I desire my Slaw
Video leasings are among those things that I totally accept is old by modern-day innovation, something that I definitely would not have an interest in a return of, however I still can’t assist however miss out on. It’s difficult to describe, and I’m not completely sure I have a complete manage on it.
The video shop visual sufficed to get me thinking about Rewind or DieThe “Night Shift” beginning was among the highlights of 2022’s Stay Out of your houseso I was expecting something comparable. What we got was something various, however various can be excellent too.
Rewind or Die (PC)
Designer: Comp-3 Interactive
Publisher: Torture Star Video
Release: April 14, 2023
MSRP: TBA
Rewind or Die starts with you getting contacted for a late shift at your shabby task. It then explains about just how much your life draws. Not just do you need to help unbearable consumers, however your manager is a dink. Amusingly, the video game’s method to revealing this is disturbingly practical, as it reveals a company who slowly whittles away at employee self-respect while requiring more from them. One that fasts to advise that everybody is changeable while likewise griping that great assistance is tough to discover.
As the workday goes on, things begin getting weirder. It starts by letting you understand that current murders have actually been focused around the video store which the victims were all clients. Strange calls begin can be found in, and things intensify from there.
Something causes another, and you discover yourself in the clutches of a vicious serial killer who uses a pig’s head to hide their face. A minimum of it’s much better than being cornered by a man who spouts film trivia.
‘Cause this is thriller
Rewind or Die is a little on the less-experimental end of the lo-fi scary spectrum. While lots of indie scary designers attempt some innovative methods to leave you stewing because environment or make the killer appear like an unstoppable risk, Rewind or Die is more direct. You in fact invest really little time in the exact same environment with the killer, a great deal of gameplay is merely finishing jobs to continue. While a few of these puzzles are at least skillfully developed, they can be a bit underwhelming.
It feels rather mechanical, which in some cases operates in the context of computer game, however I believe weakens the scary. You move in between separated locations to resolve puzzles, and sometimes, it seems like you’re required to follow the dance actions.
The worst example of this is throughout a part of the video game where it seems like you’re expected to be slipping around. I rapidly observed that the slasher (who’s called Slaw, and I enjoy it) does not in fact exist in the environment. I simply gladly puttered around and resolved the puzzles to continue. It wasn’t frightening, it was more … serene?
You ought to most likely simply be kind
The advantage to this is that Rewind or Die is a bit tighter and less janky than your normal indie scary. The drawback is that likewise implies it’s a bit less engaging. I ‘d reach stating it’s even a bit foreseeable with a number of its beats. It’s so simple to check out, that I nearly understood what it anticipated of me prior to it asked me to do it. There’s certainly something to be stated about the video game’s focus. If you’ve disliked the sub-genre’s normal rough edges, then Rewind or Die may be a bit more dependable for you.
I’m not stating Rewind or Die is strictly direct, either. It’s simply that in contrast to the more immersive sim technique of Stay Out of your home or the devotion to the grounded environment of Bloodwashit’s a various vector.
I absolutely value various techniques to the sub-genre. Among my preferred aspects of checking out lo-fi indie scary is that, even if it does not constantly exercise, designers attempt brand-new things all the time. Rewind or Die does not feel bold enough. It appears to subscribe too carefully to your common scary video game language and does not pull that off too well. It’s not bad. It simply isn’t amazing
Stay Cool
It’s not a vector I’m especially passionate about. That may be down to my own expectations from the lo-fi scary sub-genre, however I likewise feel that there isn’t a lot of character that shines through Rewind or DieThe story does not truly pitch any curveballs, the gameplay does not twist things into intriguing pretzels, and there isn’t truly anything genuinely special that I felt my teeth sink into.
That’s not to state I didn’t like Rewind or DieIt’s simply not going to arrive at any of my must-play lists. I will restate that there isn’t anything offensively bad about it. It’s not incredibly rough-edged like Christmas Massacre or as x-rated as Night at the Gates of HellBoth those video games provided distinctively unforgettable minutes, whereas Rewind or Die has a video leasing store. Video rental stores are excellent, however they’re simply not dreadful adequate to bring a whole video game.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]