Among the many horror sagas that have made the history of the videogame medium, one of the most famous is certainly that of Silent Hill. The Konami epic, born in the now distant 1999, has in fact been able to redefine the standards of the genre placing at the center of attention that sense of total inadequacy to the impending situation that would appear before the player, who would have to deal with a waking nightmare in which distinguishing reality from fiction would have been impossible. Nightmare settings, extremely dangerous creatures, charismatic and rich characters, these were the pillars of a brand that has been able to conquer millions of players from all over the world.
Yet, the epic of Team Silent was not a succession of successes rather, a fluctuation of great chapters followed closely by others that are much more forgettable. We all know the disconcerting conclusion of this famous IP by now, there where that potential-rich Kojima PT was finally hung up, with all due respect to all those who already saw in that first demo the most shining masterpiece of the brand. Since then, Konami has begun to lose interest in gaming, preferring, rather, to aim for other, more profitable forms of entertainment - yes, we are talking about pachinko and company - a change of course that has led many to conclude that that of Silent Hill was a saga now dead and gone. Yet, a light at the bottom of the tunnel still exists, a ray of hope constituted by the enormous indie universe that continually produces new works capable of bewitching large masses and small niches.
Today we are therefore here, together with you, to let you discover five titles that can pass that serious withdrawal from Silent Hill that has hit you straight to the heart for years now.
Lone Survivor
It was the year 2012 when Superflat Games, a software house composed of a single developer, gave birth to Lone Survivor, a title initially snubbed by many but which with the passing of the months was able to conquer a well-deserved success. The adventure will put you in the shoes of an unspecified boy who woke up in a strange residence and in a state of severe amnesia. Not only do we fail to remember how we got to the building, but even our very name is completely unknown to us, a very dramatic situation to which far more serious problems will soon be added. The enormous structure in which we will move seems to be in fact populated by terrifying creatures eager only to take us to the other world, beings without any morals from which we can only escape or hide. From here our journey will then begin, a long path of redemption and rediscovery of ourselves that will lead us to experience a fascinating story characterized by four different endings - each of which determined by specific choices that we will make in-game, a ' dreamlike and alienating adventure in which we will have to face our worst nightmares without ever having the total certainty of knowing what is actually real and what, instead, is nothing more than a joke of our mind. Don't be fooled by a peculiar graphic sector like the one offered by pixel-art, as Superflat Games has managed to develop a creature with a thousand implications and capable of keeping the player in perpetually bated breath.
Detention
Having to talk about Detention, it is difficult not to identify the Red Candle creature as one of the biggest surprises that occurred during 2017. The 2D horror adventure offered here is set in the heart of 1960, when the Republic of China is now controlled by an authoritarian regime eager to suppress all forms of dissent. In a context that is already historically so dark, we will therefore play the role of the young student Kay who, at the end of a normal school day, gets stuck in the structure due to a sudden storm. But soon what may appear to be a problematic situation will turn into a waking nightmare. In the sky the stars have stopped shining, all connections with the school have been interrupted and the river of the town has taken on an eerie reddish color, almost like blood. Worse still, creatures taken directly from the culture of the Rising Sun have begun to populate the institute, dangerous beings who do not seem friendly at all.
Detention is a clever and incredibly well written adventure which is not taking shape only for some well-chosen basic ideas or for an always distressing atmosphere capable of keeping the player on their toes from the first moment to the end credits, but also and above all for a narrative in itself much deeper and more personal than what you might initially think. History and politics are thus amalgamating in what is a real nightmare in which the life of our protagonist will be slowly retraced, step by step, to make us understand that the real monsters, those from whom you really need to be afraid, can also lurk in the most unexpected places. Pleasant puzzles, great design choices and an extremely well-chosen graphic style close the circle of a work that will not only inspire fear, but which in the end will also lead you to reflect.
