Left Alone: A Terrifying Journey Into Reality
- Alex G
- Jun 26, 2016
- 3 min read
Horror games have become increasingly popular, since the release of games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Slender. As the genre continues to grow, there have been huge innovations in the titles that have come on board recently. Games like Left Alone are a great example of this. Left Alone is a horror game that came out April 28, 2016. It takes you on a journey into your psyche that will have you questioning what is really happening, as you try to figure what darkness is plaguing you on your search for the truth
(Bridge over a river)
You play as Joel, a veteran from one of the wars in the Middle East, who suffered injuries in battle that eventually led to him slipping into a coma. Eventually he awakens, and discovers that his wife has left him and has moved far away, taking their children with her. Two of his friends from the military invite him on a trip into the woods that quickly turns into a hunt for these same friends who go missing. You are quickly thrown into a dark and twisted environment that will have your heart racing as things go from bad to worse, very quickly
Volumetric Games hit the nail on the head with Left Alone. It’s not a horror game where you can die, but as horror games continue to evolve beyond the basic, designers are realizing that to make a game scary, dying isn’t really a necessity. The atmosphere in Left Alone, and the constant barrage of scare tactics used against you leave you with goosebumps, and terrified for the majority of the game. As you go through the game you feel as though someone is always watching, and toying with you, and they could strike at any moment.
(Cabin in the woods)
The environment is probably one of the best parts of Left Alone. The graphics are high quality for a horror game, and the area you play in feels like an old school horror movie. This in my opinion, is a positive. The classic feel that it gives has the advantage of a play area that isn’t far fetched. The game isn’t grasping at straws to force you to believe that the location is realistic; it simply is. It takes place in a forest that is home to a boarding school that was shut down several years ago. The scenery, and locations themselves, contribute immensely to the overwhelming anxiety and fear that the game projects onto you as the player.
I think the best part about Left Alone is that it doesn’t hold your hand as you follow a path. There are several puzzles that you need to solve, and plenty of useful equipment that you need to discover if you want to find your friends. As a huge fan of solving puzzles, I really liked how there were tons of them, many of which weren’t that simple but actually quite challenging. The game designers weren’t about to have it be as easy as walking through a couple jump scares to find your friends, and there’s quite a few things you need to do to progress through the game.
(First steps into the school)
Left Alone was a really challenging and entertaining game that was extremely innovative, and terrifying. It had a great story and atmosphere that intrigued me, and left me searching for answers, as I progressed deeper, and deeper into the game. There is a great psychological horror flick feel to it, and as you play and figure out more about the story, it leaves you questioning everything. It causes you to be unsure of what is truly going on. Left Alone has an outstanding story that forces you to get absorbed into the plot as it gets more, and more horrifying.
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