A pixel art homage to the classic survival horror genre from the OG PlayStation era that both hits and misses on some of the main items it portrays. The classic feel of the gameplay of old is directly evident, even down to the possible control schemes, with a tank control option being available. The controls are solid and the atmosphere of the game is on point, with a potential for tense moments when ammunition is running low. While the story has moments where it appeals to some interesting ideas, by the end the clarity of any of it is rather convoluted. Some of the symbolism requires prior knowledge into other works of fiction as well to understand what it is meant to portray.

I've nothing to complain about with the actual game... everything is solid and it uses established survival horror items to really dial in. It most reminds me of the original Resident Evil, a solid use of slower gun mechanics and puzzles to break the experience up. The puzzles are a bit of a mixed bag, with some of them being excellent nuggets that can be enjoyed, while others are mostly fetch one thing to fetch another. Most of them are on the positive end though. The moments of tension aren't common, cropping up mostly in the earlier sections. By the end, you should be able to simply avoid most of the enemies. I ended the game with an abundance of ammo left in the crate.

In all honesty, the stories and plot are the weakest point, it starts with a lot of promise and offers some interesting moments of fascination. It just fails to ultimately deliver on itself though. Ultimately I ended with more questions than it ever attempts to answer, and the whole series of events is a bit too open for interpretation. The symbolism is a mixture of savage thrust, and a wet noodle all rolled up in a rug with half the rug being set on fire and left to ash. If you've never been exposed to The Yellow King by Robert Chambers, you might end up having to research it when you've completed the game to understand some of the nuances. It has its moments, and I did enjoy many of the themes. It just could've been a bit tidier.

While everything else meets the basic metrics of quality, nothing will really stand out as exceptional in terms of the visuals or sound. They were never a problem, and that's the minimum you should ask of a game. They add to the atmosphere of the game, but never elevate it to another level. I found all of these to be satisfactory, and never distracted to the experience.

As a little caveat to anyone who plays this... the first "ending" is not the end of the game. You need to begin again to reach an actual conclusion. I only say this because I did quit out of the game the first time I got past the first "ending". Only by chance did I catch that I needed to begin again. There are multiple "true endings", but the ways you unlock each are a bit convoluted. It's a decent length of game as well, my playthrough took about 9 and three quarter hours of playtime to complete.

With all around solid gameplay, and the only thing being a slight drawback that the story and plot lines aren't as tidy as they potentially could've been. I'd still recommend the game if you're looking for a more classic survival horror feel/game this should check all those boxes for you.