Exactly how Arianna ended up in this place, why the undead have taken up residence here, and who left all those cryptic notes lying around… is anyone’s guess. But one thing is certain: if she’s to die of old age, and not be consumed by grizzly ghouls, she had better start running, and fast at that!
With limited health, rather rubbish weaponry, and a finite supply of first aid kits, this one certainly does it best to emphasize the ‘survival’ part of ‘survival horror’. Arianna, who’s had the misfortune of becoming the protagonist in Overlooker, is able to run quite fast though, which – given the slow nature of her skeletal foes – does even the odds ever so slightly. Combine that with her ability to swing a blade like it’s nobody’s business, and you’d think she’s got it made, right? Well, not really, as enemies capable of sprinting, on top of packing quite a punch, will join the fray at some point, adding to the challenge.
Alongside all the fighting, there are also puzzles to solve and notes lying around, just waiting to be read, deciphered, or maybe just left alone. Some of these make next to no sense, while others… well, you’ll see. Oh and then there are coloured keys/doors because everyone just loves those, right? Not really, but at least the building isn’t so large that it turns into a maze, making it hard to remember where certain things are, so there’s that.
Now, in case you couldn’t tell from the screenshots, Arianna’s vision is extremely limited, the majority of her surroundings shrouded in darkness. This could have ended up as an annoyance, but in my experience, it didn’t, simply adding to the atmosphere instead. The same goes for those frequent, loud, growling noises. Not sure I wanna find their source, to be quite honest. Especially after reading those… notes.
Overlooker is available from itch.io, carrying a pay-what-you-want price tag.
