Post Trauma Review – The Silent Hills Have Eyes

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Just as many genres in gaming rely on familiar narrative and gameplay elements, horror games typically utilize distinct and recognizable features. Games that aim to be frightening often share common characteristics such as specific camera angles, a focus on puzzle-solving, or intense combat scenarios. Indie studio Red Soul Games is intentionally drawing from these established tropes with their latest release, Post Trauma. The creators themselves acknowledge that the game has been heavily influenced by classic PS2-era horror games like Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, as well as lesser-known titles such as Fatal Frame and Siren.

“The horror in Post Trauma tends to be pulled off quite well.”

As a gamer, I found that the narrative in Post Trauma seems more like a smattering of concepts than a well-woven tale. Don’t get me wrong, there are threads of a story you can grasp onto, with the occasional dialogue exchange, but overall, it leans heavily on its in-game mechanics to generate scares instead of relying on a haunting narrative involving spectral entities. It’s not hard to pick up on the game’s intended mood within just a few minutes, but there’s a certain roughness that can’t be ignored. Apart from some strangely animated cutscenes, this lack of refinement actually enhances the game’s unsettling ambiance.

The storyline kicks off in a perplexing manner. You find yourself assuming the character of Roman, the train conductor (portrayed by Togo Igawa). With minimal background information, Roman awakens in a creepy train with no apparent escape route. Here, two significant features of the game Post Trauma begin to emerge: the strategic use of fixed cameras to generate tension and the focus on traditional puzzle-solving. During this initial phase of the game, the camera work stands out as it skillfully produces some genuinely awe-inspiring scenes while persistently suggesting that something ominous lurks beyond the camera’s view.

Similar to traditional Silent Hill games, the camera frequently adjusts according to the situation, moving along with you. For instance, in the initial stages, there’s a corridor where the camera rotates, placing Roman at the center while he walks through an eerie, seemingly elongated passageway that gives off a chilling vibe. The strategic use of camera angles, such as this swivel effect, combined with compositions that are aesthetically pleasing and reminiscent of art pieces on their own, significantly contribute to creating the ominous, oppressive ambiance of the game.

As a gamer immersed in the virtual world, I’ve come to appreciate how skillfully camera angles are employed, creating an unsettling, suffocating ambiance that often feels like I’m witnessing a piece of art. This artistic framing is not just a part of the game, but it contributes significantly to setting the eerie, oppressive mood that keeps me on edge.

In the realm of puzzles, things can unravel rather swiftly, leading to feelings of confusion at times. Although the studio boasts about the intricate puzzle design in Post Trauma, players may find themselves requiring a notepad for jotting down thoughts. Even in the early stages of the game, some puzzles can seem illogical. Initially, you’re asked to decipher a replacement code to open a lock and advance. However, as you progress, you encounter puzzles such as locating a random wire that can be used to pull an essential item through a barricaded window. This wire can then activate a generator, powering another machine that vibrates, causing a keycard to drop down.

As I delved deeper into the game, I found myself grappling with puzzles that seemed excessively complex. At certain points, the fixed-perspective camera was swapped for a first-person view during gameplay segments, which felt somewhat jarring but also added an extra layer of challenge to the game. These puzzles often adhered to illogical patterns reminiscent of 90s point-and-click adventures, and frequently required me to navigate hazards that couldn’t be handled directly. Fortunately, these first-person segments were infrequent, allowing me to return to the familiar fixed-perspective gameplay. Overall, the puzzle design in this game was a bit hit or miss – while some were engaging and even enjoyable when I had to jot down notes, others added little value and sometimes detracted from the overall gaming experience, negatively impacting the atmosphere at times.

To put it simply, the terror portrayed in “Post Trauma” is effectively executed. While it doesn’t introduce anything particularly innovative to the horror genre, and some elements may seem clichéd, such as eerie mannequins and shadows in corners, these tropes don’t diminish the game’s overall impact. The strategic use of the camera and the intense nature of direct combat contribute significantly to creating a chilling atmosphere. Despite the awkwardness and difficulty in combat, it paradoxically enhances the game’s spooky ambiance.

“Overall, however, the puzzle design tends to be a mixed bag in terms of quality.”

The overall fight sequences in this game seem to blend elements from both Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, creating a unique atmosphere. At first, melee combat is heavily emphasized, with the majority of your actions revolving around wielding a homemade weapon and evading attacks. As you progress, you’ll gain access to firearms, which bring the gameplay closer to that of the original Resident Evil. You can roughly aim your weapon, though camera angles may make this challenging, and shoot at enemies, hoping for a well-positioned shot that could potentially defeat them in a few hits.

In the game Post Trauma, instead of engaging in many battles, it’s recommended that you assess whether a fight is worth the resources you may expend. Often, avoiding confrontation by evading enemies and quickly moving on to your next destination could be more advantageous for your character, Roman, since he can’t withstand numerous direct hits.

In their finest moments, the concepts showcased in “Post Trauma” evoke a delightful nostalgia for an earlier age of horror video games. The ambiance is nearly flawless, and the raw cutscenes enhance the overall feeling of discomfort the game aims to induce. However, at its weakest, the game appears as though it could have benefited from additional thought regarding certain aspects, particularly first-person segments and puzzle design. In essence, “Post Trauma” seems like a fusion of two distinct games: one that demonstrates the ongoing viability of the traditional horror genre in contemporary gaming, while the other suggests a title that might have profited from further development to refine its elements.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2025-04-29 20:11