
john.falco.16May 16, 2019 at 11:16 PM
Creepily effective mystery-thrillerWho killed Harris Bullard?
So begins this “whodunnit?” mystery set on a farmhouse in rural middle-America. You play the part of a journalist trying to solve a murder case (that the police apparently couldn’t or wouldn’t) in hopes of furthering your career. There are some undeniable horror elements as well as creepy undertones, but by and large it is a traditional crime thriller. It feels almost old-fashioned, like a 40’s Hitchcock film. I’m not sure if that vibe was intentional or not, but it certainly strengthens the mood. I have to commend the developers for not only the atmosphere, but the story/plotting as well, at least for the first 90% anyway. I think one of the reasons the game is so effectively chilling is because it does not need to rely on horror cliches and instead lets the clues and various discoveries build the suspense. Further praise goes to how well the game is mapped out. At first, I questioned how effective this story could be when told entirely in a single farmhouse setting. Would it feel appropriately claustrophobic or would it feel repetitive from retreading the same ground over and over? Refreshingly, the answer is neither. The interior of the house, as well as the exterior of the farm, feels vast and open, while at the same time retaining that sense of having nowhere to go. The tension and dread builds and builds, and for much of the game’s runtime, I figured this to be an absolutely splendid 5-Star game.
Until the end when you discover the killer’s identity. I felt totally cheated. The answer is conclusive, I guess, but I did not feel like the developers played fair at all. Normally when I encounter disappointing endings, I still try to value what came before. After all, games like this are journeys, not destinations. Nevertheless, it almost made me wonder what the point was. There is, of course, a sequel that will hopefully expound on this ending and smooth out the rough edges. Despite this letdown, I do look forward to playing the next chapter. That tells me this game is still way more than just the last 10 minutes. So by all means, get it and enjoy the atmosphere, setting, mood and tone. Those elements are top-notch and have no rivals for this genre in VR. Just don’t get TOO invested in who the killer is, because the developers obviously weren’t too invested themselves. All quips aside, it still gets an overall recommendation from me.