Publisher – Creanet 3D
Price – US $1.09
Release Date – April 1st, 2017
Input – Gamepad, Internal Gyro(Your Real life movements)
Play Area – Standing
Store – Google Play
Reviewed on – Samsung Galaxy S8/Gear VR 2017
Are you into horror? Thinking to yourself ‘(wo)man, I got this not-so-fancy cardboard headset and I’ve seen all that YouTube has to offer as far as scary vids go? Well you are in luck my friend as I have stumbled across a gem just for you, offering up perhaps the most immersion I have felt from a cardboard horror app.
I challenge you to look back as this psycho chases after you!
Like the title states, this a bad dream…a really, bad dream. The menu screen starts you off on scenic beach, but once you hit start and drift off to la-la land, things take a turn for the worse. Awakening strapped to a chair in a dark room, you are beset upon by creatures both unseen and vile and it’s up to you to get out of this nightmare.
The controls here are what impress me the most and while not perfect by any means, they still do a fantastic job of immersing you in this experience. To move forward you must walk on-the-spot in real life, and while this may seem foolish at first, it works. Using the gyroscopes in your phone, this game feels when you move and pushes you forward accordingly and because this is wire free, you are free to look around and walk where you want too. Triggering items and events involves simply looking at reticles on specific items or locations until they trigger, usually in around 2 seconds. That’s the core of this game and it works remarkably well.
The campaign is broken up over 5 chapters, each carrying their own sense of danger and flare. What’s amazing is the amount of diversity offered up by this very budget title. Besides walking, you’ll run, dodge and crawl through vents, trigger items and catch a few scares along the way. As I said, most of the game is scripted, but the control between these moments makes you feel like your there and it’s impressive.
The visuals here are a joy as well with some very detailed character models, stages and effects. Levels feel spooky, dank and disgusting. Creatures are gross and monstrous. It’s worth noting that this game is very dark which lends itself well to both the scares and the limitations of the platform but can lead to a bit of confusion when you get turned around and are unsure where to go. The audio is also great, with scary music and sound effects that perfectly with the terrors around you.
The campaign took me around 30 min to beat which was also awesome considering the price. I even got spooked on a few occasions which was great as I tend to be relatively scare proof when it comes to most horror games. Additionally, there are even collectables scattered around each map to give you a little extra something to do and collecting all 5 gets you some praise as the credits roll.
Just one of the many freaky-deaky’s you’ll see in this scare-fest
Praise aside, this is by no means perfect. Some of the levels lack visual depth and look like 360 pictures and depending on your phone, you may run into issues with the game properly reading your movements. I found by the end of the game I had figured out how to move in real-life and have the game respond accordingly, but there was some trial and error to get there. I also encountered a glitch that darkened a level making it impossible to proceed and only quitting the app and restarting it resolved the issue.
All-in-all I was impressed the game. Is there room for improvement? Sure, but what is here is probably one of the best horror experiences on the platform. It’s got some length to it, some nicely timed scares and a control mechanic that impressed the heck out of me. Just make sure when you play, you strap on a set of headphones!
What would I pay? In all honesty is this was $3 or $4 I don’t think I‘d feel ripped off. This is a complete horror experience that is worth playing and worth showing off to friends and family.
