BLAIR WITCH

The Black Hills have eyes, and a wet nose

Blair Witch was a ’90s horror movie event that came and went like Hayden Christensen’s career. But it did make found footage and snotty noses creepy, and this game makes the most of at least one of these traits.

Set two years after the movie, you’re in the muddy boots of PTSD-suffering Ellis Lynch, a cop and army veteran searching for a missing child in the Black Hills forest. At your side is search dog Bullet, and for the next six hours all you hear are barks, snuffles, the crunch of twigs, and… the voices.

What Blair Witch does well is atmosphere. When you’re meant to feel lost and alone you do. The densely designed, permanently fogged forest feels oppressive and you’ll cling to any sign of modernity – a bunker, an abandoned car, a logging camp – for signs of life. It also means Bullet becomes a sort of crutch; you’ll call him near for comfort and command him to sniff for leads.

Your AI companion is a great addition, and when a final-third decision needs to be made it’s heartbreaking. But as you rely on Bullet, so does the game.

All too soon you’re following, not leading, trudging from one event to the next with little thought. That doggo sidekick is great but equally removes any sense of danger.

The same can be said of other key ideas in Blair Witch. Picking up the found footage theme of the movie, hidden in the forest are tapes that reveal aspects of the story, and can change the world around you. Watching, rewinding, and pausing a scene in-camera can open doors and reveal new paths. The camera’s viewer can reveal threats in the world too. It’s a nice idea but is overused and saps away any sense of threat, despite some fun jump scares late in the game.

VIDEO NASTY

As you’re ushered towards the credits Ellis can make calls to his estranged girlfriend, chat to the local sheriff, and reward or reprimand Bullet, all of which affect the game’s ending.

Despite its own ideas often undermining any sense of terror, post-credits Blair Witch does make you think about the actions you’ve taken. While it treats PTSD as a hook to hang events from rather than offering a worthwhile comment on mental health, you will want to return to the Black Hills to try again, to make things right next time around, and break the cycle of violence.

VERDICT

Good ideas are undermined by overuse and a lack of tension, but Blair Witch does leave you thinking ‘What if?’ and demands to be replayed. Ian Dean