This was my first survival horror game and it is just spectacular. I tried to play the original first and I found that the controls were just from another era. I'm glad this version exists so I could experience the story, otherwise I might not have.
The atmosphere is always unsettling and rich in brutal detail. The story was well paced and never gave me a reason to put the game down. One thing that I struggled with (purely as a skill issue) was getting myself into fights with a lot of enemies and very few resources, but I found that with a little determination and focus I was able to fight my way out of a lot. Some of the Ashley missions were difficult because the AI has some weird behavior around positioning (I'm looking at you chapter 7). Other than that the gameplay was always charming. While I felt that sometimes the enemy variety was a bit lacking, this complaint is balanced by the fact that every new enemy is a new fight to be learned, especially when dealing with several different types at once. The merchant and collectable system was well executed. Treasures with gem slots make exploring side paths and fighting additional enemies feel rewarding not just for the completion aspect, but also by giving you additional money to purchase upgrades. The same goes for challenges and spinel.
I still have a lot left that I want to experience, and the game makes sure of that. Lots of treasures that I missed, challenges to complete, achievements to hunt and a DLC to play. On top of that there's an additional difficulty to master and a New Game Plus to encourage any completionist. There's so much in this game, and it's a fantastic demonstration that you do not need an open world live service game in order to get more than 20 hours out of a player, even an inexperienced one such as myself. This game changed the way I think and feel about survival horror as a genre, and as a result I'm far more likely to play more in the future.
The atmosphere is always unsettling and rich in brutal detail. The story was well paced and never gave me a reason to put the game down. One thing that I struggled with (purely as a skill issue) was getting myself into fights with a lot of enemies and very few resources, but I found that with a little determination and focus I was able to fight my way out of a lot. Some of the Ashley missions were difficult because the AI has some weird behavior around positioning (I'm looking at you chapter 7). Other than that the gameplay was always charming. While I felt that sometimes the enemy variety was a bit lacking, this complaint is balanced by the fact that every new enemy is a new fight to be learned, especially when dealing with several different types at once. The merchant and collectable system was well executed. Treasures with gem slots make exploring side paths and fighting additional enemies feel rewarding not just for the completion aspect, but also by giving you additional money to purchase upgrades. The same goes for challenges and spinel.
I still have a lot left that I want to experience, and the game makes sure of that. Lots of treasures that I missed, challenges to complete, achievements to hunt and a DLC to play. On top of that there's an additional difficulty to master and a New Game Plus to encourage any completionist. There's so much in this game, and it's a fantastic demonstration that you do not need an open world live service game in order to get more than 20 hours out of a player, even an inexperienced one such as myself. This game changed the way I think and feel about survival horror as a genre, and as a result I'm far more likely to play more in the future.