Stay (2024)

Duration: 3 hour(s) The original Playstation had a very great aesthetic, and people are still using low polygon art to this day. Sure, this is all they had back in the day, but nowadays it’s an aesthetic thing. Stay is one of those PSX-aesthetic games, complete with Resident Evil/Silence Hill tank controls. It also has a lots of things to say. First, the story. You just got a job to clean a terrible motel as the night shift maid. Why'd the last maid quit? Don't worry about it. We just have to clean things. Why did some random creep just take a picture about us? Again, don't worry about it. The protagonist is, of course, curious about all of this, but she's got to make money and live. All of the characters in the game are awful in their own ways. The desk lady only seems to care that you clock in, and every single male characters is just awful. Your boss? He asks you to wear tighter uniforms in like the first thing you meet him, then casually asked you to go drinking after the workday. The main story tends to just move from bad to worse. The game itself is basically an adventure game. You get some work, sometimes you have to go out and get like detergent or something, then clock …

A game with an important point of view to relate and which manages to reach some very uncomfortable places. Unfortunately, it also comes with a very uncomfortable control scheme and uses some really terrible panning cameras. I really want to be able to give this game flying colours, but the input frustrations meant that I quit the game as soon as I'd finished one ending (I think, there wasn't a credits sequence or anything). I did appreciate the thoughtful coda the developer wrote for the Extras option in the main menu, though it took me two reloads of the game to be able to see all the text...! Still - it's nice to see developers treating subjects of this gravitas with some maturity in fixed multicam. If you're looking for more interesting fixed multicam games, consider taking a look at the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/fixedcamera]Fixed Camera Appreciation Society...![/url]

Don't let the jank fool you, this game has something really important to say. Thanks, Spectral Doe!

I had a lot of fun with this little indie-spooky adventure. The graphics are reminiscent of N64 or PS1, maybe even DS. There's a lot of character and soul, favoring vibes over modern gaming elements. The gameplay is very old school but the "tank controls" feel better than the early resi evil games in my experience. There is absolutely some challenge, I actually died many times but was rewarded with some well-written messages. Definitely left me wanting more; my only constructive criticism being that it could use some more content, maybe another day or so of normal tasks before things start taking off, even just to train the player on the feel and vibes. Definitely worth it!

I did receive a key for this game as a play tester. I enjoyed this game quite a bit. There are definitely highs and lows to the game, and I will convey what I can without spoilers! Pros: - If you like the ps1 era style of graphics, then this game will deliver. The texture and model work was very solid overall giving clear distinction to what everything was without high fidelity, leaving some imagination at play for what stuff was. -The story utilizes heavy themes, and the dev made sure to incorporate the feeling they got from their conversations from victims that were not believed. I personally found that it was done tastefully without bashing you over the head with it. It is clearly there, makes you understand what is happening, and shows that sometimes you are powerless! (There are some moments the game gets a little in your face with the messaging, but I still felt it was appropriate overall) -The game does come with multiple control schemes (tank controls which I prefer) and your more modern analog movement. Both options work well though. (There are some cons to movement though) -The game also uses stationary cameras with dynamic pan and zooms which I thought were wel…

Pretty intriguing PS1 style horror game. Just finished my second play through to try and unlock the other endings. My first play through I got the 'bad' ending which is probably the most realistic given the situation the main character is in. Its creepy but not exploitative which I appreciate. You can finish in about an hour but I would still recommend it. I'd love to see a full fledged game from this developer.