REVIEW : Insomnis (PS5)
Path Games has released Insomnis, a first-person psychological horror game. Insomnis requires the player to unearth gruesome clues and apply them to solve various puzzles relating to various characters’ tragic pasts. Insomnis takes us to explore oneiric atmosphere as a route to advance, influenced by the surroundings and narrative of great horror masterpieces. Insomnis does not have any combat. It makes you explore across the different rooms hunting for goods that can assist you advance in the game through exploration and resolution of numerous mysteries. And it is this that becomes the game’s identity. The dismal environment of Insomnis was designed to surprise its players.
Insomnis, the inaugural horror game from Spanish developer Path Games, has been launched just in time for Halloween. This indie game focuses on puzzle solving and decision making rather than fighting. You take on the role of Joe Castevet, who inherits his late grandfather’s mansion and is tasked with uncovering the secrets and mysteries that lie there.
Unfortunately, Joe’s motivations or objectives in this situation are never fully explored. However, based on the genre, it’s clear that this home is haunted. For the most part, the plot is a bit hazy and inadequately presented. The game’s second half acts as a dramatic plot twist, but none of it is explained in depth.
The images help to create a fantastic creepy atmosphere. The majority of the things are very detailed and have complementary colour schemes. Diary entries, antique postcards, and abandoned toys are among the collectibles strewn about. They add some context for the storey, but they’re primarily for trophy seekers and completionists. Even yet, several odd design decisions are present, particularly with the lights. It’s dark and difficult to see in the mansion, which is why you’re given a flashlight in the first place. It even asks you to press O to turn it on at first, but you can’t turn the flashlight off, and it never runs out of battery.
It doesn’t matter what you do, you can’t die in this game. You meet the spirits of orphaned children as you make your way around the many chambers of this abandoned home, who are also the source of the aforementioned cheap jump scares. Every move they make is programmed, posing no harm to you as you do your inquiry. They don’t pursue or fight you; instead, after their pre-programmed movement is complete, they merely stand there. There is no autosave feature, and manual saving is only available on dedicated phones throughout the house. Other horror games make you feel compelled to save because you have a limited number of files or because a creature is following you around at all times. This type of mechanic not only adds to the sense of dread, but it also forces you to think about when you should save. Insomnis, on the other hand, forces you to save out of necessity rather than fear.
Insomnis is arguably better classified as a puzzle-solving walking simulator than a horror game. The orphan ghosts advise you in the direction of clues that will assist you in solving various puzzles and riddles. Unfortunately, while some of these puzzles are actually enjoyable and difficult, others are monotonous and annoying. A book must be inserted into a shelf to open a locked door in one of these puzzles. There are no suggestions or cues as to where to look for this book. The most logical assumption is that it’s somewhere else on a bookshelf or counter. After scouring the entire home several times, it was discovered in a kitchen cabinet. Not to mention that the walk speed is slow and there isn’t a sprint option. The game does not warrant more than one replay due to its short playtime of less than 2 hours. It’s touted as “every option matters” since it “features a number of potential endings,” but that is simply incorrect. The sole difference between the two endings is the choice you make at the very end of the game. Everything else in the game is predefined and linear. Insomnis creates the perfect atmosphere with tight audio and well-placed environmental components, but it ultimately falls short of delivering a genuine horror experience. There’s nothing going for this game as a horror title, save from a few conventional jump scares for the programmed surprise factor. It’s a decent horror game with a fantastic atmosphere and excellent sound design for an independent title, albeit the puzzles aren’t that interesting.
