Hellnight (Dark Messiah in Japan) is a survival horror game at heart, although it has no combat gameplay. Controlling the nameless hero, the player must travel through the underground and protect Naomi. There is only one monster in the whole game, the "creature" itself, which is invulnerable and cannot be killed. Instead players are constantly on the run from it, making sure it does not catch them. The game is divided into large maze-like levels, each one usually populated by the creature who keeps pursuing the player (although he does change form after each level). At certain points there will be companions who can attack the monster and temporarily stun him. There are also people to talk to in the underground world, items to pick up, and puzzles to solve.
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hellnight is such an intriguing game - its scarce distribution in the west coupled by the fact that absolutely no one knows who the developers of this game are makes me feel like i'm unearthing some ancient relic that's been sealed away for decades. seriously though, how does a huge company like konami publish a game everywhere except the two major countries that this game would have done way more well in, the us and the uk? did they think it was too weird for them? if so, why even publish it in the first place? there's way too much mystery surrounding this game and its development, and this along with the entire dev team just disappearing from the face of the earth piqued my interest in this game immediately.
hellnight's gameplay is very barebones, but this is its biggest strength since it helps to build its incredibly tense atmosphere. first person dungeon crawler navigating a labyrinth, coupled with the low draw distance and wonderful sound design adds to the fear factor a ton. it always feels like there's something waiting to jumpscare you beyond the black void ahead, and while this can happen unintentionally with npcs lurking around, there are no real threats other than the "hybrid" monster (that evolves every single floor, creepy) who's growls and snarls you can hear from a mile away - if anything, it's predictable when he arrives because he always makes noises when you're around him. the sound design is masterful though, any miniscule noise made in the environment, coupled by the eerie ambience gives the game so much charm . i genuinely dreaded my time playing this because the monster was so fast late in the game (even if its AI is simple) but the setting was really what kept me playing.
the tokyo mesh is one of the most interesting and terrifying settings for a horror game - a gigantic underground complex built during world war 2 that was meant to shelter the entire population in fear of a nuclear strike, but was immediately abandoned following the surrender of japan - the devs struck gold with this, but i just wish they would have built on its backstory a little bit more in-game, maybe through extra characters hiding throughout the mesh under the impression that the war is still going on, who would have provided us with some lore about the making of the place. it's great, but hellnight just decides to drop it in the latter half of the game by teleporting you into some freaky cultish otherworld - i don't mind it, but the mesh was a lot more interesting, and the game becomes way less interesting from that point on. the story (and the main cast by extension) is unfortunately where i think the game falls flat. these characters don't really have a lot of moments going for them to really shine (apart from some flashbacks near the ending, but it's too late at that point) and your interaction with them is minimal - usually only giving you a few sentences saying your objective or what their current thoughts are, but nothing too interesting. they do tie into the gameplay a bit though - the first companion, naomi, is a completely helpless schoolgirl who can't really do anything but run away with you from the monster. if you let her die and find another companion to take on with you later on, they all have the firearms necessary to stun the hybrid and buy you some time if he's too close to you. i beat the game with naomi initially and i really don't think it's possible without save scumming given how rarely you're given the option to save your progress (which is absolutely vital in the latter half of the game)i think this is supposed to make the endings worse for each companion you let die, but i can't really tell.
i'll keep the story stuff short, but it starts off pretty nicely. you desperately searching for a way out, with mysterious people like razzo, and the holy cult is some very cool stuff at first. but once you get down to the hive and find all the lovecraftian type demons i just wasn't very interested. it is cool, but it's complete total whiplash when they start doing some "you are the chosen one" shit along with the hybrid, who's now a god to this cult, acting like the player is connected to him, it's all very sudden and ditching the mesh feels like wasted potential. the endings really soured the game for me though - they are not worth it at all for how basic it is. even after watching the rest, they're all the exact same, with some slight variations. a fucking you're winner screen from big rigs would have been more satisfying than any of these.
although its plot isn't very well-thought out, this game is still a vibe and one i'd highly recommend. the atmosphere is so so fucking heavy, especially when the hybrid chases you - like i said before its very simple but that's what makes it so terrifying. i still want to know about the behind the scenes of this game though, how everyone working on this went under the radar entirely doesn't sit right with me :(
hellnight's gameplay is very barebones, but this is its biggest strength since it helps to build its incredibly tense atmosphere. first person dungeon crawler navigating a labyrinth, coupled with the low draw distance and wonderful sound design adds to the fear factor a ton. it always feels like there's something waiting to jumpscare you beyond the black void ahead, and while this can happen unintentionally with npcs lurking around, there are no real threats other than the "hybrid" monster (that evolves every single floor, creepy) who's growls and snarls you can hear from a mile away - if anything, it's predictable when he arrives because he always makes noises when you're around him. the sound design is masterful though, any miniscule noise made in the environment, coupled by the eerie ambience gives the game so much charm . i genuinely dreaded my time playing this because the monster was so fast late in the game (even if its AI is simple) but the setting was really what kept me playing.
