A home invasion is one of our worst fears.
Feeling safe while utterly vulnerable in the comfort of your own bed, only to be awoken by a noise downstairs is something we all dread. We’ve all heard the stories of robberies gone wrong, homes being rinsed for everything valuable. But what happens if the intruders are actually trying to uncover the truth, seeking revenge for past misdemeanours?
Intruders: Hide and Seek plays around with this idea and just as you think the game is doing one thing, it turns it all on its head.
Intruders: Hide and Seek was first created as a VR experience, something which makes a lot of sense with the build-up of tension and stealth mechanics. But I didn’t notice this until after I finished the game and I have no qualms in seeing it working as a ‘normal’ game as well.
The story follows a nuclear family of mum, dad, daughter, and son. You play the son, Benny, who is 13 years of age, starting the game on the road as the family travels towards the family holiday home in the middle of nowhere. The father is a doctor/scientist and the youngest daughter seems to suffer from a lung disease that is being treated. Family dynamics come into play and then the game is turned on its head as three burglars break into the house.
The mum and dad are held hostage, but the kids escape to a panic room. But it’s from here that Benny heads out into the house to try and help. Then the story begins fully as you move around the house, picking up conversations with the intruders and learning the truth about why they are really there. Without spoiling things, Intruders: Hide and Seek then twists its story, taking a shocking and fascinating turn that sees it conclude strongly. Yes, some of the writing feels a bit hokey, but it’s a good yarn. Eventually.
Gameplay takes place in the first person and you can move Benny around the house, crouching a lot in stealth mode. You can see the intruders and their line of sight, but being spotted by them is easier than you may think and this results in you being knocked out. That signals a game over. The house itself is quite big, full of secrets and complete with twists and turns to keep you on edge. If you do get spotted then you have a chance to run away, finding a place to hide; cabinets or under beds. A QTE event then kicks in as you struggle to get your breathing under control, hoping to stay hidden.
Other gameplay elements centre on fetch quests around the house and finding different routes through as the tension builds. If you like a stealth game then there is a lot to enjoy here and strangely it kept me compelled through its four-hour or so running time. The AI of the three intruders is dynamic enough so you’re not just learning routes which makes it more intriguing.
The game does a great job visually with the architecture of the house itself. Rooms are well designed with an interesting array of room formatting, little details, and secret documents to find. The character animations are good too, but some are much better than others. But it’s when Intruders: Hide and Seek takes the player out of the house, when it doesn’t fare as well. The sound score does an excellent job of adding to the tension and drama of the house invasion though and whilst the voice-over work is sometimes a mixed bag, all actors deliver a committed and professional performance.
I didn’t think I’d get on with Intruders: Hide and Seek, and I certainly found the dialogue a bit cheesy and the setup not that interesting. But it’s when things kick in and the intruders arrive, that the game’s tension builds. The twist in the story adds extra merit. The stealth mechanics are good and the gameplay loop becomes engaging throughout its running times, yet whilst Intruders: Hide and Seek is not a game that’s going to blow the industry away, it’s one that you will have a good time with, as you go hiding in the shadows and cowering in cabinets.
Intruders: Hide and Seek is on the Xbox Store
