Recent reviews by The Horror Network

The events of Dead Space 2 take place roughly three years after the tragedies that protagonist and engineer Isaac Clarke witnessed aboard the USG Ishimura in the original game. The year is now 2511, and Isaac has woken up on the Sprawl; a civilian space station that functions as a giant city. His consciousness conveniently returns to him as a horde of vicious Necromorphs are invading the vessel, and he makes his way through enemy-infested hallways while witnessing crew members and patients alike being murdered and committing suicide. Plagued by horrific hallucinations of his late girlfriend Nicole, wracked with guilt because of events from the past, and barely staving off insanity itself, Isaac has to find a cure for his deteriorating mental state, and make his way out of the city of the damned.

The Dead Space trilogy is one that shows considerable evolution over time; with its first installment being pure survival horror, and its last being action horror. The two sub-genres are on completely opposite ends of the horror spectrum, and Dead Space 2 falls somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. It retains all of the survival and upgrade mechanics of its highly praised predecessor, but it also ramps up the pace of the gameplay by hurling mountains of Necromorphs at you every chance that it gets. It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to call this entry the Resident Evil 4 of the franchise, as it's the perfect blend of action and survival horror. Not to mention, many fans and critics alike consider this release to be the pinnacle of the trilogy.

If you've played the original Dead Space then you'll already know what to expect when it comes to the gameplay. However, the biggest difference in this sequel is the fact that you're rarely ever alone. One of the key elements that made the first game so heart-stoppingly terrifying was just how utterly alone you found yourself in the vastness of space. Now, from the very beginning moments, you're almost always surrounded by allies. Even when they're not present you know that you're ensnared within a giant space city, and though that city seems to be pretty well dead it's hard to conjure the feeling of overwhelming solitude. It's an atmospheric loss for the game as a whole, but ultimately it's really the only gripe that could be made against an otherwise masterfully crafted release. While the creepy atmosphere takes a backseat, it's worth nothing that another major difference is that Isaac has finally gotten both a face and a voice in Dead Space 2.

Visceral Games made a great decision when they chose to add more customization options and weapons to their already rock-solid gear and upgrade system. While most of the original guns return, along with a few new ones to play around with, you can now also customize Isaac's suit by picking from a variety of different types and sets such as medic, engineer, and security. The same goes for the weapons, which also now have a plethora of different types to suit various play styles, as each suit and weapon type come equipped with different stats. There's even a new alternate-fire mode for some guns. The upgrade and schematic systems are still the same, where you find power nodes to upgrade your equipment, and use schematics to unlock new gear.

If you enjoyed the original Dead Space, you'll be hard-pressed to not have just as much fun with the sequel. This release is an upgrade in nearly every way, despite the fact that Visceral Games ended up pulling away from survival horror in favor of action horror. Still, there's a pleasing blend of both sub-genres here, and this title has its fair share of unexpected jumpscares and creepy ambience. The action sequences and gun-happy moments do make for a good contrast against the fewer slow-paced areas. That said, the lack of solitary atmosphere is a big down point for those that really enjoyed the seclusion of the original game. There are still some amazing and highly memorable moments during the Dead Space 2 campaign that will haunt you for years to come, and this is a release that no self-respecting horror fan should pass up.

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Given the full and complete dumpster fire schedule of 2020 so far, it's no wonder that George Orwell's classic novel, 1984, has become one of the most popular reads of the year. It's a dystopian story about the omnipresent Big Brother, and how a man named Winston is fed up with the eyes and ears of an entity known as The Party being involved in all aspects of everyone's lives. Without giving too much away, the overall plot of the book focuses on highlighting the real dangers that totalitarianism presents to us as a society, and it warns of the terrifying amount of power and control that such a regime is able to gain and maintain. It's worth noting that much of the government in Orwell's novel is divided into several ministries; love, peace, plenty, and truth.

