Bloodbath

After a mysterious phone call informing you that the job is not finished, you find yourself sitting at a desk with a file detailing your current objective. You have been tasked with investigating paranormal activity in a mansion. In front of you are a map of the mansion and a computer screen that allows you to connect to an android, which will serve as your eyes while you explore the location. The gameplay is reminiscent of old school adventure games where you interact with the world by typing commands. However, most of the gameplay revolves around a single observation command, “look”, followed by the name of an object or location. Whenever you use the map to tell the android where to go, the first thing you will want to do is look around. The android then describes the room and points out any objects that stand out. From there, you can use the look command on individual objects to examine them more closely and potentially uncover clues. The game does not record these clues for you, so you will need to keep track of anything important yourself using a piece of paper or a notepad. There is also no inventory system, since you are not actually supposed to take anything with you. Instead, your interactions are limited to observing things and occasionally using or switching something on or off. Clues are particularly important when it comes to opening the handful of sealed doors scattered throughout the mansion. Each door comes with a message that is supposed to guide you towards a numerical code or a word that needs to be entered. Every door also has a hint, although some of these hints are not particularly useful and can leave you just as confused as before. There is not much to investigate. Most rooms contain only one or two interesting objects, which means there is relatively little to work with. The game also allows multiple commands for certain actions, such as “turn on” and “switch on”, but the android will only respond when you use the exact phrase it expects. Trying a different wording often results in nothing at all. This can be especially frustrating when looking for optional interactions. For example, there is an achievement involving a painting, but commands such as “look under” or “lift” painting do nothing. The only phrase that works is “look behind painting”, which can be difficult to figure out without trial and error. Despite these issues, the game is fairly short and can be completed in less than two hours. Most achievements are tied to progression, while the few hidden ones are easy enough to pick up if you know what to look for. Even if you miss some of them, there is no need to start over, as the entire mansion remains accessible when you press continue on the main menu.