horror-bibiru2

[horror-bibiru2]

Silent Hill 𝆑

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Review] Paranormal HK 🇭🇰

Paranormal HK is a first person horror game about Urban legends of Hong Kong, China. The story is about a crew of online supernatural channel “Beyond the Invisible” went to Kowloon Walled City to film a short movie for their latest episode and encountered something out of their expectations. "

 During the night of Hungry Ghost Festival, a group of young people gathered in Kowloon Walled City. They intended to film a short video for their online supernatural channel ”Beyond the Invisible". Although a few accidents happened at the beginning ,they insisted to film the show.

The members of the crew disappeared one after another. Also, the actress, Kathy’s behaviour became very weird. The strange atmosphere enveloped the entire program group, and Ah Lok was also caught in it. In the face of all sorts of strange phenomena that have exceeded everyone’s perception, Ah Lok can't help wondering if someone has inadvertently touched some taboos. Although the doubts are overwhelming, , but Lok has no interest in it. All he wants is to find Kathy as soon as possible and take her away from here...

I picked up this game not only because it was fairly inexpensive but it didn’t feel like it was made with a western audience in mind. The company behind ParanormalHK, GhostPie Studio is based in Hong kong, where this game is set. Usually when I find an asian horror, it’s Japanese, they’re just more popular for obvious reasons. So this was a good opportunity to see what China, or, my apologies, what Hong Kong specifically had to offer. Now the game does launch in either mandarin or cantonese, so you will need to navigate the menu to find the English option. This will allow you to enjoy the cutscenes with english subtitles as well as read the notes. 

(設置 → 系統 → Then select English from the drop down menu.)

There are a couple of important elements to note when playing ParanormalHK. It works as a series of ghost stories or urban legends set within the once Kowloon Walled City. Kowloon was described as being “ungoverned” and densely populated, 50,000 residents populated (yikes). It was the kind of place you’d look at and wonder how people could live like that, and they did, until 1993 when it was demolished. The game doesn’t outright touch on the societal issues going on at the time but it might give you a little more understanding of why the environment is the way it is and why there are back alley  medical facilities. 

The second being that it is set during the hungry ghost festival, or Zhongyuan/Yulanpen. This period is celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists during the 7th lunar month(august), also known as Ghost month. The belief is that the gates of “hell” open permitting the souls of the deceased to roam among the living, who offer food and drink to distract restless spirits and welcome visiting loved ones. I believe this could equate to the purpose of Sugar Skulls, a Calavera intended to be enjoyed by the visiting deceased during Día de Muertos. You’ll notice in the first chapter the sheer amount of rice bowls left outside of apartment doors. You might also notice some doors have the chinese character for luck 福, placed upside down. This is symbolic of luck arriving down to them from heaven, or literally “pouring” out onto them from above. So we have a good amount of visual clues to enhance the message that some kind of festival is involved in these supernatural events, even if you didn’t quite catch what Kathy was saying in her intro. 

So already we have a pretty unique story setting, however, there are A LOT of characters to keep track of. For the most part, the story revolves around yourself;Ah Lok, Kathy Chan and the mysterious GhostFace. The rest of the character’s stories will mostly be told through a series of notes, and as I mentioned, the game is initially in mandarin, so you might find errors in the translation, but it’s reads well enough. The only time I felt there was a translation issue was more where there was no translation on offer, particularly in the scene where you use the Chinese Ouija board or the names on the back of a photograph. As long as you can distinguish the Beyond the invisible crew members from the other backstory characters, you should be fine. I actually found piecing the notes together and trying to figure out how the stories might be connected enjoyable and even on their own stand quite well.

There are 3 stories covered by Ah lok and the crew that we investigate over the course of the game. I don't know the specifics of the latter 2 but the first story According to Youtube user Thunder Cross Split Attack, is a real urban legend. 

