Two things make an atmospheric horror game what it is. Naturally, the first, is atmosphere. Creating a terrifying environment that chills you to the bone without being cliched or tacky isn’t easy. Having someone look down a completely empty hallway and still feel a sense of dread and anxiety is the mark of setting a good tone.
The second thing is instilling you with the desire, to, even when it seems like things are going to collapse inward on you, push on, to solve whatever mystery lies in wait. From what’s being shown so far, Gylt checks off both boxes. And adds some new ones, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk3Qp_npjxE
Gylt is billed as “a journey where you face your worst fears and are confronted with the emotional impact of your actions.” Already it comes out of the gate letting you know what you’re in for. Taking cues from a certain other puzzle horror adventure game, the world of Gylt is shaped by fears, insecurities, and other deep mental turmoil. In this case, springing forth from the protagonist Sally.
On the search for Emily, her missing cousin, Sally stumbles into a world of unimaginable horrors, where surreal and nightmare are curious bedfellows. As the world warps around you and the darkness ever encroaches, frightening creatures arrive from the dark.
You can either hide from them or confront them, but your choices have consequences. From what we can gather by the literal writing on the wall, Sally is struggling with some deep-rooted issues, and the world of Gylt seems intent on bringing them to freakish life; featuring shadows with jerky, sudden movements, monsters with upside-down mouths, and marionettes with cut strings.
“Get a life!”, “Loser!”, “No one is gonna miss you” and other words pepper what appear to be the main setting of the game, the Bachman School, suggesting it’s a place of equal importance and stress for Sally, but two phrases stick out in particular, suggesting there’s much more to this school, and the game, than we thought: “Don’t run” and “We see you”.
Gylt is a Google Stadia exclusive scheduled for a November 2019 release.
