Good and scary

So this game is pretty scary. More so than I had anticipated. I don't suffer from any mental illness that I'm aware of, but it does a great job of simulating the anxiety and fear that I assume pairs with these disorders. The game looks nice. It says it has HDR. It's obviously not made by a AAA engine, but for a third party small studio it's very impressive and beyond what anyone should expect from an indie title. The sound is fantastic (it suggests wearing headphones but I think this would be too intense for me) and the areas you explore are perfectly spooky and ominous. The story itself is great and shines over all the other aspects. The game play is why I reduced a star. It's not immediately obvious how to make things happen, and can be frustrating to navigate at times. The combat seems unreasonably difficult even on the easiest setting... Games with heavy emphasis on narration should always include a "very easy" mode in my opinion. Replaying segments you've failed takes away from the immersion and replaces it with frustration. It really takes away from the fun of the story unfolding. I do believe there should be options to ramp up the difficulty for those inclined, but when I'm trying to unveil a story (think uncharted or God of War) repeating a difficult combat sequence 4 or 5 times significantly takes away from the fun. All in all this is an impressive game, and I encourage you to push forward through the difficult parts to see the ending. The story is well worth the temporary frustration.

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