True believers of flying saucers may want to avoid Greyhill Incident, because the Refugium Games survival horror game is about as deep as a phony conspiracy theory. Although Greyhill does take some of the cues from popular Alien-based content like the movie Signs or games like Slender: The Eight Pages, it’s unlikely that Greyhill Incident will inspire many ideas for future horror games.
Developer Refugium Games’ first game, Greyhill Incident follows Ryan Baker as his hometown of Greyhill is invaded by “The Greys.” With strange paranormal activities on the rise, the citizens of the small 1990s US neighborhood have grown paranoid and distrusting of their government, known for covering up the existence of aliens. The townsfolk’s greatest fears are realized, and so is Ryan’s when the invaders abduct his son. Now with his baseball bat and ammo-limited revolver, Ryan must find a way to save his son from some of gaming’s most non-threatening adversaries.
When caught, The Greys stand in front of the player at chest height, making clicking sounds while players rapidly press a button to escape. If players fail to escape or are caught by two Grey’s simultaneously, the screen goes black, with the words “ABDUCTED” appears across the screen. With no death animation or scary sound effects, getting caught is more of a humorous experience than something that is supposed to elicit fear.
Although most of Ryan’s time in Greyhill Incident’s three to five-hour campaign is spent wandering empty houses and roads, other characters do appear in the game. Unfortunately, most barely have more personality than the indiscriminately clicking aliens. Nearly every character appearing in Greyhill feels one-note and robotic. The game’s characters would be more interesting if journals or tape recorders could be found throughout the town, providing more context into the citizens’ lives. System Shock was an important horror shooter in part because it provided small environmental details that dramatically helped build the game’s world and deepen its characters, something Greyhill is desperately missing.
Although Greyhill Incident’s enemies and characters are underwhelming, the game’s atmosphere stands out as the game’s creepiest feature. Moonlight penetrates the darkness by shining through trees, cornstalks, and fog to create an environment that can be anxiety-inducing to explore. Unfortunately, the game fails to provide much for players to discover.
2023-06-09 05:30:03
Article from screenrant.com
