One of the areas of the gaming industry that we genuinely look forward to, happens to be the Indie Game Developers. This time around, Broken Bird Games got our attention with Luto, a psychological horror game available as a demo on PS5 and PC – we played the game to see what it’s about and finished the demo with our jaws wide open.
About Luto Game
Unlike your usual horror-themed games, Luto takes a rather different direction with its storytelling and the entire game, more specifically, grips you with its environment and takes the horror to a sensory level where you get to experience every aspect of the game. When we fired up our PS5 to try this demo, I have to say that the art surely did get my attention for good reasons – as it gives a silhouette of a face.
And the rest is history. If you do choose to watch the trailer, you will realize that the game has a familiar setup, threading the lines of PT and Visage – as it happens in a closed environment. In this case, the whole demo takes place in his own home and since it’s a First-person game, as you walk into this narrative experience – trying to leave the home, the game embarks on a much more deeper and darker road that keeps you on your toes. Believe me, it sure did that to me.
Luto Demo Review
The demo takes roughly an hour or maybe slightly over that. In my case, I surely did take my sweet time with the game, every step along the way because playing alone in broad daylight with my headphones on surely will freaked the living hell out of me. This is where I must emphasize, that this game is nothing without its audio. For a demo, the audio engineering went into this game to give the best immersion possible, I have to say – credit where it’s due, Broken Bird Games did a fantastic job with that.
Every sound you hear feels very familiar, as it should because even the air freshener in the game can give you a slight scare as you might think it’s some weird spirit going on. Things take a turn the moment the character receives his first phone call, which appears to be someone who is of utmost importance. We can’t quite tell who it was as the demo keeps things ambiguous but you can sense the love and care in her tone.
Things then eventually take a turn as you’ll start seeing things that shouldn’t belong in the space. This is where, you, the player explore and figure out the puzzles and whatnot to see what’s going on. The deciphering in this game, I’d say – it takes a bit of a work but once you get the hang of it, you are good to go. But, are you really good to go though?
This is where, things start happening, more specifically, you will notice something. This white-clothed figure that looks mysterious enough will appear and disappear as you get every part of the puzzle right. What’s comical is that, during one part of the puzzle, you damn well know that the “mysterious” something is sitting on the couch. Funny enough, you can’t do anything about it but go with the things you were tasked (or rather hinted at) to do.
I am not going to spoil the entire demo for you but you will encounter this confusion with fact and fiction. Every step of the way makes you question what went on, what are you trying to do and so on. At the end of the demo, ends with a dialogue that surely will send shivers and chills down your spine in an eerie way.
What is Luto all about though?
Based on what Broken Bird Games have shared, Luto will explore the pain of losing a loved one, the horror of the insecurity to the darkness that lurks behind anxiety and depression. In fact, this also happens to be listed as a trigger warning in their Steam Game listing. In all honestly, I am glad they did because the last thing you want to go through is to get affected by the game in the worst possible way. Trust me, which has happened to me before with What Remains of Edith Finch.
But that said, the Luto Demo is very well executed and for an hour-long immersion, it’s safe to say that I am genuinely looking forward to what they bring to the table when it’s out. This game may not be the PT alternative but it’s surely a game that will leave a mark just as good as PT, if not better I reckon. Our teammate said it feels like Visage, although it’s a game I’ve yet to play.
Where can I play Luto?
The Demo is now downloadable and can be played through the PlayStation Store for PS5 and Steam for PC at the moment. Although the developers have announced that Luto will make it to XBOX Series X and S and Epic Games Store. There’s no date as to when the final game will be released but we will let you know when we have more information on it.
Seriously, give it a go – it is very promising. I surely will play and perhaps review the game when we get to do it.
P.S. It’s super cheeky of Broken Bird Games to leave an easter egg in the game, a CD with the name Luto on it.
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