HideWorks has invited me to check out their horror-anomaly first-person game, The Devil is in the Details, which, after a successful run on Steam, is now finding its way to consoles! I want to thank HideWorks for sending me into purgatory. This is The Devil is in the Details!
The Devil is in the Details puts players in a twisted purgatory, where, for the entertainment of demons, you must play a spot-the-difference game hosted by the Arbitor, who is your only friend in this hell you find yourself in.
Now, onto the game itself! When it comes to the controls for The Devil is in the Details, they’re easy to learn, as there are not many things to do; you highlight cursed objects, interact with them, run, crouch, that’s it. The one thing I wish for is that there’s an option to turn vibration off for your controller; it’s a personal preference of mine, as I find that saves on the battery life for the controller.
The art of the game fits the atmosphere it’s creating, especially if you’re playing on Cozy mode, then it’s a nice atmospheric experience, but playing the Devil’s Game mode, yeah, different story. The sound is OK, it could use some work with the mixing, as some areas seem to trigger sound effects for things that aren’t happening (like doors closing). I do love the voiceover work for the Arbitor, which almost reminds me of Tony Todd (RIP).
When it comes to gameplay, players can choose how to play. If you want an atmospheric find-the-difference experience, you go with cozy mode, no jumpscares, or tricks. If you choose to go with the Devil’s Game, there are jumpscares, traps, tricks, and other nasty things waiting for you. You start with an observation round where you explore the map and look at the cursed objects that may or may not change. After the observation round, you are now in the Ritual round, where you must find the differences and mark them.
Overall, my experience with The Devil is in the Details was pretty good. Except for the lack of control options and frame rate issues, which I chalk up to the game having modes where the rooms are set up randomly differently each playthrough. It’s a fun play if you’re into puzzles with a touch of horror, or a nice exercise for memory. On my scale of 1-10, The Devil is in the Details is a 9.5!
The Devil is in the Details is out now on PC and is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 12th.
