What you are in the dark: Stifled review
Published May 9, 2018 12:00 am
By Adlai Rosh
Games like Amnesia and Outlast have codified the kind of gameplay that Stifled innovates on; defenseless against roaming monsters, your only hope of survival is to run and hide. According to the Steam product page, Stifled is a “VR and Mic-Enabled Sound-Based Survival Thriller” from the Singapore-based game studio Gattai Games. In it, you’re thrust into the role of a man named Dave searching for his wife, Rose. Although the concept sounds simple, Stifled separates itself from the pack: by default, the world around you is completely dark aside from your immediate area. The only way to see is to make noise – the bigger the noise, the more of the world you see around you. However, the more noise you make, the more the monsters will react.
The player makes noise whenever they move without crouching, when they wade in water, or when they throw things such as bricks. Certain objects in the environment like dripping pipes or telephones will make noise, and the monsters light up the surrounding area in a red pulse whenever they move. The precarious balancing act between sight and silence is the driving force behind much of the action – do you make a loud noise and risk getting caught? Do you throw a brick across the room before making a mad dash for the exit? Do you hide in a corner and wait for the enemy to pass? These little decisions make gameplay varied and interesting, and every monster is completely unique. Sure, you could game the AI by tossing a brick at a wall and breezing through the rest of the level – but what if you’re against an enemy that’s only visible when it moves towards a noise? No problem – toss a distraction halfway across the map… But then you have to contend with puddles of water that make noise every step you take, and valves that make terrible amounts of noise when you turn them. Every encounter evolves past the normal brainless affair of hiding in a corner waiting for a threat to pass and plays more like a thrilling puzzle.
Stifled’s gameplay is divided into two distinct sections. There’s the “real world” for lack of a better term, where everything is usually well lit and devoid of monsters, where most of the game’s storytelling takes place. In contrast, there’s the darkness – where the meat of the game stealth horror happens. Here it’s almost completely pitch black, where noises made by the player character and the environment light up the surroundings in a pale white outline.
The visuals take a while to get used to, especially in VR. I was incredibly motion sick at first in the darkness segments due to effectively being blind without making noise, but after some adjustment it was a mostly enjoyable, immersive experience. Much can be said about the game’s aesthetic as well, the minimalist white outlines of the environment presenting a strong visual style that is both beautiful and functional.
Stifled’s sound design is crisp and precise, and in a game where every noise you make puts you in greater danger, it has to be. One of the high points of the game was the pants-wetting terror I felt whenever I had to do anything that would inevitably attract the attention of some monster, the sounds of its movements getting ever closer behind me. The footstep sounds can get grating later on, however, especially the splashing you hear when you wade through any sort of water.
The story itself wasn’t very engaging. While I admit that it went some very cool places, I feel like the ending came mostly out of left field. Aside from some very minor foreshadowing you’re not really told anything; it doesn’t help that the game’s semi-anachronistic storytelling makes the latter half of the game downright confusing. Thankfully the game is mercifully short, giving you enough time to enjoy and learn the monsters’ patterns so you can outsmart them without feeling like they overstayed their welcome.
I feel like the real world segments – or what passes for the real world in the bizarre horror landscape – is easily the weakest part of the game, at least early on. The later half more than makes up for it even though it does seem a little abrupt, with some of the coolest visuals you could experience in VR happening closer to the end of the game. While the ending itself was pretty weak I feel as though the highlights of the game and the VR experience more than make up for it.
Can I recommend Stifled? It’s a short game, and if you’re like me you can clear it in the span of an afternoon playthrough. The tech and the gameplay is awesome, with much of the suspense hinging around the player’s own actions; if you’re looking for a deep and compelling story, however, it’s more hit and miss. Pick it up full price if the concept interests you – the devs did a fantastic job, all things considered, and deserve the support.
Games like Amnesia and Outlast have codified the kind of gameplay that Stifled innovates on; defenseless against roaming monsters, your only hope of survival is to run and hide. According to the Steam product page, Stifled is a “VR and Mic-Enabled Sound-Based Survival Thriller” from the Singapore-based game studio Gattai Games. In it, you’re thrust into the role of a man named Dave searching for his wife, Rose. Although the concept sounds simple, Stifled separates itself from the pack: by default, the world around you is completely dark aside from your immediate area. The only way to see is to make noise – the bigger the noise, the more of the world you see around you. However, the more noise you make, the more the monsters will react.
The player makes noise whenever they move without crouching, when they wade in water, or when they throw things such as bricks. Certain objects in the environment like dripping pipes or telephones will make noise, and the monsters light up the surrounding area in a red pulse whenever they move. The precarious balancing act between sight and silence is the driving force behind much of the action – do you make a loud noise and risk getting caught? Do you throw a brick across the room before making a mad dash for the exit? Do you hide in a corner and wait for the enemy to pass? These little decisions make gameplay varied and interesting, and every monster is completely unique. Sure, you could game the AI by tossing a brick at a wall and breezing through the rest of the level – but what if you’re against an enemy that’s only visible when it moves towards a noise? No problem – toss a distraction halfway across the map… But then you have to contend with puddles of water that make noise every step you take, and valves that make terrible amounts of noise when you turn them. Every encounter evolves past the normal brainless affair of hiding in a corner waiting for a threat to pass and plays more like a thrilling puzzle.
Stifled’s gameplay is divided into two distinct sections. There’s the “real world” for lack of a better term, where everything is usually well lit and devoid of monsters, where most of the game’s storytelling takes place. In contrast, there’s the darkness – where the meat of the game stealth horror happens. Here it’s almost completely pitch black, where noises made by the player character and the environment light up the surroundings in a pale white outline.
The visuals take a while to get used to, especially in VR. I was incredibly motion sick at first in the darkness segments due to effectively being blind without making noise, but after some adjustment it was a mostly enjoyable, immersive experience. Much can be said about the game’s aesthetic as well, the minimalist white outlines of the environment presenting a strong visual style that is both beautiful and functional.
Stifled’s sound design is crisp and precise, and in a game where every noise you make puts you in greater danger, it has to be. One of the high points of the game was the pants-wetting terror I felt whenever I had to do anything that would inevitably attract the attention of some monster, the sounds of its movements getting ever closer behind me. The footstep sounds can get grating later on, however, especially the splashing you hear when you wade through any sort of water.
The story itself wasn’t very engaging. While I admit that it went some very cool places, I feel like the ending came mostly out of left field. Aside from some very minor foreshadowing you’re not really told anything; it doesn’t help that the game’s semi-anachronistic storytelling makes the latter half of the game downright confusing. Thankfully the game is mercifully short, giving you enough time to enjoy and learn the monsters’ patterns so you can outsmart them without feeling like they overstayed their welcome.
I feel like the real world segments – or what passes for the real world in the bizarre horror landscape – is easily the weakest part of the game, at least early on. The later half more than makes up for it even though it does seem a little abrupt, with some of the coolest visuals you could experience in VR happening closer to the end of the game. While the ending itself was pretty weak I feel as though the highlights of the game and the VR experience more than make up for it.
Can I recommend Stifled? It’s a short game, and if you’re like me you can clear it in the span of an afternoon playthrough. The tech and the gameplay is awesome, with much of the suspense hinging around the player’s own actions; if you’re looking for a deep and compelling story, however, it’s more hit and miss. Pick it up full price if the concept interests you – the devs did a fantastic job, all things considered, and deserve the support.