"After the mother died, her corpse rotted with the 6 years old child still inside. Whenever it is dinner time, there were always the smell of food coming out. Until one day, the neighbors called the police to investigate the smell since the corpse was there to rot. The police noted the death of a woman on the bed and a 6year old child playing. However the rice was being cooked and some dishes were prepared."

It’s really not hard to come up with ghost stories when there is an abundance of tall tales out there and these guys really used this well. Along with the english patch for the game, I would have appreciated some extra cultural notes here and there to learn more about the culture of this area as my ability to google can only go so far.

Throughout the game there are some light puzzles. These were on the easier side of things but still enjoyable and well paced throughout the story. My main critic is our interaction with the enemies. Almost all encounters were cat and mouse-esque, should the enemy spot you, you needed to make a run for the nearest closet and wait for them to get bored and move on. I actually prefer games where you can’t fight back the traditional way you would in games but it’s not always done well. Enemies movements were something to be desired and I found it impossible to judge their line of sight, which would more often than not, cause me to be detected, having to flee and restart quite lengthy stealth sections. Ontop of all that, running didn’t feel like it should when you’re trying not to be murdered by your unatturally sharp-toothed posessed colleague.

Obviously I have never been to Hong Kong let alone Kowloon but from pictures on Google you can tell this developer has done an incredible job at replicating the environment in such a small space. I did notice one comment on Steam from a Chinese user who stated that playing this game really hit home for them. Whilst exploring the environment, there was light without a light source but honestly, I can’t knock the job that was done. The detail in the environment, the atmosphere and the lighting was considerably well done given the game’s price range and small studio name.

The game leaves us at a sort of cliff hanger, and as I mentioned earlier, I have been piecing the stories together and have a few theories of my own that I am hoping will be covered in a sequel which I am holding out for. 

______________________________________________________________

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ★ ★ 

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#paranormalhk #Hong Kong #China #Horror #Game #horrorgame #review

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Discussion] FFV:MOBW - Ghost Marriage

In FF1, Miku’s brother, Mafuyu, embodies the soul and likeness of the Antagonist, Kirie’s Forbidden Lover and reason for her failure as a Rope Shrine Maiden. Mafuyu being the compassionate liability he was, decides to remain by Kirie’s side to ease her suffering of being alone in holding the gate. Although there is an ending where the actual lover’s ghost decides to pitch up to calm Kirie’s spirit allowing Mafuyu to leave conscious free - this is unfortunately not the canon ending. So ultimately Miku, who fought her way through hell to secure her only known living relative is left with survivor's guilt, which leads us into FF3 where this is the main theme. Miku once again survives and awakens from her deep sleep, but not before seeing her brother, “one last time”.

Honestly I wish they would have resolved her character here, there are only so many times you can watch her longing for her brother. But lo and behold, she still hasn’t broken free of the binds that tether her to him - then this is where it gets confusing. We learn that Miku has had a child after the events of FF3, and that the child’s father is none other than Mafuyu, or at least, his ghost. The game makes an appalling job of explaining this segment of Miku’s story, often receiving uncomfortable ideas of incest and spectrophilia. We can safely assume the “conception” took place at the end of FF3, somewhere after Miku’s chase cutscene in what I believe was the manor of sleep’s installment of “The Baptism path” where we left Mafuyu to die next to the Hell gate back in FF1. We can also probably assume that this was something akin to a virgin birth, afterall it is a universe of ghosts, exorcism cameras and literal Hell. Not that those things made this situation any more comfortable.

Miku, sensing her life was dwindling, takes part in a Ghost marriage to him after “abandoning” her 3 year old ‘shadowborn’, resulting in her being nicely packed up as a ‘pillar’ for Miu, her daughter, to unbox 13 years later. Miku is looking surprisingly good for being kept in a damp casket with no food but plenty of water I suppose. However, at least this abnormality can be explained.

