Developed by Julien Eveillé and Published by CRITICAL REFLEX, THRESHOLD is an unsettling Psychological horror game which is a satirical take on harsh work conditions.
There are many genres that games could be, and not every type of game has to be inherently fun. Sometimes we want to feel unforgettable, scared or even disgusted by our product. That is exactly what THRESHOLD tries to achieve.
Now, the question which arises is how do we judge this game. Well, I don’t think there is a fair way to assess THRESHOLD, especially when a point system is at play.
I, for one, did not enjoy my time with this game and had to turn away from the screen a couple of times to avoid tossing my cookies. Let’s discuss.
A Holding Thread
In THRESHOLD, you are a worker with an oddly specific and dangerous job. You need to keep track of a train’s speed, giving it a signal to speed up if it ever gets too slow. More on that later.
The area of your operations is a small, open factory-like location with limited oxygen. It creates a suffocating environment that forces you and your fellow worker to remain silent, communicating only through writing.
This reminds me, before the game starts, you’re asked to type a two-letter nickname for yourself and select your country. I was surprised to see Pakistan as one of the options, as you don’t often see the green and white flag in the media.
It was even more hilarious when the game began, and one of the first things you see is a white shirt with the words ‘I love Islamabad’ written boldly on it, completely out of nowhere.
In another playthrough, the selected country was Australia and it said ‘I love Canberra.’ I don’t know why I found this so funny.
Anyways, back to the gameplay.
The Placebo Nausea
Where the game takes its wings and flies into the sun for me is when the story takes the back seat and the gameplay takes hold.
In THRESHOLD, your main task is to whistle through a large sound amplifier, which signals a train to speed up. Oxygen is in short supply, so you must refill it repeatedly, especially after each whistle. Each time you whistle, you receive a card from the opposite side of the map, which you then insert into an oxygen machine to replenish your supply.
This cycle of whistling, card collection, and oxygen refilling is the core gameplay loop. All while you attempt to piece together the story hidden within the game’s unsettling atmosphere and minimalistic environment.
Now, how does this get creepy?
For starters, it’s the whole vibe of low oxygen that really gets nailed down by the game. Quite upsetting but realistic.
But what really gets you, is the method of consuming the oxygen. At the top left of the screen, there is a picture of your character’s mouth and it changes depending on what you are doing. The oxygen you must consume is made of glass. I think you get the picture.
It is a harrowing and disturbing sight with all the blood and gore on display. However, I just cannot give THRESHOLD a negative score for it- for not being fun, because in the end, harrowing and disturbing is exactly what it was intended to be.
An Uncomfortable Experience
So, there you have it, a game that perfectly captures the essence of making you uncomfortable. It’s not fun, it’s not pleasant, and it’s beyond disturbing.
Not for me but If you’re in the market for a game that’ll make you feel claustrophobic, nauseous, and perhaps a little bit disgusted, well, congratulations, you’ve found your match.
