Reviews - Chaos_Engine

Black Snow was recommended by Markiplier, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did.

The environments are DARK. I've heard a lot of people complain about the lack of flashlight, but I found that one of the most terrifying aspects. Travelling into the darkness without a light source beyond some flares is tense and nerve-wracking.

Trust me when I say that it looks, and sounds, like you're trapped in the middle of the night in a frozen wasteland. The entire station feels empty... except when it doesn't. Those are some of the most terrifying moments, when you realize that aside from the black fungus chasing you in the dark, SOMETHING else is there with you.

All the while you're hoping, praying, and begging that the light is strong enough to stop the fungus from reaching you, because it HURTS when it hits you. I refer to pucker factor a lot when I play scary games; this mod has one heck of a pucker factor.

Now that I'm done gushing, why only 7/10 do I hear you cry?

Black Snow borrows very heavily from Penumbra, which is totally okay, because it works. However, there's another story entirely in the background, involving a field of sunflowers, and a black silhouette on the horizon. It screams and rages at the chance to be told.

This is then shattered by a completely purportless and abrupt ending.

That could work. It DID, with Bioshock 2. The story had reached a proper ending point in that game, and then caused one heck of a sucker-punch to the player. This time around though, the story goes largely untold. I think Black Snow was meant to be longer. Or there was a sequel in planning that never happened.

If their next project is the full Black Snow (as the post on the main page suggests), I'd buy it. I'd buy it, if nothing else to see how it was meant to end, because DAMN, this was shaping up to be just plain CHILLING.

The ending and short length, coupled with the lack of replay value and a couple glitches are what takes away a perfect score.

Play it anyway.