the tokyo mesh is one of the most interesting and terrifying settings for a horror game - a gigantic underground complex built during world war 2 that was meant to shelter the entire population in fear of a nuclear strike, but was immediately abandoned following the surrender of japan - the devs struck gold with this, but i just wish they would have built on its backstory a little bit more in-game, maybe through extra characters hiding throughout the mesh under the impression that the war is still going on, who would have provided us with some lore about the making of the place. it's great, but hellnight just decides to drop it in the latter half of the game by teleporting you into some freaky cultish otherworld - i don't mind it, but the mesh was a lot more interesting, and the game becomes way less interesting from that point on. the story (and the main cast by extension) is unfortunately where i think the game falls flat. these characters don't really have a lot of moments going for them to really shine (apart from some flashbacks near the ending, but it's too late at that point) and your interaction with them is minimal - usually only giving you a few sentences saying your objective or what their current thoughts are, but nothing too interesting. they do tie into the gameplay a bit though - the first companion, naomi, is a completely helpless schoolgirl who can't really do anything but run away with you from the monster. if you let her die and find another companion to take on with you later on, they all have the firearms necessary to stun the hybrid and buy you some time if he's too close to you. i beat the game with naomi initially and i really don't think it's possible without save scumming given how rarely you're given the option to save your progress (which is absolutely vital in the latter half of the game)i think this is supposed to make the endings worse for each companion you let die, but i can't really tell.
i'll keep the story stuff short, but it starts off pretty nicely. you desperately searching for a way out, with mysterious people like razzo, and the holy cult is some very cool stuff at first. but once you get down to the hive and find all the lovecraftian type demons i just wasn't very interested. it is cool, but it's complete total whiplash when they start doing some "you are the chosen one" shit along with the hybrid, who's now a god to this cult, acting like the player is connected to him, it's all very sudden and ditching the mesh feels like wasted potential. the endings really soured the game for me though - they are not worth it at all for how basic it is. even after watching the rest, they're all the exact same, with some slight variations. a fucking you're winner screen from big rigs would have been more satisfying than any of these.
although its plot isn't very well-thought out, this game is still a vibe and one i'd highly recommend. the atmosphere is so so fucking heavy, especially when the hybrid chases you - like i said before its very simple but that's what makes it so terrifying. i still want to know about the behind the scenes of this game though, how everyone working on this went under the radar entirely doesn't sit right with me :(
What a weird PS1 game (in all the good ways), had a great time with it. Story is certainly unique, with the usual twists and turns. Gameplay loop is pretty good, it is as simple as "look for a way out while there's monster lurking around ready to maul you and your companion" with locked doors/key searching, chose to stick with the default companion but it's nice to know that the other companions offer something different. Game looks pretty good, and surprisingly has varied environments considering it mainly takes place underground (might suffer from some long hallways though) and, last but not least, this game is scary as sin (almost gave me a heart attack at times). Nice replay value with the different companions you can take alongside you too, looking forward to seeing how the outcome of the adventure changes with them. Such a thrilling experience.
interesting game. very atmospheric, the story is kinda dumb, it has some cool concepts though.
i don't think i've played a horror game in 1st person earlier than this one. i have to say it really does work and it did scare me a few times.
i don't think i've played a horror game in 1st person earlier than this one. i have to say it really does work and it did scare me a few times.
An interesting survival horror title where you are hunting by a single monster that can kill your companions before killing you, a dead companion is replaced with a new character with their own personality, story elements, and that leads to different endings.
Good sound design for the environment, the monster, footsteps, and the sound of your breathing and heartbeat. Monster can appear near you and attempt to rush you or it might wait around a corner while holding its breath potentially making the silent moments as tense as when you are being actively chased. Able to replace or get the NPCs, 4 total, that can follow you around killed can change the story and multiple endings, difficulty, increase replay value. Interesting setting as you descend further into "The Mesh" and meet people who have their own society underneath Tokyo. Not the best translation unfortunately.
Good sound design for the environment, the monster, footsteps, and the sound of your breathing and heartbeat. Monster can appear near you and attempt to rush you or it might wait around a corner while holding its breath potentially making the silent moments as tense as when you are being actively chased. Able to replace or get the NPCs, 4 total, that can follow you around killed can change the story and multiple endings, difficulty, increase replay value. Interesting setting as you descend further into "The Mesh" and meet people who have their own society underneath Tokyo. Not the best translation unfortunately.
Gameplay is shit, but the whole underground world build is intriguing.
It's revolutionary. And the craziest part is, most people don't know it to be! What did we have before; in the good old horror game genre? Specifically, 1st person horror games? Before Resident Evil 7? Before Outlast? Before SOMA or Amnesia? We had Hellnight, or Dark Messiah as it was known in Japan. This game was simply put, a pioneer of the 1st person horror games. Exploring tight corridors with a pressuring, anxiety inducing atmosphere. The ambient track playing in the background, eerie sounds coming from the other end of a long, dark hallway. You turn around and you start running. Hellnight has a really intriguing story to tell, and you are just one helpless person caught in the middle of it all. I really wanted to give this the best rating I could give, but I cannot deny there is a specific section towards the end that really drags on for far too long, and it gets a bit ridiculous. I feel like the ending was rushed. I feel like it all ends way too abruptly. There's a huge build up, and the game just kind of falls flat on its face. Not that the ending's horrible. No. It's just, something. It's not what I think most people were expecting. And in this case, I'd say that's not necessarily a negative thing, but definitely not positive either.