HomeNewsLurks Within Walls
I really hope turn-based horror RPG Lurks Within Walls gets combat worthy of its lovely claustrophobiaTry the demo, beware the ball
Try the demo, beware the ball
Image credit:2 Wedges
Image credit:2 Wedges
LURKS WITHIN WALLS | Official Annoucement TeaserWatch on YouTube
LURKS WITHIN WALLS | Official Annoucement Teaser
The game’s monsters are the work of Trevor Henderson, a Canadian artist of some repute, who has a lifelong passion for creepypasta photography. They’re an unpleasant bunch, for sure, but what really gets me going about Lurks Within Walls is being confined to 90 degree turns while roaming a small maze of lock-and-key puzzles, awash with glitchy lighting and frankly unreasonable quantities of negative space. Every sharp turn is an opportunity for a scare - it’s as though you were viewing one of those slidereel shows 80s horror movies love, waiting for the one that has the spook.
Hopefully, they’ll also pamper the combat a bit. Part of the problem is that the options on show in the demo aren’t that extensive or imaginative - you pick a weapon, then pick a body part to target based on your hit percentage, chugging health consumables where necessary. The other part of problem is that while the monsters look great in screens, they are purposefully devoid of animations and effects, to preserve that looming creepypasta aesthetic. I’m not sure what to suggest, but the game as it stands squanders all terror during battle. It just feels like you’re rolling dice to punch an imageboard post from 2007.
Here’s a rundown of key features, fromthe Steam page:
Survival Horror meets Modern Dungeon Crawling: Experience a unique blend of survival horror and dungeon-crawling RPG elements, where every decision could be your last.
Fast-Paced Turn-Based Combat: Engage in intense, tactical battles against a range of nightmarish creatures. Gather weapons and items, and confront threats that demand strategy and resource management.
Choose your Path: Choose to play as surviving residents, armed with pipes and makeshift weapons, or police officers, striving to eliminate threats and save remaining survivors. Will you seek to escape or search for your lost loved ones?
And here’s a release date: BOO, JUMPSCARE, there isn’t one yet. Just the ominous refrain “coming soon”. You can also find the demo onItch.io, if you consider Steam the greatest horror of all.
