BROKEN TAPE

As soon as I saw the first trailer for Broken Tape, I knew that this was a game for me. This is a psychological horror game where we take on a new job with a strange organization and things get weird pretty much right from the start. I do need to say that as I write this, the version of the game I am talking about is not 100 percent complete. However, there have been so many great horror games this year, I do not want this one to go under people's radars so I really wanted to talk about it now and hopefully get some of you more hyped up for it.

This Job Has Perks

The whole premise of Broken Tape is something that just appealed to me right away. We are working with the Anomaly Fighting Foundation and our job is to check out these old video tapes, as someone who grew up with VHS tapes be it renting them or even owning them, I get a huge kick out of when games or whatever has VHS tapes in it. We take this job and the basics of it are that we need to watch the videos and look for anything “weird” and then report on them and deal with them.

A Five Tape Box Set

The way the game is setup, Broken Tape has five different video tapes that serve as each one being its own level/story if that makes sense. There is one tape that takes place in an office, a stairwell, a hotel, a warehouse, and a fire watch. I liked this approach as it keeps you from being in one place too long. However, the whole vibe is just really creepy and while it does get in your face from time to time, it is more of a general sense of unease that is always there that keeps you on edge. If you are someone who loves their horror movies and games, you will really get into this.

Walking To The Beat

The gameplay of Broken Tape is similar to something like a Firewatch where you spend most of the “gameplay” walking around. Each stage/videotape has you walking around as you try to find various anomalies be it a statue appearing out of nowhere, a creepy doll moving, or some kind of writing on the wall. Trying to keep an eye out for these strange things while trying to keep your sanity is just so engaging! It is the kind of thing that sounds so basic on paper, but when you are in the thick of it, you will find this to be a very tense kind of experience.

Taking The Hell Shift!

Visually, Broken Tape is not going to blow you away, but it more than gets the job done. I think the fact the game has so much atmosphere does help it rise above the rather modest visuals. Still, as I say that, this is not a bad looking game at all, it does get the message across. I will say that if you love your horror games to be all blood and guts with stuff right in your face, this is probably not going to blow you away. However, if you like your horror to be more on the cerebral side where it more sends a shiver down your spine than just throwing stuff in your face every five seconds, this game has a style that will really click with you.

Pros:

• I love the setting and premise of the story
• There are five different “tapes” to explore
• The game keeps you on edge the whole time
• It has some legit very creepy and unsettling moments

Cons:

• I am not sure there will be much in the way of replay value
• The visuals are not going to blow you away