In order to appreciate the horror video games of today, you must look back at the games that paved the way. Some of the retro horror games might seem dull or even funny by today’s standards. When they were released, these were games that were scary and horrifying. The company called WARP wanted to see if they could create a horror video game that was more mature then the ones they were seeing. The final result, D, was a game that mixed interactive movies with puzzle solving.
Laura Harris is summoned by the Los Angles Police to a hospital where her father, Dr. Richter Harris, has killed patients and staff and barricaded himself in. Laura tries to reach her father and enters the hospital. It suddenly gives way to an ancient castle. Laura tries to make her way as a bloody episode from her past flashes in her mind and her father appears, warning her that finding him will be the worst and last mistake she ever makes.
The game is about finding the right solutions to to puzzles. There are no enemies, just a very creepy location that makes you feel uneasy. The game has many movie scenes that play. These are not live action, but fully computer generated. When D came out, the idea of a game that featured so many of these scenes were unheard of. Live action scenes yes, but WARP was committed to making sure this was a video game and not a movie.
If you want to play this game, I would suggest you set aside a chunk of time to play it. This isn’t because the game will draw you in or it doesn’t really get going until halfway through it. I say this because when you hit start, you have two hours to beat it. Not two “game” hours, but 120 minutes. There is no save option. There is no pause. D has you for two hours and it will not let you go.
Looking at the game now, it’s easy to see some of the flaws. The puzzles vary widely from easy to difficult. The story telegraphs it’s ending way too early. All of these things are true, but D does have some of that magic that few video games have. Just writing about it makes me want to go and play the re-release on Steam that Night Dive Studios put out. I just have to find the time to explore the castle again.
