Late Night Shop

It’s not difficult to scare people in video games, given the fact that the action is much more personal than in a movie. However, cheap thrills are nowhere near as memorable as true horror is, which is why gems like Silent Hill 2 and similar games are still being mentioned by gamers after so many years. As long as the atmosphere is creepy and disturbing, you can pretty much approach any kind of theme or setting.

Late Night Shop starts out innocently enough, since you are basically in a clothes shop somewhere after closing hours. There are stairs, displays and storage rooms throughout the building, which probably look anything but creepy in the light of day. However, when there’s absolutely no one around but you, every sound and shadow has the potential to send shivers down your spine.

The game is a survival horror, which means that your main goal is to get out alive. The enemies you have to avoid are just mannequins, but they are creepy enough to cause a few nightmares. In essence, they only move around when you are not looking in their direction, or if you blink. Thus, you have to navigate the levels while looking straight at them, which obviously gets very tricky to achieve when there’s more of them.

The music and the general atmosphere work together to keep you edge at all times, even if all you see are a bunch of plastic dolls and coat hangers. No words or screams are heard anywhere in the game, so it’s all about the creepy feeling of being followed. Jump scares are guaranteed, especially if you happen to forget how many mannequins are following you at any given moment.

Due to the fact that the game is still in a very early Pre-Alpha state, it’s only natural that it contains glitches and bugs you might stumble into. Getting stuck happens on a regular basis, and it is even possible for the mannequins to get you through walls. However, it is worth noting that VR technologies are supported, which should make the experience that much more traumatizing and fun.

In the end, Late Night Shop has the potential to turn into something great and worthwhile, as long as it continues to evolve on this path. As long as the bugs are fixed and the level design is augmented, the game can become a hit with the fans of the horror genre.