I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as I can, but I don't know if I can avoid some.

I picked this up on a whim after being quite drawn in to the artstyle of the characters. Ashley is super cute and I thought it would be a bit of a fun time. Little did I know I would be descending into one of the darkest games I've played in a very long time.

So...where to start... I suppose the logical place to start would be the story which doesn't seem like much at first. Andrew and Ashley are locked in their apartment due to an outbreak of some kind that makes them contagious. However, they have been stuck in the place for about 3 months with no food provided. Now with almost nothing left, the pair become desperate. Their next door neighbour is continually attempting to summon something demonic and eventually succeeds which puts the whole game in motion. What follows is a swift descent into madness as the pair get more and more exasperated trying to escape.
Episode 1, is set purely in your apartment complex as you attempt to leave. It's pretty short but sets the tone well and what you should be expecting as the game progresses.
Episode 2, after getting out, you pay a visit to your parents and attempt to free yourselves of both them and the law.
Episode 3A which is the most recent episode visits on a lot of past traumas and has multiple endings, most of which will be the sort of thing you expect. I won't divulge details here as they are very interesting to work towards. Needless to say, I cant wait to see Episode 4 when it releases.
Along with Silent Hill 2, I think this has some of the most in-depth storytelling which has a lot between the lines that the game will not outright tell you. The rabbit hole isn't quite as deep here but there is still a lot of digging that can be done. With Episode 4 being what I expect to be the conclusion / finale, I legitimately cannot wait to see where the plot goes which is the mark of a really good experience.

The characters, notably Andrew and Ashley are both very well written and have a lot of depth. Andrew is a walking victim complex and a door mat to Ashley's whims, regardless of what they are. Ashley despite being a very appealing looking character is probably the most toxic human being I've seen in a game. Other characters like your mother are definitely up there on the dysfunctional list as you can definitely see how Andrew and Ashley became how they are throughout. Other minor characters like Julia bring a degree of normalcy to the game. However most of the time you are surrounded by toxic and extremely flawed characters enabling each others negative traits. This in turn makes some of the dialogue and actions taken super interesting to read / watch.

The graphics are basic but capture the themes really well. I love some of the more metaphysical designs of areas in Episode 3. The character sprites aren't anything special but you know who anyone relevant is at a glance. The designs on the characters during dialogue is really nice though, I love the style of those.

The soundtrack is bliss and captures the psychological aspects of the game really well, I love alot of the sombre tracks of Episode 3, especially during puzzle areas. The lighthearted themes at points in the games don't feel out of place, but can feel quite ironic in how they are played. Having something bouncy play when someone has been murdered feels more like a reflection of the mental state of the character than the actual mood of the moment. This is a wonderful break from the norm and it makes the game more unique for it.

The control scheme is fairly simple so getting to grasp with some of the games' puzzles isn't so bad. I played on a controller and even tried playing one handed on the keyboard on my laptop. Both are passable experiences. Some puzzles don't really give a lot to go on, there is one in particular with the dinner plates etc that require you to have been paying attention to the character traits of your family members throughout the game to get the answer to as it will not provide any context. But if you took the story and characters in as I did, it shouldn't take long to figure out.

The gameplay is straightforward, it is very reminiscent of a point and click title like Broken Sword where you pick up items to use on something else etc but a bit more simple as most items are used almost straight away. This isnt a bad thing though as clogged inventories in these games can be annoying. The central focus of this game is always the plot and characters.

I came into this game because it was on sale and looked interesting. However what I got was an unforgettable experience that I highly recommend if you can stomach dark themes. If there is something heinous and unforgivable a character can do, it's probably here so take that with a pinch of salt. All in, I absolutely loved it, 100%'d the achievements and waiting with bated breath for the next part as it's one of those games where I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!