Gylt, a former Google Stadia exclusive that also debuted a few days ago on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 4 and 5, is a horror film with an atypical flavor. Classic in its general approach, to the point of bordering on shameless and shameless emulation, it returns sensations similar to those that arose and were experienced when watching Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a little-known and unfairly underrated film directed by Guillermo del Toro.
The perception, as those who had the pleasure of seeing the aforementioned film will verify, is that of finding themselves in front of a product conceived for the youngest or, in general, for those who want to approach the genre gradually, with a disturbing character, but never scary or bloody.
Gylt, in other words, is a horror that we could define as basic level, the perfect rite of passage for those who seek suggestions of a certain type, but who do not want to become victims. Also because of the theme it addresses, as we will see, it is an ideal work to be tackled by younger people, always under the careful supervision of an adult.
Although it cannot be considered a memorable title at all, for reasons that we will list in this Gylt Review, the creature of Tequila Works, already known for having developed the fascinating Rime, nevertheless has enough character and a very specific approach to attract the attention of a good number of players.
Bullying and alternative dimensions
Gylt talks about Bullying. She does it explicitly and directly from the beginning of the adventure, without ever descending into the tragic, the grotesque, the obscene. The narrative uses symbols and metaphors to represent the drama experienced by the couple of protagonists in the story, but makes everything clear, easily readable and interpretable in the end, allowing anyone to dissolve the allegories and fully understand the message that the game wants to convey. . . The level of abstraction, to make a comparison available to everyone, is similar to that adopted by Disney and Pixar films, vague enough not to make everything immediately obvious, but still within the reach of even the youngest.
Sally's cousin Emily has been missing for weeks. Everyone has lost hope, except Sally, who continues to incessantly cover every corner of her town with leaflets reporting her disappearance. One day, pursued by a group of hostile companions, the young woman gets lost in the forest and, taking the cable car to return home, inexplicably reaches an alternative dimension, a kind of Other World, from Sottosopra, to say it in Stranger Things. The small town inhabited by Sally, in fact, seems to still be in her place, but somehow everything is terribly wrong, grotesque, unusual. More than anything, almost all the streets are patrolled by haunting dark figures ready to attack the girl once identified.
These are the premises of a very predictable journey, especially for those who know Silent Hill well, but equally full of suggestions and food for thought. Sally, in fact, in her desperate search for her cousin, will end up having to deal with herself, discovering contradictions and uncertainties that will lead her, in combination with the number of collectible objects found on the stage, to one of the three finals planned.
La plot To develop, he usually uses static screens in the style of cartoons. The artistic design, exactly the same as that used in the game, seeks visual simplicity, outlining easily recognizable characters and settings that are never excessively full of details. Of course, the graphics engine is not called upon to work miracles under any circumstances, the dimensions and ambitions of the project are clear from the first screen, but beyond some unconvincing animations and some problems with the camera, in general Gylt shows off a Good job both in technical and stylistic terms.
Although to emit Reduced to only three characters, despite a fairly predictable plot for those with a minimum of familiarity with the genre, the production manages to attract the attention of the viewer, intrigued by Emily's dramatic personal story, closely intertwined with Sally's. The mystery surrounding the city and the alternative dimension, more in the background and relegated to the discovery of particular documents, add more spice.
Torch and fire extinguisher
On a practical level, Gylt translates into a confidential title interspersed with short fights and puzzles whose resolution is never particularly complex. There is no shortage of scares or particularly disturbing scenarios that are based on perspective and the play of light and shadows to scare the user, but as we mentioned previously you should not expect an experience even remotely comparable to Silent Hill.
The monsters are equipped with AI and a very limited field of vision, allowing the protagonist to move through the shadows with relative ease. The level design, among other things, is never particularly complex, clearly suggesting the best path to hide from the sight of patrolling enemies.
Sometimes, however, the clash will be inevitable and it is in these situations where Gylt is very similar to Alan Wake, due to his very similar use of the torch. Essential to make you strange in the darkest areas, concentrating the rays in a single point. you can eliminate enemies catching them off guard from behind or aiming directly for their weak points. On these occasions, however, you will have to show that you have a minimum of skill with the pad, both because the enemies usually take surprising shots, and because you will tend to consume the battery of the flashlight, which can only be recharged. finding new ones on stage.
To expand the range of tactical possibilities at your disposal, at a certain point in the adventure you will take possession of thefire extinguisher, capable of freezing enemies for a few seconds, a very useful tactic in certain situations to buy time and hide in a duct or behind a shelter.
The torch and fire extinguisher will also be useful for troubleshooting. puzzle. Between mechanisms to revitalize yourself by activating the appropriate switch, panels to illuminate by playing with reflections, fires to put out and electrical cables to freeze, Gylt stimulates the use of gray matter without ever being too demanding. Also in this case the level design deliberately chooses to propose challenges accessible to everyone, even those who are new to video games and are not very familiar with practices and conventions that are now well ingrained in the minds of the most experienced.
Similar speech for a few. boss fight in which you will participate: discount if you have been forged in the fire of a thousand battles, slightly challenging for beginners who will often have to alternate daring escapes with the activation of traps already present on the battlefield.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store Price 19.99 € Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (13) 7.2 your voteGylt draws generously on the lessons taught by Silent Hill and Alan Wake, proposing an extremely sweetened version of them. Due to the themes covered, the artistic design, the level structure and the playful solutions proposed, the game Tequila Works can be considered in all respects a basic level of horror games. Being deeply derivative and devoid of original ideas, the game reveals a character of its own. It does so with a plot that addresses head-on the issue of bullying at an early age and with a quite effective and brilliant artistic style. It can be a baptism of fire for young players looking for a vaguely terrifying experience, best enjoyed in the company of an adult, or for older users looking for a particularly challenging, never-gory adventure. In any case, Sally's rescue mission will keep you more than entertained for the half-dozen hours it will take you to reach the end credits. But don't expect anything particularly original or clever.
PRO
- interesting plot
- Successful artistic design
- Also suitable for beginners.
AGAINST
- Derived from start to finish
- Some problems with the cameras.
