Japanese horror media has a strong knack for psychological horror. Series like Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, or even Resident Evil, while containing different enemies and monsters, still have a strong narrative focus on the effects certain situations, encounters, or atmospheres have on the human psyche. If one were to trace back many of these media giants in the gaming industry, the Japanese myths of Yo-kai, various demonic entities, and how prayers are used to ward off their evil would certainly be one of the origin points. This is where the game Ikai, by developer Endflame and publisher PM Studios Inc., comes into play.
Taking control of a young priestess, Ikai drops you into a relatively normal situation at first. It is a beautiful afternoon and you are just painting your warding seals while your Uncle is away. It is when you go to wash your clothes at the local river that you realize something is horribly wrong. Ikai then drops you into a dark, bloody nightmare, in which you have to use all of your wits to sneak, run, and solve puzzles to survive. Jump scares may be seen as cheap by some, but here they are used to great effect almost immediately, and much of that, as well as the other frights in store for players, has a lot to do with the audio. Ikai does a wonderful job with its audio, whether it’s the cues by the player character, or the sounds, or lack thereof, in the environment, it constantly keeps you uncomfortable, which is a strong move for any game in the horror genre.
The graphics are equally well done. The environments and creatures that you encounter all look exactly out of the Japanese mythologies that they are based on, which is ever more obvious as the collectible notes that you can find contain artwork of how they are described based on ancient texts. Endflame truly nailed the look and feel of what they were going for.
Control is equally well done in Ikai, which is simple and elegant in that respect. The only criticism that I can see from fans of the horror genre are how the checkpoints work. The game is very generous with its checkpoint system, which, make no mistake, can be a lifesaver when it comes to frustration, as no one in this day and age wants to always replay one hour of gameplay when they have work in the morning or family to deal with. This is a struggle that every game in the genre has to deal with. Do you want to keep tension high and limit save points as in Resident Evil with ink ribbons at the cost of potentially higher frustration and constant replay/repetition, or, do you lessen the tension and stakes by including more frequent save points? Both sides have valid arguments for and against, so it will be up to players of Ikai to decide for themselves.
In the end, Ikai is a solid horror experience no matter which way you slice it. It perfectly melds modern horror game conventions with traditional Japanese folklore and mythology to create an atmospheric experience that is simultaneously familiar with modern players, yet stands out uniquely from its competitors. If you have done everything there is to be done in Resident Evil 8 (Village), or played a boatload of Phasmaphobia recently, Ikai may just be your next ticket to terror.
Score:
Graphics: 8.5/10
Sound/Music – 9/10
Gameplay – 9/10
Story/Atmosphere – 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Ikai releases tomorrow, March 29, 2022, for PC via Steam. You can wishlist it right now.
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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