Bloodthirsty banshees, a country subjected to terrible martial law, and two young men trapped in school during a typhoon. Detention extends its nightmare to Nintendo Switch and PS4 where, finally, console players can enjoy what is one of the best psychological horror adventures of recent years thanks, especially, to the powerful narrative of this video game. We tell you about it in the Detention analysis.
Disturbing. Gloomy and disturbing. I cannot think of a better way to define Detention , an adventure of psychological terror than in the line of the memorable Silent Hill, it manages to cross the barriers of superficial fear to go where it hurts the most, directly to your head, not so much because of its gloomy setting , haunting soundtrack or the terrible spirits that torment you from beginning to end, which of course, but rather, because of the story it tells; for that bleak journey to hell that embarks you. There is much more behind this video game than meets the eye; it is more than a simple imitator of the Konami classic but in 2D, which was worth just a year ago, with its premiere on PC, to become one of the greats of the genre. So, it’s hard not to get excited now that the game is also on sale on PS4 and Nintendo Switch .
The similarities with the Silent Hill saga are there, no one hides them, but the Red Candle Games video gameHe has his own voice, he has an identity, and he knows at all times how to surprise you. I said it in it’s moment. Without being one of those horror adventures that make you jump in the chair or scream like crazy, Detention has the ability to put fear in your body; get unsettling in such a way that, time and time again, you’ll find yourself looking back lest someone threaten your life in real life. His terror, while visceral and highly graphic, affects you in another way; it worries your soul, it scares you more because of what it tells than what you see, because of what you intuit more than because of what you really know, and in the end, it creates such a halo of mystery around it, it is so twisted sinister in the plot , that it is difficult to resist; It catches you hopelessly! And not without reason. This is a good horror adventure, the kind that leave their mark,originality , even making you wonder if what you see on the screen is real, or perhaps a hallucination caused by the stress to which the protagonists are subjected.
Asian terror. Detention Console Launch Trailer
Do not breatheHow misleading first impressions can sometimes be. You see it and hopelessly think of Silent Hill. “Another copycat”, you say to yourself; “I’ve already seen this”, you keep repeating yourself over and over … until you realize that no, that this is a somewhat different video game, with a different style, slower, more sensible; closer to a traditional graphic adventure , of those of point & click, than to a survival horror of a lifetime. Which does not mean that you will easily escape the black grim reaper; death is a real threat, the spirits are there, thirsty for blood, always looking for souls to reap. So it’s time to escape from them, through stealth, but in a quite original way. You must not hide, nor run like crazy; on the contrary, his thing is to pretend to be a dead person; walk among them, without breathing , so that they do not notice your presence. And it’s something that I love!
This is a somewhat different video game [to Silent Hill], with a different style, slower, more brainyI don’t know why, but I have always been very affected by eastern terror ; It is the one that leaves me with a terrible bad body, the one that when I get home, leads me to turn on all the lights and look under the bed. I’m not exaggerating; I am that scary. Therefore, stand in front of a soul in painwho moans, who cries, who emits grotesque, terrible noises from beyond the grave, knowing that I must not move, that I have to stay still holding my breath … sometimes it was even me who was not breathing! This is how tense the action of this video game can sometimes be that, depending on the spirit that haunts us, forces us to act in one way or another. It’s not that there is a great variety of enemies, there isn’t, and I certainly miss something more playable depth, more challenges that make better use of stealth; but it cannot be denied that Detention is a most effective work. With little he manages to put fear in the body, and that has a lot of merit.
In some moments the action becomes surreal, with a certain dreamlike air, making you doubt if what you see is real or not.
Much of the blame is for its gloomy setting , yes, but above all, the story it tells. Starring two young students who have been trapped in a school in 1960’s Taiwan , during a raging typhoon, Detention builds an exciting and dramatic story, which is also greatly benefited by the country’s own historical context, which at that time, He lived under a terrible martial law that ended the lives of thousands of innocents. The Red Candle Games team gets gold out of it, showing with realism and cruelty how dark the human soul can be. There are surprises, tension, well-written dialogues, and best of all, puzzles that blend phenomenally well into the story itself.
You will move from one place to another looking for clues, activating mechanisms, repairing objects or using keys … but you will do it feeling that everything has a logic, even if your mission is to find some sticks of incense to pay tribute to a god. Detention intertwines reality with mysticism and religion brilliantly, and it shows in its puzzles. There are also incredibly original, surreal, but always with a logic that will lead you to find the answers intuitively. I also appreciate how well the exploration of the scenarios is managed . Sometimes you may not know very well what to do, where to go, but in a matter of seconds, as soon as you find a clue, voilà !, the ideas will flow naturally and you will be right away.
Do not breathe! For what you want the most, don’t do it! The spirits will come for you as soon as they notice that you have life. And if they do… run and don’t look back!
I was also very impressed with the Detention soundtrack and, above all, its sound effects. It has a brutal force; There have been moments when, upon hearing a moan, that strange guttural wail so typical of Asian terror, I have stopped in my tracks, I have been paralyzed, doubting whether or not to go ahead. And the music, although not very varied, achieves something similar; somehow leads you to walk in constant tension. Logical on the other hand. Just take a look at the images that accompany this analysis to see how gloomy and depressing some of the scenarios through which we will advance can be. They are also designed with exquisite taste, with great attention to detail.
Its settings are gloomy and depressing, with designs attentive to detailEverything is details. Small references, special moments, situations of maximum tension … but it is all these details that make Detention such a remarkable video game. The pity is that the final stretch of the adventure, which we can complete around five hours , turns completely into the narrative, is more linear, and the story incomprehensibly loses some strength. Also, although the story is easy to follow, the Spanish translation is missing.
“Excellent”
Detention
It is inspired by Silent Hill among other classics of psychological horror but Detention is much more than a simple imitator. He has an identity, he speaks to you with his own voice, and what tells is a chilling, sinister story that in many ways puts fear in your body. His puzzles are ingenious, some even original; stealth is also well resolved, escaping death by facing it face to face is great, but the best thing is the story, its gloomy setting and the particular drama that confronts you. If you like oriental terror, don’t think twice, this is your video game.
- A story with force, well written, that captures and generates fear
- Great setting. On an artistic level, and at a sound level, it’s a fantastic game
- Good puzzle design; stealth and spirits
- The final stretch of the adventure loses steam
- A little more complexity is missing in certain challenges
