EGX 2015 - 2Dark Preview

Some of my first experiences with videogames weren’t in my own house, but at my cousin’s, where he and I would spend whole evenings, isolated from the rest of the family, unsuccessfully attempting to overcome every monster and puzzle that Alone in the Dark would throw at us. I have mentioned this game previously in some other reviews, as it was ground-breaking and genre-defining, influencing what came to be prominent sagas like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. With this mentality, I was instantly allured by 2Dark, a game by Gloomywood, a studio run by one of Alone in the Dark’s core developers, Frederick Raynal.

As soon as crowds of people swarmed the convention centre, I made my way to the indie area, where I knew I would find plenty of nice people to chat with, without the compulsory two hour-long queues. I had 2Dark in mind; I had read about it and my expectations were high. I sat in front of the computer and I found myself reliving every second of angst and lack of knowledge that I had experience in the games of old. As the title implies, this top-down 2D pixel art game does not mess around regarding its theme: it’s meant to be scary, twisted and macabre. Blood-splatters and tools of pain are scattered around the level, making you want to turn your back and never come back.

Morbid pictures of serial killers gave the booth a grisly look, and you, embodying a serial serial-killer-hunter, must track them all and save their victims. Perhaps the ghastliest detail of the plot is that these victims are, in fact, children, who are kidnapped in order to be chopped in littler pieces. And this fact completely changes the way they react to the environment, as they’re helpless and can’t really think, much less see, by themselves if you’re not around to light up their way. So it’s your duty to find, and rescue them, avoiding any pitfall that may be hidden in the dark.

In my short experience with the game, I found a loot system that combines a great array of weapons, torches/lanterns and keys, and plenty of traps hidden in the obscurity, which admittedly, caught me off guard too often. Chatting with the developers, I was explained that these bear traps were practically impossible to avoid, unless you knew the level already. Although it may be considered a bit unfair, it’s a very old-school approach to level design that will appeal to plenty of retro gamers. This detail had me smiling as it evoked real danger, and a methodical resolution to overcome any adversity.

As I tiptoed my way around bear trap, I found three cells. In the middle one, there’s a large growling dog, following my movements with its eyes. Once I considered myself safe, something triggered its cell door to open, and forced me to search every cupboard in search for anything to fend the hound off. A pistol did just fine. So did it with the swarm of rats that came with intentions of nibbling on my legs. The management of battery for the torch or fuel for the lantern, which lit the room in different ways, got reflected in the intensity of the light itself; a very nice detail to see in a game based around the idea of darkness.

At this point, the game became an escort mission, where I had to lead the kids out of the house and to safety. Although it was tense and certainly horrifying, leading the kids out of harm’s way and around all the traps I had to avoid on my way in, it was also the epitome of an escort mission, the kids resulting very annoying company at points. I was glad to get rid of them, finally. Maybe I’m playing for the wrong team here.