Horror Game Reviews: Lakeview Cabin Collection

The game I am going to review today is a bit of an oddball, and I wasn't made aware of it until recently when it was included in one of the tiers of a humble bundle, it's called Lakeview Cabin Collection. Lakeview Cabin Collection is a survival horror game which was developed and published by Roope Tamminen. It was released for the PC in March of 2015, and is a sequel to a flash game he created back in 2013 called Lakeview Cabin. 

This game is definitely a refreshing take on the horror genre, since it doesn't follow the typical tropes you find in a lot of horror games these days and has quite a bit of whimsical humor strewn within. It's also not your average horror game in the way the graphics are designed, as it's a pixelated 2d sidescroller. It has quite a cinematic theme to it, not only because it's in a lot of ways a parody on slasher films from the 80's, but because each section of the game is set up to be like an individual film itself. You get a new set of characters and a new plot to follow with each level of the game. They all share the same spooktacular backdrop in common, Camp Lakeview. 

So, the games main setting on each level is pretty similar for the most part. You'll start out at a seemingly blissful cabin which is surrounded by tree's and a large lake (Quite reminiscent of Friday the 13th). The game puts you in control of several different characters which you can to interact with your environment in a abundance of ways. These characters can swim, get drunk, pick up and handle objects, set traps, talk, have sexual intercourse with each other of course. Because, what would a slasher inspired game be without that feature? 

However, during the evening once night begins to fall, the characters will begun to be hunted by a psychopathic killer, or sometimes a monster who's only goal is to knock them off one by one. Something interesting that this game does though is that you can beat the killer to the punch, and kill off the other characters if you so choose. I found this mechanic to be pretty strange, but pretty entertaining as well due to the hilarious ways you can accomplish this. The game has a sandbox style to it with the amount of freedom you're given, and it really sets it apart from a lot of games I've played in the horror genre. 

Besides the goofy and ridiculous ways you can kill each other for fun, trying to actually survive against the monster or killer can prove to be quite difficult. Actually attempting to beat the monster will require several attempts for you, more than likely. They key to beating them is preparation and careful planning, and thankfully the game does give you adequate time to try and figure things out in advance. But again, don't be surprised if you die in some comical ways first. 

The reason I say that is because getting used to the mechanics of the game takes a little bit of time, and the game itself is a bit of a slow burn at first before things start going bump in the night. This itself led to me accidentally killing a few of the characters when I didn't even mean to, and very well could have led to me losing the game before the killer or monster even appeared. You might fumble here and there at first when you start playing, but you never feel annoyed and most of the time you'll get some laughs out of it in one way or another. 

The graphics are something which I consider quite nice to the eyes considering that they're 2D pixels, and the color palette they've chosen aids to making things seem quite peaceful during the day. I find it funny how relaxing and nice looking retro style graphics like these can be, and I've found myself really enjoying more and more 2D pixelated games as of late. Overall, I think they're done quite well and have a very fitting style for this type of game. 

There is definitely an emphasis on the comedy aspect of this game, even within the graphics, however. As you'll notice some silly things such as the screen wobbling back and forth every time you have a character chugging a beer. It's also just a core mechanic of the game, I would have to say. The game at times gets to Evil Dead II levels of shenanigans that can unfold, but it honestly helps boosts the horror aspects in some ways. This game to me is what a black comedy film would be in video game format, just with an extra splash of horror thrown in. 

It even shows it's influences in a lot of ways through easter eggs which you can find throughout the levels. There are tons of little secrets scattered around the game, and you'll find an assortment of cool little throwbacks or references to things like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, etc. It's something that I think really makes the game even better, and also gives you something extra to do between trying to survive with making the exploration more fun. If you're a fan of horror movies, there will be a lot in this game for you to give you nostalgia or a few good chuckles. 

Now, even with the cool little easter eggs and entertaining comedy element to the game, the horror aspect doesn't lose out at all. There are plenty of things in this game to have the hair raising up on the back of your neck as you play. The environment can randomly change, sometimes into gruesome things that weren't there just a minute or two ago when you passed by an area. The sound design is also wonderfully chilling at times, and helps set the tone when things are about to get more serious. 

Each level as well gives you different types of bosses and monsters to fight off, each with their own style and difficulties. One enemy you have to survive is a mysterious murderer known only as Babyface. This enemy gives you more of a sandbox style battleground, and allows you to utilize it by laying traps and making plans. But, then things will change up on the next level and you'll be facing off against a supernatural enemy who requires very different tactics to deal with than the last one. There's a lot of variety here and it does keep you on your toes with trying to survive. 

I do have a few small complaints about this game, but nothing too major to speak of. The only issue I'd like to mention is that there really is no AI to speak of for the characters that you play. While you control one character, the others will just kind of hang out and wait for you to take over again. This can be a bit frustrating at first, and I think maybe had they added some kind of basic AI with some survival instinct of it's own it may have made the game just a tiny bit better. 

I'll also say that this might not be a game for everyone, as I really think you need to be in a specific type of mood to really enjoy it. There is a lot of trial and error to it, and you'll have to be okay with failing over and over before you can expect to get a win in. This is not a game that you're going to finish super quickly, and proves to be genuinely difficult at times. If this type of thing doesn't bother you when you're playing a game, then I would definitely say you don't have much to worry about, however. 

For horror fans, especially fans of 80's horror stuff, this game is going to be one delightful little trip down memory lane for you showcasing and parodying many horror movie tropes over video game tropes, while also including many film references as well. In a way, I think you have to have knowledge of horror films to fully appreciate some of the things in the game. 

Overall, I think I can say that I would definitely recommend this game to anyone reading this. If you're looking for something that is filled with absolute terrifying scares throughout, you may be disappointed with this one as it really balances out the comedy with the horror in a great blend. The graphics are great, while also being hilarious gory and brutal at times. There's some great sound design to aid the creeping monsters, and the sandbox gameplay in most of the levels is enjoyable. For the small price of the game, I'd say it's well worth it. 

Thanks for checking out my review! Hope you've enjoyed it!