Coming in hot is Post Trauma, an impressive effort in the vein of classic Silent Hill by the indie studio Red Soul Games out of Valencia, Spain. Published by Raw Fury, who are no strangers to projects like this, it puts you in the shoes of Roman, an unlucky train conductor stuck in a nightmarish version of Tokyo (I think?), where he must navigate the spooky halls of a haunted subway station and find a way to escape the horrors that surround him.
The ambiance and quality of the game are made even more incredible by the fact that Red Soul Games is composed of a handful of people, but even then, the end result is a deeply satisfying experience riddled with good scares, smart puzzles, and a story you’ll want to see through. Best part, it’s got a relatively short runtime which can be extended if you wish to see both endings, well worth the effort seeing as they add a lot to the game’s story, if you ask me!
As the chubby Roman, you haven’t much going on as you wake up face down in a rundown subway car. You can’t run for too long before running out of breath, and a few hits from the mannequin-like enemies will put the man down for good, so it’s a good thing that he’s at least quick on his feet when dodging out of the way of attacks. There are only a few weapon choices, with you starting off with a rusty crowbar and very slow attack speed.
Still, for as limited as its combat can be, the best part by far is about everything else that Post Trauma has got going on. The environments you explore are very well put together, filled with disgusting visuals as you thread around their dark and gloomy interiors. You’re not limited to just the station, either, with the trademark abandoned locations that you might be familiar with if you’re played games of the genre in the past.
Plus, you’re not just playing in third-person here. There are small and quick first-person segments as well, with you jumping into the skin of other characters as well. Overall, Post Trauma is pretty good at not overstaying your welcome in any particular section and that’s for good reason, as it’s clear that the budget for the game is relatively low, which is reflected in the repeated elements in every single one of these places.
But don’t take this as a knock against the game. It’s very brilliantly put together and that repetition exists for good reason, helping throw off your senses and emulate the feel of hopelessness that the protagonist is going through. This is not the sort of game you usually get from smaller teams like Red Soul Games, the closest example would be Tormented Souls, who took notes from Resident Evil in its design. Here, the Silent Hill influence is clear and there are no qualms made about it. Both are easily the best examples of how to pay homage without going overboard.
Post Trauma is a great way for players to witness what it was like for those of us who were there for the original Silent Hill. Jumping in without knowing what to expect and coming out of it positively impressed by what is there on offer. It’s a horror game that is admittedly unoriginal but has a very cool setting at least. It does what it does well and that makes it very much worth playing.
