Last month, we were given a code to review Cracked Head Games’ latest game Silver Chains on the Xbox Series X. At the time, we miss read the email I had received and attempted to play the game on the Xbox One. Once we realized that it was not possible to play it on the Xbox One, we tried to rectify the problem by purchasing the game on Steam. Sadly, this attempt also failed due to technical issues. Thankfully, this last week, we were able to acquire an Xbox Series X. So without further ado, let us dive into our Silver Chains review for the Xbox Series X.
Story
Silver Chains is a Survival horror game with adventure and puzzle attributes. The game starts out with the player stumbling from their car on a stormy night. Depending on how high the player sets the brightness, navigating to the house can be an annoyance; there are multiple occasions where the game’s brightness plays a factor. Once in the house, the main character feels uncomfortable and feels a familiarity with his surroundings. Upon exiting the room that he mysterious woke up in, Peter discovers that he is not alone in the house. Soon, we learned that the souls of the dead still inhabit the house and something evil is keeping them there.
Similar to Resident Evil 7 & Village, the player must explore the house, solve puzzles, avoid an evil being, and uncover the past while remembering who they are. If you are good at games such as Layers of Fear, Outlast, Slender, or Silent Hill, then this game will be up your alley. This game thrives on jump scares, solving puzzles, and Stephen King or M. Night Shyamalan world-building. Just when you think you know what is going on, the rug is pulled out from underneath. The ending is an enjoyable twist that the story builds upon even if it is a bit short.
Gameplay
Like other horror survival games, Silver Chains‘ goal is to survive and escape. Players will have to avoid the homicidal mother who searches for the player after solving significant puzzles. During our playthrough of the game, the mother was actually glitched and would not harm the player if caught; this also occurred when confronted by the final boss.
Most of the puzzles in the game are rather simple to solve; they just require taking the time to look around rather than running through. If you take the time to look around, you will notice how much detail is within the game. Particle effects work as they are supposed to and only on a few occasions did we notice issues that affected gameplay. Thankfully, during our playthrough, nothing broke impeding our progress.
While playing through the short story, we did get lost on a few occasions. A lack of a map feature really inhibited knowing which direction to go, but ultimately we were able to find our way. The gameplay focuses on two key elements: the torch and the monocule. The torch provides players with a light source helping them to find their way through the dark areas. The monocule is introduced later in the game and shows players where they need to go.
Core gameplay elements are rather simple and even a small child could play through this game. With the jump scares and graphic elements, it is not advised for children though.
The story is enjoyable but lack of navigation can make it more of a hassle rather than a fun ride. Each element added to the game increases the suspense while throwing you into a mystical world. The game is not for the faint of heart.
Graphics/Audio/SFX/Controller
When it comes to Silver Chains, graphics, music, the controller, and sound effects play a major factor in how the game plays and feels. Although the game’s controls are rather simple, the use of vibration helps prepare the player for scares or makes the jump scares even more intense. If you play without vibration, then you are missing out. Now when it comes to graphics and audio, the game suffers from a double edge sword. On a few occasions, the audio for special interactions would trigger before the event happened. At other times, the audio would just cut out making things a bit creepier.
When it comes to Silver Chains graphics, every item is highly detailed, however, a few objects did not render properly. This typically happened when we were forcefully moved from one area to another. Thankfully, everything that was helpful to completing the story worked properly. As we previously noted, both enemy creatures were unable to harm us during our playthrough. This took out some of the scary fun knowing that we basically were invincible.
Outside of audio bugs, the sound engineer did a great job with special effects sounds. Lightning crackling, floorboards creaking, and objects dropping slightly out of view left us on edge. During our playthrough, we were never quite sure what to expect. On multiple occasions, the change in music or a sudden sound effect would cause us to jump in our chairs.
Replay Value
When it comes to replay value, Silver Chains is a bit lacking. You can attempt to speed run this or it can make for a great Halloween stream game, but there is nothing that makes each playthrough stand out from a previous run. The game’s achievements do set challenges for the player to accomplish that most players will not be able to complete on their first run unless you look at a guide previously.
Verdict
Overall Silver Chains is a fun jump scare experience the first time you play through it. The lack of alternate paths and playthrough styles make it rather lackluster to revisit unless showing others. The game’s use of different lighting effects, special effects, vibration feedback, and music draw the player in to create a scarier experience. If you are looking for a fun horror game that you can play through in three to six hours, give it a try. If you like more action-packed games, then you might want to wait until the game goes on sale.
A review copy of Silver Chains was provided for the Xbox Series X. We also purchased a copy of the game on steam. Headup Games does a great job picking indie games that a variety of people can enjoy. If you like this Headup Games title, check out Pumpkin Jack and Doodle Derby. It was neat to see a reference to Slappy from Goosebumps in this game.