Much like Fatal frame 3, the maiden must bear the pain and suffering of others, only in this entry they glance into people’s souls - afterall, the eyes are the windows of the soul, right? Once a Maiden has met her pain-witness quota she qualifies for “eternal flower” status. Although I’m not entirely sure where they get the idea of “eternal” from. A maiden will exist somewhere between life and death, supposedly in a sort of slumber, again much like FF3, reliving the suffering of the souls she has glanced until she submits to it; this process is extended with ghost marriages, so they don’t have to suffer alone. Eventually they will erode/dissolve into the black water and in goes the next “pillar”.

Miku travels to Mt.Hikami at a chance to be bound to Mafuyu using his picture and accompany him in the (sort of)afterlife, knowing that his spirit would eventually be worn down and essentially disappear after enduring too much, she tries to reinforce it by sharing his burden. FF5 states that it is the groom that accompanies the bride, not the other way around. But also, if the purpose of the unionship was to support the existing pillar - the shrine maiden, is Mafuyu not already in an unofficial ghost marriage with Kirie? The Mikomori’s performed ghost marriages presumably for their own interest of appeasing the hell gate in the centre of the lake atop Mt.Hikami, so was this service also provided to citizens who had perhaps lost a loved one? Are these sects of Hell gate keepers aware of the other gates and the families that manage them? Every entry shows the need to supply maidens in each entry, meaning like in FF5, their rituals only last for so long before a new human sacrifice is required. Is it possible that whilst FF1 Himuro inhabitant’s souls have moved on and the house lies vacant, could the gate still have opened during those 13+ years that Miku has been alive? Meaning that Mafuyu’s soul is already lost? I have still yet to draw a conclusion to what point in Mt.Hikami’s history did Miku conduct her ghost marriage to Mafuyu and if that has any significance on the story. Confident it was after the cataclysm but unsure if it was before or after the mountain’s restoration efforts.

I understand Maktoto Shibata’s desire to include a Mother-Child storyline as it is symbolic to the game’s main themes, however I wish they’d have focused their efforts on bringing back Rei Kurosawa of FF3 to avoid the whole incestual confusion felt by the game’s playerbase. Rei and Yuu were already engaged and the possibility of a child being conceived is a little more believable since I don’t think it exactly states the time between his death and the events of FF3. Granted that wouldn’t be the exact definition of what a ‘shadowborn’ is in FF5 but I don’t think I’m just speaking for myself when I say I’d have felt a little more onboard with shadowborn being a child birthed after the death of the parent rather than conceived by contact with the ghost itself.

But let’s say we can’t change that definition of a ‘Shadow Born’. Rei was the only one to enter the waters of the ‘Last shore’. If you read my other thread on the Buddhist ideas of the afterlife (x) I introduce the idea of the Sanzu river and the Sai no kawara. In order for souls to pass over, they must cross a large body of water, “to the other side”. We see Rei stand on the bank of that river, watching the souls cross over. The 3rd verse of the sleeping priestess song is recited as Rei pushes Reika and her lover into the horizon. I have reason to believe that this abyss and the one in FFV are one of the same. Whilst there Rei makes contact with Yuu, as he takes her curse, he leaves her with these final words; “When you die, then I will be gone forever. As long as you go on living, a part of me will live on.” If we really wanted to stretch that, you could argue that leaving her with a child could be seen as part of him living on, and not just referring to her memories of him.

“Go to the other side

Go to the other side

Cast the boat, take a ride, cross the rift to the other side

Further and further to the other side,

It must sail bearing your tattoos and our offering of tears.”

All the themes of FF3 are prevalent in FF5, making it the perfect follow on.

