The start of the new year gives the chance for smaller games to grab some spotlight. Step up, I Hate This Place, a new isometrical survival horror game. Can this comic book adaption stake an early claim for sleeper hit of the year? Or should it have remained confined to the page?
What Horrors Await?!
There is a long history of comic books and video game adaptations; everywhere you look in modern gaming an adaptation appears. From superheroes to zombies, there have been countless attempts at recreating the magic of the comic book strip. So, when I Hate This Place was announced for PC and consoles, my interest was peaked. Whilst there are a myriad of flaws to this game, this is still a worthy addition to the comic book adaptation genre. Developed by Rock Square Thunder (Makers of the delightful The Light Bringer), I Hate This Place shares the title of the Eisner nominated 10 issue mini comic book series by Kyle Starks and Artyom Toplin.
Players take control of protagonist Elena in this brand new original story set in this universe. Taking place on a haunted ranch, Elena is seeking answers as she searches for her friend Lou. At the same time she is also attempting to understand what happened to her mother years ago. This survival horror tale revolves around the Rutherford Ranch and the horrific experiments that took place in this haunted location. I loved the focus on a singular location as it reminded me greatly of Resident Evil and its iconic Spencer Mansion. Every nook and cranny of this vast ranch felt like peeling back a layer of the story. However, let’s be very clear, the Horned Man is no Wesker or Spencer. This antagonist is scarier in conversations with NPCs than in actual fights and this is a great disappointment.
The Power Of Location
It’s true that the narrative is dripping in suspense; as Elena delves further and further into the ranch, she uncovers more and more ties to her family and past. Everything connects to the mysterious Horned Man, who serves as a great antagonist through the 10 or so hours campaign. However, if the game had dedicated more time to the voice acting, this would do a lot to increase empathy for Elena and make her more appealing. Thankfully though, the game’s striking visual style helps elevate the tension and horror. Above all else, this story is one of terror waiting around every corner, along with a solid, if not spectacular, mystery to uncover. I love games which pour story into the environment and then use that as a key narrative plot point, and this is delivered superbly with the Rutherford Ranch.
Survival Of The Fittest
Gameplay in I Hate This Place is where issues begin to become very clear, though that’s not to say there isn’t some real fun to be had. The developers billed this game as a survival horror game from an isometric camera angle. Whilst it is that at its core, there is a mixture of varying gameplay styles spliced in as well. The survival aspect is evident in the combat for the game making combat intrinsically tied to stealth. In this game, you’ll come across a plethora of horrifying monsters so it’s vital you plot and plan your every step. Utilising sound is integral to gameplay; tread lightly if you do not want to alert your enemies.
The isometric camera view works well for the most part of stealth but it can lead to some frustrating moments when you are spotted off screen by an enemy. Sneaking up to an enemy and smacking them with your beloved bat feels very satisfying. Also, gunplay is solid if you decide to go in loud. Outside of combat, the gameplay evolves into a more traditional survival experience. You loot and scavenge for items to bring back to your base of operations – the Rutherford Ranch. Unfortunately, it’s here, with gameplay, where the main issues lie.
A Mixed Bag
At the base you can craft workbenches amongst other items to keep your resources in abundance. However, this comes at a cost. The resource gathering feels boring. The day and night cycle in the game mixes this up slightly but not nearly enough in my opinion. Later on in the game, crafting and resource gathering can feel laughably simple and overpowered. There is a hunger bar for Elena but by the end of the game, my base had become overflowing with food. Thus, it was never an issue. Furthermore, for a game that bills itself as survival horror, there are far too many items for Elena to find and use. Therefore, it doesn’t feel like you’re scavenging to survive the night against the horror. Similarly, the abundance of ammunition which can be found makes this game feel far too easy at times.
Still, the map design and the ghost side quests are robust enough to allow exploration to feel rewarding. You can find secrets along with more lore and context for the game’s narrative threads. Overall gameplay is a real messy affair of half baked ideas and balance issues; it’s a real shame.
Admire The Aspiration
As with the gameplay, I am left with mixed views about the visual presentation in I Hate This Place. At times, the Rutherford Ranch can look spectacular, as you go through each room and environment hunting for answers. Then, disappointingly, ugly cutscenes and poor character animations ruin the moment. On a positive note, there is some great lighting to be seen during the night time moments, along with some great character and enemy visual design. Sadly, fidelity and performance issues reared their ugly heads during my playthrough. Some speech bubbles weren’t there during cutscenes and dialogue; there was a frozen NPC in place and two voiceover lines during the game’s ending (multiple endings dependent on your choices) playing at the same time. Hopefully patches can iron these issues out.
Conversely, audio design and musical score are absolutely top notch. Every footstep that Elena or an enemy take sounds weighty and powerful; this really heightened the tension for me and made me hyper aware of enemy movement. Gun shots and bat swings sound violent, whilst enemy screams and roars sound positively terrifying. Finally, the pulsating musical score in this game is wonderful; it pays homage to 80’s horror films with a synth soundtrack that hits all the right beats during gameplay and cutscenes. A brilliant effort made in the sound department!
Verdict
When I Hate This Place is at its best, it feels like a great 80’s B movie which is full of over the top mystery and horror. A great story is propelled by a superb environment, ensuring fans of the comic series won’t be disappointed. Sadly, survival horror fans may feel somewhat short-changed, by the uneven and often far too easy resource system, along with a plethora of performance issues. Still there’s great fun to be had, with some fun stealth and a brilliant soundtrack. I admire developers making unique games in an era of imitation over innovation! Check the page out here- I Hate This Place
