Sylvio

Sylvio, released for PC, XONE and PS4, is a horror-esque action-adventure game and a debut project of Niklas Swanberg, an independent developer.

We assume the role of Juliette Waters, a person earning her livelihood through recording video materials containing the voices of the deceased. The search for good material takes her to a derelict amusement park, known as Saginaw. The area was closed off in 1971 after a powerful storm had led to a terrible landslide. The woman doesn’t realize that centuries ago this same area was cursed – the curse is known among the Italian settlers as Sylvio. After realizing that the place is damned, Juliette finds herself trapped in a restaurant. The woman tries to find a way to escape from the building, and subsequently, from the whole park.

Mechanics

The woman has a few interesting items that allow her to survive and discover the truth about the curse. One of them is a unique shotgun powered by pressurized air, able to use almost any projectile that manages to fit into the barrel. As a result, we can use stones, pieces of glass, or even nails. Additionally, Juliette has a high-quality oscillating microphone, allowing her to record sounds even in frequencies that are beyond the human perception.

The acquired material is saved and then played using an old tape recorder, enabling the player to rewind the tapes or listening to them either in a fast-forward or slowed-down mode. Such manipulations are often required to be able to understand the messages from the spirits, as the ghosts’ reality isn’t identical to ours.

Aside from exploration and occasional combat, we are often forced to solve puzzles in a typical manner of adventure games. During a playthrough, we can encounter over a hundred items. Additionally, after some time Juliette finds a car that helps her get around the large amusement park.

Last updated on 23 September 2014