Super Lone Survivor Reviews

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masterpiece

When I was a kid, I watched a lot of horror games. This was one of the many, and I remember thinking I'd love to play this some day. And then I remembered it recently. But not the name. I searched the internet, looking up things like "Horror game with smiling protag that's a mask" and "2D silent hill inspired game." And I found it. Lone Survivor. This game is heavily inspired by Silent Hill, and is a straightforward 2D survival horror game. But the plot is not straightforward. If I have a word of advice: sometimes you just need to take your medicine and sleep it off, you know? Great game.

This game is 13 years old, coming out at what I think of as the "First Generation" of indie games, with the biggest names being the likes of Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Hotline Miami, etc. Lone Survivor did not make the heights of those games, and it's understandable why. Here is a game which can be awkward to handle, frustrating at times, and opaque in odd ways. The irony is that it's also forgiving in ways that its inspirations would never have dreamed. It is impossible to soft lock yourself, and resources can be gained infinitely if you know what to do... albeit at a cost. I won't say any more, but suffice to say, reading a critical review complaining about needing a can opener to save the game because "my character can't sleep while hungry" was both funny and disheartening, considering you are outright given an infinite supply of pills that will make you drowsy (at a cost!). But that lack of obviousness, along with certain other awkward handling (judging distance from enemies can take some getting used to, understanding how long it takes to perform certain actions, etc.) will probably lead to a lot of frustration. I didn't feel like I got a good handle on the game until around 4 hours in, at which point I was basically finished (my first playthrough lasted about 4.5 hours). I uninstalled it, but the game's music, atmosphere, and story stuck in my mind, as well as the clear number of things I'd missed. I booted it up for another playthrough, finding new things, albeit finishing in a little under 3 hours. Knowing I locked myself out of another area of the game, I'm already planning a third. And there lies the charm of Lone Survivor: its short length, coupled with more activities than you'd really need for such a game, give it a lot of replayability. The atmosphere is quite special, with music which fits each moment perfectly. I've avoided mentioning them to this point, so let's get the obvious out of the way: it nails the Silent Hill/David Lynch vibes. The story might be a touch too esoteric, but it leads to a lot of discussion about theories... ...or it would have, if the game wasn't pretty much buried. As much as indie horror games have blown up recently, I can't help but wonder if Lone Survivor would not be better received today. On the one hand, the flaws which kept it from going big 10+ years ago are more noticeable. On the other, the aspects it nails are the same aspects which have brought attention to indie hits like Signalis. Certainly it would not have risen to Signalis' heights, but if there's one thing I stand by, it's that this game deserves more attention than it gets. To fans of Signalis, of Silent Hill, and those types of games (not so much Resident Evil), consider giving Lone Survivor a shot. If the price seems steep for the length, wait for a sale. It's not for everyone, but if it clicks, I think it'll stick with you for a while.