Developer: Korpus
Publisher: Bonus Stage Publishing
Platform: PC, Xbox One
Tested on: PC
JANITOR BLEEDS – Review
Korpus is an indie developer who likes to focus on fresh and inventive horror games that have a retro touch to them. The developer’s previous games were met with positive feedback. Their newest title, JANITOR BLEEDS, has a pretty cliché set-up, but an interesting way of implementing gameplay that many players will enjoy. It’s hard to stand out within the sea of PS1-styled horror games that have been dropping lately, but for once, we’re eagerly heading down to this spooky arcade.
Story
The opening cutscene is one we’ve seen a million times over: you’re driving your car when it suddenly stalls in the middle of the woods at night, forcing you to search for help by foot. Not the most original start of a story, but things do take a turn when your character stumbles upon an abandoned arcade. Despite the power being off, one arcade machine mysteriously lights up. When curiosity gets the better of you and compels you to check out the game, you’re drawn into a nightmare of a magnitude you couldn’t have foreseen. You’ll be forced to keep playing the game (within this game), if you want to make it out alive.
Aside from that one cutscene, a majority of the game’s plot is told through notes you can find scattered around the arcade. These notes give you valuable insights into the arcade’s history and the supernatural entity of the JANITOR that has taken residence there.
Graphics
As mentioned, JANITOR BLEEDS uses the pixel retro style that has been immensely popular lately, especially in horror games. Some developers like Puppet Combo even pride themselves in making nothing but those types of games. As a result, it can be hard for developers to give their project(s) a unique look anymore. JANITOR BLEEDS does succeed in that. The game looks nice, with the arcade and its surroundings having good attention to detail to make them come across as more realistic environments. More importantly, the monster design – which is one of the most important parts of any horror game – is top-notch. It has to be mentioned that the glitch effects can be straining on the eyes.
Sound
In terms of music, we can’t complain either. We’ve got a delightful soundtrack full of spooky chiptunes to enjoy, and the sound effects only enhance that atmosphere. There’s always some type of music playing in the background too, often giving you an oppressive atmosphere, like something could jump out at you at any moment. The monster’s approach is also preceded by a sound cue, telling you when to hide. There’s no voice acting, though that has to do with a lack of dialogue too.
Gameplay
JANITOR BLEEDS has classic horror gameplay with a bit of a twist. Once you get through the opening, you’re essentially locked in the arcade and have to find your way out while also solving the mystery of what exactly lives inside these cursed walls. To get through this, you’ll have to solve simple puzzles usually consisting of finding items or keys to progress. What makes things interesting is that you’re able to play on the arcade machine from time to time too. And what you do on the machine has an effect on the real-life situation of the protagonist. So essentially, you’ll be playing a game within a game to progress too. We’re breaking the fourth wall here, folks!
Because just running around solving puzzles would be too easy, naturally you’ll find yourself being chased by a creature as well. Fighting the JANITOR is not an option. Running away is your only defense, as well as hiding in vents or beneath the furniture. The enemy AI in this game is quite advanced, and just breaking the line of sight isn’t enough. The monster can also reach into vents and it sometimes also randomly checks hiding spots, so the game really keeps you on your toes. Combined with the perfect amount of jumpscares – never too many, but just a few to get the heart racing – and the creepy atmosphere, you’ll be feeling tense almost all the time. This is pretty much what one wants out of a horror game.
JANITOR BLEEDS is short and doesn’t have a lot of replay value, though there are two different endings depending on your actions in the last part of the game. A lot of the lore is optional and is found through collecting notes. There’s a collectible in the form of teddy bears, which unlock a special easter egg room if you’re interested in that. The only major flaw of the game is that it’s rather prone to small glitches that can make you lose some progress. Luckily, the game has sufficient checkpoints if such a glitch would occur. We do hope this will still get patched.
Conclusion
Overall, JANITOR BLEEDS manages to be quite refreshing on the horror game scene, despite its basic set-up being cliché and this graphical style being done to death lately. From its simple but engaging plot and a monster that actually manages to frighten the player to a short playtime, this game is a great little experience for any horror fan. Just hope you can still shut off the game when you’re done.
No Comments