Nightfall: Escape (Hands-On) (PC) Preview

It should be stated from the outset that the current build of the game has around 30-40 minutes of gameplay. It is disappointing to be sure, especially since the Steam asking price comes in at £8.99 at the moment - a significant investment considering the alternatives available. This is a case in which the benefit of the doubt will have to be given to developer Zeenoh, being a small team and early in development. It is just a pity that they did not decide to have a more significant chunk of gameplay to present to the buying public, or else chosen a minimal price, at least during the alpha stage of development. Significant progress will have to be shown to be made in a reasonable time to avoid questions being raised over this point.

Getting onto the game itself, the framework of a promising game is definitely here - there are just a lot of very rough edges that need to be smoothed. The setting of Luzon in the Philippines is something unique to the Western gaming scene, and the developers are clearly putting a lot of thought into making an enriching and interesting backstory that has blends of Spanish culture mixed in, on account of historic Spanish colonisation of that area of the Philippines. The protagonist is journalist Ara Cruz, who is investigating a historic mansion that has a bloody past and is now behind the disappearance of several people in 2008. This is certainly no abandoned mansion, however, and inside rests many horrors and secrets.

Gameplay at the moment features just a slice of these horrors. The game has a one-hit kill system in which any monster touching Ara results in death. This means avoiding the slow ghouls. The issue right now is with the AI of enemies. They operate on a predetermined path around rooms, constantly walking back and forth without any notice of their surroundings or Ara. Indeed, as long as the player crouches, they can walk right in front of the ghouls as they hilariously ramble, and there is no danger at all. A more spontaneous reactive AI is needed if frights are to be generated. It does have the upside of making each room a sort of puzzle in itself, and this is maybe the idea Zennoh is going for in trying to make Nightfall: Escape a game about working out the best route to get around the enemies.

As it is, the only real scares generated are through the impressive sound effects and the art style, which is cel-shaded, presenting vivid and imaginative horrors. Anyone who is afraid of the dark may be frightened, as well, and Nightfall: Escape has plenty of darkness, with the game's lighting making navigating woefully hard. Gameplay does not amount to much more, other than collecting a few items and solving some puzzles. The puzzles are not challenging in the mental stakes, however, the first puzzle will test the patience of most with the frustration of controlling the tiles to match up the picture.