REVEIL follows a horror trend that’s blown up in popularity over the last few years, that of the “PT-Like” genre. PT, for those who haven’t played it, is a “Playable Teaser” for a horror game that was never made, a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro that sees players looping through endless hallways while trying to solve a horror mystery. Much like PT, REVEIL sees players gathering clues and solving puzzles in a rapidly changing environment that drastically defies the laws of physics.
Turn around, and a wall that was previously there is now a door. Staircases appear where there were none before. You spend a lot of time tracking through the same few rooms, however they change each time to challenge your familiarity with them.
If I’m being honest, it’s a sort of overdone trope at this point, and I’d go so far as to say that the standard for single-player horror games currently involves making the same style of game that REVEIL emulates, down to having identical gameplay mechanics and even comparable stories. However, I’ll give REVEIL a pass; it’s no sin to be inspired by something that moved you, and REVEIL uses the formula for some really creative moments.
Where REVEIL shines the most has got to be in it’s imagery. Its striking use of color makes for scenes that are as nice to look at as they are unsettling. Plenty of rooms in the game’s seemingly endless descent into insanity will mock your perception of what should be. Much of the game’s horror stems from its unsettling use of space, sending you head first into dark, eerie, Twilight Zone-esque corridors that shouldn’t exist–though it is also guilty of a few jump scares.
The game can credit much of its more interesting shots to its unique setting. REVEIL is set in the circus, or more specifically, in the memories of a man who works for or runs a circus (I wasn’t one hundred percent sure myself, to be honest, but I think it may be the former.) This is translated incredibly well into the game’s visual storytelling and level design; a haunting fun house, a circus train that feels too cramped and cold. Even the “ordinary” house, full of circus paraphernalia, is creepy and makes good use of the game’s themes.
I recently visited a circus, which makes REVEIL’s imagery all the more scary for me; I can tell how shockingly accurate it all is.
As great as the game’s imagery is, it ironically has a bad case of neglecting the “show, don’t tell” rule.
Constantly throughout REVEIL, the protagonist will speak. Often times, what he’s saying points out information the visual storytelling already did a good job of explaining. At best, his dialogue serves to confirm story information players could have guessed themselves, and at worse what he says is so blatantly obvious that it’s kind of insulting to hear.
Not only does he constantly point things out, but throughout the whole game he is far, far too cheery for the situation he’s in. Even when he sounds concerned, it’s only just barely so, coming off more like he’s irritated than anything else. Nothing quite takes me out of your game like listening to the main protagonist, who is supposedly scared, sound more calm and collected than I am.
Another big issue the game has is an overreliance on physics-based interactions. There are plenty of objects in the game that require you to interact with them using the game’s physics engine. This works by clicking and dragging on an object to, say, open a door, turn a key, close a gate, etc.
The issue lies in just how janky this system is. Interacting with an object can be difficult–the pull or twist of a handle quits halfway for seemingly no reason, or it requires you to twist your wrist at unnatural angles to follow through with the motion. This could be excusable, if not for several moments in the game that rely on quick reaction time. Otherwise, you risk being killed by some monster, which becomes impossible when a door you’re trying to open shuts itself halfway through the slow, fidgety interaction because the trigger released.
To touch on another positive aspect of REVEIL before I close this review, I wanna say that I really enjoyed the game’s puzzles. They can be challenging in ways that feel really clever, forcing you to think about just what you’re being asked to do, and the answer is never too obvious. A puzzle I particularly enjoyed involved a cipher, which scared me because I’m generally terrible at them. However, the way the game implemented it was friendly to my puzzle-weary brain while still requiring a fair amount of thought.
REVEIL, while adhering to the well-trodden path of the “PT-Like” horror genre, manages to carve out its own niche with a creative blend of imagery and its unique setting. The game’s striking use of color and visual storytelling contributes to unsettling yet captivating environments, presenting a descent into madness that challenges your perceptions of what should and shouldn’t be. While the game can be genuinely creative with its visual presentation, it neglects the “show, don’t tell” rule. The protagonist’s dialogue is often redundant, corny, and lacking the necessary emotional depth for the eerie circumstances. Additionally, the overreliance on the game’s physics-based interaction system seems to be more of a roadblock than an exciting or immersive feature.
Even with these drawbacks, however, REVEIL still shines as a unique horror experience. With five chapters, each uniquely themed and lasting about an hour, you’ll gain plenty of scares for your buck as you descend into an eerie circus-themed madness.
The Final Word
REVEIL offers a mix of the familiar and the creative, making it a noteworthy addition to the ever-expanding realm of horror gaming. While it could use some improvement in a few places, overall you won’t regret buying an entry ticket to this carnival of horror.
8
Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! REVEIL is available on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation.