Slender Review

[Bindal]

Of course not. The game is fine the way it is. The darkness serves a clear purpose. If you could just see everything. The rest are simply coding or engine issues. Who the hell cares if it doesn't look THAT good, it's simply good enough to be scared shitless.

And about the purpose of the game. It only has one purpose; that's being scared.

If THAT is its purpose, then it failed hard at what it's supposed to do because it is NOT scary. It has some jump-scares but EVERY game can have those, even "Hello Kitty World Adventure" - just let something suddenly pop up in your face and have a weird sound play. BAM, instant-jump-scare! Does it make the game scary? FUCK NO!

 

[Garrett]

Snip

Damn, yes. It totally ruins the immersion and it makes the game world seem distant and uncanny. Have you seen those textures? Very ugly, and this is 2012, ey! This game needs to be built on the CryEngine!!1

[/sarcasm]


Of course not. The game is fine the way it is. The darkness serves a clear purpose. If you could just see everything. The rest are simply coding or engine issues. Who the hell cares if it doesn't look THAT good, it's simply good enough to be scared shitless.

And about the purpose of the game. It only has one purpose; that's being scared. Of course it ends that way, it's exactly what it wants to do. It's about the buildup and being caught. Getting all 8 pages and then being caught is the ultimate achievement in the game. It's how you get there (and how often you don't make it) that determine the experience.

Spoiler

Is that picture for you? Because you totally missed the point. I never complained about graphics level. I complained that the game is boring and not scary while pointing out the logical stupidity of not needing any artificial source of light inside a dark building, while needing it outside, under clear and starry sky.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Find where each page has spawned first, then make a ma͔̫d̼ d̜̮͍̣a̳̹̰̖̱̥s̲̱̥͎̱h̩̗̱̝ t͕͓o̟̦̗͍̮ ͓s͓̩̼̺̰͙̝n̮̱̝a̺̲ṭ̦c̮̬̙̲͈͍̣̟h̩̺̣̗̦̱̰ ͚̝t̰̘h͓̩͙e̜̭̥̟m͇̗̘̤̬̮.̥̮̯̤͖̹͉̣

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S̙e̺͖̩̻̠̮e͇̝͍m̲s͕̞ ̼͍̲͙̪̤̳̬̠l̬͈͉͔̜̙ḭ͉͍̳k̖̹̤̹̲͉e̞ ̤̱̩̗t̺̝̱̭̭̟͓̥̟h̙̯̖̤͚̲̩͚ͅa̼͔̲t̳̻̪̥ ̯̯̪s̱̦͙̖̤l̩e̬̻͚̘̩̩̺͍n̫̱d̗̺͓̞͉̻̬͍̬ẹ̹̟̙̭͚r̞̤͖̝̲̙̼ ̙̪g̲̗̻u͚̪̲̦y̲̖̪͔̹̬̼̟͖ i͎̦͢ṣ͖̩ ̷̤̥́p̝̘͇͔͖̙̀͟r͖̹͙̙̲͉͔̀͢e͓͇̖̖̻̙͔͙͓t̴̸͖͙̼̮t̠̲̠y͎̤̠ ̧҉̙̘̬̰̤̝̠̗e͢͏̱̥͕̮̥̬̣͝á̢͍̖̩̦͔̩̬͓s̳̺̲̝͘ỵ̛͓̳̬͔̪̟͖͝ ̸̖̣̗͖͍̗̖͙t̵̨̤̪o͏͍͚̖̖̝̮̺̱͢͡ ̶̣͕f͕̩͇̙̜͞o͎o͇̞l͏̧̲̰͎͠!҉̴̜̭̼̩̕

