There are few niches as particular because the one Red Candle Games have carved out with Detention and its successor Devotion, launched simply yesterday. Both are sharp, unsettling however grounded horror tales that mix the supernatural with tales of actual life in Taiwan within the not-too-distant previous. While Detention was a side-scrolling journey set within the 60s, Devotion is a first-person psychological research of a deeply non secular household within the 80s. See the launch trailer under.
While Devotion appears to be like rather less historic than its predecessor, it nonetheless feels – talking as a mediocre white British man – like a candid glimpse on the fears of individuals from one other tradition. One comprehensible, however not fairly my very own. It’s academic and unsettling on the identical time. A number of Taiwanese gamers commenting on the game on Steam have talked about that its home is unnervingly acquainted, sparking reminiscences of a long time previous, and maybe some less-than-great reminiscences of a ‘traditional’ upbringing.
So far the one widespread gripe I’ve seen about Devotion is that it’s quick – considerably shorter than Detention. It’s comprehensible why, as detailed, animated 3D environments take much more effort and time than static backgrounds. There’s some replay worth, with semi-hidden notes to find to fill in among the blanks of the story, but it surely’s principally a linear, story-driven affair with some gentle puzzling. Expect a couple of jump-scares, however nothing too over-the-top. Psychological horror is about getting beneath your pores and skin, anyway, moderately than ripping it off.
If you’ve not already checked it out, I extremely advocate Red Candle’s earlier game. Adam Smith reviewed Detention and had lots of good issues to say about it. It received one other shout-out in our list of the best horror games around, together with a little bit bit extra historic context. Well value a spin – the real-world horrors are far scarier than something supernatural it may supply.
Devotion is out now on Steam for £13.49/€13.99/$16.99.
