Theatre

First, I have to acknowledge that I have not finished the game completely, because of personal reasons. But as far as I can tell, I got really towards the start of the home stretch.

In my eyes, this game shows what good horror IF should be like: The atmosphere is very intense and the writing does a very good job to convey it to the player. The player character is not really my preferred type, but rather falls into the common person category. His presentation is believable, making it easy to get into the game itself. The riddles are very fair, with just enough hints, but not too many, so the player still has some challenges to overcome.

Due to the basic plot, interaction with NPCs is relatively rare, with the game more about uncovering mysteries of the past and understanding what is going on. While some people may find this somewhat disappointing, I believe that it suits the genre quite well.

If you are a hard-core horror fan, you might find the game too tame in its content. While it does involve some aspects of violence, it is much closer to an eerie story than to a splatter movie. It can be said to be in a Lovecraftian tradition. In other words, if you like it more subtle, you can enjoy it quite well, while fans of hands-on action may find the experience less enjoyable, though not really bad.

I am not that experienced with IF, but I would say that it is of medium length, tending slightly to long. So, if you just want to have a quick play, this is probably a bit too much. Otherwise, I can only recommend playing this game as it is really a very fine creation I consider to be one of the flagships of IF.