Love old school horror like Friday The 13th and Poltergeist? Love old school adventure games like Monkey Island and Discworld? If it’s either or both, then you should probably pay attention to the release of the new PC title, Midnight Special.
Midnight Special is a point-and-click survival horror game that pays homage to both the crazy horror films of the 80s, and the 16-bit pixel graphics adventure titles of the 90s.
A Quiet Night?
In Midnight Special, you take on the role of Sarah, the (hopefully) final girl of this slasher flick. You’re staying at Boyd Manor to babysit the family’s children. Unfortunately for you, things are about to get spooky.
There is something wrong with the house. Objects seem to move by themselves, the features of rooms seem to change, someone keeps making unsettling phone calls.. and what is that smell?
It looks like this might not be such an easy job after all.
The Smartest Survive
Just like the adventure titles it takes inspiration from, object puzzles are key to your continued survival in Midnight Special. Scour rooms for helpful items and employ your lateral thinking to proceed.
It’s not quite as rigid as some of its predecessors, though. The game has several diverging storylines and endings, based on the choices you make.
Of course, it also comes with a ton of horrible monsters to keep you on your toes. A deranged killer, twisted otherworldly creatures with bodies that defy understanding, a… toy dinosaur? Okay, we’re curious.
This is all rendered in a pixel art style that uses its low-res aesthetic to bring some genuinely impressive and creepy visuals. Both the in-game scenes and the set pieces look great and definitely leave us feeling like we just had to install this one via DOS on a Windows 95 PC in the living room. Oh, the nostalgia!
If you like the sound of this, then Midnight Special is out now on Steam. It normally sells for $9.99, but for the first two weeks of its release, you can get it at a reduced cost of $7.99.
