Who knew you could make an adult sleep with the lights on using 8-bit graphics – Uncanny Valley Review [PS4]
I really regret playing this game. Now I know that sounds like this game is bad, but it’s actually the opposite. I just didn’t think it was that creepy. Uncanny Valley is a masterful horror game that should be approached with extreme caution. If you have the tendency to over think, do not enjoy fear, do not play this game. If you do enjoy that, then you should go and download this game now because I may have peed myself a little playing.
Uncanny Valley places you in the middle of some kind of monster/zombie takeover with absolutely no context. You wake up then immediately have to escape hordes of creatures coming at you. I died a lot, because I knew absolutely nothing about the game going in. I also didn’t know it was a horror genre game. It was terrifying and upsetting. In the best of ways of course. As you play through the game, you begin to figure out what the hell is going on, and then you’re tasked with trying to survive. The story is pretty straight forward and unfolds kind of quick. It’s interesting, but kind of climaxes real quick. Then it turns into a survival game.
I like the consequence system of the game, as you have to avoid injury as it will wear down your character in numerous ways. Arm is injured, aim is off; leg injured, you run slower. There are a lot of different consequences that really shift the gameplay. It is rewarding and frustrating, keeping you screaming for one reason or another. Figuring stuff out under threat of death, then impeding yourself through injuries, is a wild combination of anger, fear, and adrenaline that I cannot tell if I like or not.
The gameplay, and the setting intertwine perfectly to really bring out the creepiness. Although 8-bit/pixelated graphics, the gruesome renderings really leave a lasting impression. The music and sounds also amp up the creepy factor to unsettling levels. I really want to know what they used to make the monster sounds. Uncanny Valley is a masterful example of substance over flare. A masterfully rendered 8-bit game will outshine a slapped together 3D rendering any day. *This is a personal dig at flashy and crappy mobile games
Uncanny Valley is an enjoyably scary game. It does have some off pacing from the first half of the game into the second, as well as sometimes frustrating controls due to the consequence system, but overall is a very well put together package of creepy horror. The game will have players screaming from fright and fury, and for the brave, provide multiple unique playthroughs. I personally will not play the game again because I like to choose when my heart rate elevates. My Uncanny Valley Review gets a 7/10
Uncanny Valley is available now in the Playstation Store
Uncanny Valley [PS4]
- Story - 6/106/10
- Gameplay - 7/107/10
- Mechanics - 8/108/10
The Verdict
Uncanny Valley is an enjoyably scary game. It does have some off pacing from the first half of the game into the second, as well as sometimes frustrating controls due to the consequence system, but overall is a very well put together package of creepy horror. The game will have players screaming from fright and fury, and for the brave, provide multiple unique playthroughs. I personally will not play the game again because I like to choose when my heart rate elevates.