might not be a horror game, but one breakout horror hit from 2024 takes a lot of inspiration from the classic RPG. Released in May after a clever marketing campaign that leaned on 90s-style advertisements, takes things back to the PlayStation 1 era while carving out its own niche. As a survival horror title, it's been most heavily compared to games like the original and, a fair evaluation that nonetheless ignores the equally obvious connections to and fails to fully explain 's unique brand of charm.
The narrative set-up of is simple. A special police agent named Mara arrives at an abandoned theme park, armed with a handgun and a file declaring the disappearance of the park's owner. It's a far cry from the dizzying spectacle that opens the original story of , but as Mara ventures into the park and begins to unravel the secrets within, the reasons for fans to check the game out become increasingly apparent.
might be a survival horror game in name, but it's not especially focused on scares. In its loving look back at the PlayStation 1 era, hones in on the charms of chunky characters and cluttered environments, building up a world that's as endearing as it is moody. Through a haze of dithered greenish fog, the details of the park become the big selling point, and even those who aren't especially into horror could find a lot to love in poking around.
Venturing off the beaten path with a short, interesting horror game is the best way to celebrate Halloween, and there's no shortage of great options.
While doesn't use pre-rendered backgrounds like, it constructs its 3D environments with a very similar touch to the way 's art is rendered. The low-poly amusement park has the same clay-like look as the Gold Saucer, but the industrial style of other locations is equally present. Underneath a grungy level of general disrepair that brings Midgar to mind, the park is as clunky as it is beautiful, and venturing into the areas not meant for the public to visit reveals a surplus of
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