Remotheder: Tormented Fathers
Journalist Rosemary Reed decides to go to the huge estate of the mysterious Richard Felton - famous notary suffering from an unspecified disease that has made him the subject of numerous studies and research unfortunately proved unsuccessful - with the ultimate aim of finding out what happened to his daughter. of the man who mysteriously disappeared years ago. However, our presence in the house does not seem to be appreciated and after having only obtained a door slammed in our face, we finally decide to sneak into the house to discover what secrets are hidden behind those thick walls of wood and bricks. Soon, however, what initially seemed to appear as a simple mission to search for truth will turn into a race to salvation, where a dark and evil force seems to be ready to do anything to eternally silence us. Starting from this interesting premise, the Stormind Games creature is embodying an intriguing and captivating adventure where the main focus of the experience will require you to explore far and wide the large villa in which you will be locked up while trying not to be found by the dangers that crave your life. In-game, in fact, you will not have the opportunity to fight your executioner, a condition of total submission that will therefore force you to move stealthily, room after room, trying to hide to the best of your ability to avoid the onset of a sudden game-over.
The sense of powerlessness combined with the awareness that some danger could be hiding around every corner thus manages to keep the player at attention perennially and returns a sense of general inadequacy that blends perfectly with the playful structure. Listening carefully to the noises emitted by the enemies to understand how close they are, using makeshift objects to circumvent abominations hungry for blood, fleeing at breakneck speed when the threat looms behind us, these are just some of the situations we will experience during the adventure. Remothered: Tormented Fathers, first chapter of what wants to be configured as an all-round trilogy, is also characterized by an intriguing narrative sector and capable of enticing the user on duty to continue their game in order to find out what mysteries are really hidden in this dark house.
An exciting and terrifying journey not to be missed.
SOMA
Simon Jarrett is a man like many others who, on a normal working day, gets involved in a serious car accident. Although our protagonist survived the disaster, brain damage and cranial haemorrhages are part of the serious damage suffered, incurable wounds potentially capable of slowly destroying his life. In a desperate attempt to find salvation from our ailments, we finally decide to undergo an experimental brain scan that can help us find a definitive cure. We sit in an armchair, wear a very heavy helmet and strong lights emanate from every device there. Suddenly, a flash comes, a dazzling and disorienting light that blinds us for a few seconds. Once we opened our eyes, however, the science laboratory we were in disappeared; in its place, a huge decaying structure appears in front of us, among exposed cables, broken glass and computers that have not been used for years. A few steps are enough not only to understand that we are in an underwater station, but also to understand that something else is lurking in those cold and dark corridors.
SOMA, first-person survival-horror developed by the guys at Frictional Games, focuses everything on two pillars that represent the beating heart of the entire experience, atmosphere and narrative. On the one hand, we will find ourselves in an underwater world as fascinating as it is terrifying where the deafening silence will reign supreme. Darkness will accompany us for a good part of the journey we will face, where our slow walks in the ocean depths will be accompanied only by the echo of our steps, while the long and oppressive corridors of the station that we will explore will be able to beautifully bring to mind those sensations already tried in the days of Dead Space. Obviously, there is certainly no shortage of violent beings ready to take us to the creator, horrifying and well-diversified creatures from whom escape will be the only way to salvation. On the other hand, however, we will also have to deal with an impactful narrative, intricate and full of ideas capable of making us reflect on the man / machine relationship and on the concept of life itself, an exciting rush that will strike the heart of anyone who decides. to dive into this disturbing adventure.
Layers of Fear
An artist in crisis, a dark presence and a huge villa are the main ingredients that Bloober Team has exploited to give birth to Layers of Fear, a narrative survival horror that has been able to conquer critics and audiences for its incredible qualities. The beating heart of the entire experience can be summarized in one of the most incredible and appreciable works of art design ever seen in a videogame product, a work that appears as a beautiful painting in continuous movement full of terrifying nightmares ready to devour us. As we move into the huge mansion that makes up the entire game map present in-game, we will witness a real journey into the madness of a desperate man, a story perhaps not incisive on the same level as other titles mentioned here, but nonetheless able to keep the player in suspense from the introduction until the last second of the game.
Layers of Fear is an artistic masterpiece that will use all its strength to make you continually wince, where every change of shot could prove capable of completely transforming the surrounding environment. The short duration of the adventure - which can be completed in just over two hours - avoids the risk of being attacked by monotony, while the continuous purely visual ideas brought to light by the developers manage to continually surprise the player. During the game you will feel continuously hunted by invisible but still well perceptible forces, a dark presence that will enjoy terrorizing you in every possible and imaginable way. The incredible technical work presented is then followed by an equally exciting sound performance that manages to immerse the player even more in the adventure, between barely perceptible audio tracks, but always oppressive, and noises of the surrounding environment that are harassing the player at every step.
