The Night Ripper's skeleton closely resembles that of Power Drill Massacre, paying homage to their first established title. While staying true to their roots, they have incorporated valuable lessons learned from their previous projects, better incorporating elements of atmospheric horror, suspenseful pacing, and unnerving tension.
In the world of Puppet Combo's The Night Ripper, Rachel, a young waitress at a Diner, finds herself living and working in a neighbourhood plagued by a serial killer. Despite this threat, Rachel attempts to walk home which becomes a decision she soon regrets. Now, pursued by a relentless killer, Rachel faces a turbulent journey to reach the safety of her own home.
Puppet Combo, at this stage in their lifespan as a development studio, have begun to possess a profound understanding of how to instill fear in their audience, expertly crafting a foreboding atmosphere that steadily intensifies tension and suspense throughout the experience. The Night Ripper builds this tension in a multifaceted way.
We start the game in the Diner, which serves as a refuge, surrounded by other people and enclosed in a well-lit space. Here the game employs a simple yet effective introduction to establish the imminent threat that a serial killer is active in the area. Supplementing the introduction is a controversial radio host show, giving their thoughts on the situation. These elements serve to keep the fear of this killer in the back of our minds, knowing that once we leave the safety of the Diner we are likely putting Rachel and thereby ourselves at risk. As we explore the maze-like city infrastructure, complementing these elements are strategically placed newspapers that succinctly summarize the antagonist's past actions, further deepening the sense of dread.
Many of the lore tidbits mention the killer's use of a black sedan, and the game utilises the presence of this black sedan as a motif for horror. From the outset, the player is made aware of its significance, heightening their vigilance. As they progress, the unsettling sight of the sedan circling nearby buildings while navigating their way home serves as a masterful tool to evoke a profound sense of uneasiness and escalating tension within the player. If the killer notices you, the sedan will come to a sudden halt, and The Night Ripper will swiftly exit the vehicle and pursue you relentlessly.
The game is strictly in first person, which is a vast difference from their previous titles. Although a first person perspective was an option in most of their games, none have forced this perspective as the sole camera angle until The Night Ripper. However, this exclusive use of the first-person view reveals some shortcomings in the game's low-poly environments. The city serves as a maze-like area for the player to weave and walk through, and unfortunately it looks abandoned in a way that doesn't do justice to the game's design. Consequently, the environments can feel repetitive, leading to moments of disorientation that initially contribute to a sense of anxiety and dread, but eventually give way to frustration.
The audio design is excellent, I love the music throughout the game, standing out as something that is actually pleasant to listen to which isn't usually common for horror tracks. The ambiance builds and settles like waves crashing on the ocean, and rises to a crescendo in the heat of pursuit which can elevate the panic of pursuit.
Overall, Puppet Combo are trying to create an experience here that doesn't rely on ear-piercing jumpscares, but instead uses suspense and avoidance gameplay to invoke fear in the player. There are several "stages" to the environment in The Night Ripper, and there are several sections where the sedan becomes meaningless and the killer will stalk you throughout buildings and even across rooftops. Although the tension is fantastic, I can't say I'm impressed with the killer's design visually. Throughout their previous games there have also been ways to fight back against the threat, however in this title that seems to have been stripped away. This leads to an ending that isn't satisfying for me personally and doesn't really conclude the greater narrative of the active killer and more-so just temporarily grants Rachel survival, leading to an overall disappointing conclusion.
In the world of Puppet Combo's The Night Ripper, Rachel, a young waitress at a Diner, finds herself living and working in a neighbourhood plagued by a serial killer. Despite this threat, Rachel attempts to walk home which becomes a decision she soon regrets. Now, pursued by a relentless killer, Rachel faces a turbulent journey to reach the safety of her own home.
Puppet Combo, at this stage in their lifespan as a development studio, have begun to possess a profound understanding of how to instill fear in their audience, expertly crafting a foreboding atmosphere that steadily intensifies tension and suspense throughout the experience. The Night Ripper builds this tension in a multifaceted way.
We start the game in the Diner, which serves as a refuge, surrounded by other people and enclosed in a well-lit space. Here the game employs a simple yet effective introduction to establish the imminent threat that a serial killer is active in the area. Supplementing the introduction is a controversial radio host show, giving their thoughts on the situation. These elements serve to keep the fear of this killer in the back of our minds, knowing that once we leave the safety of the Diner we are likely putting Rachel and thereby ourselves at risk. As we explore the maze-like city infrastructure, complementing these elements are strategically placed newspapers that succinctly summarize the antagonist's past actions, further deepening the sense of dread.
Many of the lore tidbits mention the killer's use of a black sedan, and the game utilises the presence of this black sedan as a motif for horror. From the outset, the player is made aware of its significance, heightening their vigilance. As they progress, the unsettling sight of the sedan circling nearby buildings while navigating their way home serves as a masterful tool to evoke a profound sense of uneasiness and escalating tension within the player. If the killer notices you, the sedan will come to a sudden halt, and The Night Ripper will swiftly exit the vehicle and pursue you relentlessly.
The game is strictly in first person, which is a vast difference from their previous titles. Although a first person perspective was an option in most of their games, none have forced this perspective as the sole camera angle until The Night Ripper. However, this exclusive use of the first-person view reveals some shortcomings in the game's low-poly environments. The city serves as a maze-like area for the player to weave and walk through, and unfortunately it looks abandoned in a way that doesn't do justice to the game's design. Consequently, the environments can feel repetitive, leading to moments of disorientation that initially contribute to a sense of anxiety and dread, but eventually give way to frustration.
The audio design is excellent, I love the music throughout the game, standing out as something that is actually pleasant to listen to which isn't usually common for horror tracks. The ambiance builds and settles like waves crashing on the ocean, and rises to a crescendo in the heat of pursuit which can elevate the panic of pursuit.
Overall, Puppet Combo are trying to create an experience here that doesn't rely on ear-piercing jumpscares, but instead uses suspense and avoidance gameplay to invoke fear in the player. There are several "stages" to the environment in The Night Ripper, and there are several sections where the sedan becomes meaningless and the killer will stalk you throughout buildings and even across rooftops. Although the tension is fantastic, I can't say I'm impressed with the killer's design visually. Throughout their previous games there have also been ways to fight back against the threat, however in this title that seems to have been stripped away. This leads to an ending that isn't satisfying for me personally and doesn't really conclude the greater narrative of the active killer and more-so just temporarily grants Rachel survival, leading to an overall disappointing conclusion.