Sometimes you just need to play a horror game that is so frustrating and freaky it makes you appreciate other games. 2Dark is that game that makes you hug your children and leave the lights on at night. Check out my review for the Xbox One.
Story
Kids always seem to wind up missing in Gloomyditch, the town where the game is set. You take the role of Mr. Smith, whose family was torn apart in the wilderness not far from town. His children weere kidnapped and his wife was brutally murdered. Now it is up to you to save the children in this town and try to find your own kids as well. The story is one of the most disturbing I have ever played. This is a must play for those that really want an insane and different horror story.
Graphics
2Dark doesn’t look amazing compared to some games these days. What it lacks in being graphically beautiful makes up for it in sheer creepiness and atmosphere. It does look so much better then Slender: The Arrival yet it falls short of The Park. The characters are small 3D models that work for this game. One nice touch is that Mr. Smith will show a large circle of blood on his head after being injured for a while. It starts to really make you wonder just how much fun the developers had coming up with ways to show the gore. Nothing in the game is going to make you think this would look better as a large scale game with slick graphics. This indie title gives you that creepy feeling the moment you start the game.
Some of the things that I really didn’t like were the hidden death traps that took me multiple playthroughs to realize they were actually concealed due to the color scheme. This led to the frustration that wanted me to dislike parts of the game. The use of the dark is really great considering once you are in the open your survival rate drops.
Audio
The music for this game is good. It adds to the creepy vibe of the game. There is also some nice voice acting in the game.
In the scheme of indie horror game,s the audio is nothing that I would say is great. It helps you as the player stay alive and that is all that matters in this game. Those kids won’t save themselves.
Gameplay
The game is easy enough to understand. Save the children by killing the enemies that want to use them for their evil deeds. Doing that is easier said than done. In this game you have to be patient with some of the things that will happen. You will die in many different ways but there is a unique save system involving smoking which is a nice way to record your progress. A player may find multiple crates that he can’t open at first. It may take some time to go find a crowbar or you have to kill the guy that has it. Everything in this game has multiple ways of solving problems. That is always interesting and enjoyable to me.
Players will find themselves scouring areas looking for batteries, candles, bullets, or keys to unlock doors. Combining a battery to the flashlight is fast and easy. In comparison, reloading a pistol is a pain. You will die if you don’t practice. In saving the kids you can throw candies that you will find around the game to have them follow you. I liked to just pick up the kid if I had the chance. Once they are following you it is time too issue commands that could save their lives. I was shocked when my first kid died, thats when I knew this game was something demented. The gameplay is a mixed bag that if you really want to put the time into it you may find it rewarding. I just didn’t enjoy some of the gameplay features this game offers.
Verdict
Gloomyditch looks like some place you would never want to visit. This is one of those games that indie fans should play and for the most part they already have. Being released on the consoles is always great except for the fact this game will get overlooked by so many players due to the graphics and possibly the nature of the game. I really had some frustrating issues that actually have to be in the game. This lead to me feeling like I was forced to play through certain parts. That is just not the games I always recommend, except in this case I will tell people to play 2Dark. Even if I have to load my profile on their console so they don’t have to spend the $40 on the game.
