Review
Does anybody hear whimpering? Sorry, that's just me.
It's Annie again! This time, terrified!
Let's me start by being very clear: I do NOT frequently play horror games. I never claim to dislike entire genres of things; I even enjoy country music, action movies, and MOBAs on occasion. So no, I don't hate horror games. I just get VERY SCARED. Ask anyone in the room while I'm playing. It gets weird.
That being said, I can honestly say that Dead Letter Dept. is a very good game. And you know I'm not making that up because WHY would I put myself through such terror if it wasn't a worthwhile experience??
Horror
So, thoughts.
I love the simulation aspect of this game. In my humble opinion, there aren't enough games where you can truly disappear into the role you're playing. The main mechanic is typing, mirroring what your character is doing in-game. This makes the immersion seamless. And what happens to horror when immersion is seamless? That's right. It gets SCARIER. (VR players back me up)
The mechanic doesn't just benefit the immersion, though. Typing is such a menial task that most of us engage with frequently enough to almost turn our brains off while we do it. This makes it all the more eerie when something feels off, making you wonder if you're just imagining things with your work-numbed brain.
Polish
Dead Letter Dept. is a great example of a simple but strong idea, grown into a fully fleshed game and beautified with polish. It boasts excellent sound design, a familiar but still distinct art style, and plenty of little moments to notice (or miss entirely!).
This is the part where I tell you the good news: I only played the demo. It's free, it's full of quality spooks, and if you like horror it will leave you hungry for more. There's even a little bit of plot/choose-your-own-adventure in there which I believe is expanded in the full version. So if you're not sure yet if this game is your thing, don't worry! Try the demo, and buy the full version if you don't crap your pants (or maybe that's the goal? I'm not a horror girl).
The demo is free and it took me about a half hour to play.
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