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H̵̥͇̥͍̬̰o̺̘̠̥͔̜͝l̸͘҉̮̭̘d̴͇̖̺̫͠ ̹̼́ͅơ̧͕͍̥ͅn̷̜̠̠͖̲̳͎ͅ ̡̢̪̮̕a̢̟̳̺͕͓͉͙̬͉ ̸̺͍̦̳͚͇̘̀s̰̘̯̩e̴̩̝̲̤͚̯̲͍̬c̭̙̠̕͢͟ǫ͏͚̮͔̰̪n̸̵҉̰̼̖d̛̟̦̠̜̺̫̕͠ͅ,̡͇̤̤̬̜͙͚ I̵̠̳͍̺̞͇̘̠̺̤̙̦̹̝̗̪͋͌ͬ͋̀͞ ̌͐ͩ̂̑̚҉̯̩̮̳̭̹̹̼̖͈̮̞̥̜̻͕̳͎̀̕͜t̢̛͖͙̳̺̮̘̟͇̺̦͎̣̞̹̫̅̍̿̾̈͛̉ͧ̐̀̔̀ͯ͛̀̕ͅȟ̆̑̾ͨ͏̢̟͕̫̱̹͟i̧͈̩̙̭̰͙̥͉̭͕̱͍ͨ̉̀́̌ͮ̾ͨ̀͂͒͌̅ͬ̈̓̾͒ͪ̕ͅn͚͕̯̠̘̣͍͔̪̗̟̘̰̘͔͑̅ͨͣͭ͋̕̕͢k̴̨̾̏ͫ̋̽͒ͫ̄̓̓̒͐ͧ̌͠҉̥̳̻ ̢̂ͥ̀̿̇͂̿͏̨̪͔͈̹̼̀͡I̷̝̰͍̤̼͓̲̤ͬ͒̎̉͑͢ ͗̃͑ͯ̓̒̈ͨ̚҉͕̻͕̜̮͙̘̳͔̻͍̣̳̀͢͢͝ḩ̶̢̖̯̥̹̱̥͈͚̞̱̮̟͕̖͋͑ͬ͌ͮ́̄̈̽͊̀̚ę̷̵̵̥̱͕͔͍̫̔̅͑̈́́̎̈̋͒̓ͣͪ̏ͅaͮ̄ͣ͛̔̆̈́͠͏̯̘͎̣̹͟r̍̒̈́͌͏̟̩̜̖̰̘̝̗̤̭̬̜͝ ̛̖̺̗̻̮̟̱̩̺̹̣̯ͤͣͬ̔́͛͐͆͛ͭͩͮͩ͂ͩ̆͜͟s̶̪̹̩̩̩͙̥͔̯̻̒̆̍̾ͯ̓̓̒̾̉ͩ͐̓̏͊͗͐̿͗ͅö́̃̍̕͜҉͓̩͍͇̲̗͢͟mͫ̎͂̂̈̀͛̑͐̈́̾ͦͮͪ͑ͭ̀́̚͟҉̹̩͖͇͖͔̗̞͙̜̳͎̹e̡ͭ͒ͮ̽ͪ̆͢͏̯͓̳̪̙͇͜ ̲̮̬̩̥̘̙̼̙̂ͪ͛̿̋̍̀̽ͫ̒̇̚̕͝ͅs̛̰̦̮̮̒̀͐̂̾ͤͥ̇̆̏ͬ̚c̶̡̛̛̘̰̗̝̝͇̲͈̻̰͕̙̬̙̙͓͌ͨ̑̈́ͮͪ͊ͫͩ̉͐̀͜r̷̵̥͙͕͎̖̻̦̗͎̠͖̲̯̆ͣ̒͛ͥ̀ͅă͒ͨͫ͠͏̤̤̟̟͈̪̠̩̼͍̥̞̯͔̫ț̙̣̖͕̠̜́ͭ́̈̍̿̔͞͡ͅc̶̶͌̈̈͂͛̈͐͟͏̮͕̯̼͇̼̻̖͙͎̜̬̰̝̬̜ḩ̸̱̱͇̩͍̭̙͉̼͍̳͚̯̘͆̈́͛͌͋̆̊͜͜͞i̴̡̨̩̦͖̦̠̤͓̠̙̖̪̮̰͓̫̘̤̠̹̔ͫ̅͋ͬ̿̔n̢̙͍̟̪̹̎̅ͥ̏͒ͧ̈͢͝͡g̵̡͙̯̻̞͔̪͙̭̺̜̣̘̰̺̣͇ͩ̅ͦ͂ͅ ̡̐͆ͭ̋̊̋͗̿ͤ̓ͣͣ̑ͦ̿̃̃̊̑҉̸̀͏̠̤͔̞a̶̢̲̼͇͔̠͙̬͔͖̮̱̠̫̲ͧ̃̑̀̂ͬ̕t̶͕͔̪͚̲̤̰̱̦͍͙̾͛̇̚͜ͅ ̴̡̱̦̫̼̲͎̘̹̞̱̤̱͇̘̩̬̰̯ͥ͗̈́̏̃ͨͥ̿͑͋ͯ̃͑́̚ͅṱ̵̡̢̫̲̫̗̲̥̥͍̹͚̆̆̄̎̅ͫ̅͌̉̌ͪ̄̓̒̊̌͡h̾̽̍̓̿̀͏̖̤̪̝̟͓̟͍̻͉͈̞͓̱̖̯̱͢͡ȇ̵̢̺̝̘̳̹̥̞̺̠͍̼ͭ̈̊̊ͣͧ͑̂̊ ̋̍͋̐̇̒͂̈́̔ͫͨ͑͊̾͏̵̦͔̥̻̹̠̦̜͘͠d͉̹͎̠̥̥͔̘̞͙̾̀͛̽ͭͦ̔͑̏͌͛ͣ́ͅỏͦ͊ͩ̂ͩ͊ͪ͛͛͐ͧͪͪ̚̕͝͞͏̧͈̖̲͓̲̱̝̰̮͖ͅô̵̸̸̭̮͎̖̺̱͈̈̿͑̆̎͐̆̐ͨ̈̉̔ͩ̾̄̍̌͜r͉͖̜̭͙̰̬͓̠̈́ͬ̄̅́̚̕ͅ.̸̙͎̪̬̮̣̗̬ͧ͑͌ͧ̐̉̉̈́ͪ̽̈́̃͛̇̀̕

