Happy HorrorDays!
Itâs a stormy night in the early 2000s and your friend has sent you a link to a horror game that he found online: Night Call. But as you play, strange things start happening in your apartment. Something is terribly wrong with this game. Among Ashes is a first-person horror game about a haunted videogame and the disturbing story behind its creation. In the retro-styled Night Call, you will explore an old manor, solve puzzles and fight off the terrifying monsters that have infested its labyrinthian halls. In the real world, however, youâll be haunted by the dark entities that have latched on to this strange game, as you try to unravel the mystery behind Night Call and its enigmatic creator.
Among Ashes is a unique game that starts out like a throwback to the early 2000s with a DOOM rip-off and MSN Messenger (IYKYK) with a friend sending you a link to download a game over their version of Internet Explorer (RIP) which sends you to a forum with a post by the game creator that is cryptic and concerning, but you carry on and start playing the game itselfâŚ
The game âNight Callâ starts by taking its inspiration from the original Resident Evil with its manor location, pixelated characters and laughably bad voice-acting. Everything seems fine and you even get messenger notifications from your friend as you are playing, he even helps you out to begin with messaging you tips as he notes the game is full of glitches, but knows the hints that the game were meant to show.
It’s not long before it starts unravelling and the horror becomes real, I wonât spoil it for youâŚbut itâs brilliant and terrifying. Itâs a great concept and one I hope gets replicated in other games, though I think itâs going to be tough to top this.
The puzzles are well designed and thought out well, while keeping that old-school vibe intact. The visuals are a mixed bag, but this is intentional more than anything. As I already mentioned, the voice-acting is cheesy but the music is pretty good. Character models are old-school in design both in terms of pixels and animation, which can be amusing at times. I also love how accurate they were able to replicate the Windows XP OS and the MSN messenger rip-off is just a throwback to my teenager years. Itâs brilliant. I also can’t understate how amazing it is that a solo developer made this. Bravo to Rat Cliff Games!
The Verdict
Among Ashes is a unique concept and one I had I havenât seen the last of. Itâs a clever premise, a trip down memory lane, itâs also third-wall breaking at times. Itâs also unnerving as you donât know what turn the game will take next. Plus its set during the holidays, so make sure you donât get sleighedâŚ.(groanâŚIâm here all week!)