CONCLUSE on Steam
Concluse is a freeware atmospheric exploration horror game with a PS1-esque style which is a game adaption of a fictional 'creepy story' video series that had been going up on YouTube for the last year or so (a fictional story about a 'rare forgotten' PSX horror game).
CONCLUSE Game Launch Trailer:
If interested in watching the video series for CONCLUSE before or after playing the game, click here to access its playlist.
This game is free, but I will mention it's the first part of a series of games, this first part should still last someone 2.5-5 hours, and it covers 7 parts of the video series it's based on, but it sets-up for a follow-up game to follow the rest of the video series.
I got an early key and had a chance to play through it already, so I have written some impressions for anyone who might be curious:
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Concluse is first-person atmospheric exploration game that's based off of a YouTube video series of the same name that had slowly been releasing over the last year and a half depicting a 'rare' PS1 horror game. The game is a playable form of the first part of the video series (up to Part 7 of the series), but includes a lot of new areas and bits that didn't exist within that series ever. If you ever watched the Concluse YouTube video series and enjoyed it, you should definitely give this a play as it's basically just that in a playable form, along with all the cryptic elements attached to that.
Now if you've never even heard of Concluse until now, essentially it's a "forgotten PS1 Horror Game" that came up in the wake of Petscop blowing up in popularity. Unlike most copycats, it did a lot of its own original things and didn't quit despite never really taking off in a huge way in popularity. And now said video series has been turned into an actually playable game. Neat. The game at its heart sounds less interesting than it is, a lot of the game is simply exploring a semi-open world environment looking for key items to use elsewhere to progress with the occasional puzzle or threat. While the gameplay is relatively simple, the what makes it work is a well done cohesive atmosphere, a good element of intrigue, and a general strangeness to everything around it. The game is also sprinkled with a few dozen PS1-era esque CG cutscenes, which do add to the experience and don't really overstay their welcome (except maybe the opening, which as you can't skip cutscenes and if you click "New Game", you have to watch again or close to skip).
Some may notice immediately there's some Silent Hill inspiration here, the story concept of a man named Michael heading into town to find his missing wife after three years in a New England town named, "Hell", is more than enough, but without spoiling too much in the later half of Concluse you enter an area that could've easily existed within the original PS1 Silent Hill series. It's not hiding its inspiration, but I admit to kind of loving that with the current state of that franchise. Concluse isn't just pulling from something like Silent Hill, outside of the noted Petscop influence, there's also elements that can be traced to things like Marble Hornets, and having seen later videos of the Youtube series before this game was announced, other odd elements come into play later wearing their inspiration on their sleeves.
There's a few interesting mechanics at play here. One I was really fond of is this payphone system. Throughout Concluse you'll find several quarters, which you can use either on Payphones or other minor optional things. When you put a quarter into a Payphone, you get an option to either call Home, your Mother, or your missing wife Carolyn. You can call whoever, but can develop some background plot threads based on who you decide to spend more time talking to. It's a minor thing, but it did help me become more invested in the story and characters by having some choice who to call (as payphones are one-time use for whatever reason) and discover more about.
To mention: This is the first part of what I assume they plan to make a series of games. If you watch the Concluse YouTube series, this covers the first 7 parts of the video series. It ends with a cliffhanger and a "Next Time on Concluse" preview video, which honestly I'm excited for as I both really enjoyed this experience and having watched the YouTube series, I think it ended right as things both begin to get stranger and more interesting.
Even if you've seen the video series, there's a lot new here with about half of the content being new areas, puzzles, and elements, and if you've never seen it, while this experience won't be for everyone it should appeal to those who love some good ole' surreal exploration and don't mind a slower-burn exploratory cryptic experience. There's hardly any action at all, but I think it succeeds by generating an interesting world, atmosphere, and several key moments to keep things engaging.
Also at the time of writing, I think this game has a few hidden secrets in it. I in my play time had found two secrets I was not able to complete due to not finding all the missing pieces before reaching the ending. I plan to go back and see if I can figure out these two optional things and see what secrets they hide, but if you like secret digging I can confirm this game has some of that element hidden inside of it.
Overall, an enjoyable atmospheric cryptic exploration game in the guise of a lost PS1 horror game, which is a game adaption of a YouTube creepypasta-esque thing. Not everyone will like it, but those that find the appeal I think will quite enjoy it. And this first part is free, and rather meaty (it should last someone 3-5 hours I imagine), so definitely worth checking out.
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I'm trying to raise more awareness of some indie horror things hitting, so likely see more topics like this from me. It literally just released onto Steam, so it is available for people freely now.
