Shift 87 Review

Shift 87's first level pushes me out of an elevator and into a somewhat ordinary yet seemingly abandoned office space. Behind the receptionist’s desk are two chairs, three clocks, and a small retro television. A flickering screen projector brightens an empty conference room. Six cluttered desks fill another room across the way. Not a soul in sight, save for one silent, unmoving man whose gaze follows my every step as if he were one of those haunted paintings you’d find in a horror film. I check on him from time to time as I explore, turning the first-person camera quickly to look behind me (just to make sure he hasn’t, you know, decided to kill me). Two chairs are in the hallway, next to an out-of-order vending machine. A long red rug coats the ground. I take inventory of it all, absorbing every single detail down to the eerie sounds and gloomy atmosphere.

By the time I enter another elevator to leave, I’m sure I can recall every potted plant, framed picture, and chair that I walked past, but when the floor number goes up, I know that my ability to remember everything I’ve just seen is about to be put to the test. The doors open to what seems like the exact same office space, but now something might be different, and with my trusty anomaly scanner in hand, I set off to find what’s changed.

Perhaps you’re a seasoned anomaly-hunter, playing titles like Para Eyes, Alternate Watch, and I’m on Observation Duty. In that case, you know the drill: memorise multiple scenes (usually through the perspective of security camera footage), and when something is out of place, duplicated, or missing, you’ll need to report the anomaly to resolve it. There’s little storytelling beyond establishing that you’re supposed to investigate the area and report any inconsistencies. The more anomalies you miss, the more you risk your sanity, or you might fail your job altogether.

By that criteria, Shift 87 is a standard entry in the genre, but it’s also pretty unique, as it blends first-person walking simulator gameplay with spot-the-anomaly mechanics. The actual reporting process is much more scaled back than you might expect if you’ve played other titles, as you don’t have to scan the exact anomaly or describe what has changed. Instead, you just report that there is an anomaly somewhere in the level, and then you leave. If you got it right, you’ll return to the level to find a new anomaly, repeating the process until you’ve had five successful reports in a row. However, sometimes the area won’t have any deviations, and if you make an inaccurate report, you’ll have to start the sequence over, or you might miss an anomaly and exit the level thinking everything is the same, which will lead you to start over again as well.

Across the game’s three levels, I’ve found 42 out of 66 anomalies, and so far, it’s been a good mix of subtle differences that blend into the environment and obvious changes airing on the spooky side. Each playthrough lasts about 30 minutes, and you’ll have to do a few runs if you want to experience all the anomalies, so it’s a great title if you’re looking for a bite-sized horror game with simple mechanics and some replay value.

Aside from some instances of second-guessing myself, I’d say Shift 87 is quite easy overall, making it a good entry point for newcomers to anomaly hunting. The levels are rather small, so you don’t need to memorise a ton, and with the anomalies being procedurally generated, you might get a string of clear changes, such as a blackout or a large spider-like monster. On the other hand, I’ve also had back-to-back subtle changes, so it definitely varies in terms of difficulty, but more often than not, the differences are apparent. Unlike other similar titles where anomalies keep racking up if you don’t find them, messing up on your reports in this game comes with little consequence since it just has you start over, making it a more casual experience.

Though there are only three environments, the unsettling vibes are present all throughout, and the small details in each one make scrutinising the levels very enjoyable. That said, I wouldn’t say Shift 87 is exactly scary. The creepy, sinister vibes stem from the haunting atmosphere and soundscape rather than relying on jump scares. Depending on how you like your horror, this might be a hit or miss for you. Honestly, I scratched my spooky itch just from the internal paranoia that bubbled up whenever I entered (and reentered) a level.

Shift 87 is a solid little anomaly-hunting game. If you’re looking for a casual and somewhat spooky experience that tests your memory, then this is definitely one to give a go. However, with only three levels and many easy-to-spot differences, you might be left wanting if you’re looking for more of a challenge.