It’s fascinating how childhood objects and toys can transform into sources of horror as we age. Take clowns, for example. How can they even entertain at children’s parties anymore without triggering screams and panicked escapes? And even an innocent-looking doll can become unsettling, its vacant stare conjuring images of it coming to life, wielding a knife, and stalking you through your home.
The game Self-Delusion capitalises on these childhood fears and anxieties, creating an intriguing indie horror experience where you’re hunted by figures drawn from childhood stories.
Slavic folklore and mythology are currently enjoying a resurgence in popular culture. I’ve recently played several games inspired by this rich tradition, such as Selfloss and Bylina. Self-Delusion joins this trend, drawing upon ancient Slavic tales and creatures.
You play as an individual searching for their missing mother in a rural village plagued by disappearances. The game opens with you traversing a countryside path, the narrative unfolding through evocative text descriptions rather than voiceovers, hinting at the protagonist’s emotional state and the unfolding story. Along the way, you experience unsettling visions, culminating in your arrival at your mother’s house, where the true horror begins.
I appreciated the game’s abrupt plunge into the narrative, devoid of introductory cutscenes or exposition dumps. The story unfolds gradually through discovered documents and environmental details, fueling your imagination and building suspense. And beneath the atmospheric storytelling lies a survival horror experience with a unique time-based mechanic.
The game is presented in first-person, with movement limited to walking. You explore the environments, collecting items and deciphering clues. However, upon entering the house, you find yourself in a classroom with a blackboard outlining the rules for the next phase of gameplay. You must survive within the house for a specific duration, roughly five minutes in real-time. A monstrous creature from legend and folklore hunts you, and you must employ various tactics to evade it. For example, you can hide or exploit a creature’s aversion to light by lighting candles with limited matches. However, each stage introduces a different creature with unique weaknesses and vulnerabilities, adding complexity to the survival loop.
I enjoyed Self-Delusion’s multi-stage structure and the variety of creatures, each with its own lore and survival strategies. Whether you find the core gameplay loop enjoyable will depend on your preference for survival horror mechanics. Personally, I’m not a massive fan of this style, and the first-person perspective induced slight motion sickness, which hindered my enjoyment. However, others might find it thrilling.
The visuals are a mixed bag. Some outdoor environments are well-rendered, but the textures of certain buildings don’t hold up well upon close inspection. This is understandable, given the game’s indie nature and limited budget. And then the creature designs are effectively creepy, striking a balance between frightening and oddly endearing.
The sound design is functional, with a serviceable soundtrack and chilling sound effects that play a crucial role in the gameplay, alerting you to the presence of danger.
Self-Delusion creates a compelling atmosphere and offers an intriguing gameplay loop. While the survival horror mechanics weren’t to my taste, I can see its appeal for fans of the genre. The creature designs and sound effects are particularly noteworthy, so if you’re seeking a short but effectively scary experience, Self-Delusion might be worth exploring.
Self-Delusion: Slavic Folklore Meets Survival Horror on Consoles and PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/self-delusion-slavic-folklore-meets-survival-horror-on-consoles-and-pc/
Self-Delusion is on the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/self-delusion/9NCFDZN1T04H
