Horror game review: Kholat

The game that I will be talking about today is an interesting once, especially since it's based upon events that transpired in real life, it's called Kholat. Kholat is an indie horror game that was developed by Polish game developer IMGN.PRO using the Unreal Engine, and presumably was published by them as well. It was released for the Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Steam/Windows platform in June of 2015. The game is based upon the events which happened during the Dyatlov Pass Incident which took place during the late 50's, where nine Russian hikers went missing and were found dead via strange circumstances. I have to say, this event wasn't something I had even been aware of previously, and the information released about it truly is fascinating/creepy to say the least. 

Now, I hadn't been aware of these events when I was going into the game. All I knew was that several people had told me this was a pretty good horror game, and that Sean Bean is the narrator for it. Those things got me interested in it pretty easily, so when I found it on sale for dirt cheap I had to pick it up. I'll say this, while the game is based on the events that happened in real life, they've definitely added more of a monster horror element to it than just being a survival game. I think the best way to describe this game is take the events from real life and then toss some Slenderman type of figure into the mix and this gives you Kholat. Well, you know, except it isn't a hunk of trash like Slenderman. 

Kholat doesn't exactly have a focused narrative exactly or anything, as the main goal of the game is to discover pages throughout the area that give some backstory on what exactly has happened. There are three acts within the game, of which the second act is the meat and potatoes of the game where you actually play through the snowy mountains where said Hikers have met their untimely deaths. The game presents you with a main goal to follow which is finding nine different locations on the map which you need to access to progress the narrative. There are many different pages you can find along the way though to help continue filling up the gaps in the story. 

As you make your way through the area and find the pages, you're greeted by some great voice acting that reads off the pages to you providing exposition and helping to set the mood. While some of the dialogue isn't the best and comes off as generic, most of it is pretty alarming and provides some atmosphere on top of the isolation and anxiety that you'll feel from the rest of the game. Another reason why you'll want to find as many pages as possible is that it allows you to save your progress, something that is obviously useful in a game where you have no means to really defend yourself besides hiding. 

While this game uses the same type of mechanics and a similar setting to games like Slenderman, it is far more interesting, engaging and scary overall. The premise uses the same formula, where you look for pages around in a dark forest area while a shadowy figure stalks you, leaving you the options of either running away or trying to find somewhere to hide out until they go away. The creatures in this game however aren't constantly after you giving you time to think and decide things, and the pages actually matter and aren't just scribbles that look like a 4 year old who was on a sugar high from his sippy juice cup wrote on a whim. It just works much better with how they've designed it, and Slenderman could have learned a thing or two. 

There are scripted events throughout the games as well, adding another element that Slenderman and games like it never seemed to have. You'll occasionally have moments where these strange orange clouds start forming around you, forcing you to grab a page before they drag you into your cold, frozen grave. Beyond those events, you'll encounter orange shadows instead of just your normal shadowy figure, which you can either stealth past or just run from. Having all of the enemies be these formless things that are florescent colored makes them all the more eerie to look at, something I found really entertaining. I like the design of the enemies overall, even if they are quite simple. 

The graphics of the game as well as the background/set design is pretty interesting and nice to look at. Most of the game gives you a sense of being isolated and just an overall tone of being bleak and dreary, thanks to all of the snow and dead trees everywhere. Something which I find a bit cozy for some reason, but maybe that's just me. There's a lot of cool/creepy locations for you to explore through, varying from something simple such as a cave to something more messed up such as a bonepile. Most of them will really stick with you after you play, and each of them are pretty separated from one another with their design. 

The location of a forest and cold, brutal weather really help to give the game atmosphere on its own without all of the monsters and weird supernatural elements to the game. The sound design provides good ambiance to match the dreary setting, all of this accumulating into an anxiety filled experience. I would say a fair amount of the tension of the game comes from this part of the game over just the monsters and having to dodge them. While this isn't the most oppressive atmosphere in a horror game, nor is it the most impressively well done atmosphere, it is still fairly well done and adds a lot to the games experience. 

I only have a few things that I could really critique the game on, such as it lacks a lot of depth to the gameplay and story in some ways. But, I honestly have to say I think one of the biggest things I dislike about this game is the price you pay for it when it isn't on sale for what you actually get out of it. The game runs $20, but you'll have it beaten in 3-4 hours tops. This is a bit of a bummer to me, as there's not really any replayability to the game in my opinion, and $20 is fairly steep for 3-4 hours of gameplay. If you catch this on sale for $5-7 then I could definitely say go for it, but otherwise I think it's a bit unbalanced. 

Overall though, the game is a pretty enjoyable experience and provided some good entertainment and spooky atmosphere for that 3-4 hours. I would definitely recommend the game to anyone who is a fan of horror games, and I would say this is also a good entry into the horror genre if you want something that isn't insanely gorey or filled to the brim with jump scares or horrible moments. It has plenty of atmosphere, some great voice acting, and is pleasing to the eyes, but just lacks substance in a lot of areas. I would probably rate it as a 7/10 personally, but that's always subjective. 

Anyways, thanks for checking out my review! Hope you've enjoyed it!