played layers of fear. my thoughts that the linearity basically hurt the game's scaries.
i finished it with the
ending.
the best part of the game is really piecing out our painter's torturous life.
the horror elements, yeah it is kinda complicated.
direction wise it is a top notch horror. the combination of the creepy, disturbing imagery, the soundtrack is FANTASTIC. one of the best audio i heard in game. how it trick you, guide you to see what the game want to see, etc. totally top notch.
but
i think the linearity hurt the otherwise excellent direction. like you are just navigating a series of corridors and room, in which one or 2 scares will play. it become a haunted house attraction with predictable rythm. the key to horror is, unpredictability. while the details of the scare is unpredictable, the repetitive structure is hurting my scaredness. run the corridor, get into the room, watch something happens.
i really think it would benefit for a little more sense of space. for example, instead of just running trough corridor and rooms, make it a little bit free roam. like exploring the house, a series of room that doesnt lock the door behind, until you find the objective before moving on other level. that way, the players have a sense of place and not just a roller coaster. that way, i think it will make the game less predictable and therefore alot scarier.