The new horror game MADiSON is finally here.
It is the first game by the developer Bloodius Games.
The studio has a very fitting name for the game they have created.
READ NOW: The Quarry Review
There is a maniac killer out there, and you have to find out all the mysteries the game offers.
Let’s see how the game turned out in our MADiSON review.
MADiSON – What Is It All About?
MADiSON is a first-person perspective game of the horror/thriller genre. You play as Luca, a sixteen-year-old boy who wakes up with his hands all covered in blood. You are in a dark and gloomy room in a huge manor.
The events are rolling out quickly and you find out that Luca has become a victim of the malicious demon named MADiSON. The demon forced our protagonist to conduct a bloody ritual that started a long time ago. You need to finish the ceremony and survive the demon’s tortures while discovering the mysteries of the world of the game.
The game relies heavily on exploration, with the main gameplay mechanic being just walking around and inspecting various objects. You also have the ability to take pictures on your polaroid which is a nice and interesting mechanic.
Although there have been a lot of games using some sort of camera like Get Even, Outlast series, Condemned, and more.
While exploring the mansion and the world presented in MADiSON you will interact with some objects in every room and you will need to figure out what to take pictures of to progress with the story.
It can lead to some scary moments, however about half of them are predictable. The character itself moves very slowly, thankfully there is a sprint option and it is unlimited.
Presentation of MADiSON
The game visuals are pretty good. MADiSON looks nice and polished with few places where textures are not of the highest resolution. It has a dark atmosphere and tone that amplifies the gameplay experience.
The game’s graphics fit perfectly with the story that is being told. However, if you are looking for something stunning to just look at, then this might not be the best game to do so.
The characters and animations can look goofy at times, so it helps that we often see them for a very brief moment, mostly in jumpscares. The best-looking thing, on the other hand, is the environment. Rooms hide a lot of depth and build upon the atmosphere of the game.
The audio side of the game is one of its strongest aspects. Creepy ambient sounds, demons, and atrocious creatures lurking around all sound amazing. The wood beneath your feet, the sounds far, far away.
It all just works. Last but not least, the soundtrack and the background music are also great. The only thing that sounds weird at times is the voice of the main character.
Depending on the situation he can sound ridiculous so it is a double-edged sword. Is it bad if it’s funny?
Is MADiSON Scary?
Now the main question for every player of horror games. Is MADiSON actually scary? Well, the answer is not that simple. It depends on who the player is. It has a lot of predictable jumpscares, with only a handful of innovative scares.
If an inexperienced player, who occasionally plays these types of games gets into the game it will be a good and scary adventure. However, if you are a horror genre veteran then most of the time the spooky and scary aspects can be seen from a mile away.
READ NOW: Dread X Collection 5 Review
They tend to be repetitive after a while, but there are some moments where you just cannot see them coming.
The biggest advantage here is the atmosphere. If you get sucked into the game, and focus on your polaroid camera, and the environment and forget you are playing a game then it has the potential of being very scary.
There are some immersion-breaking aspects that happen at times, but they are mostly connected to the voice of the main protagonist Luca and the stutters in frame rate.
Technical Aspects
The game ran smoothly for most of our playthrough. There were not any major visual glitches or game-breaking bugs. The most noticeable issue with the game’s technical aspects has to be the frame rate.
We tested the game on PC and the performance was decent most of the time, however, there were occasional drops in frames. Some of them were very noticeable.
The version of MADiSON we played was a pre-release build of the game so hopefully, it gets smoother after the official release of the game.
This is nothing major but can impact your immersion at times, especially when it happens in places with a lot of action and jump scares.
Our MADiSON Summary
MADiSON is a decent horror game with little to no innovation. Visual and technical aspects could use a bit of improvement but the biggest downside of the game is its misuse of potential.
The scary moments are not that scary, and most of the game feels like any other horror game with just a slightly different story. However, there are some great moments and places that are quite scary.
If you do not have a lot of experience playing horror games then it can be a great pick-up. On the other side if you fancy the horror genre in general there are no nuances in this title. Considering it was the first game of this newly formed studio there is a lot to learn from MADiSON but could result in some awesome horror games in the future.
We at WePC cannot wait to see what’s next for Bloodius Games.
MADiSON is scheduled to release on July 8, 2022, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One X/S, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Make sure to stay up to date and follow the most recent gaming reviews on WePC Reviews section. Also, take a look at Metal: Hellsinger Preview – Setting A New Standard and Out There: Oceans of Time Review.
Related:
