This game would be helped greatly with a sense of real danger. If you were doing more then just casually exploring what happens to be a spooky home. That's what gets me. Great visuals and some really good set pieces that ultimately amount to nothing but you're never in danger. No tension.
+xerxes333 it's an early access game - you can submit your ideas! So one of the endings would be the main character getting dead drunk in the beginning of the game =)
Artsy First Person Horror Story Checklist A character with some kind of crazed obsession Check A "loved one" that is eventually maimed or killed in a horrific fashion. (Usually with the main character at fault) Check A single item, usually a chair of some kind, in the middle of an empty room. Check Sudden loud bangs Check Unrecognizable whispers Check Rooms or areas that will rapidly get darker on a moments notice Check A constant bellowing thunderstorm that lasts throughout the majority of the game Check Sudden flashes of light Check Some form of mannequin or unsettling humanoid object that does not move. Check I don't know what you're talking about Jim, this game clearly meets all the criteria for what a successful artsy horror game should look like. Maybe you should rethink you're opinion of this one.
+LordUzaki The game has a lot of potential. But it's not for people who want a quick horror fix. Like with System shock you need to read stuff and examine things. Jim was trying to speedrun the game. If all of the Lets Plays on UA-cam are any indication. You need to take your time. I think it's worth the exploration. :)
I actually saw a full walkthrough of this game and man it's like the crazy Horror Fun House. Guys really took heavy inspiration from P.T. and really tried to do there own creative things.
+Elurdin And with someone that doesn't have ADD and have to frequently twitch the camera. Jim even commented the player character is some sort of painter, so what does he do? barely pay attention to any paintings after 2 minutes of gameplay even though their the core thing with this game.
Skeletor Jopko Lol, yeah I'm Autistic and while I adapted well to society, I still have some social & writer issues, one of them being getting the there/their/they're mixed up
1) I see the effort in this game, with better optimization and therefore better framerate that would look like an AAA product 2) I see the kinda new ideas in the game... well not entirely new - we already seen the scary paintings in Clive Barker's Undying - where after activating magic vision all the painting in the house turned into some creepy shit, we seen games like hektor where you were losing your mind and the environments were changing... it's like the game takes some cool ideas and changes them into new something more or less fresh 3) I also see that the developers are not sure what are they expecting/trying to make - it's like they have a lot of ideas but they are unsure what to do with them and therefore entertain the player with typical horror game activities - opening drawers and searching for keys to give the game at least some interaction 4) What I believe is the worst of the problems with the game - is the lack of sense of progress. While watching 35 minutes of the gameplay I didn't feel like Jim is achieving something/getting somewhere - it was just wandering around the house and opening doors - absolutely no sense of progress. To sum up - a lot of love and effort are put into this game, but all that effort must be put into some shape, ideas must be organized into some form, now it's like a good puzzle with some pieces misplaced and some missing. So all in all I can safely say - I am glad it's an early access game, because it has all the potential to be the next great horror game out there!
+Ultracity6060 If the picture is old enough, there is no copyright on the image. Same sort of situations as when Fallout used all the old music in it, because its now public domain and it doesn't cost them anything to use it.
+Matt P (ValenceW) Actually music copyright lasts a lot longer than you think... The max is 100 years. So Bethesda had to get rights to use the songs anyway.
I just played the version that's on XB1 a few days ago. I REALLY like what's there so far - I got incredibly creeped out numerous times, but none of the jumpscares feel cheap or displaced, to me. Reminds me a lot of Mind: Path to Thalamus, only with some Amnesia and Gone Home thrown in.
+PMSchut There's no shame in that. Any idiot can make sudden movement with a loud musical sting to startle someone, it's just something we all react to on a primal level. Doesn't make it good horror though.
A classic issue of pacing. Horror games are SO HARD to get just right. Its cool to have a solemn, slow game, but there needs to be set-up, progression feedback at least. Silent Hill 2 really is the best example here: the game is slowly paced, but it is preceded with a good hook, and punctuated with story and mystery to keep you going. This game just... failed to make me care.
Does anyone else think that "Searching for Keys" is a bit of an unimaginative game mechanic? Then again, I suppose so is "shoot the thing" and "jump over the thing". Hmmm...
think it helps when the keys aren't literally keys. Any object used on another object to allow progress is a key, really, but actual keys is kind of lazy.
Really artsy, in a good way. He tries to use symbolism to set the characters and guide the narrative. As a modern scary game, it blows chunks, but it had one moment for me that was pretty tense. I watched an episode of tales from the darkside as a kid and it fucked me up on creepy paintings that stare at you even though its not moving its drawn eyes. But yeah, this should be a modern point and click adventure game with an ominous and uncanny atmosphere, story and tone. Shouldn't be marketed as a horror game, since the campy tropes detract from what could've been an immersive and engaging story. It seems like it was trying to be a narrative driven PT but failed.
Entering a corridor and turning right into another corridor where a door to the right suddenly closes. You can't open it. You try a door at the end of the corridor that also doesn't open. You turn around and the previous door creaks open. If that's not a literal shout out to PT, I don't know what is.
What's that 'giraffe fingerer' thing a reference to? It's on the tip of my tongue... something where someone was miming it? (Edit: Ignore me. It was an old episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks.) And the magnificent octopus was Blackadder 4, not 3. :p
+Chris Buchanan no it was the 3rd series as it was the dictionary episode, the 4th series was the WWI so you might be thinking the octopus line was from the painting episode.
