MORTEM Demo

Some of the most terrifying experiences in video games are those that barely feature any kind of monsters on screen, since just the thought that something is after you is usually enough to cause your adrenaline levels to rise. Designing the atmosphere to be as stressful as possible is a great way to keep players engaged and concentrated on the action.

MORTEM is a first-person horror game designed in Unreal Engine 4, in which the goal is to explore a creepy house and a forest, while trying to stay alive in a competition against a terrible creature. The actual goal is to survive by playing hide and seek with a spirit, although the stakes are much higher than usual, given the fact that you risk dying if you don’t manage to hide well enough.

You play the role of a young boy by the name of Timothy Collins, who comes home one day only to find out that he is home alone. However, strange noises reverberate around the house, and he soon realizes that although his family may not be home, he is definitely not alone. A creature by the name of Mortem has taken hold of the premise, and she wants to play hide and seek with you.

Timothy does not have too much of a choice on the matter, so the deadly game begins with you hiding in the closet. There’s a time limit hanging over your head, since you have to find Mortem and hide a minimum of ten times before you can complete the mission. Since there are not many places you can hide, on the other hand, the action gets rather repetitive and boring in a matter of minutes.

It must be mentioned, however, that the graphics look gorgeous, especially when it comes to textures, material quality and lighting. Unreal Engine 4 never fails to impress, but the developers have really done their homework as well. Every room is nicely detailed and designed to feel lived in, even if the house is a bit too clean. The sound effects are decent too, although they need a bit of work in some cases.

In the end, MORTEM is not a very original concept, but it can be enjoyable enough to keep you busy for a while, not to mention the fact that the atmosphere is pretty scary as well. However, it needs more work in the gameplay department, because at the moment it’s a bit too boring to just hide in the closet every other minute.