Shadows of a Sunless World

Some monster horror movies rely on not knowing exactly what the protagonist is facing as a fear factor, which in itself is based on our primordial fear of the unknown. An extension of that fear is not being able to tell exactly what you are facing, even though you know it is there. That is precisely the premise of Shadows of a Sunless World, a psychological horror game where you navigate though your environment half blind, relying on subtle visual effects and sound, while trying to avoid the dangers that lurk in the shadows.

Much thinking has gone into the game's lore, and we find out that we play as Ekko, an exiled outcast from a race forced to live underground due to the appearance of monsters that wiped out nearly your entire race. Spending so much time underground has not gone without consequence however, as it has severely limited your eyesight, as you can only see about three or four meters ahead of you. However, you've developed the ability to use echolocation as a means of navigation, so you have that going for you, which is nice.

Because of your limited vision, you have to rely mostly on your echolocation powers to move around, and not actually go around randomly like the blind bat that you are, bumping into every single wall you meet. More so, you have to be careful not to make too much noise, since you will attract the monsters around you, and like all games where you don't have a visible health bar, first contact is also usually the last one. The camera works are extremely realistic, especially the way it make it seem like you are shambling whenever you are walking.

If you like horror games and want to experience what it is like to be blind, helpless and constantly under fear of death, then Shadows of a Sunless World is a game you should definitely try.