Surprisingly this game counts as a horror game according to Steam. So every year we get a lot of games that many members of the gaming press award game of the year. Last year, this very game had many of those awards and after playing the game, yeah I'd say it deserves those awards. Of course there has been controversy around the gaming press being the people that are paid to give good reviews and most of us are not all that comfortable in going to them for an honest review of games. But I guess that speaks true for a lot of reviewers out there. I personally state my own honest opinion and I have never been paid to play and review games let alone TV shows and films. Some of my older posts may have had that, but on the whole, everything I review is played or watched either through a subscription service I pay for or I just buy the thing with my own money. Going back to this game, many of you will know Remedy as the people behind some of the earlier Max Payne games and the Alan Wake games too. So let's see if this game is worth all the praise that it got and still gets even now:
So in the game, there is this US government agency called the Federal Bureau of Control (or FBC for short) who are responsible for the investigation of paranormal phenomena which can defy the laws of reality. These come in the form of Altered World Events and are contained within the FBC's headquarters in New York which is also known as The Oldest House. It is here that the game's main protagonist Jesse (voiced by Courtney Hope) goes to in order to find her brother which the FBC apprehended following a AWE event in their hometown. Upon arrival, the building has become seemingly devoid of humans and following a series of events, she becomes the new director and gains powers that she uses to help bring the building back into order while trying to find her brother and getting rid of beings known as the Hiss which have caused the building to be in the state that it is. Like most action based games, this one is played from a third-person perspective while the engine it uses comes from Remedy's previous game Quantum Break which was used to give that game a more realistic feel to it which is also what we get here too. Kind of like the Tardis from Doctor Who, the Oldest building is bigger on the inside than it is portrayed on the outside. The game's namesake is used by Jesse to help her gain control of the building and its many facilities from the Hiss which she battles as she tries to find her brother. Played on a non-linear pace, players can claim areas on each of the building's floors which can act as both a fast travel point and a save point among many other things which becomes particularly helpful before and after big battles and key story points. Lots of awards can be found in the game and of course, there are some side missions to take on as well as story based ones. As it does have RPG elements, these elements come into play when players acquire skill points to upgrade Jesse's abilities and overall physique. Powers can range from telekinesis and just general force like powers. The Hiss takes on many forms with the most common one being that of the humans that have given in to it's power.
While the game is subject to repetition in its gameplay, it's otherwise a very well-built game that continues to push the boundaries of what graphics can do to the point where it looks as real as you and me. It is a great game worth playing if you want something that is different to the norm and a blast to play despite the grittiness and darkness of the story and setting. A great one from Remedy I have to say. 9/10
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