Did Jim ever give his opinion on Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Penumbria and similar types of games? To me Jim doesn't seem like the kind of gamer who is very much into games like this whereby one has to pick up clues from the environment in order to progress. When one's focus is on getting instant gratification, like some impetuous 8-year old child, then no, such games aren't very 'fun'. It's a shame that Jim isn't the right type of gamer for games like these, then, as I found it to be very intriguing, much like these aforementioned games. That it has the same gorgeous visual styling as P.T. helps matters as well. As for the closed doors and other imagery... the big hint there is that very soon in the game you aren't quite in reality any more, but are sinking deeper and deeper into this nightmare your own fevered mind is creating. I'll definitely be looking up a proper Let's Play or walkthrough by someone more versed into this type of horror games. I'm intrigued :)
John Bromin This game and the others references pulled me and others along with me in. That makes it at least a potentially good game to a significant audience. My main complaint with Jim I think is that he tries to pass himself off as a gaming journalist, but often it just comes across like immature sulking when a game's contents doesn't live up to his expectations. I realise that video games like with many other creative expressions are a subjective thing with regards to whether one likes it or not. So it didn't work for you. Too bad. It did for others, though. The goal of a gaming journalist should be to bridge the gap between a personal (subjective) and objective (journalistic) view as much as possible. Maybe Jim should make it clear which of his videos and articles are actual journalistic expressions and which are merely personal opinions. That would at least clarify things for everyone right from the start. Right now everything is being posted on the same UA-cam account as the Jimquistion, which at the very least has all the pretenses of an actual game journalistic show. I hope that this clarified at least something...
+Maya Posch I'm inclined to agree with you on many points. I'm generally unsure on the point of squirty play as it puts many expectations on games that do not respect certain framing and form. But then at it's core I don't know any frequently uploading UA-cam personalities who can actually talk in real artistic criticism. Through this lens it's easy to see why many people see this series as an excuse to shit on indy titles. I mean to some extent Jim must be aware that he is catering to a very spiteful and nasty public trend with this constant lampooning. No matter how he prefers to paint it.
Not much fear involved but this game is very well done, especially for an early access game. I just finished it now and it intrigued me with its style. You didn't reach too far in this video but I'm sure you've liked what came after it when you played the whole thing.
You're very aware your recording in this one Jim so it's hard to tell whether the pacing's off or not, it's a bit more trouble but you could of taken a bit longer and made it a 2 parter.
I really like the atmosphere of this game, and some of the ideas it has. Although it reminds me a bit too much of Amnesia, well, besides the non-Euclidean, ever changing corridors, which is something I enjoy seeing in horror games.
I like the idea of this game a lot. I'm a huge fan of psychological horror. Monsters, zombies and the like are all well and good, but they’re transient fears. If you kill them, distract them, hide from them, they go away. Psychological fear and trauma however, never go away. They exist inside the player and the lead character, and follow them everywhere they go, growing stronger and more potent. It operates on dream logic, so anything can happen at any time. It's the reason I thought P.T was so brilliant. I just hope this game actually builds on that idea.
From what I gather, there's a bit of a divide between horror experiences in games at the moment. You've got your action style horror (like Dead Space) where the challenge is to kill the monsters, you've got your rogue-likes where the challenge is usually to escape, outlast or otherwise overcome the world that's trying to kill you (Don't Stave and Binding of Isaac), and then you've got a third type which is to endure the nightmare of traversing a house or castle or whatever while overcoming obstacles in the form of various puzzles (like Amnesia or Layers of Fear). I skipped to the end after about 15 minutes to hear Jim's final verdict, so I didn't see everything that was shown. But from what I HAVE seen, two things are pretty clear: 1. Jim Sterling isn't the kind of player who truly appreciates puzzle horror as much as action horror. That's perfectly fine! No single type of game fits all and that is a very good thing, because it promotes diversity in gaming in order to cater for more people. Game developers will be more successful if they cater for a specific genre rather than every genre. If a player doesn't appreciate it, it doesn't necessarily mean the game itself is bad, just that it hasn't catered for that particular player's interests. 2. Layers of Fear is a puzzle horror style of game that needs better puzzles beyond "find the key". Having said that, the game uses it's existing "find the key" puzzle correctly: not as an arbitrary road block in a creepy house, but as a device to encourage exploration. This is critical in a game like this because it means the player becomes exposed to the horrors told through the scenery. Of course, those horrors still need to be significantly relevant to the the game. From what I've seen, Layers of Fear has done this well too.
To be honest, I want to get this game now. As a artist(Who also does painting on a irregular basis) I can relate to the character and what seems to be his struggle. Also you missed the artists "interesting" interpretation of Little Red Riding hood on his desk.
I appreciate that Jim doesnt act scared at all, but fuck, he also just isnt easily scared or startled. I jumped a hundred times at stuff only happening in his videos that he didnt give any shits about. tough man :D
I've watched some boring games before. I've played some boring games before. I'm gonna have to keep this one bookmarked for whenever I need a sleep aid.
