The last video game that I played that took into consideration the player character’s stress level was Dredge, a fishing game acting as a thin veneer to the Lovecraftian horror that comes out at night and from the deep. Fishing in the dark increases your stress levels and if you are not careful, you may start seeing things such as previously unseen rock obstacles (which hit hard) and ghost ships that turn out to be giant monstrous sea creatures out to swallow your ship whole.
Vixa Games’ Edge of Sanity is the latest in a line of games to incorporate Lovecraftian horror and yes, its player character has a stress meter (but more on that later). A 2D survival horror adventure game, players take on the role of Carter, who wakes up in the midst of a lab disaster of sorts in Alaska. Carter is an old man, so while the levels are typical of 2D platformers, there’s no jumping around to be had, but you do have to be quick with your wits as well as timing when it comes to dealing with eldritch horrors (think walking, shambling ex-colleagues with grotesque tentacles on their faces).
Since your workplace is practically destroyed, you and the first character you rescue make your way to a abandoned work camp. Here you get to rest and plan which other parts of the Alaskan wilderness to explore in order to rescue fellow survivors of the disaster. During this sojourns, weapons and supplies are scarce, and you’ll need to make use of traps or simply out maneuver those horrors in each area. While you have a lamp with you, using it will burn oil and walking around in darkness will up your stress levels and like Dredge, it gets pretty trippy, so many eyes!
Along with picking up survivors, you’ll also need to pick up any kind of raw materials that you can find. Due to the limited inventory that Carter has, you have to maintain a balance on the supplies he takes when venturing out from camp, in order to have space to accommodate the stuff that you pick up. Bringing back survivors works in your favor as they are able use aforementioned raw materials to repair and man the different rudimentary facilities which will then give you… supplies!
Edge of Sanity is a beautifully wrought 2D survival horror title with mechanics which combine a mix of consumables, breakable or one-time use weapons, timing, the limitations of the player character and sometimes sheer luck. It’s bound to entertain fans of the genre and if you love to play the game on the go, I’m happy to confirm that the game is Verified for the Steam Deck! Nine Over Ten 9/10 rates the game at a 4.5 out of 5! The game is available now on Steam, check it out over here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1897110/Edge_of_Sanity/
Note: A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review.