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Okay. Yeah, that wins. Well done. Your post is like playing a text-adventure game of Slender.

 

[AgentNein]

4.5 - 5.0

Ehhhhh... there are much better horror games. Ones which are free too. Or is the reviewer trying to appeal to "underground gamers" (read: hipsters)?

What the hell does that even mean? I can't enjoy indie games without being labeled a hipster now? Jesus christ that meaningless term has run its course.

 

[Therumancer]

Hmmm, this reminds me that it's been a while since I've checked in on Marble Hornets.

Kind of awesome to see people doing things with what is probably one of the better creepy creations of the internet. If this catches on it would be interesting to see what could be done with this, and other similar internet spawned creations like Candle Cove (and actually most of what's on Ichor Falls) or the SCP material (which is awesome, and has spawned some minor games also).

The only real problem with the Slender Man "mythology" is that there really isn't one because there hasn't been much consistincy in building up the rules and such. Unfiction has a lot of speculation based on Marble Hornets, but nothing concrete enough to come up with a solid set of "rules" to build a game around yet.

That said the only real problem I see with a game like this one is that given Slendy's capabilities I wouldn't think he'd actually need to chase you unless there was a reason for it. Of course if I play and beat it, that might also be apparent. He's got shape shifting, hypnosis, and stretching, in pretty much every version I've seen, and god knows what else. Of course at the same time I'm not sure how tough he'd logically be on the horror baddies scale if he was fully developed because he's a fringe monster that relies on stealth and going after weaker targets, presumably with mind games and such thrown in, as opposed to the kind of creature that could hypothetically walk into a police station terminator style and kill everyone inside.

 

[TheMann]

What the hell does that even mean? I can't enjoy indie games without being labeled a hipster now? Jesus christ that meaningless term has run its course.

I completely concur. Look guys, real hipsters are very, very easy to spot. This doesn't mean that enjoying something obscure makes you one. Geez, if nobody was ever allowed to enjoy cool things that are little known, nothing cool could ever rise to prominence. By that logic, back in 2005 if you weren't some "hipster", Narbacular Drop just wouldn't be worth your time. Fortunately certain people thought otherwise, and we all know what that led to. Oh, and horrors upon horrors that Paul Goodman would take the time to review or bring to light a fairly interesting concept game that's absolutely fucking free, takes almost no time to download, and occupies a whole 117 MB on your hard drive! Look, if you didn't like it, fine. Delete it and you've lost exactly nothing, but don't slap labels on people who may have found it interesting.

Actually I think Slender works well as a concept piece. If expanded on this could be something pretty cool. The best part for me is the sound design. As a guy who's spent a fair amount of time in uninhabited wooded areas at night (don't ask), the soundscapes used just nail it perfectly.

[But Paul is not a child......Why would it kill him? Does this game work for the Mac?

Yes, yes it does.

 

[likalaruku]

My online friends already ruined the scary aspect for me by posting tons of images & videos that make the Slender Man look like a comic relief character who just wants a hug.

Littlekuriboh played his part in that too....

 

[PrototypeC]

How on Earth did you have the time and knowledge to write all of this for your post? Or was your post attacked by a mod?

It's a dumb little tool you can get on the internet (I've misplaced the link, though... sorry) called Zalgo or something. It's used in attempts to make itself look more "scary", but once you know the secret it's about as frightening as a damp roll of paper towel. It's kind of pretentious, actually.

