IMSCARED Reviews

  • The Horror NetworkThe Horror Network216,846
    14 Jun 2017
    2 0 0
    IMSCARED started as a small indie project that was available for download over the course of its beta period. After the game became more refined and was eventually completed, it found its way on to Steam in early 2016. Gamers that may have played the title in its beta stage are in for a treat, as it has changed quite a bit since its early days. So for old players, there's something new, and for new players, well... you're in over your head; you may want to turn back before it's too late.

    You may be thinking that this title looks like crap. Well, you're not wrong. Visually, it's like playing Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark from the first Playstation in first-person mode. The edges are jagged, it's blocky, it's pixelated to the point that text can be hard to read, and it only runs at 40 FPS. But looks, well they're not everything as any good gamer should know. The extremely limited view distance enhances the atmosphere of the game, making it all the more tense and suspenseful. There's also no real soundtrack to speak of, rather the game relies heavily on sound effects; this is a hard stunt to pull off, but in this case it works wonderfully.

    IMSCARED is a horror game like no other. You may think that you're playing it, but in reality it's playing you. It's a game that's often mistaken for a virus (which it isn't, it's impossible for a game downloaded directly from Steam to contain one) due to the fact that it monopolizes your computer; it'll open new browser tabs, create new folders and text files, and even feign the dreaded blue screen of death. It wants you to think it's a virus. It's deceitful, a liar, it antagonizes you, it dares you to keep playing it despite its repeated on-purpose crashing. It's a horror game that truly messes with your mind, not only in atmosphere and gameplay, but in the actions that it performs outside of the game. It'll stay in your head even after you're through with it... because you're not done with IMSCARED until it's done with you.

    So by now you're probably wondering what you actually do in this game. I'm trying to tread lightly because I'd hate to spoil this title for anyone, and if I give a basic outline it'll sound like a key finding simulator. IMSCARED is a very hard game to describe without ruining the experience. Sure you find keys and open doors, solve little puzzles here and there, but the further you go along in the story, the more the game plays YOU. False endings, fake crashes, purposeful glitches, it's all part of the psychological screw-with-you mechanic that makes this title so absurdly special.

    There are only two things wrong with this entire event, and the first one is a very complicated puzzle near the middle of the game. There's a part involving some gramophones and the objective is to run around and shut them off; all the while being pursued by one of the antagonists. You must use audio clues to help find the direction to go to find the gramophones, but it's really difficult to decipher and usually you're led to a dead end. This puzzle is more frustrating than it is fun, and it was almost the end of my stint with the game. The second is that you must have obtained all of the achievements except one before proceeding to the final stage. The backtracking can get annoying, and I'm sure my friends were sick of seeing "THN is playing IMSCARED" pop up every couple of minutes due to what had to be done to go back to obtain some missing trophies.

    Other than the two downfalls of IMSCARED, it truly is one of the most unparalleled horror games to come to life in recent years. As far as I know, there's really nothing else out there quite like it, and it'll really leave you guessing until the very end; beware, it may not really be the end and there may be more that you've yet to uncover! It would be out of this world to see a follow-up to this title, or anything else from this developer at all. He definitely has a creative and artistic mind that thinks way outside the box, and it's amazing that this game was made using so very little tools. If you really want a horror game that'll completely blow your mind, you absolutely have to play IMSCARED.

    Rating: 5.0/5.0 - An astonishing achievement, this game must be played.
    The Horror Network
    Steam Group: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thehorrornetwork
    Steam Curator: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thehorrornetwork#curation
    5.0
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