3.5/5 ★ – Endless_backlog's review of Murder House.

2hrs I’ve had a bunch of Puppet Combo games on my list for a while and finally made a decision on which one to start with. Each of their games have the classic PS1 era aesthetics despite being modern games and there’s a lot of charm to this. From fixed camera angles similar to early Resident Evil, tank controls and low poly graphics. The game has plenty of optimisation such as being able to alter how the screen display looks such as in 16mm, black and white or VHS (crackled white noise). There’s even an option to play in first person which I opted for, as it controls so much better and also I personally find it immersed me more in the tense environment. The genre for Murder House is 80s slasher horror and it deliberately leans into B movie acting. After a short prologue, the main game begins as you take control of Emma, an intern working for a low budget news channel. The crew has been tasked with filming a true crime documentary in the old house of a serial killer known as the “Easter Ripper”, a man who was responsible for the kidnapping and murders of many children, who would be caught and sentenced to death years earlier. As you explore the house, you discover everything is not as it seems. Through collection of key items across the house you will progress through locked areas as the story develops. There’s plenty of gruesome scenes, disturbing elements and a satisfying ending. Despite its intentionally older look, Murder House does a great job of being fun and interesting as well as creating satisfying tension and scares throughout its short 1-2 hour run time, and is a great game for fans of both horror games and movies.