4 Attachment(s)
The Inner Friend Review: A Brief But Unsettling Horror Game
There's just something indescribably special about an indie horror game that's genuinely well told and The Inner Friend, the latest game by PLAYMIND, is just another example of this. Above everything else, The Inner Friend is unsettling in the most brilliant way possible. One could argue that the game is too short or that the puzzles aren't challenging enough and there's a valid argument to be made there. But The Inner Friend is first and foremost a horror game and, thanks to some superbly detailed visuals and a story that ups the surreal factor, it absolutely succeeds.
The Inner Friend's story is difficult to explain in standard terms, but the basis surrounds facing childhood fears. This is achieved through elaborate dream-like levels where the protagonist, who is in the form of a child-like mannequin, completes puzzles. The locations of these levels are fascinatingly ordinary, from schools to an extremely off-putting hair salon, but it's the dreamy quality that lends the game charm and terror in equal measure. In fact, at The Inner Friend's most surreal moments, it almost brings to mind what would happen if David Lynch tried his hand at a video game.
The Inner Friend's gameplay is as simple as its story is complex and weird. Told from a third-person perspective, players will solve puzzles in both the traditional sense and with a horror tilt. This includes avoiding enemies and figuring out the timing of their paths as well as moving books in a classroom to block beams of light that auto kill the protagonist. As mentioned before, none of these puzzles are all that complex and more astute players can blow through them with relative ease. While this is disappointing, it doesn't really detract from the experience too much, though that will vary from player to player.
The length of The Inner Friend is another area that some players may find aggravating. The puzzle experts will probably be able to complete the game in just under two hours while everyone else should still be able to get to completion in around three hours. There are collectibles which add somewhat to replay value, but again, that isn't going to appeal to everyone. While no spoilers will be revealed here, the ending of the game is a little sudden as well, and the events of the story do not feel wrapped up at all in a meaningful way. Hopefully this means a sequel will eventually be developed.
The artwork itself is minimalist in nature, but every design choice is deliberate and adds to the thematic quality of the game. While all of the levels and their design add to the horrifying nature of the game, perhaps no level is more drop dead terrifying than the hair salon mission. Not only is the creature on this mission effectively scary, but The Inner Friend ups things from dream-like quality to straight up nightmare. This level will likely be the biggest talking point of the game for console players, much like it was when the title first released on PC in 2018.
The Inner Friend, in spite of its shortcomings, is truly a modern masterpiece in horror narrative. As a complete and whole game, it doesn't quite reach the same levels, but its effective use of horror, from visuals to genuine scares, should still be celebrated. Players who care more for effective theme-driven plots and less about complex gameplay will likely find The Inner Friend a delight to behold. For everyone else, well, it might be hard to justify the $15 price tag for a couple hours of easy puzzles and non-traditional storytelling.
The Inner Friend releases April 28 on Xbox One and PlayStation. It was previously released on PC in 2018.