#fatal frame #project zero #maiden of black water

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Theory] FFV:MOBW  - Primordial Waters | Life, death and rebirth

Mt.Hikami’s Unfathomable Forest is based on Aokigahara (lit. 'Blue Tree Meadow') and interestingly to this topic is also known as the ‘Sea of Trees’. Aokigahara sits at the base of Mt.Fuji, where trees sprouted out of cooled lava after a major eruption and is the perfect analogy for death/destruction and creation or rebirth. In the game, Mt.Hikami features a Volcanic crater lake and happens to be the site of a gate to the underworld. We know that it’s Volcanic due to various mentions of the Mountain “rumbling”, the presence of hot springs and flavour text stating that “A yellow substance has crusted around the rocks venting steam. The stench of sulfur fills the air” at twilit peak, sulfur being attributed to hell. Human history is rife with stories of trying to appease angry volcano gods, and although when active the result is undeniably fiery, there are also ties to water deities in places such as ancient mexico as rain clouds often converge at their peak and pilgrimages were made to the top to offer sacrifices.

That being said, this particular setting is based off of Mt.Osore. Wiki states it as being “a Buddhist temple and folk religion pilgrimage destination in northern Japan. The temple is located in the caldera of an active volcano and is believed in Japanese mythology to be one of the gates to the underworld.” Additionally Lake Usori, which can also be found here, is connected to a brook which has been equated to the Sanzu River, similar to the greek river Styx, it serves as a boundary between this world and the next that souls must cross, however the weight of one’s offenses determine how difficult the crossing will be.

Fatal Frame V: Maiden of Black Water introduces Mt.Hikami as an infamous suicide spot, people would travel here to have a “proper” death in the presence of a Mikomori who would “glance” their souls before they pass from this world. Many folklorist notes throughout the game mention that life and death are both connected to water. This stems from the belief that the soul comes from the water, and returns to it in death. As you explore Mt.Hikami you will notice various styles of Jizo statues, a type of Bodhisattva, scattered around, especially towards its peak, often accompanied by pinwheels - a common child’s toy, and can be found throughout the forest path around the doll shrine. Jizo can commonly be found along roadsides and in graveyards and is the protector of the souls of children. Jizo Bosatsu is also the deity associated with Mt.Osore. In Buddhism, whilst souls must cross the Sanzu river, Children who died by the game’s logic, before the age of 7, cross over at the Sai no kawara with the aid of Jizo who protects them from attracting the attention of Oni and other malevolent spirits who might try to take them. In Japan they can be found at shrines dedicated to Mizuko Kuyō, a sort of memorial service dedicated to stillbirths, miscarriages and aborted fetuses. Mizuko meaning “Water child” and water referring to “the water of the womb” or amniotic fluid. It might also be important to note that the name Mikomori stemming from "water" (水) (mi) and "cage, basket" (籠) (komori) is associated with child nursing and/or pregnancy.

The game tells us that the Shrine of Dolls, located in the centre of the forest, was dedicated to the souls of lost children. People would travel here with dolls in the likeness of the deceased child, a sort of effigy or vessel containing a name, hair, teeth or bones to tether the soul to it. Below the Doll Shrine runs the ‘Womb Cavern’, which is presumably the result of a lava tube. Before the creation of the shrine to house the souls of the deceased, travellers would throw the “Hitogatami” dolls into the mountain’s sacred rivers, purifying them and sending them on their way to the afterlife. The dolls would pool in the womb cavern. During the game we are introduced to a group of 3 children. Unlike the other ghosts of the area, you do not learn how they died, this is probably because they perished elsewhere and their spirits were transported to the mountain by doll. It is possible that the children were unable to pass into the afterlife due to the unfit state of the mountain, so instead they are in endless play, accompanied by Shiragiku as they traverse the mists of Mt.Hikami. Although they are considered hostile to the game, I am unsure whether their souls are tainted by the blackwater, as Shiragiku seems to act as a ward for them. Likewise, the Jizo statues around them should protect them from being noticed by the surrounding tormented spirits.

