There was a phrase that was coined by Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank from Mystery Science Theater 3000 that describes a scene in a movie that is so tedious that it invokes pain. They called this Deep Hurting, and I played a game that made me experience this!
ASYLUM is a first-person point-and-click horror where you take on the role of a former patient of an asylum. You return to the asylum with the hopes of finding clues to your condition, only to discover that it’s not abandoned.
Now. Onto the game itself. ASYLUM‘s controls are annoying, especially the sensitivity. No matter how I adjusted the sensitivity of the movement, the game seems to readjust on its own, and randomly. So either I’m moving too fast, or so slow I swore the game was lagging.
The game’s art and lighting are OK. The Soundtrack is alright. The voice acting, again, is alright.
Gameplay-wise, that’s where the hurting comes in. The point-and-click mechanic feels unnecessary and makes the game painfully slow. The menu is clumsy to operate, especially when it comes to using inventory items. When it comes to scares, they’re predictable. The story is unoriginal, and I can smell a “twist” ending; if there is one, it’s been done hundreds of times.
The main issue with this game is how painfully boring it is. It was described as a “Slow Burn”; well, they were right, it’s so slow that it’s as painful as a burn. The game as a whole feels like a funhouse where the scare actors stopped caring and are bored out of their minds.
The only thing this game has going for it is the art; other than that. There’s nothing here but DEEP HURTING, 3/10
