How strong is the voice inside you?

Horror without violence, without opponents and tangible dangers. Can so captivate something? Yes, it can ... and how! The German development studio VIS Games has managed this feat. The only enemy of the protagonist is his own fear, his only ally is his coolness. Can you win this fight?

About the story:

------------------- SPOILER (beginning) ------------------

We arrive at the abandoned house, because we want to find out what happened back then with our wife Linda. When she died 20 years ago we fled. At more we can not remember for the life. While we are looking at the house, which seems to grow by the day for clues, we are haunted increasingly by flashbacks. We are faced with phenomena and ghosts. We found a photo that reminds us of the damn doll that great misfortune brought upon us. We finally found the cemetery key and gain access to the graves of the residents. These inhabited the property for more than 30 days we have survived. Under Linda's grave we discover a strange transition. It leads into a huge basement with equipment and machinery. But what about Linda? We're thinking and all of a sudden we understand ... we are not then run away, but Linda. The strange cellar with all its facilities makes no sense at all. Him we have invented to persuade us something. Actually, actually, we are dead ... we are the ghost, lost wandering in the house and not Linda. The phenomenon Linda is perhaps only our longing for her. Wherefore she is our often appeared to let us have keys that have helped us ...

The point at the end is reminiscent of the surprising turn in the Nicole Kidman film The Others. The supposedly dead live and the supposedly survivors are dead they are the spirits! The protagonist is a dead man who wanders the mind and the fact do not want to admit that he's dead already. Maybe The Others has served as a template for this game, because this film is minimalist: it lives from darkness, generates subtle tension and dispensed much brutality, blood, enemies and action.

-------------------- Spolier (end) ----------------------

Gameplay:
We scare us, will reduce the life energy (green bar). She recovers, if we stand still and nothing happens or when a new day dawns. The shock is triggered mostly by (eerie) sounds or signs that the hero suddenly present themselves - as in horror movies. The hero gets out of breath, his pulse is racing and he'd love to run. This is exactly what one should not do. Only when nothing more from the green bar (life energy) you will be resting deducted. The auspicious background music is always dramatic, they seem constantly to announce something and getting louder. This can really eat into the nerve. At such moments I have to constantly turn around, because I think "Maybe the music is loud because approaches me something from behind." The fearful Sichumdrehen sometime to annoying habit. I believe the volume and drama of music happens. She is not related to forthcoming events.

You can not save on your mood. The game saves at the dawn of a new day off automatically, the day does not begin until game time has passed, but if you have made some progress. Dawning a new day, you have to scour the known terrain again. Somewhere you will find a new key, which was not present the day before. With that you can visit a new door ect. 99% of the playing time you spend with it, scan the (familiar) rooms. What boring sounds in the description, is a long time not at all boring. Because at this time expectation and tension is built up ... the same is what 'going to happen! The game sets from matchday to matchday always new (unspäktakuläre) breadcrumbs from. From about the middle of this stupid game structure is a little boring. One might have installed more ideas that provide variety ...

About small plot holes and inconsistencies should be overlooked gracious.

A bit you have to manage resources that households with matches and not waste the batteries. A little tip: if you are not substitutes for the dead batteries of the flashlight, they recover easily. The full radiance has but only with fresh batteries.

If the look is too dark can increase your graphics settings under the brightness to maximum. Instead of walking in complete darkness, you look much in the twilight

Who gets stuck and no advice knows the solution can watch in Youtube gameplay movies

Positives:
+ Succeeds the game actually build an intense horror atmosphere! At first I laughed at the game. To enhance the mood I have gambled at midnight with headphones ... (because I thought I had balls of steel) I did but quickly leave again be. But very quickly. The noise, the music and the night in which evil is gaining strength and is too powerful, have transformed me into a coward, so I only was able to continue during the day. The atmosphere when one is immersed in the game after a short time so intense ... even in moments in which nothing happens, you have palpitations. Can still see a vague threat that can attack either, is scarier for me as clearly defined enemies or zombies. Perhaps perceives another the completely different: a matter of taste!
+ The sound is top notch. The mysterious background noise and the nerves music are bad, just vicious. I played and thought the game at midnight with headphones: "The music and the sounds make me more ready-made - they even put me in the mental hospital ..."
+ The basic idea is to use them as input devices polygraph awesome that you can master the game only when you're cool. The game observed how in critical moments behaves (relaxed or restless). You have to appreciate this idea even if their implementation is unsatisfactory. The original of this independent Shocker: the mouse is used as a lie detector. A polygraph is actually a fear detector. He does not measure the veracity of the statements in a subject, but the physical excitement that is the fear. Lying causes stress (when healthy - decent people ... Psychopaths are an exception). A liar betrays to his fear. A player who is afraid of the mouse is restless. She trembles. The Frightened tears the mouse away, he is fickle, looking around constantly and want to escape the most and run away no matter where. The nerves are on edge ... the horses go through with it. The opposite, the relaxation, absolute tranquility is (unless the Frightened under state of shock or is already dead). During this coolness to the ailing life energy recovered or it is preserved.

Criticism:
- The season is very strong and artificially stretched in the length. Explored places must often be re-examined; repeatedly familiar rooms must be searched
- The hero speaks too little. He had to think out loud and cussing can eg fearful self-talk
- The hero has little personality, for example a name (it is insignificant); the viewer can not identify with him (for him to warm)
- The system requirements of this Match are considerable. The graphics are enough to handsomely, but not spectacular. Why then jerky at lowest graphics settings even with decent computing power (4x 3.6 GHz AMD and Sapphire HD 7770 1GB OC)? As far as I can judge, the game is programmed inefficiently.
- Sometimes the key at points emerge that have been thoroughly searched. They appear because enough time has passed. Makes you wonder why you ever since all scans so thoroughly and systematically. Frustrating!
- More and more you lose track and missed a Automap that records everything. Finally, I myself started a map to outline, with all its doors closed.
- It is dark and the night quickly takes a very very long. If one does not get further, it lasts forever.
- The original idea to use the mouse as a lie detector, failed, unfortunately due to the poor implementation. My basic anxiety (beyond the shock moments) cool bars located barely knocks. For I have seen through the principle and knows how I react in brenzeligen moments: (not press any keys and release the mouse) doing nothing, Rigid and apathy. This is not a criticism of the game itself (it is mostly exciting and scary), but are due to the fact that the mouse and keyboard poor lie detectors. If you were to install wired sensors on the skin that measure physiological arousal (just like a real lie detector) or a heart rate monitor, the problem with the fear recognition would be solved adequately. Maybe there will be something in the near future ... Additional criticism: the game watching the players only at critical moments (moments of shock). Players who would be wired to a true lie detector, you could permanently watch. Fear can be in this game have constantly throughout.
- First one is annoyed that you as good as can not interact with the environment: you can take no candles, open any drawers, read books, take the ax in the front yard, enter doors, move furniture ect. At the end of the story comes up with a surprising twist, and one understands why this must be the ... (Still: if you can not carry around, why can you have a flashlight and matches)

Conclusion: highly recommended! A game with many key moments that really goes to the nerves. Not for the faint-hearted ... and Pregnant (see Door Unlocking Key) ect for the bucking that ugly frustrating darkness and simple gameplay. you could deduct 1-2 stars. Nevertheless, PD did many things right. Without the mentioned shortcomings, it would be an original masterpiece!