Enter Ministry of Broadcast, a game set in a dystopian future ruled by totalitarianism and... reality TV. Playing as a ginger man known as Orange, or Shoeless, you find yourself forcibly separated from your family when a wall is erected seemingly overnight. The only way to gain your freedom is to compete in, and ultimately win, a reality TV broadcast called "The Wall Show". Since the regime came to power, there has been an episode filmed every single day, every single year, with each new season starting as soon as the old contestant has either won or perished. Though there is more to the plot than meets the eye; there are a lot of spoiler-worthy psychological factors that play in near the end, along with a lot of narrative-driven political party opposition where many of the side-characters try to vote in a new leader to end the brutal, power-hungry administration run by the Blue Party.

The gameplay is made up strictly of difficult platforming and fairly complex puzzle solving that requires outside-the-box thinking. Prepare to die time and time again while attempting to traverse the multitudes of trap-laden locations over the course of five in-game days, or roughly 4-7 real-life hours. Simple run-and-jump platforming, harder sections with breakaway points, ice-covered ledges with deadly icicles, hungry piranha infested waters, giant sewer alligator chases, radiation hazards, murdering everyone you come into contact with, and much more is waiting for you throughout the campaign. There's also very little in the way of dialogue or narrative. If you do not hang around to read what the NPCs have to say before and after each day, and if you decide to skip most of the exploration opportunities in each area, you'll miss out on almost all of the plot.

While a challenge is very much appreciated, it's a shame to say that much of Ministry of Broadcast's difficulty comes from its inexcusably horrid controls. They're easy enough to get the hang of; WSAD to move, space or W to jump, shift to run, F to interact, and R to reset. Though what they are isn't the problem, it's the abysmal delay and overall clunky-feel that becomes severely off-putting, even after spending several hours attempting to master them; think Another World level of bad. Trying to avoid a rabid dog or trigger-happy soldier, or trying to make a precise jump becomes tedious when there's an entire second of delay between pressing a button and having the character finally react on-screen. This problem is the biggest obstacle you'll end up facing in an otherwise enjoyable title, and it's quite a doozy given that the entire game relies on unforgiving accuracy.

If you've played Uncanny Valley you'll already have a feel for the graphics here, and much of the way the levels are designed. The style is incredibly similar, though Ministry of Broadcast Studios, the developers, pulled off a lot more detail in their art and a lot more diversity in their maps. There's also a good amount of atmosphere present, and the world truly does feel dystopian and under totalitarian control; the snow effects also add a great touch, bringing a bit of a USSR vibe to the whole game. The soundtrack adds in just enough retro-futurism to make the setting feel both old and futuristic, which is one of the great wonders of what the Synthwave genre can accomplish.

Even though it does have a massive drawback within its functionality, Ministry of Broadcast is a unique and fairly hidden little gem of a game. Even if you've never read 1984 you'll still be able to appreciate what direction the developers were taking this release in. There is some humor in the game, and much of it does fall flat, but the dark overtone still reigns supreme. Many of the negative Steam reviews seem to dog this release due to things the reviewers themselves don't understand; such as how to reset the checkpoint without waiting for the death animation to end, or being able to skip long dialogue sequences that say "press F to skip this". Be warned, this game is hard and unforgiving. You will die, and you will retry the same areas several times over. The gameplay has a defined oldschool style to it in that manner, and though people in the negative reviews comparatively speak of Prince of Persia, they must've never played the original.

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Unheard is an audio-based detective/investigation mystery game where you must use your auditory senses and apply listening comprehension in order to solve five cases. Deeply focusing on what you're listening to is key, even the conversations that seem irrelevant are in some way connected into the main plot, as you aim to discover the identities of up to 14 people per mission and unearth detailed clues to figure out 'who dunnit'. There's no shortage of immersive narration in this short-but-wonderful release, and it's guaranteed to be one of the most unique titles that you've ever played.

There's no hand-holding here. It's up to you and only you to solve the five mysteries. Who planted the drugs? Who stole the painting? Who killed a girl in cold blood? You'll end up following around all of the characters in each case to figure out the answers to these questions and more, as you need to hear all of their dialogue to completion. Assuming you have the correct answers before you've completed a full investigation is an act of folly, as there's always a plot twist to be found somewhere. Luckily, you also have the ability to make notes and timestamps on the time progression bar, so you don't have to keep the constantly changing information totally stored in your gray matter. Fast-forward, rewind, pause, play, and replay are all features of great value. Did someone make a phone call? Did it connect with another character in the same location? The attention to detail here is incredible, and it's some of these small touches that tie some cases together in the end.

The only real con to Unheard is just how short it is. Even if you're fully immersed and invested in each of the five stories, and you take the time to follow around and listen to every single character, you're only going to be able to get about three hours out of the base game. There are two DLCs, but unless you are fluent in Chinese you're only going to have access to one; Lethal Script, the free English DLC, does manage to tack on an additional hour. Though there could definitely be a problem with the game becoming a boring slough if it were shipped with more levels, the release really does feel just one solid mission away from a full load.

It's incredibly creative, it forces its audience to pay attention to every detail, and it's guaranteed that you've never played anything like it before. Unheard is a pioneer in the world of detective/investigation games, and it's refreshing to see an indie developer taking a huge chance on releasing something that is so far away from any sort of bandwagon. Headphones are definitely required, and those with 7.1 surround sound equipment will be pleasantly surprised at just how well the audio has been done in this game. At any given time it's easy to tell which character is talking even when they're standing side-by-side. If you enjoy investigation games in general, it's a no brainer to pick this one up, but be forewarned that there really is zero hand-holding through the highly detailed cases.

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If you're looking for a fast-paced boredom buster that just so happens to be Lovecraftian-based, then Fhtagn! - Tales of Creeping Madness has you covered. It has a very defined board game style that has been converted into video game format, and it comes packed with tons of content; 113 randomized events that have nearly 400 various outcomes, almost 150 different endings, and up to 4-player local co-op for those that enjoy playing together. There was even a free expansion added, along with community mod support. Even though the rounds last, on average, about three minutes, the replay factor is high due to just how unpredictable the next match will be.

The game can come off as overwhelming at first, with a six-page tutorial that does nothing for new players until they actually play a few rounds. Essentially, there are several stats (influence, riches, (in)sanity, body, knowledge, magic) that can be gained or lost through the aforementioned events. Players visit several locations around a town, such as the Miskatonic University and Arkham Asylum, and partake in one of two events. The events lead to different outcomes, which cause that player to either gain or lose stats. These locations show what stats they provide the most of, and at the end of six cycles the player then chooses a card to try and perform a ritual to summon the great dreamer Cthulhu. Each end-game card requires a specific number of points in two particular stats, though that information is unknown to the player until they unlock it with Elder Signs; the currency gained by completing rounds. Therefore, dozens upon dozens of playthroughs are necessary to unlock all of the end-game information, and the plethora of possible endings associated with each card.

There's a lot of quirky tongue-in-cheek humor here, but it all simply falls short. It's mildly chuckle-worthy sometimes, when it's not resorting to fart jokes, but it wears thin quickly; much like the gameplay itself. The music is also a horribly short loop of one repetitive up-beat jazz track, with one other song that plays only during the weirder, more obscure events. You're best off just muting the entire thing and enjoying your own Spotify playlist. This release is another perfect example of why Steam needs a 'meh' rating, since this game is neither good nor bad. It doesn't deserve to be not recommended, there ws clearly a lot of effort put in by the developers, but those that it can be recommended to are a small crowd; that crowd being those who can make a lot of use out of time wasters. Waiting on deliveries? Fhtagn! Simmering some rice on the stove? Fhtagn! Doing the laundry? Fhtagn!

Overall, Fhtagn! - Tales of the Creeping Madness is a video game that would fair better if it were translated into a board game format. It's got the perfect blend of fast-paced rounds that are ideal for party play sessions, and easy to remember pick-up-and-play rules and mechanics. Each round is different, thanks to the hundreds of random events and nearly 150 outcomes that can be obtained. There's definitely a lot of content here, but as a video game it sadly falls short of being anything noteworthy or captivating. The charm wears off in less than an hour, and even with couch co-op you'll be hard up to get more than a cumulative handful of hours out of the sessions. If you can get it somewhere near 75% off, you may get the full value out of the price.

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Edward is a man with a good life; a beautiful wife, a smart daughter, and a nice home. Yet despite all of his good fortunes, he finds himself at the bottom of a whiskey bottle night after night, on top of having a secret affair. When his lover, Diane, texts him from a motel in the quiet town of Dormont, he summons the courage to visit her and break off their lust-fueled relationship for good. However, when he arrives at the location, Diane is nowhere to be found. Instead, Edward finds himself on a journey to piece together the death of a young girl, solve the disappearance of the entire town, and figure out exactly where his life went wrong, in Those Who Remain.

Don't let the Steam store tags fool you, there is no survival horror here. What this game really is, is a psychological horror walking simulator that does well at masking its key and note finding with clever puzzles and ensnaring atmosphere. It helps that the campaign is straight-forward most of the time, unlike a lot of indie horror games of a similar nature that force well-hidden item hunting on its unsuspecting players. Be prepared to dive between dimensions to solve many of the enigmas here, as reality shifts and the past keeps trying to inject itself into the present; another key element that keeps the time-worn core gameplay from becoming stale. There are also a few chase and stealth segments with one-hit kill enemies, but you'll be pressed to have a difficult time maneuvering the mostly deaf and blind AI.

If you've been into horror games for at least the last two decades or have invested a lot of time in back catalogue, Those Who Remain is not going to offer up anything new for you. It takes ideas from a plethora of other titles and stuffs them all haphazardly into its own agenda; grotesque physical manifestations of guilt (Silent Hill), shadow people that are afraid of light (Alan Wake), a final moment that was basically pulled from Paranormal Activity: Lost Souls. It's all here, and there's not a drop of actual originality to be found. As harsh as that may sound, the developers were able to blend all of these inspirations together into a well-crafted story and decent horror-based walking simulator. Remember, it's not about reinventing the wheel, it's what you do with it that counts.

Although you can tell that Those Who Remain was made in Unity thanks to the stagnant style of the menus and loading screens, the game functions well at a consistent 60 FPS at 1080p, using a GTX 1080/i7-6700k combo. Though it is a title that thinks gamma is equal to brightness, which is a shame. The game is so incredibly dark that it's difficult to enjoy the visuals at all, and all the gamma does is add an awful white hue to everything. Another thing that brings this release down are the aforementioned stealth sections; every time the campaign builds up a good momentum, the developers slowed it down again with a tedious slow-paced area. More notably, a section closer to the end where it's necessary to carry six very spaced out lion statues one-by-one to a platform while avoiding a large enemy, and being unable to run the entire time due to the items being too heavy.

Despite its low points, Those Who Remain has enough high points to be both exciting and engaging. The atmosphere is gripping, though the developers would benefit from adding a brightness slider. The story does end up diving off in a totally different direction than what it seems to begin as, but it all ends up combining together into a well-developed tale. If you take your time and explore everything, you'll land yourself at around 5-6 hours of play time, with an additional 2-3 hours required for a second run through for the second ending. All in all, a potential 9-10 hour adventure for $22 CAD isn't a bad haul at all. If you're into paranormal ghost tales with a psychological twist and don't mind ideas that have been rehashed quite a few times over, check this one out.

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Death and Taxes is a game that's really about death and choices, but of course that name wouldn't've sounded nearly as good or clever as what the creators ended up going with. Playing as a Death Spawn newly birthed by the cosmos, it's your ultimate task to bestow the gift of life or place the mark of death upon dozens of people; leading either to total global catastrophe, or a peaceful resolution. Although Fate, your boss, may or may not have the purest of intentions with the instructions that he gives you daily. One could say that the developer Placeholder Gameworks was able to predict our current pandemic situation, as a lot of the main plot of this short point and click simulation hits a little too close to home right now, even though the title released in late February 2020 and was in development for quite a period prior to launch.

