Scratches Demo

I played the demo for Scratches last night, and I must admit that it literally gave me nightmares. In my dream, I was stuck inside that creepy house and I couldn’t leave (thanks to an episode of Buffy I’d also watched last night), and there were zombies and monsters outside (again, thanks Buffy). Meanwhile, there was a man with a chainsaw who killed my ex-roommate, Anthony (dunno where the chainsaw man came from – Army of Darkness, perhaps?), and there was also some girl running around screaming that I didn’t really recognize. I kept trying to leave the house, but I kept finding myself back in it again. The place was creepy and haunted and dark. All in all, it was a pretty scary, disturbing dream.

What I’m trying to say here is that Scratches is awesome.

The developer, Nucleosys, released the demo quite appropriately on Halloween, but I didn’t get around to DLing/installing it until last night (having been busy fighting with City of Villains, instead). What makes this game so awesome? I’ll tell you.

Mostly: the atmosphere. The graphics in this game are phenomenal. The music is perfect. The silence is perfect. Walking around the house, though I encountered nothing particularly scary – no monsters jumping out, nothing – the stillness was disturbing. Every time a door would open, I worried about what I would find on the other side. Even if I’d been in the room countless times before. The developers certainly did their job in creating the right atmosphere for this game.

Also: there’s humor. To liven things up, the developers added a bit of wit and humor to the game (or at least the demo). If you’ve played World of Warcraft you know that clicking insistently on NPC’s will earn you witty sayings on their parts. Scratches has its own similar brand of humor. Upon attempting over and over to open a locked drawer in the demo, the text at the bottom of the screen (which generally tells you details about the things you find) changed from “The drawer was locked” to “Bloody developers!” and “This demo is really starting to get annoying!” Ha! Additionally, in the bathroom, if you click on the toilet the text at the bottom reads “The smell coming from the toilet prevented me from investigating any further.”

That alone would’ve sold me.

Here’s the story: The game is a first person, point-and-click puzzle mystery game. The year is 1980, and you’re the latest resident of an old Victorian house in the outskirts of Rothbury (yes, you’re also British).

The weather does not look good, but you are charmed by this peaceful and quiet place. Perhaps not that quiet as the rooms of this exquisite mansion speak about past events whose echoes can still be heard through its walls – literally. As you set to uncover dark secrets, you slowly become aware of an alarming and terrifying fact: you are not alone

There’s an old, abandoned journal that speaks of unsolved mysteries. There is someone or something in the basement.

But what?

It’s your job to figure it out.

I still haven’t, but I intend to go back to the game a little later on to see what other things I discover. I’ll be sure to play in broad daylight though, since the game seriously freaks me out.

One thing’s for certain though: I’ll be picking this baby up the second it hits the shelves. No specific release date has been set, though I believe it’s slated for later this year.

Here’s a little more about the demo/game from the Nucleosys website:

The demo features the initial portion of the game with a few restrictions, given its non-linear nature. In the final game, though, players will be allowed to freely explore many chilling and atmospheric places as they investigate Blackwood Manor’s three floors and visit various other locations, such as a run-down greenhouse, a grim chapel, a decaying crypt and more. Somewhere… concealed and lurking in the darkness… it awaits.

In this point-and-click adventure game, reminiscent of classic 70s horror movies, players will step into the shoes of acclaimed writer Michael Arthate as he moves to his newly-acquired home, set on the outskirts of a typical rural town in northern England. Michael is keen to finish the follow-up to his #1 best-seller, Vanishing Town, which is being awaited by hordes of loyal fans.

Struggling with the pressure of living up to the hype, our writer soon becomes enchanted with the story surrounding his house, which once belonged to the infamous Blackwood family. What Michael does not yet know is that this place has witnessed terrible acts throughout the decades and is holding a dangerous secret… one that threatens to end his life!

Play the demo, my friends. Obtain it here at the Nucleosys site or here at the Cellar of Rats site.

Also view the trailer: (Europe) or (America)