Friends, this has been a long time coming. Though I kept putting this off, hoping for an improvement. However, it’s now time to talk about Paranoid. This won’t take very long, it’s another game from Madmind Studio (the folks behind Agony and Succubus). Don’t worry though, Paranoid is very on brand.

What is Paranoid?

Paranoid is the story of Patrick Calman, a man with paranoid schizophrenia, who has lost almost his entire family. His psyche is shattered, and his apartment is essentially a prison for him. A call from his still-living sister comes in, many years after she seemingly disappeared. Patrick is now faced with the choice of going out to pick up his medication, or staying home without meds to spy on his neighbour. There’s no way to make that not sound creepy. Dude has a hole in one of his walls to look at his neighbour through.

The thing with Paranoid

I’ll get the technical things out of the way first. Graphically speaking, Paranoid is not something to write home about. It’s not bad, it’s not particularly good. The word mediocre springs to mind. There are moments where the animation itself even feels clunky, even on the lowest settings. Optimisation is poor, to say the least. The only way to describe the gameplay is janky. Movement doesn’t feel particularly natural, and combat feels heavy. It’s jerky, more reminiscent of a PS1 game than a game released in late 2023. There are also minor annoyances, like subtitles not actually matching what has been spoken.

Paranoid tries to emulate the sound design from Hellblade Senua’s Sacrfice. Tries, mind you. It does not succeed. Instead of giving an intense, dark vibe, it just gives headaches.

Not very Paranoid

This game is meant to be showcasing a person living with a mental illness, but it misses the mark on every front. I’m all for games showcasing mental health and illness, when it’s done well. However, this is not done well. The longer the game goes on, the more it feels like a cash grab. It feels like someone just sat down with Psychology for Dummies, picked out a random disorder and rolled with it.

Paranoid has an interesting concept behind it, but misses the mark on every single point. Which, at this point, is to be expected from Madmind. Even updates can’t fix all the issues with this game. However, there are still loyal fans throwing their money at this studio, allowing games like this to pass through the cracks. This one is just not worth playing at all. But hey, you have to admire the lack of care to keep putting out such poor quality games. Maybe one day Madmind will flip the script and give us a good game. I won’t be holding my breath though.

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Spooky season has come and gone, but the horror queen is still here! I hope everyone had a safe Halloween! Things were quiet on my end, mostly because I’ve been playing horror games! And friends, it was only a matter of time before I started talking about World of Horror. I’m super excited about this one, especially as it’s a little different to my normal gaming endeavours. Let’s jump right in!

What is World of Horror?

World of Horror is a 1-bit roleplaying game, developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games. The pixel art style is inspired by legendary mangaka Junji Ito and Eldritch horror master H.P. Lovecraft. World of Horror is very much a roguelite, featuring turn-based combat and choices with rippling status effects.

Set in a small seaside town in Japan, The Old Gods are reawakening. Sanity is depleting, and grotesque, otherworldly creatures are terrorising the population. It is truly the end of the world as these people know it. You must confront these horrors head on, tackling mysteries within the new apocalypse.

There are five playable characters, with their own stories and perspectives on what’s happening in the town. Playthroughs are tackled through decks of event cards. Different cards and combinations will lead to different outcomes, and may even unlock new mysteries or clues.

World of Turns

Turn-based combat and roguelites in general have never really been my style. Despite this however, World of Horror enthralled me. Admittedly, it was the Ito-inspired art style that caught my interest initially. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep love of Junji Ito. He’s one of my artist idols. So to see something inspired by his work, I couldn’t help but want to play. Plus, I am trying to branch out a little bit.

Admittedly, it took me a little bit to get the hang of the combat. Even with the little tutorials, it just didn’t click in my brain. Some of the choices along the way were a little confusing for me too. This isn’t a reflection on the game however. It is completely down to my lack of knowledge and experience in this kind of game. Once I got the hang of things, it got pretty fun.

The art style is very well thought-out, and makes sense with the universe. The inspirations are clear with additional stylistic decisions heightening the atmosphere. It makes for a very well rounded horror experience.