Death Spawn, aka Grim Reaper Grim, works a lowly desk job in the after life. Created for the sole purpose of delivering life and death to the cases spat out by his fax machine, each day he sees the consequences of his choices through his mobile phone feed. Each day, he also gets special instructions from his boss, Fate. Following those instructions is something that is strictly up to the player; obeying, disobeying, doing a portion of each... it all leads to different dialogue, outcomes, and endings. Will the scientist live to fight another day of the growing pandemic? Will the conman with six kids die because he's a less valued part of society? If Grim gets bored of his surroundings, he can always visit the pirate Mortimer and buy new clothing and desk accessories with his hard-earned money.

The main course of the game, which is a total of 28 game-days long, lasts about 2-3 real-world hours. However, there is a lot of replayability here given the several different endings that players can get, from total chaos to utopian peace, to a mix of it all in-between; it all lies within the choices. A couple of the desk accessories can help to balancing out the world, such as the lamp which shows you the consequences of each life and death situation, and the snowglobe that casts a light on the world's current situation based on your choices. While the face of Death and Taxes is a simplistic simulation, the underlying factors when trying to reach a certain outcome are a bit complex and require a little bit of strategic planning.

If you're currently trying to escape from the real world situation, Death and Taxes might not be for you. That said, you shouldn't let that stop you from wishlisting this humorous and rather fun little point and click game. If you want to make the current pandemic situation feel a bit more in your control, then you'll probably find even more fun here, as you get to choose the outcome of a nearly identical situation. The dialogue and flavor text is well done and enjoyable for the first time through the campaign, though the gameplay does get repetitive quickly during New Game+ runs. A worthwhile way to spend an evening, nonetheless.

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Oh, look. BMC Studios, back at it again with the meme games. Spamming out more keys to any curator who will take one, including me who has done nothing but take large steaming diarrhea craps on their previous efforts. Who also owns a HORROR ONLY CURATION PAGE. Either the developer forgets yearly that I hate them, or they find it fun to waste their resources on me only to get another negative review.

Coughing Simulator 2020... it features FMVs of people coughing. The developer, his mom, his grandparents, and his dog. Less than 2 minutes of content. Such stimulating entertainment. I bet you're SO GLAD that you dropped out of college to pursue making this garbage, huh? Making fun of COVID-19 is really the lowest you could possibly go. And you live in Montreal, the hardest hit Canadian city to date. As a Canadian, I am not only ashamed of you, but both embarrassed by and for you. I do hope your family and friends are unaffected by this pandemic. I have friends who have lost loved ones to the illness. Classless, talentless, and tactless, as always.

0/0 but two big middle fingers up.

After the mega success of the Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom saw it in their best interest to go ahead and also remake their classic 1999 title, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Taking place a mere 24 hours before the events of its predecessor, this game sees players in the role of Jill Valentine; former Special Tactics and Rescue Services (S.T.A.R.S.) member, and survivor of the horrors that happened at the Spencer Mansion in the original Resident Evil. With most of Raccoon City's population consumed by the virus, Jill is left fighting through hordes of the undead to try and escape the doomed metropolis before it's nuked to dust. Along the way she enlists the help of Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (U.B.C.S) soldier Carlos Oliveira, who serves to help Jill escape from not only the city, but also a seemingly unstoppable mutant that chases her throughout the entire campaign.

If you've been following this game at all, you'll most likely already know that Resident Evil 3 is short... too short; to be fair though, so was the original. As someone who personally explores every nook and cranny on a first playthrough and goes out of their way to find collectibles and earn achievements, my fullest efforts brought me to just over six hours playtime for the main campaign. It really does feel like more of a DLC since there's no second scenario, and there's not much of a reason to replay it unless you're wanting to earn more achievements or earn points for in-game unlockables; ala Resident Evil 5 style. However, the real factor that will drive up the played hours here is Resident Evil Resistance, a brand new 4vs1 multiplayer game, similar to other asymmetrical horror games like Dead by Daylight and Last Year. How long a player base will stick around is yet to be seen, but with over 26,000 concurrent players at off-peak hours, it's off to a promising start.

