Review: Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel

destructoid.com:

Every so often, I jump into a could-go-either-way indie game knowing just a basic bullet point or two. In the case of Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel, a survival horror game from Brazilian studio Pulsatrix, that lack of exposure ended up leading to an overall pleasant surprise.

To quickly catch you up to speed: this game has undeniable shades of Resident Evil 7‘s first-person horror and inventory management, with a huge emphasis on solving puzzles, and there’s a surprisingly deep story to unfurl as you slink around an infested hotel.

I may have gotten extremely lost — twice! — but it all worked out in the end.

Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)Developer: Pulsatrix StudiosPublisher: Maximum GamesReleased: June 28, 2022MSRP: $29.99

After finishing this game, I’ll never look at a hotel the same way again — probably!

That exaggeration won’t stick, but after spending a few lonely late nights with Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel, I do see floor after floor of locked doors when I close my eyes. You’ll play as Roberto, a journalist trying to get to the bottom of a series of mysteries — missing people, weird sightings, and decades-long cult activity — surrounding a hotel in Santa Catarina, Brazil. You’ve been tipped off, and now you’re the new guest. Lucky you?

Early on, the hotel becomes twisted and fleshy, with a mysterious gas-mask-wearing girl warping in and out and monsters suddenly roaming the halls. It’s just you, a camera that can reveal “different timelines,” and whatever clues you can find and notes you can jot down in your journal. You’ve got a contact, Stephanie, but she’s always one step ahead.

You’ll need to get out alive, but with the hotel’s sudden state of disrepair, that’s easier