Well hey, that actually sums up how I felt about Slender too! Fancy that.

I guess it's baby's first Slenderman. If you're used to the image macros, stories and especially the impeccable Marble Hornets (not so keen on the other two video series), then Slender is a huge disappointment. Just a cheap, marketable cash-in that has the unfortunate side-effect of introducing a host of rather dim people to the usually great Slenderman mythos.

 

[wasman217]

looking at it, the concept of the game is so simple. it is the appearance of this horror icon that makes this game what it is. my brothers downloaded it on my computer and i'm afraid to put my cursor over the program, let alone play the game. he got one of my brothers while playing and he didn't get any pages. i just hope talking about him doesn't make me a targo;afisbgnsb XZLKJb gbfas

 

[Randomeaninglessword]

I have to say, Slender isn't really scary at all. At least, not in my opinion. The jump scares startle me, but I never really felt afraid of Slenderman after the first time I saw that he was just an unmoving, poorly texture manniquin. Slenderman has always seemed a bit bland to me, even before the games. I just have a hard time finding it scary when there's very little physical threat beyond his "face" popping up in your screen, accompanied by some loud noise.

Still a well done review though, and the game does have some potential.

 

[Doctor Infinity]

I've never understood why people find Slenderman scary. Maybe I've just been a fan of the Question for too long to find a faceless man in a suit scary.

 

[Basement Cat]

I've been waiting for the right night off to play this game. I'll be back to read everyone's comments when I've finished creeping myself out properly.

(Actually it's not all that hard to creep me out. Childhood incident. Very sad.)

 

[Dewrah]

I dare say we need a Zero Punctuation review of this game.

 

[Nurb]

How on Earth did you have the time and knowledge to write all of this for your post? Or was your post attacked by a mod?

It's a dumb little tool you can get on the internet (I've misplaced the link, though... sorry) called Zalgo or something. It's used in attempts to make itself look more "scary", but once you know the secret it's about as frightening as a damp roll of paper towel. It's kind of pretentious, actually.

Well hey, that actually sums up how I felt about Slender too! Fancy that.

I guess it's baby's first Slenderman. If you're used to the image macros, stories and especially the impeccable Marble Hornets (not so keen on the other two video series), then Slender is a huge disappointment. Just a cheap, marketable cash-in that has the unfortunate side-effect of introducing a host of rather dim people to the usually great Slenderman mythos.

Hey, the sums up your post too! You got a trifecta!

 

[PrototypeC]

That's a pretty big post just to insult me. You could have tidied it up a bit. Tsk, tsk.

In what could charitably be described as my "analysis", consider the sentence before it as well ("...used in attempts to make itself more "scary", but once you know the secret it's about as frightening as a damp roll of paper towel."). Once you realize that you can keep him still by peeking at him from behind trees, it makes getting the pages easier and that weird putty mannequin thing they call "slenderman" a joke.

The actual game, if you're desensitized to the Slenderman already, is really short and not a lot of fun. It relies on you being scared so heavily that without the scare factor it's kind of crappy. Anyone who makes it dark, puts you in a forest with nothing but a torch and sends something after you can make something scary. It doesn't help that it's relying on the otherwise very high quality Slenderman mythos to get sales for only a three hour long development game.

 

[lord.jeff]

Even during the five minutes of the review any fear I had at the beginning got replaced by annoyance at the absurdly loud footsteps and constant thumping.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

I've played the game three times and died three times, each time instantly. No warning, no idea where the Slender man actually was when he "got" me. It just felt like cheap deaths. The most I've ever got was three pages, and that was on my first playthrough.

The problem I have with this is I don't know where the skill is. How are you supposed to avoid Slender if you can't see him coming? On the other hand, it's free, and hopefully the developer will learn from its points - both good and bad - and go on to bigger and better things.

 

[likalaruku]

Thanks to Littlekuriboh, I can't take the Slender Man seriously. Does he want a hug, or is he just trying to be in your movie?

Chief: "Dammint Slenderman, I told you about eatin' them kids!"
Jack Slenderman: "But it's what I dooooo."

 

[Triality]

After watching the video I don't have to pee any longer.

 

[nexus]

This game is....

.. really overrated.

Horror comes in more complex forms than something so simple. It's pretty neat, and I applaud the upstart success of fledgling developers, but all I feel about the game is "meh". I'll be interested to see where these guys go from here, though.