The graphics, gameplay, mechanics, and all of the core pulp that make up this title are the exact same as the Resident Evil 2 remake. Everything looks great, plays great, and feels great; Nemesis himself is formidable and imposing, both in aesthetic and functionality. All of the standard weapons make a return, there are ways to upgrade your inventory and guns, there are the usual health items... it's all the same, and not much more can be said; it's Resident Evil. However, the game itself is finicky and unstable. If you so much as ALT+TAB out to try and check an e-mail or what have you, it will automatically close; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There are some frustrating downsides to the campaign as well, with the major one being just how maddeningly slow Jill runs and the fact that she takes a 1-2 second pause after dodging, making the maneuver nearly irrelevant unless timed impeccably.

There should be more to say here, this review does feel really short... just like the game itself. However, the Resident Evil 3 remake is just that... a solid remake of the original game, albeit missing some locations, enemies, and all of the puzzles. It doesn't go above and beyond what its remake predecessor did, there's not much longevity to it, and Nemesis can be more irritating to go up against than fun. In fact, most of his boss battle appearances are total bullet sponge segments that force you to not only deplete all of the ammo pickups in the immediate area, but also all of your reserves. Capcom did manage to do the story justice, however. The inclusion of Resident Evil Resistance was a smart move, though at the same time it does feel like fodder to justify an AAA price tag. If you have no interest in the multiplayer portion, and especially if Resident Evil 3 isn't your favorite installment, it's best to catch this one on sale at some point.

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If you're a fan of both games and the Terminator film franchise, then you'll know that we've been through a lot of Terminator video games... A LOT; most of them not so good, either. There've been Terminator games released on everything from the NES, Gameboy, arcade, and even to pinball and slot machines, most of them usually starring our favorite beefy ex-California Governor at the height of his film career. Hell, there was even a Terminator MMO. The most recent franchise game that comes to mind is 2009's Terminator Salvation, based on the movie of the same name, which was universally reviled on every system it released on. Now, nine years later here we are with Terminator: Resistance, a title not directly based off of any one movie in particular, but rather it gives us a glimpse into the Future War that Sarah Connor talks about in the second film.

On August 29, 1997, the military computer artificial intelligence defense network, Skynet, became self-aware. It realized that humans were a threat to its existence, so it initiated a nuclear holocaust that came to be known as Judgment Day. The decades that followed saw Skynet locked in a war to exterminate all of humanity. Known as the Annihilation Line, each day the army marches closer, eradicating all life in its path. The few survivors left banded together to create a resistance, led by a man named John Connor. Terminator: Resistance is set between 2028 and 2029 in Los Angeles, and you play as Jacob Rivers; a soldier who is part of the resistance, and the sole survivor of the unit that was deployed in Pasadena. Jacob learns that he is one of the top three people marked for termination by Skynet, due to his role in the outcome of the war. He must get back to John Connor and help destroy the Skynet Core.

Going into Terminator: Resistance, you should realize off the hop that the developer, Teyon, are responsible for that abomination of an on-rails shooter known as Rambo. They also created both of the Heavy Fire games; another set of on-rails shooters that were admittedly a step up from Rambo, but still underwhelming even by the low standards of the niche should-be-arcade-only genre. If you set yourself up with that information, and then go into this release with the lowest expectations that you could possibly have, the game isn't actually that bad. It's hollow, it borrows most of its ideas from places like Fallout, and it feels a lot more like a beta than an actual full release; all that said, it has a lot more pros going for it than cons. To date, it might even be the best Terminator video game on the market. For starters, it has the best atmosphere of any Terminator game, and really instils the sense of a futuristic post-apocalyptic world, where constant dread looms like a massive darkened cloud overhead. Though the graphics are barely a step above last gen, the environments are dark, frightening, and immersive.

