Don't Let Him In | PS4 Review

If you've got seven dollars, and an hour to spare Dolores Entertainment has a helluva scary story with you to share. This retro homage to the first Silent Hill games on the OG PlayStation features several different visual filters with which to experience it all. It is a polygonal psychological horror game with a supernatural twist. Featuring a cast of three main characters, and some supporting cast members who find themselves in a looping drive around a serial killer's hometown. 

It is this murderous hitchhiker who is picked up at the start on the way to a concert that kicks this eerie tale into full gear, and sets into motion a seemingly futile fight for survival. As the body count rises, and the truth behind the mystery surfaces things will escalate to a chilling climax. Leaving only a few survivors to tell the tale ...

The game starts off at night on the road in the middle of some podunk town with a trio of friends in their car out to enjoy a music concert. In generous fashion they opt to pickup a hitchhiker for the ride along the way, and journey onward throwing caution into the wind. It is this mistake that leads to an eerie epiphany. It seems the trio, through grisly circumstances, are now on a loop through a town that they cannot escape. Haunted for the remainder of the trip by the hitchhiker, his cult members, and the ghosts of his victims. Stopping only at the limited locales they can James, in the company of key characters, must maintain his sanity while finding clues, keys, and supplies for their hopeful escape. All while attempting to stay sane, and put use a couple of weapons that come in handy.

The gameplay that follows is a series of textual/contextual conversations between joining characters, and intermittent stops at the few locations that can be explored in order to trigger cutscenes, and aid in the finding of clues. This goes on for the majority of the game with an escalation of horror elements, and the brief introduction of a sanity meter that depletes over time unless you collect drinks/pill bottles to stave off the haunting effects of losing one's sanity. The less sanity meter you have the more you are prone to being haunted by resident spirits. Thankfully this is of no real consequence as the game and it's story is short lived.

The Presentation ...

Visually and aesthetically, " Don't Let Him In" comes off as a throwback to polygonal PlayStation games from the first console in the series. It has a Silent Hill vibe about it with characters who have real faces plastered on polygonal models for an uncanny appearance. There's also a lot of static, and glitching that happens in instances where James loses his sanity in the midst of the undead. It is a visual spectacle with blood and gore that is enough to earn the game an "M" rating. This added with the old songs, and eerie sounds heightens the fear factor as you follow the cast of characters to the end.

The Verdict ...

For a horror game that costs only seven dollars, and lasts less than an hour it had quite the impact. The gameplay was lightly applied, and easy to manage allowing the player to fully immerse themselves in the visuals as well as the conversations being had. It is the brilliant context, creepy cutscenes, and perfect pacing that makes the game so impressive. It may be short lived, but in that short time the developer manages to solidify the narrative. All in all it is a proper lesson in storytelling with an interesting cast of characters, and a haunting situation. It truly is a horror sleeper hit on all counts. Something I feel would be unfairly passed up, because of a lack of marketing, and a bare bones store listing. I hope that if you haven't given it a try that you do. It is really good, and is an easy game to platinum as well!