review by The King
I was given the game infliction by Badger at Stoffel Presents and at first I wasn’t too sure about it, as I’m not a massive horror game fan. Not because I dislike horror games but because I just don’t get scared. I took on the game with an open mind and with a diligent mindset to give the game my all.
We streamed infliction over 2 nights, lights off, at night, all the better for a horror game. We started off blind, we entered the game driving toward home listening to a voice mail from our characters wife. You drive in to the garage and exit the car. Entering the home, from the moment you enter you instantly Feel the tension, all the lights are off, the switches do not work and you can hear the wind outside. Grabbing a torch you walk about the house figuring the layout and trying to find the tickets for your wife’s flight as per the voicemail. This is where things go, well, weird.
Without giving too much away, you are shown a murder play out, quite graphically aaanndddd thennnn well let’s just say we descend in to a vortex of even weirder and creepier.
Infliction did a great job at keeping the tension high, from the atmospheric and wonderfully put together sound track, to the lighting, the constantly changing scenery or the way in which the ghoulish murderous apparition moves at you! The changing scenery keeps you feeling unsettled as well as progressing the main arch of the story, the house goes from new and well maintained, if dimly lit and foreboding, to in disrepair and covered in blood.
Opening the bathroom door could lead in to the bathroom it did before, or open the door to a Hellish insane asylum hallway where terrors scream at you as you walk past. Each time you are caught or move to a new part of the story this will happen and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The movement of the ghost that haunts you, is unpredictable, it may move toward you in a sluggish zombie like fashion or as we had in one instance dash, almost as if teleporting to my location in an instant with no way of dodging or getting away. As the ghost moves around the house, they will bang doors, smash its head against the walls and paintings and make radios and TV’s make a deafening static sound or even take over your body. And this is but one of the nightmarish fiends you will come across.
But there is salvation from the ghosts approach and attacks!! Flashes of light!!If you are able to or quick enough to you can use a Polaroid camera or possibly another source of light of which there aren’t many to halt the ghost in their tracks and giving you a momentary break. The Polaroid camera is given to you as part of a mission fairly early in the game.
If however you are not able to cease their attack in time you will be greeted with a lovely death scene, you will witness first hand your demise.These were incredibly well done and numerous, as I played through I witnessed at least 4 to 5 differing death scenes, one of which where the ghost ran at me, passed through me and then pushed her hand through my body, showing me my heart outside and in front of my chest then quite obviously I died. As we continued to play for the next 10 to 15 minutes we could hear the chewing and crunching of sinew, which added even more to the unsettling nature.
There was a point after completing the story mode where I wondered why we set out on the path we did and our reasoning behind it, I’m still a little confused as to that even now but I have my ideas and to be honest it doesn’t affect the game play nor the way the game works for me this was the only possible down point to the game, and even then it could just be I didn’t fully understand a part of the story or missed a small detail.
There were some wonderful attention to detail points in the game. The main points on this, were the magazine and the Public service Broadcast by Massimo the very very Italian (not) chef. The magazine had a fully written article on a model /actress and then opened up to a TV broadcast listing of which cooking with Massimo was listed in.
I have to admit, Cooking with Massimo was one of mine and the viewers of the streams highlights, we sat there and watched a good 10 to 20 minutes of it just commenting on it and having a good laugh about it.
Once the game was completed, it allowed access to new game plus as well as a bonus section, PLEASE what ever you do, make sure you check out the bonus section. It shows of art work from the game both in character design as well as the pieces of art that decorate the home in its different stages.
You are also brought to the realisation that Infliction was put together by a one man army of a Developer (Caustic Reality ) Clinton McCleary has made this a Labour of love and one which he should be extremely proud of.
Overall thoughts
There are times where you can tell this is an indie game, but oh my it is an extraordinarily put together indie game. As mentioned at the beginning of my rant, I explained I don’t get scared when playing horror games or watching horror movies, but, this had the hairs on my neck standing on end at some parts!
If you like your horror games this is one I would definitely add to your list. Highly highly recommended by the King and the Kingdom.
Overall Score – 9/10
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