Since Stadia shut down earlier this year, the third-person stealth horror game has been unavailable. However, as of this week, Gylt has been released on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. So, how does the game look when it’s not expected to be a system seller for Google’s quickly abandoned folly? It was strange for Gylt to have that responsibilities, but it’s nice to see it on other platforms now.
Although Gylt isn’t a killer app, it’s fun for what it is. Essentially, it’s a Resident Evil-like Afterschool Special. As the game begins, elementary school student Sally is putting up posters in her hometown to raise awareness about her missing cousin. Sally ends up taking an eerie cable car after bullies on bikes chase her into the woods. Only to discover the place is haunted by inky black monsters after it has been abandoned by its residents. Within seconds of arriving, Sally sees Emily inside the school they both attend and sets off to find her.
Sally can only sneak around the monsters as she explores familiar, but changed, classrooms and hallways, searching for keys to open doors in hopes of finding Emily. After a while, she manages to secure a powerful flashlight that can focus the beam on the monsters’ pustule-like weak spots. There are three bubbly splotches on each and if she hits them all, they will disappear, allowing her full control over the area they patrolled. The game introduces stronger enemies, but Emily also gets a stronger weapon: a fire extinguisher she can use to freeze enemies in place. This is fine, but I found exploring to be much more compelling than stealth and combat.
As for the exploration, it’s a breath of fresh air. I found Gylt incredibly refreshing after playing Layers of Fear last month. Though the series is sometimes good, it represents a lot of my frustrations with horror games today. I understand it intellectually, but I prefer Gylt’s approach to horror. Since its geography is constantly changing, making it difficult to determine where the player actually is. With a map that starts black, fills in each room with color as you explore it. Each area is spatially coherent. Getting introduced to a space and exploring until it makes sense, finding keys, unlocking doors, and grabbing useful items is something that has always been a satisfying experience for me, and Gylt is exactly that kind of game.
This game’s art style is perfect for this kind of double-A game. Sally and Emily would look right at home in a stop-motion animation like James and the Giant Peach. The world they live in is dangerous, but more of a Halloween night atmosphere than outright horror. Each new environment is a lot of fun to explore, since arcade cabinets and school lockers are rendered in a stylish way. There is no doubt that you will have a good time even if you are not scared. Gylt is a game that has a well-designed world. I enjoyed exploring it for the entire six-to-eight hours it took me to finish. It’s a game that I’d like more teams to tackle. It’s simple, short, but it’s a lot of fun when it’s going on.