What's good here is actually being able to get up close and personal with the Terminator models. There's the T-800, T-808, T-47, Spider Bots, and a host of other Skynet creations that are always lurking around the landscape. Taking them down is satisfying, and the foes themselves feel as formidable as they appear in the films. There's also no naked Arnold running around, since this game is set at another time, when the T-1000 had not yet been created, but there are the early stages of his design, known as Infiltrators, who are sent back in time to try and stop you from destroying the Skynet Core. The overall soundtrack is beautifully designed as it has a perfect horror-inspired Retrowave sound going on, it's very reminiscent of Mitch Murder's work, and the music that plays when you get into a battle with the enemies is absolutely terrifying.

It's everything else that really falls apart. There's a skill tree, a leveling system, light crafting, a hidden sort of karma mechanic, different dialogue options, and several endings. For some reason you're only allowed to get to level 28, but there are over 35 skills to obtain. Most of the skills just let you use new weapons, pick more advanced locks, hack more advanced terminals, and craft items that you'll never really need to craft since the world is so plentiful with resources. The rest of the skills give you more health, better stealth, and allow you to deal more damage. The crafting is unnecessary, and aside from making a few lockpicks I never used it for anything else. The karma mechanic involves the few characters that you can chat with, and relies on you asking about their past; if you don't talk to people enough and increase their trust in you, you're locked out of certain endings. As for the "multiple endings", it's one of those games where you get several endings each time you play, depending on the choices you make with the people.

At the end of the day, Terminator: Resistance is a hollow shell that holds together a flimsy story, poor dialogue writing, and the wire frame of many Fallout mechanics. The maps are semi-open world, but they're very small and there's not enough rewards for exploring the areas. There are a few side-quests that change minor things about the characters you interact with, but not a lot of it is worth doing. It's best to accept this experience as linear and streamlined, despite the branches that it attempts to have. On the upside, the environments are immersive, and the atmosphere is rich. Actually seeing and being pursued by Terminators is a horrifying experience in its own right, even if defeating them later in the campaign becomes child's play. There's a lot of hit-and-miss going on here, but if you're a fan of the movies, then you'll find that the 6-7 hour campaign of this release will scratch the itch you've been feeling to see the Future War.

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Suite 776 is indie developer Stanislaw Truchowski's fourth release to date. Most of their previous work has been well received, which is impressive given that the titles all stick to a very low budget, and are sometimes even released as free to play. This time the story puts us in the perspective of an investigator who has ventured to an apartment building to review the suicide of an established architect named Marcy. Not much more can be said about the plot without giving away key points and unexpected twists, but suffice it to say that not everything is what it seems.

This experience is yet another Silent Hills PT clone, but despite all of its shameless worship, it still brings with it elements that make it unique. Yes, you're going to spend a lot of your time wandering changing hallways and looking for progression triggers, but you're going to be extremely on edge the entire time that you're doing it. As you plod around apartment 776, you never know what corner Marcy might be hiding around or when your next encounter with her might be. Though she's harmless, she strikes completely out of the blue and manages to be terrifying each time. This is helped, of course, by the droning ambience in the background and well-placed sound effects that'll make you question whether you're truly alone or not.

As there is no save feature, you're going to need at least about an hour set aside to play Suite 776 in one go, but that's really not too much to ask. It's a short and very enjoyable experience, but there is also a lot of replay value given the multiple endings and even an easter egg that takes quite a bit of work to achieve. The true ending also takes a fair amount of effort, but it's the one that thoroughly fleshes out the humble ghost story encased in this release. If you don't get it your first time around, it's well worth spending the time on an additional playthrough to get it. I think it's time to commend Stanislaw Truchowski on his most ambitious project yet, and congratulate him on reaching his goals of creating a genuinely frightening horror game.

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The developer provided a free copy of this game for review, through The Horror Network's Curation page.