Reliquaries with human sacrifices inside can also be found in the womb cavern, this is because the womb cavern catches and traps excess black water flowing from the Shadow Spring, stopping this cursed liquid from essentially flowing and spreading to other locations. The Reliquaries work as filters, purifying the water, absorbing the suffering and sin. However these maidens of black water can only handle so much suffering of the souls they watch over on their journey into the afterlife. If the shadowspring overflows and the Womb cavern is under threat of bursting, the mountain rumbles, signalling the need for a new human sacrifice.

The Shadow Spring - the caldera lake at the peak of Mt.Hikami can be considered primordial water. Life is born of maternal waters and thus the powers to do so are feminine, making being a female a requirement when becoming a Mikomori. Large bodies of water can also be considered not only as a source of life but of chaos. These chaotic primordial depths or abysses also have strong connections to the afterlife or hell. The roles of the Mikomori are similar to the roles of the Firekeepers in Dark Souls. In both cases these women are vessels for the symptoms of “Humanity”. Where the firekeepers receive dark spirits and the effect of the curse or “sin”, the Mikomori take on human suffering that dampens the soul. This nips at their soul, for the firekeepers, this results in great pain and scarring, for the Mikomori “pillars” it erodes their own soul until there is nothing left and they “dissolve” into the water.

Likewise, the Shadow Spring could be equated to the theory of ‘The Deep’ in Dark Souls III. The Deep Sea was clean and sacred, before it was contaminated by “Dregs”, human souls who were heavy with sin. As they sank to the bottom, as is the nature of water, it would begin to rise and spill out. Bringing with it the age of the Deep Sea. This process is inevitable but in both games, the attempt to medicate or delay the result is made. These ideas of “The deep” or abyssal spaces share similarities with Abzu, the primeval sea below the void space of the underworld in ancient Mesopotamian belief. The Mikomori bear the pain and suffering of human souls and return it to the waters. Humanity is born of contaminated maternal waters - being born of sin, and so the cycle continues until there is no more room in hell, or the underworld, and the flood gates are opened, bringing with them a new age.

#fatal frame #project zero #maiden of black water

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Theory] FFV:MOBW - "ox-hour shrine-visit"

Whilst exploring Drop 2 - Mt.Hikami, after passing the Shrine of Dolls, you might begin to hear faint pings or clangs pierce the forest air, if you follow this sound you will find yourself in front of the Momento Tree. It soon becomes apparent that the sound you were hearing was nails being hammered into a tree, impaling straw dolls to its trunk. This particular scene is a reference to Ushi no toki mairi (丑の時参り, lit. "ox-hour shrine-visit"). You can read more about the specifics elsewhere but in short, a scornful woman will drive nails through effigies into a sacred tree near a shrine in order to place a curse upon her chosen victim. As the name suggests, she must do this during the hour of the Ox, which lands somewhere around the early hours of the morning, but we’ll say the second hour for arguments sake. She will do this for multiple nights.

Now this is where I might be far reaching but hear me out. This practice stems from the tale of Hashihime (橋姫, lit. Bridge Princess/maiden), a woman who spent lonely nights waiting for her lover to return and when faced with his infidelity became angry and jealous and turned into a vengeful spirit. The location’s name itself, “Momento” means to warn or remind. Throughout the game we play as Ren Hojo, who shares likeness and memories with his ancestor, Dr Asou, and could be seen as his reincarnation as he fulfils one of his promises to either Shiragiku or Ose Kurosawa, depending on who you pick.

During his childhood Dr Asou made a vow to Shiragiku, to become her groom after she became an “Eternal Flower” or “Pillar”. After leaving the mountain however, he suppressed these memories and “forgot” all about her. Which is why we get scenes throughout of Shiragiku asking Ren if he had “forgotten”, mistaking him for Dr.Asou. Kunihiko Asou does return to the mountain in his lifetime and kindles a love with Ose Kurosawa, making him unfaithful. Shiragiku also seems to take issue with Rui after reading their mind and realizing their feelings towards Ren(who she sees as Asou) and tries to remove Rui, who is easily influenced, from the picture. Shiragiku’s signature is her use of effigies and dolls, so I have reason to believe that the memento tree is symbolic of their relationship. Additionally, there is a Ox-like statuette in Ren’s office, now this could just be his Zodiac, or it could be referencing the Ox hour shrine curse.

