War a 5/10. It’s great for an occasional quick pick up and play enjoyment so often but lacks any further depth that would make you want to replay multiple times.
