Google Stadia burned bright for a small moment in time, before finally being snuffed out. It was an idea way ahead of its time, but it also had several exclusive games that made the service slightly interesting.
One of those games was GYLT, made by Tequila Works who created the brilliant RiME. I’s a good thing that the game has now been allowed to come to Xbox due to Stadia’s sad end. But can GYLT gain a new lease of life?
I’ll start in saying that GYLT is most definitely a good game, one that has kept me engaged all the way through its seven-hour running time. It’s a horror game, but one that’s very much a family-friendly affair. It feels like the Horrible Histories series or something like Goosebumps. It’s also mainly a stealth game with some combat and a bit of low-level puzzling involved.
The story puts you in the shoes of a young teen called Sally who lives in the small mining town of Bethalwood. We start with her running away from some bullies; this acts as a small tutorial. We find out early on that she has a younger cousin, Emily, who has been missing for almost a month now. Sally is concerned. She then finds herself in an alternative version of Bethalwood, full of monsters and strange beings. Think ‘the upside down’ in Stranger Things and you might get an idea of what is going on. Soon she is on an adventure to find Emily. And to find a way back home…
I like the story and – as mentioned – it kept me engaged from start to finish. There is some good writing on show here and the characters are very engaging. I think it’s good to have a family game that isn’t afraid to go dark in places, whilst collectibles are in place; books you can pick up around the levels that add to the story.
Gameplay wise it’s all about stealth first of all. There are monsters all around the map and the first thing to do is to crouch and hide behind barriers to stop them from spotting. Obviously you will need to move around the barriers to progress to where you need to go. You have a torch to begin with and you can use this to see of course, but the monsters will detect you more easily. As you progress you get a upgrade to that light, allowing you to shine a tight beam. This can be used to open access to doorways, shining it on the monsters guarding it. The beam can also be used on normal monsters that are found patrolling, targeting weak spots on their body. But beware – the beam uses power and you need to collect battery packs around the world to recharge.
Later on, you gain access to a fire extinguisher. This will let you freeze steam pipes or put out fires. You can also temporarily freeze monsters attacking you. There are a couple of boss battles to take in, and puzzles like the tried and tested ‘join the circuits together’ one that everyone will have played. GYLT is rarely challenging though, quite relaxing for a game where you are cowering in the corner avoiding being spotted by horrible terrors.
However, GYLT rarely surprises. It is very familiar to play in terms of story and gameplay. This isn’t a bad thing, but personally I was expecting more. I wanted that ‘wow’ factor.
The visuals are very good and GYLT comes with a fresh cartoon-like vibe with brilliantly created characters that ping off the screen. Locations are again attractive in their design and presentation. GYLT uses hand-drawn animation and stills for its cutscenes and, frankly, these work really well; a nice contrast to the main graphics in the game.
The soundtrack is tense and very well-paced with the gameplay, whilst the voiceover work from the lead is certainly of a high standard.
You’ll probably find that GYLT is one of those games you’ll struggle to put down, ripe for play with the family, particularly as the gameplay rarely challenges. Yes, the story may be dark, but GYLT is not gory and the visuals have a great look to them.
If you’re sad about Google Stadia’s demise, then at least you can now get to play GYLT on Xbox.