An important requirement of the Ushi no toki mairi, is that the participant can not be witnessed in the act, or the curse is nullified. Even when the sound of hammering can be heard whilst looking at the tree, no ghost or otherwise can be seen. Suggesting that the curse was successful. We know from FFTranslations, that there was an ending scrapped where Ren Hojo might have died, however, this curse was not for him. So what happened to Dr Kunihiko Asou? Well we don’t exactly know. We know that he left the mountain, and that his last known location for his research was at Himuro Mansion. Whether or not he perished at the hands of Kirie’s curse or whether he left prior to that is unknown.

Additionally, although this story comes from the Office Hauntings at the time of the initial 3 games, I can't help but wonder if the following account helped influence the hammering sound.

I think it was around the very beginning, when we'd just started the project. When I told someone I'd be staying overnight to work, they warned me, "If you're going to be alone on this floor, leave." At the time I didn't really pay any attention to it, but while I was working that evening I heard the sound of tapping on a keyboard from the other end of the floor.Wondering if someone other than me had stayed late to work, I went to take a look, but no one was there. I couldn't hear the sound anymore, so I assumed I'd just imagined hearing it and regrouped, going back to work. After a little while, though, I heard a clattering sound...However I listened it sounded like someone tapping at a keyboard, so I started getting closer to the creepy presence. But even still, no one was there after all...Thinking it was the sound of machinery, I went to check out what the sound was, but when I got close the sound stopped. But when I returned to my seat and started working again, the sound started... It somehow felt ominous, and that day I quickly finished my work.Incidentally, the next person who stayed the night heard the same sound, but they were used to it so kept working as normal. In the end, to this day I don't know what it truly was making that noise.

#fatal frame #project zero #maiden of black water

[horror-bibiru2]

#fatal frame #project zero #maiden of black water

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Review] Akai Noroi 🇯🇵

Creator: Azaxor - Aza Game Studio

AKAI NOROI is a Asian / Japanese horror folklore inspired journey based upon it's own unique story. You are AKIO a 39 year old man troubled with addiction who recently lost his job as a sales representative for Tanjo Industries. Upon returning home one evening to your apartment in Japan, Tokyo, unforeseen events drag you into a nightmarish world. Explore the abandoned sleeping quarters, delve into the residents past. Investigate an ancient yurei curse and establish the truth about yourself and the mysterious disappearance of all the previous residents.

Akai Noroi is described as a Japanese folklore inspired game. I think Japanese-themed is a little more accurate. Sure there’s a vengeful female spirit in it referred to as a yurei, and some of the characters have Japanese names. Apart from the walls being plastered with artwork depicting various Yokai and other storytelling figures, and kanji being slapped everywhere, they’re not actually tied to the story in any way. Infact, we start off in Akio’s apartment in Tokyo with a view of a flood of neon lights, but once you leave that room, the rest of the set gets very American. I think even the police officer’s badge had the USA flag and eagle.

The biggest issue for this game I’ve found is the storytelling, especially when it comes to Aiko and your sister. Her identity becomes a little bit of a mess, and for the longest time I thought Aiko and the caretaker/sister were the same person. Akio’s sister was a caretaker at the facility where Aiko, Yoko, Claire and even Akio himself stayed. The caretaker/sister was liked by Aiko but passed during an altercation with a burglar when the responding police officer accidentally shoots her in the confusion. Akio was already dubbed insane by his family and moved to the facility, so I can only assume his sister got a job there to be close to her brother. With the help of the steam achievements we know that Yoko is the Pyjama Ghost, Claire is the large monster, and that it is Aiko that has been the guiding spirit that has been popping up to us over the course of the game. I originally thought this was your sister, the caretaker. There appear to be 2 different models for the main antagonist of this game, but only one was shown during the game, the second only pops up in the ending stage. I think introducing us to a model of your sister would have cleared that confusion up (for me at least).

