It is without a doubt that video games have become a capable vehicle in conveying some of the greatest stories ever told. Although gameplay remains to be at the forefront of what makes a video game good, some titles treasure story above all else, and Hidden Layer Games’ Inmost is a perfect example of this.
Inmost begins with a warning about the upsetting nature of its content, most specifically, its story, which explores a dark tale about loss, grief, and abandonment of hope. However, despite the dark nature of its narrative, Inmost features a flawless execution of its deep emotional story that is carefully incorporated in an engaging puzzle platformer, offering a unique take on what should have been just another game of its genre.
In Inmost, players take control of three characters: a little girl trapped in a house full of secrets, a knight who appears to be serving an evil entity, and a middle-aged man who is on a quest to search for answers. Each of these characters offers a unique play-style with the little girl’s story focused on exploration, the Knight on combat, and the middle-aged man taking the bulk of the game’s puzzle-platformer elements.
Throughout the game, players will switch between these three characters, but not by choice. While their stories may appear disconnected at first, it will all culminate in a dark interconnected narrative with a significant twist. The story is also well-paced out at the beginning, giving players just enough context to want to see the story through to the end. However, towards the story’s conclusion, control is taken away from the player, leaving them as mere observers. Inmost also offers challenging gameplay that will keep players engaged throughout this dark journey. The game itself is pretty short, around 3-5 hours on average, and the playtime is mostly dictated by how fast the player can solve the game’s puzzles. Although the puzzles are challenging at first, players will find repeating patterns that will make puzzle-solving much more relaxed towards the end.
The game features some combat, and the majority of battles are found in the Knight’s part of the game, given that he is the only one who can fight enemies directly. During enemy encounters, the Knight can utilize his weapon to slash down enemies and use his Grappling Crossbow to traverse around the world. Players will encounter multiple enemies, each having their strengths and weaknesses given that some foes are stationary such as the blobs, while some would attack lunge towards the player, forcing them to strategize every approach by combining attacks with a carefully timed dodge to avoid getting hit.
The middle-aged man will also encounter weaker enemies, apart from the terrifying Hunters, but all he can do to defeat them is either run away or lure them to traps. One thing that players should keep in mind when playing Inmost is that death will be a constant occurrence. The good thing is that dying in the game does not have a negative impact, given that players will just respawn at the nearest save point. This, of course, takes away the frustration when dealing with difficult enemies or when traversing the game’s world filled with traps, cliffs, and other hazards. Some of the game’s most challenging puzzles may also result in multiple deaths until the player figures out the best approach to solving it. Despite this, Inmost’s combat is satisfying, even if it’s not the forefront feature of the game.
The design of the game’s nightmarish labyrinth world is a testament to the excruciating detail that Hidden Layer Games has poured into Inmost. Items on shelves fall when players climb onto them, bugs get squished when stepped on, and every slash of the Knight’s weapon feels weighty and. The pixel-art visuals also compliment the overall aesthetic appeal of Inmost. Although it is not photorealistic like most modern games today, the muted, pixelated art style is able to convey a sense of dread and misery.
However, one of the best elements that Hidden Layer Games was able to incorporate in the game is the soundtrack. Throughout the player’s journey to make sense of Inmost’s depressing world, they would be accompanied by music that is just hauntingly beautiful. The game knows what to play depending on the situation the player is in, whether it be a subtle yet lingering piano during exploration, loud and horrifying music when dealing with enemies, or just complete silence whenever the scene calls for it.
To the uninitiated, Inmost was first released as a mobile game on the Apple Arcade before hitting the Nintendo Switch in August 2020. However, those who have already played the mobile version would be happy to know that the Switch port of the game offers new content, characters, dialogue, and some of the scenes have been switched around to provide returning players with a different experience. Although the game’s story and the basic premise remain the same, Hidden Layer Games calls the Switch port the complete version of Inmost.
As far as the game’s performance on the Nintendo Switch is concerned, it is worth pointing out that there are slight issues. The game’s controls can be a little bit clunky at times, and players may find themselves going back and forth to a particular door or item to trigger the “Examine” or “Open” buttons. There are also some glitches, especially during loading screens, where players might experience frame drops that take away the immersion. However, these issues are few and far between, and there are no glaring problems that a simple patch wouldn’t be able to fix.
Overall, Inmost is a well-balanced game that carefully combines a profoundly emotional story with a challenging, and at times scary, gameplay. Its visuals and soundtrack complement its central themes of grief and loss so well, resulting in a truly unique and genuinely haunting experience. Despite some minor issues such and a rushed conclusion that was merely told to the player rather than having them experience it, Inmost’s dynamic storytelling, challenging puzzles, and immersive combat are enough to outweigh all of its shortcomings.
Inmost is out now for iOS, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Game Rant was provided a Switch code for this review.
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