Abstract Engineer 10/21/24 10/25/24 Captured
Abstract Engineer
10/21/24
10/25/24
Captured
Captured strikes a nerve. The effort to create a horrifying immersive experience easily reveals itself. From the dark hallways and eerie sounds to the chilling anomalies and terrifying monsters, the tension never eases. Hunt for anomalies within this environment with great apprehension because something is bound to happen and create a sense of panic.
Table of Contents
ABOUT CAPTURED
Captured is a combination of an anomaly horror game and an analog horror game. You are armed with a camera with a light source. With these tools alone, you will explore the hallways of your home but your home has become unfamiliar. All you want to do is escape this dreadful nightmare. Successfully report anomalies, avoid frightening entities, and maybe you’ll be allowed to leave.
GAMEPLAY
Hunt anomalies in the endless loop of your home’s hallway and use your camera to report anomalies. Reset the loop by entering the door at the end of the hallway. If you have reported the correct number of anomalies, you succeed and progress. If not, you have to start over.
Objects go missing, water runs from the faucet by itself, lights turn on by themselves, entire rooms disappear or become altered, and so much more. If you find an anomaly, use the camera to report the anomaly. You’ll have to report what type of anomaly you find as well. The camera has limited power so you cannot spam camera use. Batteries can be found to recharge the camera.
THE HORROR
Captured does an amazing job with horror. The analog horror aspect alone is spot on. The camera looks and feels analog with film grain and glitchy video. The simulated mechanical camera zoom feels authentic. Sometimes analog camera effects can be overdone and make the game hard to see. Captured does a great job at finding balance.
The audio amplifies the horror on many levels. There is a subtle, deep, pulsating bass track similar to what you hear in the found footage film Paranormal Activity. This creates a heavy atmosphere ripe with apprehension. If you are not familiar with the sound or want to reminisce, here is a sample:
The heavy atmosphere sets the audio stage but there are plenty of sounds to rattle the nerves. Banging can be heard from a distance, heavy footsteps haunt the hallways, heavy breathing, and so much more.
DREADFUL ENTITIES
Anomalies are not all you have to be aware of in Captured. Terrifying entities are waiting to reset the loop for you. They show up at random and there are no clear indications of their arrival until the chase is on.
Each entity has its unique personality and tactics to hunt you. They also have different maneuvers to avoid them. Learn these characteristics quickly. It can take a couple of tries but each failure leads to a reset in the loop and starting over. Add to the fact that once an entity finds you, they are immediately after you. There is little room for reaction.
These interactions can be intense and very scary. I wouldn’t say that the encounters start as a jump scare but they certainly catch you off guard. My panic and anxiety level shot through the roof when I encountered one particular entity named Carroteras. If you are curious, here is a clip of my encounter with it.
THE DEMON
There is a demon in Captured that is orchestrating this entire event. The demon will talk to you in a whispering voice that sounds like is in your head. It’s a whisper but you don’t have to struggle to hear it. The audio is done well and the effects are chilling.
I’m not going to spend any more time talking about the demon because there are too many spoilers involved. I simply wanted to point out the demon’s voice. You hear the demon’s voice right after the intro scene so no spoilers are involved here.
AS I SEE IT
The only problem I have with Captured is that I want more. I love everything about this game. It’s not perfect and not many games are but the slight imperfections are so minimal that I would hope anyone can overlook them.
This is a game to get immersed in and I think the devs did just that. The mix of heavy atmosphere, audio queues, visuals, simulated analog camera, found footage, horror, entities, and everything else works so well to create a truly horrifying experience. It takes a lot to get under my skin these days and Captured feels like a breathe of fresh horror. I love it!
SUGGEST A GAME
Please send suggestions for any anomaly horror games or analog horror games that you think I should check out. If I like the suggested video game, I may write up an article about it or add it to one of my featured lists. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
SCREENSHOTS
CHANGELOG
- 10/21/2024 – Original Post
- 10/24/2024 – Added lightbox to banners
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