There are powers in this world not meant to be tampered with. To tamper with the dead and the realms that hold them is to tamper with power that sentences a person to eternal damnation. This power, as terrifying as it is, may allow for one last good deed to be done. From Caustic Reality and publisher Blowfish Studios comes Infliction: Extended Cut, a newly released version of the hit horror game, Infliction. Infliction: Extended Cut comes at a time when not many horror video games have been released recently, leaving it in a perfect place to scare up console owners. Infliction: Extended Cut is an enhanced and polished edition of Infliction, which was originally released in 2018. After one long and continuous weekend, Infliction: Extended Cut is easily one fo the very best horror games available today.
Infliction: Extended Cut is a first-person exploration-heavy horror experience, taking place inside a home that is emotionally broken and filled with sinister darkness. The fabric of reality is breaking down and bubbling darkness is rising into this reality. With no weapons, skills, or any kind of protective measures, you are drawn into a home that once had a loving family. There is despair, depression, anger, and death. All you have is your backbone and the hope that something good can be restored in this home.
As an exploration game, players pour through every detail of a home, searching for clues as to what exactly happened. The home is dimly lit, with only your flashlight to illuminate your surroundings and the reflection of light on those surfaces. The home is large, but not terribly big, though every single square inch is interactive. Searching for clues, which twinkle in the darkness, helps create a more elaborate picture as to what happened in this house. To progress through Infliction: Extended Cut, collecting clues, completing puzzles, and completing the main objective is essential but the path to do so is not easy. As you search for these clues, a dark and sinister presence inhabits the house. A horrible, angry spirit seeks to spill your blood. This is where Infliction: Extended Cut introduces its horror element.
A demon lurks in the house and constantly attempts to kill you. With no radar or way to arm yourself, your sights and sounds against the darkness are all that you have to protect you. This demon can locate you anywhere in the house and is attracted to movement. The only hints that are indicated that the demon is close are the computer distortion of the screen and the uneasy heightened sound that slowly grows louder as the demon approaches. When exploration and the fear of an unpredictable demon combine, it transforms Infliction: Extended Cut into an experience that will stop your heart and leave your blood cold.
Infliction: Extended Cut is truly horrifying and incredibly scary. There is a constant sense of dread and danger, so much so that you feel it rising within you, from the bowels of your gut to the tip of your spine. Infliction: Extended Cut envelops players in its terror, feeding off the player’s confusion and unease. Every visual moment in Infliction: Extended Cut is unsettling and horrifying. Every sound is meticulously and expertly crafted to hit at the appropriate moment, injecting a sense of shock and despair. Infliction: Extended Cut is a true horror game, through and through. Even during the daytime, playing Infliction: Extended Cut is genuinely scary and uneasy. Being honest here, as I write this review, my heart is in my throat over what I experienced, and I am flashing back to the genuine fear that I felt while playing. However, all these feelings are the hallmarks of an exceptional horror experience, but most importantly, a horror experience that was created through passion, enthusiasm, and hard work.
The fear all begins with the game’s presentation. Visually, the game is sharp, yet old-fashioned. Infliction: Extended Cut is reminiscent of an older type of game that focused on the exploration and piecing together a narrative, like a point-and-click adventure. Yet, Infliction: Extended Cut makes the experience refreshingly new with details. The lighting and darkness effects are surprisingly realistic, with light-reflecting and bouncing off certain surfaces. Just about every item is interactive, and the details brought to each item is remarkable. The visual approach to Infliction: Extended Cut is exceptionally strong as well. One section of the game becomes a watercolor painting, and the sight of demonic monstrosity heightens the sensations of darkness and evil. The sound design provides just the right amount of mix and approach to making each moment of Infliction: Extended Cut appropriate. The sound of creaking stairs, the echo and reverb of a demonic voice, and the sound of the demon coming at you are just some of the audio moments experienced in the game. Infliction: Extended Cut is a game specifically designed to make you feel uncomfortable, but the gameplay and its pacing are what keeps players hooked throughout this dark adventure.
The demon is absolutely terrifying and unpredictable. She’ll emerge where you least expect it, flying into you from a long, dark hallway, or walk right behind you. The combination of the movement, detail, and sound makes every moment intense and uneasy. The demonic imagery, which slowly grows as you progress, continuously creates that sense of unease. While there is a means to defend yourself from the demon through the use of light, you are defenseless. The house itself becomes a domain of evil, constantly shifting and morphing in various ways, especially towards the end. Perhaps most uneasy are the catalysts of the story within the clues. Without spoiling anything, there was a lot of life brought into the story. The clues discovered paint a truly heartbreaking life, to the point where I was even drawing comparisons to real life and moments I’ve witnessed. Topics such as alcoholism and prenatal depression are just a few of the emotions experienced throughout the game. It’s heartwrenching and tugs at your strings.
Infliction: Extended Cut desperately wants you to find something more hopeful, but the deeper you go, the more evil it becomes. However, it can be argued that in an ironic way, perhaps Infliction: Extended Cut can give more clarity to mental health, minus the demonic imagery of course.
That’s not to say that Infliction: Extended Cut is without humor, self-awareness, and challenge. There’s a cooking show that randomly appears that slowly becomes more demonic and sinister as the adventure continues. I couldn’t help but laugh. Later on, a camera is introduced, which is required to solve several challenging puzzles, making for truly unique moments. One moment in an elevator had my jaw drop in complete shock, horror, and confusion. Another room had me discover a mock NES filled with familiar games. It’s clear that the developer, Clinton McCleary, was greatly inspired by various gaming works and wanted to tip a hat to those that inspired him.
There isn’t much in the way of negatives that I can say about Infliction: Extended Cut. It’s a short ride, clocking in at six or more without a guide, and four to five with a guide. Infliction: Extended Cut is short, but I also wouldn’t want it to be much longer. Considering the nature of the game, it’s at the right length. The game runs well, even in the face of one or two technical blemishes. At one point, the demon killed me through a double white door, and one demon was standing in the middle of a room but seemingly knocking on a door. Other than that, there were no other technical problems. Infliction: Extended Cut does contain a New Game Plus with new puzzles, as well as an art gallery, showcasing the in-game artwork, trailers, deleted scenes, and various assets. I would only suggest that the developer place a warning for players that the game contains various subject matter in regards to severe mental distress, which could be perhaps too uncomfortable for some players. However, I wouldn’t mind returning to Infliction: Extended Cut in a future installment, to see another dark adventure with these characters.
Infliction: Extended Cut is an excellent horror game, one of the best horror games on console, and one of the very best horror games available today. It’s clear Infliction: Extended Cut is greatly inspired by various horror games and dark drama, such as P.T. and The Green Mile. With those inspirations come a passion and enthusiasm not seen often in games. Clinton McCleary and his supporting team were immensely passionate about Infliction: Extended Cut and it shows throughout the whole experience. This enthusiasm translates to Infliction: Extended Cut being a dreadful, terrifying experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
For those that dare, Infliction: Extended Cut is worth the trip.
More information about Infliction: Extended Cut can be found on the official website. The game can be picked up on PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC. A digital PS4 copy was provided for the purpose of review.
For more spooky review content, check out my analysis of Without Escape on PSVita. A while back Alex took a trip to the woods in a new Blair Witch title and three Marooners’ Rock contributors took on the Lovecraftian horrors found in Remnant: From the Ashes, a soulslike third-person shooter that recently got a major update.