I really love watching Jim do his thing with videos like this, especially when there are far too many crap horror games on Steam, but I really feel like he was too harsh on this one. Jim and I (and I'm sure many others) have a fondness for Silent Hill 2, and how incredibly disturbing and engrossing as that game turned out to be. I played this game right after playing the PT demo, and I really loved this one. Of course, there are always going to be minor issues, but for me, the game looks gorgeous, the sound design and level design is spot on, it controls incredibly well, and it has a very well done atmosphere. You can tell that alot of love when into making this game. And so when I see Jim tearing it apart, it annoys me. This is not the game to tear apart. I love watching his other videos, when games barely make it to playable frame rates, are pitch black with a "flashlight cone" and some Duke Nukem style pop up monsters to spice up the gameplay. The games that decide to include grammar related errors in text and speech, and have a noticeable lack of polish when it comes to sound/music/visuals and general game mechanics. Those are the games that we SHOULD make an example of. But this game? really Jim?
There is a Greenlight trailer for a game called Them & Us which looks ok. However it says it's made by the "artists" that made Witcher III, Rift, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty Ghosts, Batman The Dark Knight, and Assassins Creed. Mr. Sterling I think we need some fact checking done on this claim!!! Seems a little to good to be true on Greenlight.
+Natalie Payet Yeah it seems really fishy. So the developer writes I don't like to drop names or my former jobs but just in case I've posted all the credits for these games and is like ok now no more questions obviously I couldn't post video of credits if I wasn't in them. I mean I could just post a video of credits and say yeah I'm in there and I've worked on every best video game know to man. And you can see I'm using all this juice of my AAA resume to post a very dark low frame rate trailer on steam Greenlight.
Greenlight just continues a downward spiral. I don't get the Valve love. They allow this to continye for tears now, barely put out games. To be honest, I think they're content to pull in revenue through this
With the inclusion of the music, and what Jim said there, I kind of felt bad for the man who just wanted to see over the hill of the creepy dolls. The rest of his existence is so bleak it would drive one to simply want to end it. The epitome of depression.
As an artist with mental and physical health issues who has family members with substance abuse issues, this title intrigues me. However, as someone in semi-penury I do wonder how somebody could live in such a beautiful house and be such a miserable fuck. When I'm watching this thinking ' I wish I lived in a house like that' the game is doing something wrong. I'm not scared or get a sense of dread. All I think is 'Good clean and she'd be apples.' As a Gen Xer it reminds me of the 1940s type building my older relatives lived in when I was a kid, albeit much, much grander.If they'd gone for more of retro,psychological take ala Bioshock it might have worked. This doesn't.It is pretty though. And I do wish artists would stop romanticizing/demonizing mental health problems. Alcoholism isn't glamorous or edgy.These things are a fascinating topic for a game, but these issues need finesse and subtlety. This game has neither. Oh,and on an unrelated note, my nan had THE exact same wallpaper(the gold leafy pattern) that was in the game's elevator in her dining room.I love old houses.
Games like this are not about progress, they're about exploration. You don't walk around, for example, the gone home house looking for traditional progress.
You can clearly see that it takes its inspiration heavily from Amnesia. I think that may have been part of the problem with Jim's playthrough: he was expecting Amnesia. This works just fine as a creepy take on Gone Home, but I think the fun-house jump scares don't help it. Not because they aren't any good, but more that it suggests a more action-based approach. Also, the doors and drawers are a bad idea. Amnesia had doors you could manually swing open because it allowed you to peek around slowly in case there's an enemy on the other side, or check if the coast is clear while hiding. Here it serves no purpose, but implies there are enemies. This does look like a good game though, I think I'd enjoy it more knowing that it is more of a psychological, "walking simulator" type game (I don't mean that disparagingly)
I want to like this game but despite some really great visual design it has a few major problems. My biggest issue is the non-euclidean level design. It's a neat trick when done well but I fear it is overused here and done far too quickly. I get the sense they are using it to show the madness of the player character which is good but the game should build up to that. The other problem with this gimmick is that it doesn't really instill a sense of place and can kind of seem lazy. The best horror games really ground you in a location that feels real and lived in like your Amnesia the Dark Descent or even things like Bioshock. Having spaces that don't make sense just seems like a cheap trick when done too much. Take a tip from Gone Home, which isn't a horror game but does make excellent use of space because that game is almost like a metroidvania where you only have access to some rooms at the start and make progression by figuring out how to unlock new areas that further unravel the mystery of what the hell is going on in the narrative. There is a clear sense of progression through an entirely non-linear environment that feels like a real house and it is just so brilliantly done. This game could learn a thing from that.
+Howell2010 For me it's not only the lack of danger but the lack of punishment. When I'm playing a game and I know if I die I lose 15 minutes of progress and the extra ammo I found I'm going to be on edge. When I have nothing to lose but to backtrack for 3 minutes I'm not tense at all. When I played dead space 2 with the only 3 checkpoint saves mode it was the most tense and scary time around I played, and I went though it 3 times beforehand.
+Big Blue Same for me. I personally find Dark Souls MUCH scarier and I've replayed that game many times. Same concept. For a game to be scary, there needs to be something to be afraid of. Noises aren't scary. Noises that MEAN something, like some sort of creature is coming for you and if it gets you you lose all this progress and all these resources, etc. Honestly been more scared in Minecraft for this reason than in games like this.
+Howell2010 I agree, the scariest game I've played is DayZ. Once you've spent hours on a character, seeing someone nearby or hearing gunshots is the scariest thing of all. Not the zombies or atmosphere as much as the threat of consequence if you mess up. Then again, I stopped playing because it was a pointless scramble for items with no reward. So there has to be a balance. I suppose Dark Souls does a good job with this, but I died so much it didn't really matter.
+thebowski Dark Souls was my personal example since like you descirbed, there is no real end game to a game like DayZ while in Dark Souls there was the end of the game, but I do agree that THAT is what makes a game scary.
The game's note said to look in the office for the key. You can't be surprised if you look everywhere but the office for the key, and then complain you're bored. I don't know if you played the game with it this dark but you can barely see any of the details the game has. A more methodical approach is more what they had in mind, and although some of the drawers and cupboards have little in them, there is a lot of flavor material that you missed. Maybe not your kind of game, although I agree the game is not without its faults.
looks really cool. The only issue i have is the bad painting Quality. They are a main part of the game and should therefore be done well. Rembrandt´s Ganymede doesn´t have the effect it should. Other paintings seem barely visible.
From the looks of it, it really seems like you didn't give the game very much time. No, I'm not talking about the 30 minute span of the video. I'm talking about you just blitzing through rooms while halfway looking at your feet and whatever drawers you could rip open. The environment was clearly built with quite a bit of care to be taken in at a slow pace to tell a creepy story. It certainly wasn't meant for one to rush and stumble about, only waiting for their cosshairs to tell them they can fiddle with something while shouting "impress me". Sorry, Jim. I just don't think this game was for you.
Jim I love watching all your videos but I especially enjoyed your Co-optional podcast with TB. Although I started out watching you, way back when you were on Escapist and have been watching ever since, I've recently started watching TB too. But you guys have really good on air chemistry. I found it very entertaining and look forward to seeing more stuff like that.
>"But there is a way to bring back what life took from me. The only precious thing..." The one ring? I can see being upset over losing the ring of power, I suppose.
"it's always the last place you look" well duh, you stop looking once you've found it.
+Derek Westlund Speak for yourself. I always keep looking after I find it, just in case.
+batwimp I laughed even though I shouldn't have
mind = blown
+Derek Westlund Pahaha oh you
Unless you check the places you were going to look in case you find other missing items?
"It's always the last place you look, isn't it?"
Of course it is, Jim. It'd be weird if you kept looking after you found it.
I think I liked listening to Jim mumbling to himself about pickled eggs as he wandered the home far better than the actual game... lol
This game would be helped greatly with a sense of real danger. If you were doing more then just casually exploring what happens to be a spooky home. That's what gets me. Great visuals and some really good set pieces that ultimately amount to nothing but you're never in danger. No tension.
"I LUHV ME A PICKLED EGG"
That was the scariest part of this video, Jim. Remind me not to get between you and anything pickled.
"Get it right this time"
The maker of this game didn't follow his own advice.
+Marquis Forneus How did you come to that conclusion? What could they have done differently?
"Well stocked drink cabinet, always good to see."
It's unfortunate there's no alcohol poisoning ending.
+xerxes333 it's an early access game - you can submit your ideas! So one of the endings would be the main character getting dead drunk in the beginning of the game =)
Artsy First Person Horror Story Checklist
A character with some kind of crazed obsession
Check
A "loved one" that is eventually maimed or killed in a horrific fashion. (Usually with the main character at fault)
Check
A single item, usually a chair of some kind, in the middle of an empty room.
Check
Sudden loud bangs
Check
Unrecognizable whispers
Check
Rooms or areas that will rapidly get darker on a moments notice
Check
A constant bellowing thunderstorm that lasts throughout the majority of the game
Check
Sudden flashes of light
Check
Some form of mannequin or unsettling humanoid object that does not move.
Check
I don't know what you're talking about Jim, this game clearly meets all the criteria for what a successful artsy horror game should look like. Maybe you should rethink you're opinion of this one.
It meets the requirements but what does it do that's new
Mr. Wolf New? Why would we need something new? We already met the requirements. It should be perfect.
completely redundant/uninteresting title
check
+LordUzaki The game has a lot of potential. But it's not for people who want a quick horror fix. Like with System shock you need to read stuff and examine things. Jim was trying to speedrun the game. If all of the Lets Plays on UA-cam are any indication. You need to take your time. I think it's worth the exploration. :)
How did you know about my giraffe incident?
Oh shit, he's on to us!
This great comment chain is a prime example of why I adore the comment section on Jims videos.
"Layers of Fear" made me think of a vigilante Shrek. Should I be proud or ashamed?
nothing quite like an early access horror game to reflect on the idea of early access and how it can ruin the point of something completely.
Silly Jim! Of course the mousetraps don't trigger, you're no mouse, aren't you?
I actually saw a full walkthrough of this game and man it's like the crazy Horror Fun House. Guys really took heavy inspiration from P.T. and really tried to do there own creative things.
+Alex Olinkiewicz (olinkalex) It would propably be better without Jims commentary and played at night.
+Elurdin And with someone that doesn't have ADD and have to frequently twitch the camera. Jim even commented the player character is some sort of painter, so what does he do? barely pay attention to any paintings after 2 minutes of gameplay even though their the core thing with this game.
+Alex Olinkiewicz (olinkalex) I am impressed that both of you got two separate instances of there/their/they're wrong in the same comment thread.
Skeletor Jopko Lol, yeah I'm Autistic and while I adapted well to society, I still have some social & writer issues, one of them being getting the there/their/they're mixed up
Expect few glitches it was great to play it in dark...Of course without commentry
"Hello you giraffe fingerers"
Someone aught to do a supercut of every intro Jim's done so far
And if someone has, I must find it!
+Jim Sterling Blackadder is awesome!! :)
Now everyone throw money at it because it's a first person horror game in a dark spoopy mansion.
1) I see the effort in this game, with better optimization and therefore better framerate that would look like an AAA product
2) I see the kinda new ideas in the game... well not entirely new - we already seen the scary paintings in Clive Barker's Undying - where after activating magic vision all the painting in the house turned into some creepy shit, we seen games like hektor where you were losing your mind and the environments were changing... it's like the game takes some cool ideas and changes them into new something more or less fresh
3) I also see that the developers are not sure what are they expecting/trying to make - it's like they have a lot of ideas but they are unsure what to do with them and therefore entertain the player with typical horror game activities - opening drawers and searching for keys to give the game at least some interaction
4) What I believe is the worst of the problems with the game - is the lack of sense of progress. While watching 35 minutes of the gameplay I didn't feel like Jim is achieving something/getting somewhere - it was just wandering around the house and opening doors - absolutely no sense of progress.
To sum up - a lot of love and effort are put into this game, but all that effort must be put into some shape, ideas must be organized into some form, now it's like a good puzzle with some pieces misplaced and some missing. So all in all I can safely say - I am glad it's an early access game, because it has all the potential to be the next great horror game out there!
+Mark Kimask Clive Barker's "Clive Barker's Undying" by Clive Barker?
"Giraffe fingerers". Way to make us feel dirty Jim :P.
The effort in the visuals and environment are a pleasant surprise. That's about it, though.
+Rex Hindrichs I recognize a lot of those paintings, though, they're real-life works. Don't know how legal it is to just slap them into a game.
+Ultracity6060 If the picture is old enough, there is no copyright on the image. Same sort of situations as when Fallout used all the old music in it, because its now public domain and it doesn't cost them anything to use it.
+Matt P (ValenceW) Actually music copyright lasts a lot longer than you think... The max is 100 years. So Bethesda had to get rights to use the songs anyway.
It's like a reverse 'Machine For Pigs', at least it's well made for Early Access.
Did you just find Harry potter's forehead in that kitchen painting?
+EliasFrostMusic Exactly what I thought...
I just played the version that's on XB1 a few days ago. I REALLY like what's there so far - I got incredibly creeped out numerous times, but none of the jumpscares feel cheap or displaced, to me. Reminds me a lot of Mind: Path to Thalamus, only with some Amnesia and Gone Home thrown in.
I'm not gonna lie, I kind of jumped at that book jumpscare... I'm ashamed...
+PMSchut Same I think that was a good one tbh
+PMSchut That's actually one of the best I've seen in months. Kudos to the devs for making me start during a Squirty Play.
+PMSchut There's no shame in that. Any idiot can make sudden movement with a loud musical sting to startle someone, it's just something we all react to on a primal level. Doesn't make it good horror though.
+PMSchut Well, to be fair, it was the ONLY scary thing in that entire video. Jump scares are allowed to be scary, even if they are trite.
+Gregg Johnson This game gets a lot more scary later in
+Jim Sterling You're in a game on steam greenlight called "Eaten Alive"
A classic issue of pacing. Horror games are SO HARD to get just right. Its cool to have a solemn, slow game, but there needs to be set-up, progression feedback at least. Silent Hill 2 really is the best example here: the game is slowly paced, but it is preceded with a good hook, and punctuated with story and mystery to keep you going.
This game just... failed to make me care.
+Mr.Aptronym Isn't it telling that over a decade later, that game is STILL the benchmark on how to do proper atmosphere and build up in a horror game?
I wonder when this door system was first introduced, opening things manually.
If this artist is so good, where the hell is "Dogs Playing Poker"?!
"You're ripping my shirt!" -Annoyed Baby
"Do it right this time"
Underpants first, *then* trousers.
Alternative title : "Shits locked 2 : Spooky Doors : The Revenge"
Christ Jim, the keys are literally flashing!
You know, the initial note about the key did actually say that it was in the office :p.
I swear I saw human gore flamingos in one of the paintings.
+SkelotonSid Right? That's all I could see in that one
i just played this game recently and it feels like they saw this video and were insecure about everything that Jim criticized and improved it.
26:23 I think maybe he drank booze to keep his hand steady while he flayed skin off of his own leg. Also, "I us a razor," lulz.
Does anyone else think that "Searching for Keys" is a bit of an unimaginative game mechanic? Then again, I suppose so is "shoot the thing" and "jump over the thing". Hmmm...
think it helps when the keys aren't literally keys. Any object used on another object to allow progress is a key, really, but actual keys is kind of lazy.
Really artsy, in a good way. He tries to use symbolism to set the characters and guide the narrative. As a modern scary game, it blows chunks, but it had one moment for me that was pretty tense. I watched an episode of tales from the darkside as a kid and it fucked me up on creepy paintings that stare at you even though its not moving its drawn eyes.
But yeah, this should be a modern point and click adventure game with an ominous and uncanny atmosphere, story and tone. Shouldn't be marketed as a horror game, since the campy tropes detract from what could've been an immersive and engaging story.
It seems like it was trying to be a narrative driven PT but failed.
Welcome to the 360p club!
Jim, I need to say. I care so lunch for you.
+Andy McAwesome Mmmm lunch....
SLENDERMANZ THE 8 PAINTINGS
Entering a corridor and turning right into another corridor where a door to the right suddenly closes. You can't open it. You try a door at the end of the corridor that also doesn't open. You turn around and the previous door creaks open.
If that's not a literal shout out to PT, I don't know what is.
Until Dawn had it too
+GmTy Until Dawn was in development way before pt I believe
What's that 'giraffe fingerer' thing a reference to? It's on the tip of my tongue... something where someone was miming it? (Edit: Ignore me. It was an old episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks.)
And the magnificent octopus was Blackadder 4, not 3. :p
Can't we just forget the first series though?
There are some good moments! But yeah. xD
+Daniel Buchanan I actually love the first series.
+Chris Buchanan no it was the 3rd series as it was the dictionary episode, the 4th series was the WWI so you might be thinking the octopus line was from the painting episode.
***** Oh bollocks. You're right. I was confusing Baldrick's novel with his war poem!
They should have called it: Moving around while opening doors and shit simulator.
Have you considered doing a Nitpick Theater on head bobbing cameras in horror games?
Mr. Sterling you should have own show "It's The Arts"!
I think this one's perfect for a 'horror game on steam' bingo card. ...To give it credit, it does look well put together.
Christ, I forgot about magnificent octopus.
Since you lit all the candles, it's getting hot in here. Like that Nelly Nelly song.
Aw, good ol' Baldrick.
Did Jim ever give his opinion on Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Penumbria and similar types of games? To me Jim doesn't seem like the kind of gamer who is very much into games like this whereby one has to pick up clues from the environment in order to progress. When one's focus is on getting instant gratification, like some impetuous 8-year old child, then no, such games aren't very 'fun'.
It's a shame that Jim isn't the right type of gamer for games like these, then, as I found it to be very intriguing, much like these aforementioned games. That it has the same gorgeous visual styling as P.T. helps matters as well.
As for the closed doors and other imagery... the big hint there is that very soon in the game you aren't quite in reality any more, but are sinking deeper and deeper into this nightmare your own fevered mind is creating. I'll definitely be looking up a proper Let's Play or walkthrough by someone more versed into this type of horror games. I'm intrigued :)
+Maya Posch He liked a machine for pigs of all things... god that game was dismal compared to the original.
John Bromin This game and the others references pulled me and others along with me in. That makes it at least a potentially good game to a significant audience.
My main complaint with Jim I think is that he tries to pass himself off as a gaming journalist, but often it just comes across like immature sulking when a game's contents doesn't live up to his expectations.
I realise that video games like with many other creative expressions are a subjective thing with regards to whether one likes it or not.
So it didn't work for you. Too bad. It did for others, though. The goal of a gaming journalist should be to bridge the gap between a personal (subjective) and objective (journalistic) view as much as possible.
Maybe Jim should make it clear which of his videos and articles are actual journalistic expressions and which are merely personal opinions. That would at least clarify things for everyone right from the start. Right now everything is being posted on the same UA-cam account as the Jimquistion, which at the very least has all the pretenses of an actual game journalistic show.
I hope that this clarified at least something...
+Maya Posch I'm inclined to agree with you on many points. I'm generally unsure on the point of squirty play as it puts many expectations on games that do not respect certain framing and form. But then at it's core I don't know any frequently uploading UA-cam personalities who can actually talk in real artistic criticism.
Through this lens it's easy to see why many people see this series as an excuse to shit on indy titles. I mean to some extent Jim must be aware that he is catering to a very spiteful and nasty public trend with this constant lampooning. No matter how he prefers to paint it.
+Maya Posch His favourite game I think is Silent Hill 2. He loves a good horror game, he just wants a genuine sense of dread, not just busy work.
+Maya Posch He liked A Machine For Pigs so one can assume he likes the superior The Dark Descent.
but that's a gorgeous looking violin you got there
+10 for Magnificent Octopus!!
Not much fear involved but this game is very well done, especially for an early access game. I just finished it now and it intrigued me with its style. You didn't reach too far in this video but I'm sure you've liked what came after it when you played the whole thing.
I'd definitely love to get your thoughts on the completed game.
You're very aware your recording in this one Jim so it's hard to tell whether the pacing's off or not, it's a bit more trouble but you could of taken a bit longer and made it a 2 parter.
You can actually see your character's reflection in the mirrors? Now *that's* innovation!
I really like the atmosphere of this game, and some of the ideas it has. Although it reminds me a bit too much of Amnesia, well, besides the non-Euclidean, ever changing corridors, which is something I enjoy seeing in horror games.
I like the idea of this game a lot. I'm a huge fan of psychological horror. Monsters, zombies and the like are all well and good, but they’re transient fears. If you kill them, distract them, hide from them, they go away. Psychological fear and trauma however, never go away. They exist inside the player and the lead character, and follow them everywhere they go, growing stronger and more potent. It operates on dream logic, so anything can happen at any time. It's the reason I thought P.T was so brilliant. I just hope this game actually builds on that idea.
From what I gather, there's a bit of a divide between horror experiences in games at the moment. You've got your action style horror (like Dead Space) where the challenge is to kill the monsters, you've got your rogue-likes where the challenge is usually to escape, outlast or otherwise overcome the world that's trying to kill you (Don't Stave and Binding of Isaac), and then you've got a third type which is to endure the nightmare of traversing a house or castle or whatever while overcoming obstacles in the form of various puzzles (like Amnesia or Layers of Fear).