Final Horrors

Despite the art style, I was a little skeptical about World of Horror at first. I’m a little set in my ways when it comes to gaming, mostly because it takes me a while to adapt to new things. I am very glad I gave this game a shot. The only thing that could have made this whole experience better for me would fall back to genre. I love the whole concept and the story, but I would love a more linear experience. That is very much personal preference, because even though I loved this game, the turn-based roguelite aspects still don’t click with me.

Something else that I really love is the fact that World of Horror is getting a physical Nintendo Switch release in December. I already have it on pre-order. The art-style and story make this game very well worth playing, and I think it would go over very well with lovers of roguelites!

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Very much in the spirit of trying to branch out, I have tried a visual novel. Unknowingly (at first), the visual novel is also a dating sim. Friends, I’m going to cut straight to the point. Slay the Princess was NOT for me. I’m fully aware that this game has been getting rave reviews across the board elsewhere, and I really did try. But to no avail. Let’s just get right into it.

What is Slay the Princess?

Slay the Princess is a choice-driven horror visual novel from Black Tabby Games. It’s pretty simple really. You’re following a path through a woods, and at the end of the path is a cabin. The cabin has a basement, and inside it is a Princess. The titular princess that you’re on your way to kill. Of course, you can choose to attempt to free her, or even romance her.

There are also a few different endings, and a lot of time looping. The whole game is fully voice acted, however I personally didn’t like the voices. That is absolutely nothing against any of the voice actors, they all do a great job. The voices just didn’t click for me. Audio options do allow you to totally turn off volume for voices, so that’s what I did for my playthroughs. The music is pretty chill, and matches the vibe of the game overall.

Art wise, Abby Howard did a truly fantastic job. The whole game has been hand drawn traditionally using paper and pencil. That is the one thing I genuinely enjoyed about the game. We all know I’m a sucker for a good art style, and I have 100% fallen in love with Abby Howard’s.

Slay the Story

I do understand why Slay the Princess has gone over so well for fans of this kind of game. There is a full narrative there, and a winding, expanding experience. However, it just did not click with me. The dialogue didn’t capture me, and the options just didn’t feel right. There were a couple of lines over the course of my runs that made me laugh, (including a “viva la revolución”) but overall it felt a bit stale.

Like I said above, the one thing that did win for me was the art style. It is truly great. The environments are nice to look at, and the different forms of the princess are well executed. I highly recommend checking out more of Abby Howard’s art, you will not regret it! That was just where the good ended for me.

The romance was fun to try at first, but it lost its charm pretty fast. Again, that came back to the dialogue. It just didn’t flow the way I would have liked.

Slaying Word

I do need to stress, this is all very much personal preference. I do not click with visual novels. Genuinely, I really wanted to like this game. I love the art style, and that frequently adds to my enjoyment of a game. This time around, it just wasn’t enough.

Undeniably though, I firmly believe people who enjoy the visual novel genre would enjoy this. It just wasn’t for me.

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Kooky, creepy circus clowns send crawlies down your crack! Friends, at this moment in time, I am glad I got over my fear of clowns when I was a kid. I think I would have just cried my way through this game otherwise. It’s time to talk about Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness, which comes to us from developers Indiesruption and publishers Blowfish Studios.

What is Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness?

In Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness, you play as a heavily traumatised former circus clown by the name of Oliver Mills (who is in his clown costume throughout). 8 years after the freak circus he belonged to burned down, Oliver is summoned to the mansion of the reclusive circus director. The whole troupe has been invited for the purpose of a group photo. A group photo for the newspaper, announcing the revival of the circus. Yes, 8 years after the fire, the circus is to be reformed. Oliver is reunited with his former friends, but no one has been left unmarked by the tragic incident.

Descend into the Circus

Honestly friends, I’m unsure how to approach this one. There is a very interesting story at the core of this game – life after the fire. And many emotions are shown well, even with the game being 2D pixel art. That is one thing I can firmly say I enjoy. I do love a nifty art style.

However, this is not a game without flaws, and art can fix many things. Unfortunately, Vlad Circus Descend Into Madness is not one of those things.

