My time as a gamer essentially ended in the last century with the PlayStation 1. Resident Evil was kind of a big deal. Now, thanks to 90s nostalgia (and maybe relative ease of programming), indie game developers are bringing back that low-poly 3D aesthetic.
One example of this trend is the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc, a collection of 17 diverse demos in lovingly-crafted retro PS1 style, down to a jewel case mock up and a pseudo-commercial.
Some of the demos are non-spooky and forgettable. Others are so blurry that they act as a “lost my glasses” simulator, although arguably not being able to see what’s going on enhances the horror.
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| A common issue... |
There are some standouts, though. Heartworm, “a game about the memories we keep and the ones we wish we could forget” transports a Tomb Raider-ish character into an empty neighborhood full of mist and menace. What exactly is that red glow in the side yard? Filthbreed, while nothing novel concept-wise, is polished and harrowing as the protagonist navigates an infested house. Much more novel is Sauna2000, which combines a sauna simulation and informal Finnish language tutorial with surreal horror and multiple endings.
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| Sauna2000 |
Among the best is Ode to a Moon, which unexpectedly segues from detective procedural to hypnotic, shifting, psychedelic Lovecraftian geometry. Nothing much describable happens in the Ode to a Moon demo, but that’s ok – it’s enough to sit back and soak up the atmosphere.
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| Ode to a Moon |
I liked these demos not so much for the 90s flavor as for the imagination the developers put into them – out of the mainstream, there’s a sense of the unexpected, and you never know what might lurk around the next murky, blocky corner.