Next is where the Ancient red lady yurei comes in. We learn that she possesses the caretaker/sister as she perishes when she is shot. Apparently the yurei altered her body, her eyes merged into one big all seeing eye, etc. I can’t imagine all this happened to her physical body, but perhaps her ghost? There’s no real explanation why the red Yurei chose her, I was kind of hoping that Aiko or Yoko had somehow summoned her to the sleeping quarters through some artistic means in a bid for revenge on all their shortcomings. I really wish there was more work put into how this curse was born, maybe one of the characters got a little more than they bargained for and now everyone’s in this hell loop but this is never explored.

I’ve talked about Akio, Aiko and Yoko but there’s one final character I have absolutely no clue about. Claire. She’s listed as one of the 3 main residents. We get an achievement for entering her room, the same achievement that gives away that the big monster in the school is her. We know she was married and her husband left her to the residential home when she developed Alzheimer's and put on a lot of weight, but beyond this, nothing. She mentions in her note that she feels alive when she eats, and not long after we see the words gluttony, I also noticed in Yoko’s ending we see the sin Envy written on a bed with legs, considering she was wheelchair bound. Claire feels like she was going to have her own segment but the dev just didn’t follow through on it? Unless I’ve missed a note somewhere, I really think this needs looking at, unfortunately I think I found the game too late for that.

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My Rating: ⭐️  ⭐️ ★ ★ ★ ______________________________________________________________

#akai noroi #red curse #japanese #Game #horror #story #review

[horror-bibiru2]

[Game Review] Okiku - Indie Japanese Horror Story

Creator:  Azaxor - Aza Game Studio                 Doll Model by Hastarot

Okiku is a japanese first-person horror game inspired by the real life Okiku doll which is said to grow its own hair and teeth.

A famous doll named Okiku is stolen from a temple by your uncle Haku the owner of Sake bar & restaurant. He believes the doll will help his failing business and bring more customers. Shortly after bringing the doll to the restaurant, strange and horrifying events begin to occur. Haku is forced to temporary close the restaurant. He then finds you Minato, a young student with an interest in mysteries and the paranormal. Haku tells you he will pay you if you can solve the mystery and calm the spirit of the doll down. You head out one evening on your scooter to begin your investigation. Will you solve the mystery or become another victim of Okiku?

After playing ‘Akai Noroi’ I decided to check out another of Azaxor’s games. So here we are. Anyone who is a fan of horror stories and the paranormal, especially if you’re familiar with Annabelle, the raggedy ann doll which has her own film as part of the Conjuring series, you might have heard of Okiku. Unlike the western doll, Okiku doesn’t come across as malicious, she is just a little bit creepy and fascinating because she is said to have growing hair. However this dev has decided to make her a threat nonetheless and is now running amok in your uncle’s sake business.

I’m a big fan of lore in games, I think a good story is the heart of this genre. I was glad when I saw this game was based on Okiku, which honestly is a sad story in itself but the fact this doll was available to this grieving  family, who welcomed this rare opportunity to be connected to their daughter’s spirit, and that fearing they might lose her by moving her away from her grave, entrusted her to the safest place they knew. Unfortunately in this narrative she is snatched away by your greedy uncle who wishes only to use her as a tool to prosper from. Not entirely sure how you’d reach this conclusion as Okiku isn’t usually equated with luck and prosperity but sure, we’ll run with it. The real problem arises when finding all the notes in the game turns into feeling like you just read a wikipedia page on her. The initial goal was to sooth Okiku’s soul. There was no attempt at resolving the problem or uncovering any mystery, because there wasn’t one to begin with I guess. We knew the haunted doll was the problem. 