At multiple times during the game, I got stuck in corners or got trapped by badly placed characters. For example, a character blocked me on a bridge. The character was following me and blocked my path. It took restarting to be able to get out of being blocked. Part of me wonders if that could have happened as I played on Xbox Series X.

And yet, that’s not the worst part for me.

Descend into Back and Forth

Realistically, a little back and forth can be expected in story driven games. Sometimes however, it can just be too much. And that’s the case in Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness. It feels like everything you do involves back and forth. For example, you need to collect rainwater. To do this, you need a jug, a specific record, a specific gramophone, a horn to boost the sound, and a key to get outside through a specific door. For one jug of rainwater. Despite the fact that it is pouring rain in game. There is a specific pipe that you need to collect it from.

I’ve played a lot of games over the years, good, non-clickers, and a couple of bad. None have ever had the level of back and forth that is so prevalent in Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness

Circus Ending

Normally, I avoid talking about endings. And I won’t get into specifics here. I’m sure there are people who would love this game for the things I personally didn’t. At the end of the day, everyone has their own interests and preferences.

But friends, and again, I won’t go into specifics, I have never felt more cheated by an ending in a game. Without a doubt, there will be people who love the ending of Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness, but I am definitely not one of them. After all the back and forth, it just felt like a cop-out.

With all that sad, at the core of Vlad Circus is a really interesting story, with interesting characters, in a solid art style. The majority of the issues I have are based on my own personal preferences in gaming. I would be very interested to see what Indiesruption do in the future. There are definitely some great ideas, it’s just not executed in a way that captures me this time around.

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A Reminder on Cabernet

It has been a little while, so let’s have a little refresher on what Cabernet is! Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG, set in 19th century Eastern Europe. We play as Liza, a young vampire struggling with the world around her. After being pulled into a supernatural world, a world that puts her own morality into question. This new life is intoxicating, overflowing with possibilities, but can it really be that easy?

With new powers to unlock and a new existence to experience, Liza will have to learn the difference between usefulness and a meal.

Demo Days

Before I jump into talking about the demo, I want to give a quick heads up. Currently, there is very little voice acting in Cabernet. However, full voice acting is planned for the game’s full release in 2024.

Cabernet opens with an introduction to Liza, and her passing from mortal life. Admittedly, she doesn’t seem fully aware of what has happened to her. Her face and nightgown are dirty, and she is locked in a chamber. This soon changes when a disembodied knocker grants her release. Liza is plunged into the High Life, encounters the Countess Orlova, and gets cleaned up. Now the time has come to learn about her vampiric abilities.

Cabernet’s demo introduces us quite nicely to the mechanics of the game, which do feel a tad different. It was a little tricky for me at first, as I’ve not played anything 2D that wasn’t purely point and click in a while. Movement is very smooth so far, even as a bat. Honestly, I want to play as a bat in more games. Flying about is fun. And thankfully on a 2D plane, I can’t be a bad driver/flyer! Although realistically, by the time the full game releases, I’ll have found a way.

As the game progresses and you become further immersed in lore, you’ll unlock more of your vampiric abilities. Eventually, Liza will even be able to hypnotise people, or even become totally invisible!

More Cabernet in the future

By now, you all know how critical I am of demos. It’s hard to create the perfect demo, one that shows enough to leave you wanting more, but not so much to ruin the overall game.

Thankfully, Cabernet gets the formula right. It’s the perfect taste to leave you craving more. The more of this game that I get to experience, the more excited I am. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this one. And no, I am not sorry for the bad jokes I slipped into this article.

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It’s a new day, and with that comes another new game. Well, early access in this case. Today, I’m going to be talking about Paranormal Hunter, a new multiplayer survival horror game. Once again, thank you to my lovely friend Kalum for joining me on this adventure. Let’s get right into this one!

What is Paranormal Hunter?

