PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Beginning as a student project, Intruders: Hide and Seek was developed by Tessera Studios and has grown into a multi-award winning VR game. The following review was done on a PlayStation 4 Pro with the PlayStation VR.
Intruders: Hide and Seek may not give you a strong first impression when you dive into it. You begin the game as a young boy in the back seat of his parents car as they are driving to their vacation home. It gives you a few things to do (honestly, looking out the window is oddly satisfying) as you listen to the conversation that will give you a background on what’s going on.
This is all fine, except the voice acting is pretty bad. The dad even sounds like a background voice often heard in Skyrim, and the character models are even worse. The script doesn’t seem natural and comes off as strange at times, which could be a translation issue since the game was created in Spain.
With that being said, I want to dial it back just for a second. The group of students who had created this game had never worked together before, and none of them had made a game before… never mind one with such a small budget. I’m not making excuses for them, only stating that it should be considered. As stated above, Intruders: Hide and Seek brought in a ton of awards, and for good reason. You can hear the developer’s story in the interview below, conducted by PSVR Without Parole’s Bryan Paul.
Moving past the lackluster introduction, the game continues as you arrive at the home, which is beautifully done. You truly get a sense of space as you explore, trying to familiarize yourself with the layout before the inevitable Intruders show up. Everything feels very safe and comfortable, not like the beginning of a horror movie. Intruders: Hide and Seek seems like more of a light fun type of game, rather than an intense, dark one.
When the lights go out, you realize that feeling was a lie.
Before you know it, you find yourself and your little sister in a hidden panic room, watching your parents get brutally attacked on the monitors, followed by the power being cut. Luckily, the panic room has it’s own power supply. You’re left with nothing but your sister’s guidance over a walkie-talkie as she watches the monitors and you sneak through the house, trying to save your parents. There is no fighting back, only sneaking, running, and hiding.
As the plot unfolds, twists are revealed, much darker than you ever imagined getting yourself into at the beginning of the game. You learn that each of the three intruders have different motivations, which may hit you in ways you didn’t expect emotionally.
The game play is fun and very intense. I once rounded a corner and just about walked smacked into one of the intruders, leading me to shriek in real life as I tried desperately to run away. Thinking I lost him, I dove under a bed and waited as he walked in the room. I was only able to see his feet as he made his way toward me. Suddenly, he was bent over with his flashlight in my face, dragging me out from under the bed. Being in VR separates this from other similar games. Being so immersed ramps up the intensity, and physically moving your head to peak around corners or under tables adds a sense of presence that isn’t possible without VR. However, the game is also playable in non-VR.
Audio is hit or miss. The sound of footsteps is spot on, which is important in a game like this. The storm sounds great as thunder rumbles and rain taps against the windows. The voices however, can sound like they are right next to you when the characters aren’t even on the same floor. I’m not sure if this is by design to make sure you hear the dialogue at all times, or if it’s accidental.
The graphics are great outside of character models, which you can’t see very well in the dark anyway. Again, the creators had limitations, and I feel they spent the money where it was needed.
On PSVR, Intruders: Hide and Seek is played with the Dualshock 4 only, and the total gameplay is roughly four hours in length. There is some replayability in going back and gathering collectibles, which is something you don’t have to restart the game to do. Doing this adds a whole new dynamic. Normally, you are trying to get from point A to point B as quickly and as safely as possible. Searching the second floor and a basement house for every collectible in the dark with the intruders after you is intense on a whole other level.
In conclusion, Intruders: Hide and Seek is a great game that’s rough around the edges. If the length vs the price is an issue, wait for a sale, but for me, this is a must have.