Despite the large pages of backstory, it’s not until the credits where talk of an onryo mom gets shoehorned in to explain the other figure. Onryo are supposed to be vengeful spirits, usually the spirit of a wronged woman. According to the notes, the family, like in the original story, moved away. There is no talk of her mother’s passing and more importantly, why she became an onyro.

You might split it differently but I’m going to narrow the game down to 4 stages.

Search the premises, find the key, enter and explore the restaurant/bar, read notes etc.

Play hide and seek

Return power to the building, investigate tea rooms and avoid Okiku

“Locate Okiku’s shrine”, read the notes and escape.

The game gives you very clear objectives to complete that appear on your screen. For an indie short project I thought these objectives were all pretty solid until the part where you follow the Onryo and unlock the door leading you into a new area of the premises. I found the space so empty and unnecessary just to work your way over to what looked like a kitchen counter with a couple notes on. I noticed that the dev used the same jump scare gimmick from(or maybe the other way around) present in ‘Akai Noroi’.  

Controls were standard and worked, however I did notice in addition to the “crouch” button, there was the unneeded crawl option. Apparently Okiku in her elevated fiery state can’t get you under tables. Although I have no issue with using the tables, it was simply easier to make a beeline for the door as her pathing stopped there. 

The hide and seek segment, although it felt longer than it needed to be, I quite liked. This dev has shown they can be quite creative with their limitations, and this little game was very simple and fitting for an encounter with the spirit of a child. However the game desperately needed a checkpoint after this segment, should you die later on for whatever reason, or need to leave the game, you have to restart the whole thing again. I understand that for a 15 minute game this might not sound like much of an issue, but hide and seek with Okiku went on for just long enough to be a nuisance the second time around. 

I played this a couple times over and noticed that when hiding behind the sliding screen doors, even when you think there's no obvious line of sight, you might still hear Okiku’s shriek as she comes flying towards you. Not ideal since both rooms trap you in them for a period of time and she can just come and go as she pleases whilst this is happening.

You can interact with pretty much all of the decorative items in the game, you can even pick up and flip around the jukebox(we must be very strong). The only time I really liked this inspect element was when we solved the puzzle of opening the wooden box. Inspecting the items in the room to find the code, and then the process of picking up the box, selecting the lock and then lifting the lid. However I feel it wasn’t necessary to be able to interact with all of the mise en scene, the radio in particular bothered me because it felt like it might be an integral part of the story or clue to something later on, I was thinking maybe the station needed readjusting and I might hear something tangible, but I could only switch it on and off, it might as well have not been there. 

 I’m not really sure where this next criticism belongs but at the end of the game, it cuts back to the title screen with the story overview. I can only assume this was reused and the dev forgot to edit it, pressing to continue then takes us to the end credits, where we get our final piece of lore. Perhaps the dev should have considered putting the final chunk of text on the reused title screen or skip it altogether. 

The atmosphere in the first section of the sake bar is great, whilst seeking Okiku out, there were some awesome shots of her silhouette as she waited for you to get closer. The dim lighting really worked well here.

On the flip side, the fire Okiku emits whilst enraged makes her easy to track, but ruins the fear factor.

 And finally, as a side note, Azaxor really likes using those other dolls. Why???

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My Rating: ⭐️ ★ ★ ★ ★  ______________________________________________________________

#Japanese #Game #indie #indie dev #review #okiku #haunted doll

[horror-bibiru2]

#fatal frame #project zero #maiden of black water

[horror-bibiru2]

Verb

びびる「Romaji: Bibiru」- to feel nervous; to feel afraid; to feel self-conscious; to lose one’s nerve; to get cold feet; to get the jitters

to be startled; to be surprised; to be shocked; to feel frightened; to be spooked​

Thought it sounded a bit like Bible (バイブル/ baiburu)

#bibiru #japanese #hiragana #meaning