The world of Horror games, as well as what exactly defines it, has lived in a constant flux for years now. With nearly every installation since Resident Evil 4, more and more action has been imprinted in the stead of older, treasured tropes of the genre - such as a reliance on constant, unsettling tone, rather than “jump scares”. Simply put, the survival horror fans have been made into even more of a niche market.
That niche market, however, was ignited with the release of 2010’s Amnesia: The Dark Descent; which shed new light on the success that can be had in a game relying on the way its atmosphere and pathos affect players. As a result, Amnesia has sold over double their intended mark of 100,000 games to date. And so - at least in the indie spectrum - the heralded, prevalent cold-chill and breathless tone of horror games has taken steps toward return.
With yet another, if small, step in the same direction set by Amnesia, Slender seems to have taken up the gauntlet. Based on an Internet mythos - with a surprisingly large following and community involvement - the game is fairly simple in terms of conception. Implementing various distinctions of the mythos, Slender is set in a fenced-in, deserted forest; within which, eight, non-discript, and potentially unsettling pictures must be attained. Beginning in the stark black setting with no auditory tender other than the wind and the player’s own footsteps, different audible effects are woven into the panic-filled expedition as pages are collected; as well as when the “Slender Man” is near.
Mechanically, the game is relatively just as simple. Slender is based on a “twitch” gameplay style, as in, there is no saving. Thus, with each endeavor players must traverse the forest’s torments in their entirety. Players are offered standard walking functions, the ability to turn your flashlight - with limited battery life - on and off, a sprint function - also limited based on your stamina - and the ability to pick up the scattered pages. Sounds simple enough, right? Some might argue, even, that the game sounds a little too simple. When it comes to survival horror, is the desired structure a complex foundation dependent on several intertwined variables for optimal functionality? No, it is simplicity that players desire. Players turn to horror for that primal tug in your stomach, knowing that the closest thing to a weapon in their possession is a dying flashlight, there is no opposition in the face of their faceless fear other than running, terrified in any other direction; and that, above all else, they have to keep moving forward.
When considering a release such Slender, what with its implied reliance on the mythos after which it is named, one question is commonly at the forefront: just how accessible is it? Sure, it is a wonderful addition to the existing collection for fans, but where does it fit into the scheme for other players seeking a traditional survival horror experience? Personally, I came to Slender having absolutely no knowledge of the various Youtube and blog cachings; and that did not seem to hinder me having a rather enjoyable time being scared and lost within a strange forest with a faceless evil lurking behind every tree. However, while I found Slender to be enjoyable without any previous exposure to the collective of community imagination fueling it, I must admit that I found quite a bit of intrigue in delving into that collective after playing. Regardless of the satisfaction in the exploration of home-made horror, Slender as a game is perfectly enjoyable without any previous or followed experience with its parenting mythos. The game is, at any rate, free here. Why not spend an evening in an empty, unsettling forest tracking down the panic inspired drawings of Slender’s previous house-guests?
- Doug Comstock
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