I skipped to the end after about 15 minutes to hear Jim's final verdict, so I didn't see everything that was shown. But from what I HAVE seen, two things are pretty clear:
1. Jim Sterling isn't the kind of player who truly appreciates puzzle horror as much as action horror. That's perfectly fine! No single type of game fits all and that is a very good thing, because it promotes diversity in gaming in order to cater for more people. Game developers will be more successful if they cater for a specific genre rather than every genre. If a player doesn't appreciate it, it doesn't necessarily mean the game itself is bad, just that it hasn't catered for that particular player's interests.
2. Layers of Fear is a puzzle horror style of game that needs better puzzles beyond "find the key". Having said that, the game uses it's existing "find the key" puzzle correctly: not as an arbitrary road block in a creepy house, but as a device to encourage exploration. This is critical in a game like this because it means the player becomes exposed to the horrors told through the scenery. Of course, those horrors still need to be significantly relevant to the the game. From what I've seen, Layers of Fear has done this well too.
To be honest, I want to get this game now. As a artist(Who also does painting on a irregular basis) I can relate to the character and what seems to be his struggle. Also you missed the artists "interesting" interpretation of Little Red Riding hood on his desk.
"I thought it'd be like all the vegetables and just puppies would fall out and we'd have a puppy party. This isn't a puppy party!"
30:30 "This isn't a puppy party!"
Nope! It's a puppy barbecue!
I was hoping Goodbye Horses would start playing after he picked up that bit of flesh in the kitchen.
Looks pretty good IMO. Much better than a lot of these typical horror games you see
I appreciate that Jim doesnt act scared at all, but fuck, he also just isnt easily scared or startled. I jumped a hundred times at stuff only happening in his videos that he didnt give any shits about. tough man :D
I've watched some boring games before. I've played some boring games before. I'm gonna have to keep this one bookmarked for whenever I need a sleep aid.
0:53 I feel like a lot of things can be summarised with "'Cause it was the nineties"
If I had a penny for every vegetables fell out of my paintings.
I really love watching Jim do his thing with videos like this, especially when there are far too many crap horror games on Steam, but I really feel like he was too harsh on this one. Jim and I (and I'm sure many others) have a fondness for Silent Hill 2, and how incredibly disturbing and engrossing as that game turned out to be. I played this game right after playing the PT demo, and I really loved this one. Of course, there are always going to be minor issues, but for me, the game looks gorgeous, the sound design and level design is spot on, it controls incredibly well, and it has a very well done atmosphere. You can tell that alot of love when into making this game. And so when I see Jim tearing it apart, it annoys me. This is not the game to tear apart. I love watching his other videos, when games barely make it to playable frame rates, are pitch black with a "flashlight cone" and some Duke Nukem style pop up monsters to spice up the gameplay. The games that decide to include grammar related errors in text and speech, and have a noticeable lack of polish when it comes to sound/music/visuals and general game mechanics. Those are the games that we SHOULD make an example of. But this game? really Jim?
There is a Greenlight trailer for a game called Them & Us which looks ok. However it says it's made by the "artists" that made Witcher III, Rift, Dead Rising 3, Call of Duty Ghosts, Batman The Dark Knight, and Assassins Creed. Mr. Sterling I think we need some fact checking done on this claim!!! Seems a little to good to be true on Greenlight.
+Natalie Payet Yeah it seems really fishy. So the developer writes I don't like to drop names or my former jobs but just in case I've posted all the credits for these games and is like ok now no more questions obviously I couldn't post video of credits if I wasn't in them. I mean I could just post a video of credits and say yeah I'm in there and I've worked on every best video game know to man. And you can see I'm using all this juice of my AAA resume to post a very dark low frame rate trailer on steam Greenlight.
Greenlight just continues a downward spiral. I don't get the Valve love. They allow this to continye for tears now, barely put out games. To be honest, I think they're content to pull in revenue through this
opening doors simulator
With the inclusion of the music, and what Jim said there, I kind of felt bad for the man who just wanted to see over the hill of the creepy dolls. The rest of his existence is so bleak it would drive one to simply want to end it. The epitome of depression.
I've got it. Creepy doll, in the kitchen, when pickled everything. XD
I HAD TO PAUSE AND TAKE A BREATH AT "GIRAFFE FINGERERS".
"It's a vegetable party," oh thank fuck that painting wasn't filled with lemons.
As an artist with mental and physical health issues who has family members with substance abuse issues, this title intrigues me. However, as someone in semi-penury I do wonder how somebody could live in such a beautiful house and be such a miserable fuck. When I'm watching this thinking ' I wish I lived in a house like that' the game is doing something wrong. I'm not scared or get a sense of dread. All I think is 'Good clean and she'd be apples.' As a Gen Xer it reminds me of the 1940s type building my older relatives lived in when I was a kid, albeit much, much grander.If they'd gone for more of retro,psychological take ala Bioshock it might have worked. This doesn't.It is pretty though.
And I do wish artists would stop romanticizing/demonizing mental health problems. Alcoholism isn't glamorous or edgy.These things are a fascinating topic for a game, but these issues need finesse and subtlety. This game has neither.
Oh,and on an unrelated note, my nan had THE exact same wallpaper(the gold leafy pattern) that was in the game's elevator in her dining room.I love old houses.
can someone tell me a name of the pic at 15:18 ?
+Ante P same one in 16:14
I want a series that is just you critiquing paintings please.
Games like this are not about progress, they're about exploration. You don't walk around, for example, the gone home house looking for traditional progress.
Everybody else that plays this game seems to love it.
I do love that jaunty tune starting at 10:00.
"It's avegetable party!" No Jim. No. It's a Lemon Party
It's okay Jim, come behind this bush with me & i'll show you my puppies...
You can clearly see that it takes its inspiration heavily from Amnesia. I think that may have been part of the problem with Jim's playthrough: he was expecting Amnesia.
This works just fine as a creepy take on Gone Home, but I think the fun-house jump scares don't help it. Not because they aren't any good, but more that it suggests a more action-based approach.
Also, the doors and drawers are a bad idea. Amnesia had doors you could manually swing open because it allowed you to peek around slowly in case there's an enemy on the other side, or check if the coast is clear while hiding. Here it serves no purpose, but implies there are enemies.
This does look like a good game though, I think I'd enjoy it more knowing that it is more of a psychological, "walking simulator" type game (I don't mean that disparagingly)
This was such a waste of potential. Great environment, great premise, then they ruin it with a complete lack of subtlety.
"Oscar Wild... He knew his shit." Jim Sterling, 2015
I want to like this game but despite some really great visual design it has a few major problems. My biggest issue is the non-euclidean level design. It's a neat trick when done well but I fear it is overused here and done far too quickly. I get the sense they are using it to show the madness of the player character which is good but the game should build up to that. The other problem with this gimmick is that it doesn't really instill a sense of place and can kind of seem lazy. The best horror games really ground you in a location that feels real and lived in like your Amnesia the Dark Descent or even things like Bioshock. Having spaces that don't make sense just seems like a cheap trick when done too much. Take a tip from Gone Home, which isn't a horror game but does make excellent use of space because that game is almost like a metroidvania where you only have access to some rooms at the start and make progression by figuring out how to unlock new areas that further unravel the mystery of what the hell is going on in the narrative. There is a clear sense of progression through an entirely non-linear environment that feels like a real house and it is just so brilliantly done. This game could learn a thing from that.
+Bearprom No games should take tips from Gone Home... Ever.
ok
+gnarkillguch Agreed that was a very shitty title.
There’s such a difference between this and Outside XBox’s play through of this. “AH! Book monster” vs. “Giggle”
Games like this don't ever scare me. There is no danger so it's not scary at all.
+Howell2010 For me it's not only the lack of danger but the lack of punishment. When I'm playing a game and I know if I die I lose 15 minutes of progress and the extra ammo I found I'm going to be on edge. When I have nothing to lose but to backtrack for 3 minutes I'm not tense at all.
When I played dead space 2 with the only 3 checkpoint saves mode it was the most tense and scary time around I played, and I went though it 3 times beforehand.
+Big Blue Same for me. I personally find Dark Souls MUCH scarier and I've replayed that game many times. Same concept. For a game to be scary, there needs to be something to be afraid of. Noises aren't scary. Noises that MEAN something, like some sort of creature is coming for you and if it gets you you lose all this progress and all these resources, etc. Honestly been more scared in Minecraft for this reason than in games like this.
+Big Blue "I know if I die I lose 15 minutes of progress and the extra ammo I found I'm going to be on edge.", that's just annoying, not scary.
+Howell2010
I agree, the scariest game I've played is DayZ. Once you've spent hours on a character, seeing someone nearby or hearing gunshots is the scariest thing of all. Not the zombies or atmosphere as much as the threat of consequence if you mess up. Then again, I stopped playing because it was a pointless scramble for items with no reward. So there has to be a balance. I suppose Dark Souls does a good job with this, but I died so much it didn't really matter.
+thebowski Dark Souls was my personal example since like you descirbed, there is no real end game to a game like DayZ while in Dark Souls there was the end of the game, but I do agree that THAT is what makes a game scary.
Wow that head bob. Dunno why it messed with me so much, but I had to alt tab this or i was going to loose my lunch.
The game's note said to look in the office for the key. You can't be surprised if you look everywhere but the office for the key, and then complain you're bored. I don't know if you played the game with it this dark but you can barely see any of the details the game has. A more methodical approach is more what they had in mind, and although some of the drawers and cupboards have little in them, there is a lot of flavor material that you missed. Maybe not your kind of game, although I agree the game is not without its faults.
Kinda looks like an interesting game, shame the footage was so dark, although that could be the fault of my phone.
Layers of fear-P.T. Paintable Teaser
looks really cool. The only issue i have is the bad painting Quality. They are a main part of the game and should therefore be done well. Rembrandt´s Ganymede doesn´t have the effect it should. Other paintings seem barely visible.
From the looks of it, it really seems like you didn't give the game very much time. No, I'm not talking about the 30 minute span of the video. I'm talking about you just blitzing through rooms while halfway looking at your feet and whatever drawers you could rip open. The environment was clearly built with quite a bit of care to be taken in at a slow pace to tell a creepy story. It certainly wasn't meant for one to rush and stumble about, only waiting for their cosshairs to tell them they can fiddle with something while shouting "impress me". Sorry, Jim. I just don't think this game was for you.
Sadly, from this video alone i think I know the entire story. I will still try to play it. Even if it is very scary to me.
Jim I love watching all your videos but I especially enjoyed your Co-optional podcast with TB. Although I started out watching you, way back when you were on Escapist and have been watching ever since, I've recently started watching TB too. But you guys have really good on air chemistry. I found it very entertaining and look forward to seeing more stuff like that.
I can't believe they actually got the rights to all those paintings, must've cost a mint!
>"But there is a way to bring back what life took from me. The only precious thing..."
The one ring? I can see being upset over losing the ring of power, I suppose.
That house has really thick floors.