Cursed Doll In An Apartment Complex | September 7th
15 star living right here.
REVIEW
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I'm going to have to be mindful of what I reminisce in the future when it comes to games like this. I don't mind simple games, especially if devs like Emika Games have track records of similar themes and "vibes" to their games but after a while, it gets a little bit stale. Much like with Summer of '58 and Find Yourself, if you've played one, you've pretty much played them all (story differences be damned).
The story here is basic to make up for gameplay value which seems to be a constant theme with a lot of games I play the more I look back as I write this out. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that and if interaction with the environment and the horror make for more importance than whatever reasoning makes you go from point A to point B, then so be it. If you simply getting a doll from a girl you're sweet on suddenly makes the surroundings go haywire, that's all the justification needed for the spooks.
To follow up on the plot, I do like how it realistically ends with it all being a dream sequence. Many games like to either make bittersweet or cliffhanger type endings but this one ends as quickly as it starts and despite the game being a bit generic, I like how it subverts generic expectations at the finish line. It does make me wonder if the dead woman in the other apartment being a dollmaker might lead to a cursed fate with the elf but as it stands, it was all a figment of Dima's imagination.
Like I said at the end, the scares in this game really seems like fast food entertainment. Simple, cliché and most of all, loud. Again, nothing wrong with that but after the umpteenth horror game I've played in my life and the 3rd from Emika Games, it would be nice for developers to be a little bit more clever with horror that isn't constant up-in-your-face, eardrums bursting scenarios, especially as a paid product.
The puzzles honestly aren't too demanding, it's just easy to confuse yourself if you don't catch on immediately. And considering Emika Games' first language is not English (definitely some "moments" in the subtitles that are noticeable), it can be a bit confusing. Especially with the crowbar "troll" puzzle, I was not fond of how that played out at all. Puzzles can be very hit or miss in games and even more so in horror but it wasn't too bad this time around in September 7th.
Normally I'd commend graphics and textures but seeing that this game runs on Unreal Engine and miscellaneous visual and audible tidbits collected from platforms designed for helping out devs with game creation, it's expected at this point. Bare minimum or not, at least it's believable and the world in the game did not seem foreign so I respect the deliverance in depth instead of some sloppy representation of a haunted Russian apartment complex.
Overall, if you want a cheap and brief experience where not much thinking is required and is akin to a dark ride in an amusement park. Inexpensive as well so you'll definitely get your money's worth (or cash back if you're really that anal about things).