Intense gameplay, challenging puzzles, engrossing story, zombie outbreak? No unfortunately it’s not the new Resident Evil but it is a game Capcom could learn a lot from. Lone Survivor is an entirely unique and quite remarkable indie survival horror. Released last March and available for a few rupees you’ll be hard pressed to find better value for coin well anywhere. If you’re a fan of thrilling, macabre stories, tense and challenging gameplay and an overall fantastic horror experience then Why Aren’t you playing?
Created by Jasper Byrne (Superflat games/Curve Studios) is one of the now prominent indie markets greatest achievements, as they’ve created an experience that I haven’t had since the original Silent Hill. First up you’ll notice the 2d 16-bit style graphics, now in the days of fancy 3d HD 1080p shiny pixels Lone Survivor is a leading example of graphics don’t make games. However it has to be said that this art style feeds into the depressive and dark atmosphere the game creates. After waking up in apartment 205 “You,” (that is the only reference to the protagonists name) finds himself donning a surgical mask and that the world and its inhabitants’ are now all zombie-esque creatures. Yes it’s a little sparse on detail but all great horror’s are it’s not about how or why these things are happening it’s ok how do I survive this and being motivated to see how events unfold. You will not just have to fight off the infected but his-own mind as Lone Survivor delves into the realms of madness. This mechanic works extremely well in this genre as the popularity of Amnesia the Dark Decent has proved and with this inclusion of the survival elements of Lone Survivor is up there with some of the genre’s juggernauts.
A side scroller the game task’s you to uncover it’s story by solving puzzles, stealth fully slipping past danger, killing zombies, eating sleeping and drinking and just about every element you would need to deal with if you where in the same situation. Stealth is often the best policy as enemies are challenging and when added with the scarcity of ammo and the clumsiness of your weapons you’ll soon be drawn into lurking in the shadows. It’s here the excellent use of the graphics and lighting really come into play. It’s tense as you sneak past an infected with only a darkened complexion as cover due to the 2d world. Also as zombies faces are hard to make out you have to trust the game that you are hidden adding an extra level of anxiety to a game that will twang your nerve endings at any given opportunity. Both the story and gameplay truly deliver on the horror front.
Survival is another beast entirely. Should you not be chewed into little red square chunks then you’ll have to contend with the basics of life. You becomes fatigued and will have eat and sleep in order to survive this nightmare. Apartment 205 serves as a base of operations and is the only place the game can be saved. It will soon become your haven as events in the outside world turn from bad to worse. Here you can sleep and eat any food recovered, you can also teleport here through one of the various mirrors spread throughout the world. Should you be out exploring on and find yourself on the point of exhaustion there are pills that can be consumed away from home, however this is a double edged sword as these pills can affect your sanity later in the game causing You to what I can only describe as struggle later on down the plot line. This is an example of one the games strongest aspects that is choices. You will have to make quite a few of these during your adventure and many can even shape what sort of experience you’ll have come the credits rolling some 4 hours later.
The only sound you’ll hear are those of one of the eeriest soundtracks created in recent times all dialogue is displayed in a pixelated text box. You do interact with some strange characters but how real these people are is entirely a matter of perspective. The loneliness of Lone Survivor is just another way of bending your mind into the state of the protagonists.
Away from the main quest line you take on smaller assignments such as cooking better food to keep you alive for that little bit longer. Every element in the game is tied to survival and when death becomes such an issue you’ll find even the most hardened of explorers turn into careful planners with tentative feet.
Quite frankly there is so much to be said for Lone Survivor but really has to be experienced to be appreciated. If you are a fan of survival horror, the indie market, puzzles or a great story then look no further. Even if you’re just looking for a fun way to pass a few hours you will do well to find better value than Lone Survivor. Available now on Steam, Playstation network, and the Xbox Live Marketplace. So what are you waiting for? Just make sure you have a bite to eat first.
