Horror games are coming thick and fast in 2024. While countless remasters continue to be announced, the indie side of gaming remains an outlet for more original spooky ideas. ODale Studios is looking to make its mark in the horror sphere with Habilis. This self-proclaimed “lovecraft style horror experience not for the weak of heart” is set to release later this year. Before it comes out players have access to a playable demo to have a taste of what is to come in this psychological scare fest.
Missing influencer
The player is put in the shoes of Nathan Walters, a small-time influencer who’s looking to gain internet fame. Nathan’s desperation for this dream leads him to enter an abandoned facility full of bloodied bodies and endless darkness. Undeterred by these circumstances, Nathan ventures further into the facility to uncover the truth and gain a larger online presence. A cooperation mentioned several times in the demo is Mother Hub. This entity seems to hold great importance in the universe where Habilis takes place. What’s also intriguing is that ODale Studios has another game coming out next year titled Mother Hub, suggesting that both these games are connected somehow and will explore a large-scale narrative. For now, though all players have to go off is Nathan’s video footage. The main trailer for Habilis states that Nathan has gone missing implying that what we are playing is actually Nathan’s final moments alive. This disturbing revelation leaves a lot unanswered and the demo continues to keep this secret.
Survival horror elements
Habilis definitely feels like it takes inspiration from early 2010s horror games. It has the exploration aspect of Slender: The Arrival. From the demo alone not much is shown in terms of gameplay. It covers some of the basic movement mechanics like running and crouching. Mechanics like this usually imply that you have to escape from something pursuing you. Again, the demo only hints at this idea with a few audio cues and the occasional jump scare, but the trailer explicitly shows the player hiding in a cupboard. What they’re hiding from is unclear, but it’s almost certainly not something pleasant. The demo revealed that sometimes the biggest enemy you’ll be facing is a locked door. A common way to delve deeper into the facility is by finding tools, passcodes, or a well-placed vent. The facility itself is dark making exploration borderline impossible without a flashlight. Habilis reminds players to keep track of how often they use the flashlight as it can run out of power.
Psychological horror elements
Though it has mechanics similar to survival horror games, Habilis is more concerned with scaring you psychologically. Audio cues and music stings throughout the demo create a tense atmosphere from the get-go. Furthermore, as well as these more obvious scares the facility itself adds to this creepy tone with distorted voices talking over loudspeakers and hissing from barely functioning machinery. While inside the facility Nathan starts to hallucinate which is where many of the demo’s scary moments come from. Without spoiling the demo for anyone curious enough to try it for themselves, the creature may upset anyone with arachnophobia. Screenshots from the Steam page imply this isn’t the only thing you will encounter in the facility.
Demo final thoughts
ODale Studios has shown promise with this short but sweet demo. Habilis has a genuinely unnerving feel about it and a plot that’s simple yet still interesting. We’ve not seen much of what the game has to offer yet which definitely works in its favor. Horror games too often spoil their scariest elements, and I’ve got a feeling Habilis has a lot more frights to come.
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