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0 Who said VHS is dead? Clearly not the development team at Katanalevy. Since their, new game Dead Format is very much fresh and new on Steam. You can pick it up for £14.49 right now.
What if video did really kill the radio star?
Gameplay
We play as a nameless guy, whose brother has magically disappeared. On arrival to his flat and looking through his clues to a gift he has left us, we uncover a GHL tape. Unlike a VHS tape, the GHL (otherwise called Ghoul) tape allows us to enter the tapes themselves. And as it always goes, the player begins to search for said brother, and uncover much more. Now, there is combat and healing item that you can find to aid you, and no need to worry as there is a lot scattered around. In addition to typical ammo, the player is able to fin number plates and blank GHL tapes. That you can then combine to get an item from. These numbers aren’t random, for example, 42 will always provide a healing tape.
Most of Dead Format’s game-play centers around the player travelling back and forth from the tapes they find. With items that are found and are usable else where. Like a Jack O’ Lantern that is found in the sewers, grab it and jump to a previous tape to unlock a gate. You will find some logic puzzles, but nothing so far that requires a god-like knowledge of the world – thankfully-. The only constant threat to the player is the Vulture, who enters each world via television screens that are atop flesh like walls. She comes at random intervals, but creating too much noise will also attract her attention. There is no way to harm her, so this is plays as your typical cat and mouse.
Graphics & Audio
Visually, I was expecting another horror using the vintage tape aesthetic as an excuse to lowball the graphics, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Everything looks well crafted and with crisp textures, and the lighting is superb in every area. Without spoiling too much, I loved the design of each area and how they matched their corresponding videotapes in area design, colour filters and even in special effects (such as VHS lines). Even the monsters and weapons match their tapes, all of which with varied designs. The flesh pistol is also a personal favourite weapon design of mine. It all meshed together to create incredibly immersive levels that made you feel you’re really inside the tape’s world and at its mercy.
Smaller details I love, for example, are the sound effects when you save the game, pick up items or combine them, as they’re super reminiscent of those in the earlier Silent Hill or Resident Evil franchises. The actual ‘movies’ themselves are in equal hands cheesy and creative, fittingly so for vintage-style tapes. The only gripe I have is that I feel the various portals that a later enemy crawls out of somewhat ruin the excellent suspense that Dead Format creates. I believe knowing it’s constantly stalking around is far more hair-on-end than knowing it can just pop out of almost any wall at any time.
Longevity
There are not achievements for Dead Format, but this could change at some point. I suspect that there maybe a secret ending thanks to an item the player gets in the end. You might get annoyed or stuck in some segments thanks to how aggressive the stalkers can be. A tip is that the Ai is not that smart, since you can hide in plain sight sometimes without going under tables. I beat Dead Format a little over five hours.
Final Thoughts
Dead Format starts off strong with the mystery and worlds, but quickly ends up tedious and the story lacking. Which does suck some of the fun. The stalker is too aggressive at times, and with the amount of portals for her to enter the world from, it seems rather annoying to avoid. Especially during the end segments of the game. I’d probably say the highlight of Dead Format is definitely in the presentation, rather than its game-play. Although the game-play is fun with the minor puzzle moments it has.
Yeah, I Would suggest checking Dead Format out, as the game has a noticeable amount of love in it. And I feel it deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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