Developer: Tessera Studios
Publisher: DAEDALIC Entertainment
Platform: PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: Switch
Intruders: Hide and Seek (Switch) – Review
Back in the now pretty distant year of 2019, Tessera Studios released a PlayStation-exclusive stealth horror game called Intruders: Hide and Seek. We reviewed the game here and rated it as a pretty standard but enjoyable experience. Later in that same year, the game also came to PC. Now, after a long wait, Xbox and Switch were added to the collection of consoles on which you can play Intruders. With that in mind – and because it has been a while since the original review was posted – we decided to take a look at this recent version of the game and see if it could sway our opinion.
Story
The game starts with a cutscene and then a pretty lengthy tutorial undercut with even more cutscenes. It means the pacing is almost torturingly slow at first, but it does help set up the story and get us invested in the characters. The main character is Ben, a teenage boy. Together with his chronically ill sister Irene and their two parents, the family returns home after a vacation. Right from the start, you can catch parts of conversations the adults are having about a laboratory, experimental drugs, and your dad’s job. As mysterious as this is, it’s quickly forgotten when during the night three masked strangers break into the house. Ben and Irene hide in the panic room but their parents are quickly restrained by the intruders. Since the house is so isolated, Ben sets out to save their parents himself or maybe try and get help some other way, while Irene stays in the panic room and uses the cameras to monitor Ben’s journey. She uses a walkie-talkie to try to aid him whenever she can.
The game does not offer a lot of replay value. There are two endings, dictated by a simple choice. There are also collectibles you can go back and get if you want. You can load in any chapter you’ve cleared from the main menu, so there’s no need to replay the entire game.
Graphics
Intruders: Hide and Seek seems to have gotten a slight graphical update in the Switch version, though the change is almost negligible. The game looks fine, nothing too impressive but not bad either. Especially the lighting in the game is top-notch. We found that the character models veer into uncanny valley territory when viewed up close, but you’ll be looking at them from a distance most of the time anyway. And for the home invaders, this creepiness factor could be an asset. The house you roam around in is also surprisingly well-designed, bursting with details that make it look like an actual living space and not just some stock assets that are thrown together. Objects you can interact with have a glowing icon when you get near, which does break immersion but this is pretty handy when looking for keys or other small items.
Sound
The sound design for Intruders is as good as we remember. The soundtrack is tense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It really fits the atmosphere of the game. In terms of sound effects, you can hear every little creak in the floorboards, ramping up the scariness factor when you’re trying to figure out where your enemy is roaming. The voice acting is more hit-or-miss, with some of it being very good and some of it being lackluster at best. None of it actually became so bad we wanted to mute the game completely though.
Gameplay
Intruders: Hide and Seek is a stealth-based horror game. Since you’re playing as a little kid, you can’t fight the people who broke into your house. You’ll have to sneak around, crouch to not make any noise, and hide in closets, vents, or under beds whenever you’re spotted. While hiding, a rhythm mini-game will pop up that simulates your heartbeat. If you can hit the button at the right times, you’ll stay calm and you will not be discovered. If not, prepare to get a scare.
The gameplay beyond that is very straightforward and basically only requires you to move from point A to point B, with you sometimes needing to find and pick up an item along the way. There’s a map in the game that directs you where to go, though for some reason you can’t look at it while hiding. You can also contact your sister with your radio and she’ll be able to warn you about where the enemies are or which routes are safe. It’s simple but effective and overall the game will leave you very tense.
It can also leave you pretty frustrated. The main issue is Ben’s pace is so slow even when you’re not crouching that it’s ridiculous. And you can’t run since making noise will alert the intruders of your presence. Another issue is that the checkpoints are pretty rare and thus getting caught can easily cost you up to ten minutes of gameplay. This brings the pace to a grinding halt at times, so be prepared to practice patience.
Conclusion
Intruders: Hide and Seek is not a bad game, it’s just not very groundbreaking either. If you know what you’re in for and aren’t expecting more, you’ll probably have a good time with it. The game manages to be genuinely scary at times and the atmosphere works, and there’s a pretty interesting story to back it up. With its runtime below four hours though, we’d not be willing to pay full price for it.
Intruders: Hide and Seek (Switch) - Review,
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