It’s hard – increasingly so with every subsequent new release – not to include an obligatoryUntil Dawnmention when it comes to Supermassive Games' output. Not because the 2015 game was the one that gave the developer’s name some notoriety (and hasn’t been bested since), but it’s become a case of if, not when, the team will find a way to evolve that formula. Adamant they may be on sticking to the familiar multiple-choice, horror-leaning adventure style of game with multiple characters' fates in the balance. In that respect, the developer’s Dark Pictures anthology of annual, shorter-running entries has been, if nothing else, an interesting-to-survey period from its inception back in 2019.
A collection that has dabbled in varying pitches and backdrops, but most importantly has at least shown Supermassive aren’t that stubborn in expanding the core premise. Last year’sHouse of Ashesarguably providing not just the best entry in the anthology so far, but also the best example of what Supermassive are capable of in this genre. Balancing critical decision-making, interesting characters (with sufficient development) and a narrative, in all its eventual revelatory silliness, still entertaining to see through to one of its multitude of conclusions. And while we’re at it, let’s not forget Pip Torrens' alluringly charismatic performance as the series' other only constant, The Curator. A character of neither benevolent nor malevolent leaning, but whose presence at least begins every entry’s introduction on a high.
A silver lining to this most recent if brief trip into Supermassive’s latest effort, The Devil in Me. Limited as we were to checking out a small hour-length slice of the game. More specifically its introductory set-up in the setting, this time centered around that of serial killer H.H.Holmes' “Murder Castle”, or at least a replica of it. Or maybe not as it turn out; the lead-up seeming to suggest that whoever is in charge here holds more grizzly and brutal Saw-like intentions than the setting’s tourist-attracting get-up would imply. Not that the preview snippet showed much of what the five main leads – and indeed players alongside – will have to tackle and subsequently survive, beyond one critical decision capping things off. Most of one’s time spent instead getting a handle on the mood which despite the series' [thankfully] dropping of the fixed-camera perspectives in favor of full three-dimensional control, still feels as boxed in and as contained as something likeMan of Medanwas.
The irony – and perhaps the saving grace – being that The Devil in Me feels a touch more off-kilter in its claustrophobic vibe this time round, in a good way. Whether that’s down to its deliberately out-of-time aesthetic or the brief conflicted flashes of its front-facing and behind-the-scenes environment design, the scene setting is novel and lends itself to enjoyable, albeit brief, moments of more psychological/unsettling brand of horror over the more gruesome and gory takes prior. One segment having you follow a string of audio sources down a series of darkened halls that lends itself well to moments of anxiety. So too one that justifies the application of a more modern-day, third-person over-the-shoulder camera. If nothing else, The Devil in Me isn’t consolidating on one primary visual style or sub-genre of horror to tell its tale, but time will tell if either expanding of the canvas will be fruitful or instead wind up rather thin on impact. Another area Supermassive aren’t relying singularly on too is the puzzle-solving; The Devil in Me showcasing a greater focus on exploring an environment for object A to use with situation B in getting to a desired outcome. Moments that are not without some momentary QTEs that in one instance caught me off-guard in what might have been the more desirable interaction, but are relatively simple in their structure.
Even so, there’s a carrying-on from past releases here and while that isn’t necessarily a plus or minus for The Devil in Me, there does begin to stir a question on just how much Supermassive genuinely want to evolve that formula. Or whether they just want to give such an impression without truly committing to the extra work said change requires. And this comes in the form of its new inventory system. Something which, on the surface, one would be right in assuming would entail perhaps a more longer-term semblance of strategy and thinking things through. But from the vertical slice offered, amounts to little. For one, contextual items vanish only to conveniently reappear once they become useful – rendering the inventory interface rather pointless. Perhaps the game later down the line will provide better reasoning, but so far it’s by far the one technically-new addition to The Devil in Me that still leaves much to be desired.
But Supermassive have, if nothing else, left me with enough tempting questions to see where this tale will end and just what exactly one will have to do if I’m to keep all five of its main leads alive and in one piece. Having already caught a glimpse of two potentially costly decisions via the returning premonition mechanic, as well as having a sneaking suspicion my choice near the end is sure to come back and bite me in some form. Without including the deeper mystery behind the setting’s past history and of course the shadowy figure masterminding this entire ordeal. While it may not have the immediate appeal in setting and narrative set-up that House of Ashes accomplished, there’s enough variety and glimpses at a sufficient shake-up to suggest The Devil in Me is – much like last year’s outing – capable of seeing things through. Potentially ending The Dark Pictures (or perhaps the first season of it) on a satisfactory, if relatively-familiar, high.
