Developer: Games From The Abyss
Publisher: DreadXP
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
The Lacerator – Review
DreadXP continues to support indie devs who want to bring thrilling horror games to a wider audience. This time, Games From The Abyss is the lucky developer who, with some publishing help from DreadXP, brings us The Lacerator. This is a clear homage to classic horror and the 80s, down to the very controversial tank controls that you can thankfully turn off. But that’s not the only reason this game is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t like things to get very bloody, The Lacerator might not be for you.
Story
Max is The Man Who Loves Sex, an accomplished porn star who is very good at his job. However, he’s not the only pervert in town. When Max finds himself and his coworkers kidnapped, he wakes up in what seems to be a fucked up snuff film, locked in a scary compound with corpses and killers around every corner. And only fighting dirty will get Max out alive. He can even save his friends in the process! It’s a pretty basic setup for a horror game such as this, but we don’t need anything too complicated to jump right into the bloodshed.
Graphics
The Lacerator shows most plainly that it’s a love letter to the PlayStation 2 and 3 era of horror games in the form of its graphics. The retro, blocky look is very trendy right now, as it seems lots of horror devs are cashing in on that nostalgia. Having said that, we do enjoy the way The Lacerator utilizes this style of graphics, from the environment to the clunky UI. Even the camera seems like an ode to the old Resident Evil games, offering you a choice between fixed camera angles or the more modern over-the-shoulder approach. This also alters the controls, with the tank controls being an addition to the fixed camera angles. The game also comes with various visual effects such as film grain and distortion, which you can turn off if you prefer.
Sound
Compared to the graphics, the sound design of this The Lacerator is very simple. Most of the time, there is no soundtrack, and you’ll instead be listening to the very limited – if creepy – ambient noise of the compound. The sound effects are nice, and you can be sure that the gore literally splatters across your screen with the expected wetness. When the music does pick up, it’s really good, though. They are 80s-inspired synth tracks to fit the game’s action scenes. We also get some excellent voice acting at the start of the game. The sound design that is there is fine, but we certainly would have loved a bit more music to liven up the place.
Gameplay
The Lacerator is a survival horror game with a strong focus on combat, for better or for worse. After Max wakes up in the compound, he can freely explore various rooms in hopes of finding the exit. Along the way, you’ll have to solve puzzles, some very easy and a few more complicated, though we can’t say we ever found ourselves truly stumped. A much more dangerous threat is the various nasty people who are also running around the place, happy to make dead meat out of you.
At the start of the game, you’ll only have melee weapons, which can be very tricky. You don’t have a dodge button, so getting within striking distance of enemies can be a risk. There is a run button, so you just have to make sure you approach when they’ve already swung at you and missed, and then get out before they swing again. Later on, once you can get your hands on some guns, the combat is significantly easier and more fun, if a little repetitive after a while. Especially with the over-the-shoulder camera, which makes the controls much more bearable and not quite as finicky as the tank controls are.
But getting hurt is almost inevitable, and it’s not unexpected that Max might end up losing an arm, leg, or even his manhood. If that happens, do not be alarmed. You can just stick a weapon on it and carry on. Yes, this is a game where having a body part chopped off isn’t just part of the gameplay, it actually opens doors for you. Not only will a chainsaw leg or arm significantly change combat for you, but some puzzles or rooms are also only accessible after losing a specific limb. This is also one of the major ways the various endings of the game can be reached. This gimmick does add a certain replay value to the game.
Conclusion
For a debut title, The Lacerator enters the horror scene with a solid performance. It’s a combination of enjoyable gameplay, retro graphics, and just enough of a story to stitch together a bunch of gory action scenes. While the devs can improve on some minor things, we certainly hope to see more of them in the future.
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