It’s times like these where I really feel that spooky season is in full swing. Infliction: Extended Cut was a pure horror gem that I got to play earlier this year on Xbox. In my original review, I talked about horror tropes, and what made this game, in particular, stand out for me. Infliction: Extended Cut was also the first game I ever 100%, although a bug blocked me from unlocking a trophy I had met requirements for.
Alas, I digress. When I heard this was coming to Switch, excited was an understatement. My Switch is a massive comfort thing to me. I’m able to curl up easier and relax that little bit more. I’ve mentioned before that being able to achieve that level of comfort is almost like a false sense of security. For me, this was very much an “I need it” situation.
So now, it’s time to talk about the Switch port of Infliction: Extended Cut.
Refresh our memories?
Infliction: Extended Cut is a supernatural horror game, that is very much survival to the core. Running and hiding are your only options as you try to unlock a way to vanquish the spirit. There is a moment at a later stage where you can use light to get away, but honestly, unless you’re going for the achievement it’s not necessary.
We take the place of a man who, initially, is just looking for the plane tickets he forgot. The game quickly takes a turn and reveals a gory incident that shapes the rest of the story moving forward. As you progress, you can collect memories around the house, showing a marriage, children, and tragedy. Through radio broadcasts, more is revealed about our protagonist indirectly. Timelines jump, more memories are collected, and players can piece together the truth of the spirit.
Console to console differences
Overall, the gameplay is pretty similar. The basic mechanics don’t change. You run and hide, all while collecting memories. One thing that did bug me slightly was the lack of prompts for controls. It’s something I’m pretty used to at the start of games, a nice little introduction for new actions. It’s one of those things you don’t realise the importance of until it’s missing. Biggest inconvenience for me was trying to hide under the bed in the main room. Nothing popped up to tell me what I was doing, so I was frantically pressing buttons to try to figure it out (it’s Y by the way).
Our spirit lady friend likes to spawn at a specific time. 3:45 am to be specific. In my very first playthrough on Xbox, I got caught HARD with her spawning. Spooked the hell out of me. So naturally, I wanted to be prepared. I did get a tad frustrated with this. There’s a digital clock in the bedroom that shows the in-game time, and it was creeping closer and closer to spooky time, with me having no luck hiding. I’ll be honest, I still don’t know how I figured it out. I just kept pressing things, hoping one would work. A technique that has yet to fail me!
A tad more techy
Honestly, I have had much more annoying experiences with other games. I tend to get very frustrated trying to figure things out in games. Seriously, y’all should see me trying to do the door puzzles in Project Zero/Fatal Frame. Raging at games is something I do a tad too much. And please keep in mind that just because lack of prompts bugged me doesn’t mean everyone will feel like that. I still consider myself quite a noob-ish gamer, so for many games, I need those little on-screen prompts to tell me what I’m doing.
The ability to play a good horror in handheld mode really is something special. Especially if, like me, you like to lay in bed in the dark. Go into ultimate chill mode and pick up the Switch. Controller vibration is something that has been used umpteen times to enhance the gaming experience. Now imagine you’re just chilling out, maybe you have a nice cup/glass of your favourite drink (tea for me), and then BAM! The whole console vibrates in your hands! Yes, it’s a warning for what is to come. HOWEVER! That initial vibration is a damn good spook on its own!
The Horror Queen’s thoughts
One thing that CANNOT be forgotten about is the fact that Caustic Reality is ONE GUY! A hugely talented guy. To this day, that still massively impresses me. I have an insane amount of respect for this dude. Not gonna lie guys, I am so relieved this port is good. We’ve all known for months that Infliction: Extended Cut is a damn good game. The story is dark, twisted and well-developed. The exposition is glorious. It’s the kind of game that does the indie horror genre proud. And we cannot forget the endings. Although the main ending is the same and inevitable, I still love the ability to pick a door and see what icon is hidden behind it.
That same spirit that I experienced in the Xbox version of this game is still heavily present in the Switch port. No, I don’t just mean the creepy ghost lady chasing us around the house. I mean the spirit of passion and enjoyment. Honestly, whether you play this game on PC or on console, you’re going to have a really great horror experience. There is a feeling of satisfaction seeing those achievements popping up as you play, if you want a slightly more relaxed playthrough, then Switch is the way to go. Well, as relaxed as you can be while playing a horror game!
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