Paranormal Hunter is a first person online co-op multiplayer ghost hunting experience. While you can play solo, this game is much better with friends. It also supports VR, however that is not something I will be trying. VR makes me ill, sorry friends. In Paranormal Hunter, you get to explore haunted houses and abandoned ruins, in search of “symbols of grudges”. Once these are all collected, they are placed in a symbolic, ritualistic circle to banish the evil spirits haunting the area. These spirits can be slowed through the use of UV lights, but banishing them requires the symbols.

Early Days Hunter

Early access is a strange one for me. While I understand and support the concept, I’ve found a lot of games have been taking the step too soon. Paranormal Hunter is on the borderline of this. The base is there, and the concept is fleshing out well. However, we did encounter some bugs while playing. The most prominent was glitching into floors and walls, or getting stuck behind invisible walls. Admittedly, this did cause a fair few laughs. Kalum spawned into the floor on entering one of the maps. I had to lure the spirit over to kill him.

Overall, there is promise within Paranormal Hunter. There was only one real issue that we faced that wasn’t entertaining. Once you enter a game/match, you can’t exit in any way other than dying. There’s no exit or end match button. This was more inconvenience than anything, so hopefully this adjustment will be made down the line.

Down the line, after some patching, I will probably revisit this. However, I can’t see this making its way into my normal rotation. For fans of multiplayer ghost-hunting, this definitely has the potential to be a solid entry to the wheelhouse.

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You will become Liza, a fledgling vampire, as she navigates the rich world around her. The narrative weaves a tale of social conflict, alcoholism, and corruption. However, in a society so dark, choosing your next meal won’t be so easy. Each action has moral consequences, some of which can be insanely far-reaching. You will have to decide how much you want blood. Is it just enough to survive? Or will the blood lust overcome you in favour of the thrill of the hunt? On top of this, every choice must be made before the very deadly Sunrise.

Also, and most importantly. You can turn into a bat. There are other cool vampire powers implemented, but I’m a simple woman. And this simple woman wants to turn into a bat.

Cabernet is due for release on Steam in early 2024, and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on it.

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I truly love it when something new comes along, especially in horror. And I must say, I feel like Suffer the Night has definitely brought something new to the table. Let’s just jump right in to this one, I’m excited.

So, what is Suffer the Night?

Set in 1989, Suffer the Night is a first-person survival horror game, brought to us by developers Tainted Pact and published by Assemble Entertainment. You play as Stacey Linden, a horror illustrator (ultimate goals right there), alone in a secluded cabin. A violent storm rages outside. However, the storm isn’t the only thing to fear. An envelope containing a floppy disk slips through the letter box, soon followed by a strange figure asking to come in. It’s time to play the game on the floppy disk, or face the consequences.

The game within a game is a dungeon crawler, with dark scenarios and vivid descriptions of the horror within. But the horror doesn’t end there. Unfortunately, I can’t say any more without spoilers. And this is the kind of game you don’t want spoiled.

Suffer Mr Tops?

Mr Tops is the name of our strange antagonist in Suffer the Night. Honestly, his design feels like a cross between the Bababook and a Guy Fawkes mask. That being said, the dude is CREEPY. The voice acting is superb, and really adds to the sheer menace of the creature. Creature is the only descriptor that feels right for this guy. The inhuman way he moves is what solidifies that for me.

This game is also really nicely designed. The cabin itself comes across as comfortable, even in the storm. Honestly, I’d love to stay in a place like that. Minus Mr Tops, though. Stacey’s paintings are out on proud display, and the plays on names evoked by each painting and their purpose is god-tier. My favourite is the reference to Stephen King.

Suffer the Night also does the game within a game very well. Honestly, I’ve not seen it done this well in a long time. The game feels authentic, and despite being a simple dungeon crawler, it adds to the external atmosphere. Did that noise come from the game, or is there something behind you? But you must be careful. If Mr Tops interrupts your game, you need to address it. There WILL be consequences if you don’t.

Night Thoughts

I need to be completely honest here, friends. Suffer the Night really surprised me, in a great way. I didn’t fully know what to expect, especially with the game-within-a-game thing. The last game I played that featured that was awful. However, Tainted Pact did a really good job on this.

