The Creepy Syndrome | PS4

Encapsulated in a single quote the premise of this psychological horror anthology plays out as if the gamer is a patient who is looking to find themselves in sessions with a questionably motivated psychiatrist. The starting quote points to the fact that, like the patients here, we do not find ourselves, but instead create ourselves ... 

Through distinctly different gameplay sessions filled with horror elements, puzzle solving, and clue finding that are presented in different genres and gaming eras this quote rings ever true. We find five sessions in total featuring different people confronting different memories of life altering events that have led them to seek help. There's everything from a guilt trip brought on by the aftermath of a car accident to a cult where murder played a role in one's fall from grace. The sessions are short lived, and indie in nature with pixel designs built to compliment pathways of linear storytelling. Allowing the player to pause and take a break whenever they feel the tension becoming too much.

In JanduSoft's and Boomfire Games' "The Creepy Syndrome" things play out like a Freudian version of Creepshow. Featuring a mysterious cackling psychiatrist, and five named gameplay driven sessions that are optionally selected from the start. In it we find an offscreen patient or several different patients looking to come to terms with who they are and why they are there. This plays out in mini-games done up in a retro style with different genres as their means for pushing the plot forward. Gameplay is kept mostly simple with the odd puzzle, or survival horror element thrown in to spice things up. There's jump scares, and tension building encounters with otherworldly creatures often used as a metaphor for whatever is plaguing the patient. Often time's representing various psychotic triggers that are the root cause of the issue.

Personality traits of each patient, or the one key patient depending upon how you interpret it, shines through in textual conversations and thoughts as well as voiced dialogue accented by atmospheric music and chiptunes that add to the psychological horror angle of the experience. Using things like photos, and newspaper clippings or drawings to hint at what isn't yet obvious between actual gameplay sections. With each session opening up with it's own visual presentation, and theme regarding the character's plight we come to terms with their emotional ordeal, and crippled mental status. It's a series of mind-bending journeys that allows the player to discover the underlying diagnosis in real time as the twisted memories play out in full. Coming to a head with a summarized quote at the end that accurately wraps up the given diagnosis. 

The Verdict ...

As a fan of horror anthologies, and a psychiatric patient this game really hit home. It's one of those very relatable yet horrifically twisted experiences that captures the extremes of the human psyche. Reflecting in kind what it's like to experience something that either makes you or breaks you. An ordeal that leaves you scrambling to find answers amidst a mental breakdown even if it is through a questionable individual such as a psychiatrist. 

Gameplay-wise I liked that the developer chose to go with different graphics styles to coincide with each very different session. It kept things fresh, and allowed for a unique experience each go around. While it might appear tame at first with Atari age pixel graphics, and other early platform inspired design choices the narrative alongside the creepy chiptunes really ramps up the suspense, and tension. Allowing jump scares to be amplified and the mood heightened. It's all very well done, and is definitely a gaming experience that is easily recommended for horror fans, or retro gaming fans alike!