![]() This game is plagued by a shortage of secret locations and extra clues that could serve to maintain a player’s interest as they mindlessly backtrack and wander through the mountains, gradually getting more and more bored of snow and wind. This wouldn’t be the end of the world if the sprawling environment had anything in it. Unfortunately, a complete lack of direction from either clues or the narrator result in constant backtracking and confusion, steadily detracting from the immersion of the first Act. The map is medium-sized, and fits the game decently well, provided you know where you are at all times. As the game develops, it becomes increasingly difficult to get where you’re supposed to be going. The first Act of the game is fairly straightforward and maneuvering through it is easy. Navigating an environment such as this one while listening to a tortured Boromir describe his horrific experiences seems like a great idea for a game. ![]() On top of its visually and aurally stunning atmosphere, the game receives a serious boost in quality from Sean Bean’s narration, another reason I was intrigued by this game. All poetry aside, this game looks and sounds really, really good. Dark skies envelop the landscape while the wind whistles through the frozen forest. The ominous, claw-like appearance of tree branches silhouetted across the moon is amplified by the creaking of wood and the rustling of nearby shrubbery. Shadowy, snow-covered hills are brought to life by footsteps crunching and padding through ice and powder. The possibility of extraterrestrial or otherwise supernatural involvement in the deaths of the hikers has been discussed at length since the event, due to the irregular physical state of the hikers’ corpses, and this is (vaguely, as much of the game’s story is left up to the player’s interpretation) the approach taken by Kholat.Įven more impressive is the fact that the game matches each detailed set piece with equally precise sound effects. “Kholat” is a reference to the mountain Kholat Syakhl, which means “Dead Mountain” in the language of the Mansi people. Kholat is a new horror/mystery game in which the player explores the “Dyatlov Pass Incident”, a real event involving the deaths of a group of hikers in the Ural Mountains. Unfortunately, a pile of ingredients is no good if it lacks a recipe.įor those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, let me give you a briefing, spoiler-free. ![]() Kholat is essentially a pile of indie horror ingredients with full potential to make something great. This is generally what I hoped I’d experience during my playthrough of Kholat. Dark, frozen terrain, shrieking wind and an inhuman presence constantly stalking me as I search for the solution to a disturbing mystery, all the while listening to the chilling narration of none other than Sean Bean. ![]()
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