DERE EXE: Rebirth of Horror

This is worth playing if you like your platforming on the creepy side. The game is a framing device on which to hang a tale that calls to mind a number of classic J-horror movies, now remixed for a more modern time. The story is largely enjoyable even if it is all a bit silly. The platforming is good. Although the game is KEYBOARD ONLY, the controls are tight and responsive and I'm sure like 85% of my deaths were from my own failings. There are some mild physics puzzles which can prove a little finicky and I did have a large number of falling from box onto spike deaths. Every bit as deadly as it sounds. Some might consider parts of the game rage inducing, but I was largely able to use only the gentlest of curse words to help me succeed. I am by no means a proficient gamer, but I was able to complete all of the levels and see the end credits roll. If there was a tracker tallying up deaths, I'm sure mine would have been in the couple of hundreds but restarting the level is pretty quick. It's all part of the experience of course, and part of the meta story is how playing makes you feel. Maybe. Graphics and presentation are nicely designed and the general art direction works very well in creating a specific tone. That tone is creepy and unsettling with occasional bursts of unexpected colour. Sound design really adds to the sense of menace. There are some ambient tunes that are pretty offbeat and slightly disharmonious, but as a Boards of Canada fan it was literal music to my ears. Platforming and horror work well together as is evidenced by the hype surrounding Hollow Knight Silk Song. This free offering will keep you entertained for an hour and if you are enjoying the narrative, it will help see you through some of the tougher platforming sections.