This game single-handedly reignited my love for indie horror again. Set in an abandoned-looking apartment complex somewhere in Soviet Russia, we're tasked to enter the most decrepit living space ever just to retrieve a family photo. Of all the horror games I've played, this is the one that terrified me the most. Dare I say, terrified me more than Visage. How is that possible? Visage is supposedly the scariest horror game created! Atmosphere. The atmosphere in the first half of the game carried this game so well. I think this could be a benchmark for indie horror games, it's not about the quality of the asset, it's how well you use it. Before I delve deeper into my review for the game, I would highkey recommend playing this blind. The experience is cleaner and crisper if you do this without any knowledge whatsoever. ---------------- SPOILERS BELOW please play this game blind!!! --------------- What made this game an absolute banger was the fact that it doesn't hold your hand. We don't get any settings to adjust the audio, the game's brightness, or the controls. The game throws us in the thick of it with barely any instructions whatsoever - you figure it out as you go along. The developer knows how to build and maintain tension, rewarding you for thinking ahead but still taking away all of the hallmarks of your safety. I was so dumb, why did I think that they would give us a reliable source of light in the game when the name is literally FROM THE DARKNESS. Would've helped set my expectations a little better because, from the first actionable part of the game, they plunge you into literal darkness with no warning whatsoever. That completely took away all of my confidence. No flashlight, no candle, no lighter. I wept. The scariest chapter of Visage for me was Lucy's chapter. It plays with your senses and keeps you on your toes when it comes to expecting the ghost to pop out and you're plunged into a big house with almost complete darkness. From the Darkness took that element, turned it all the way up to 10, and then takes away your one source of comfort - light. The atmosphere build-up was amazing and I simultaneously hated and loved it. Most psychological horror games try to ramp up the horror through suggestion and then hit you with a jumpscare for a thrilling climax. From the Darkness doesn't need to do that at all. Although there were jump scares, I think the worst scares I had were those that didn't even have audio to get you. They were shadows moving at the edge of your vision, barely visible. They take away your light and your safety area, forcing you to navigate a darkened hallway with a threat looming at the end. They place someone behind you when you expect it the least and turn off your light. The environment and layout were inspired. You don't need a big space if a little space does the trick. Sharp corners in a cramped apartment leave much to the imagination and N4bA exploits that to the fullest. We barely leave the space but that just adds on to the mental torture. I did see that some people didn't like this game because there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why the character goes there and what the story of the place is. I agree and that could be a point for improvement but I don't think that detracts from the quality of the game. There are games that ideally have a story but there's always a place for games like this. I feel like if N4bA had more time, a team, or funding they'd be able to create a horror game that can compete with Visage. I really like his work and I'm excited to see more games from Russian horror game creators. Idk what they do but their concepts almost always gets me, similar to Emika Games.

I know I said I love personality tests but this test felt like it was administered by Jigsaw from Saw with the personality of Joker. Jesus Christ. Relatively short game and gets straight to the point, The Watson-Scott test is a test designed to determine your personality under intense conditions. You're meant to answer a series of questions with an AI that's "aware" of your choices and speaks to you as if it knows you - reminiscent of Simulacra and Pony Island. ----- SPOILERS BELOW i highly recommend that you play it blind ---- It scares you after a few questions and I hate it because you never know when the scares pop up. It's brilliantly executed and preys on your fears, which reduces the need for graphics and gameplay. Rather it asks loaded questions with thinly-veiled threats supposedly meant to make you feel uncomfortable and unsafe, scolding you for lying and punishing you accordingly. If you've ever seen Clockwork Orange, that one specific scene where they had to brainwash the main character, it's very similar in tone to that. You must be subservient and you have no freedom to change your responses. For a horror game, it's amazing! I personally love horror games with a creative twist that tries to challenge the medium of horror, whether it's through innovative gameplay, a unique setting, or something that explores situations that challenges the genre. 🔪You should play this if: - you're okay with jumpscare horror - you want to spend your 30 minutes fully paranoid to come out stronger at the end