The story in general, while on the more simple side, is engaging. The atmosphere is tense, with a solid setting and a pretty cool main character. I swear I’m not biased thanks to her awesome horror art. Suffer the Night is a really worthwhile game to play.

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Friends, I’m going to cut right to the chase. Much like this game, this review is going to be short and unpleasant. I have genuinely tried to find something nice to say about Trenches. Horror has been my bread and butter, ever since I was a little kid. I tend to lean a bit more on the harsh side because of this, but I always try to find something positive. Maybe I’m just not the right audience, or maybe there’s just some fine-tuning needed. Unfortunately, Trenches needs more than just some fine-tuning. Let’s get right into it.

What is Trenches?

Trenches is set during World War 1. You play as a soldier trapped behind enemy lines, trying to escape. Also, it’s raining. And there are babies crying. Not real babies, however. They’re dolls. I still don’t totally understand why, but you had to collect them along the way. However, the monster that’s also in the trenches with you responds to sounds. You have a whistle to help locate the baby dolls, but the sound will also attract the monster.

The thing with the monster though, once you’ve seen it the first time, it loses all impact after. It honestly reminded me of the basement enemy in Amnesia The Dark Descent. There are jump scares littered throughout, but nothing to actually leave a lasting impression. A quick “Oh!” moment, that’s it. The death scene is the exact same every time, with no variation in any way. The monster runs at you, screams, bye bye. This kind of thing can be forgiven if there are enough redeeming qualities in other areas. But there wouldn’t have been a warning at the start of this review if that was the case.

Why does Trenches flop for me?

Here’s the thing, the base idea for Trenches is a pretty nifty one. There’s a monster other than the horrors of war in the trenches. However, the story is lacking in any kind of beats that would make the dull jumps and uninspired monster design bearable. I will give it props for running well on Xbox Series X. Zero performance issues in my experience.

But the controls… The crouch was so slow, to the point I was questioning if I’d even pressed the right button. And nothing could be altered, so have fun fat-fingering the whistle button constantly. Also, the map. What is the point of the map? It doesn’t even show where you are, or if it does, I couldn’t find it. The readability, or lack thereof, is scarier than the actual game.

The Big Issues

Again, these are things I could have forgiven, at least enough to rate the game a full star. But I have two BIG issues with this game. One is truly wasted potential due to poor implementation. Trenches utilises real photographs from WWI. This idea alone has enough power to be terrifying. However, outside of the occasional pick-up and loading screen, the images primarily just flash up on the screen for a split second in random areas of the trenches. Turn a corner, BAM! Have a random picture that’s not even on the screen long enough to distinguish.

But even worse… Friends, before I played Trenches, I didn’t even know people considered adding almost real-time blinking to a video game. Yes, you read that right. Real-time blinking. Or at least close to it. The character blinks, every couple of minutes. It’s a slow blink, taking a couple of seconds. I can understand the want to be innovative, especially in such a heavily saturated genre. However, this is NOT the way to go about it. It just does not work, in any way. And it can’t be turned off! The feature is just a major annoyance.

At the end of the day, Trenches just has nothing going for it. Not in my books, anyways. It just feels like it takes ideas from different games that have had a level of success, mashed it all up and called it a day. Truly, I wanted to like this game. It looked incredible in the trailers. The execution just falls far too flat.

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In the demo, we traverse a small section of the game. Within this section, we meet two caterpillars. Both are injured, with intestines spilling out. Admittedly, I got excited over this. I love the style and horror that Erupting Avocado bring to the genre, especially in this kind of imagery. In the demo, you just get to talk to them a little bit, but something tells me they’ll have more relevance in the full game.

We also encounter a talking plant, one that looks very like a Venus Fly Trap. The plant feeds the fly, but with memories, but the more the fly eats, the more decrepit the interior becomes. It seems like a catastrophe waiting to happen, in the best possible way. Sadly, this is where the demo ends. However, I for one cannot wait for the full release of this game. My friends, this is a demo done right. Enough content to get you interested in the game, with a well balanced length to keep you on the edge of your seat for the full release. Bring it on.

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