Launched on June 1, 2022, is a surreal horror ocean exploration game called Silt. Developed by Spiral Circus for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, this indie game brilliantly captures the dark and eerie atmosphere of the deepest part of the ocean. Furthermore, the isolating atmosphere and the vastness of the underwater environment will send a shiver to your spine just by looking at it.
Silt was announced at the PC Gaming Show during the 2021 E3 press conference. Now that the game is finally here, let’s take a quick overview of what the critics and players are saying about the game. Since the game was originally announced for PC, we will get the review consensus of the said version. However, if you’re a console or handheld player, don’t worry since we will also show the overall rating for those platforms.
Silt Review Consensus for PC
Silt, as per Metacritic, holds a firm 73 Metascore made up of 3 positives and 3 mixed impressions from six critics. On the other hand, Game Informer gave the game a 7.8/10 citing the game’s spectacular art style and design as its strongest assets. Critics agree that the overall surreal design of the game delivers the creepy and gloomy atmosphere it wants to project creating the perfect setting for an oppressive and isolating horror game. Additionally, the gameplay is a different story the game comes with flaws, which are expected for a debut title of a small indie video game studio.
Gameplay & Design
One of the gameplay flaws that seem to stand out from the reviews is the puzzles. Some critics like the idea of the puzzles in the game while others find it annoying and too easy to solve. Most critics agree that the puzzle defeats the purpose of the game to create that hopeless, uneasy, and dark experience it wants to project. Puzzles are supposed to be an activity where players tend to stop, scratch their heads, and dive into the depths of their psyche to find a solution.
Easy puzzles make a game mediocre. On the other hand, difficult puzzles provide a certain sense of achievement once solved. Furthermore, another issue is the length of the game which is two hours. It seems that some critics and gamers never expected that a visually stunning game could be so short. From the looks of it, the experience seems to have never quenched the thirst of the audience. With that said, the puzzle with the gameplay duration and movement is considered minors, which does little to no effect on the whole experience.
Lore
Silt lacks the narrative or story arc to keep the gamers engaged. A dash of mystery is never harmful. However, capitalizing on it is kind of disappointing. Silt does not provide an explanation or a premise. To be fair, it seems that the developers were going for a “create your own conclusion” type of approach.
Although the concept is not bad, it does not fit the game’s atmosphere. For the most part, the team may have missed an opportunity to create more immersive lore that will serve as a foundation for sequels. Nevertheless, you got to hand it to Spiral Circus for coming up with the game’s disturbingly brilliant concept.
Silt Reviews for Other Platforms
Silt for the PlayStation 5 is currently sitting at a Metascore of 70 with 5 out of the 8 critics giving a positive and the rest with a mixed impression. The Nintendo Switch version was reviewed by 10 critics, of the ten critics, four gave a positive, five gave a mixed, and one with a negative.
The negative impression cited the game’s short gameplay and easy puzzles as its major flaws. Moreover, they coined that the game is too simple and boring. For the Xbox Series X/S, Silt got a Metascore of 70 with 4 of the nine critics. They give a positive impression while the rest are uncertain.
In a Nutshell…
Silt, despite its flaws, is a brilliant game that provides a unique experience for horror fans. It would have been better if the game had more challenging puzzles to extend the length of the entire game. The movement of the character is surely something that the team can patch in the future. In addition, Spiral Circus could have created a more expansive lore and story arc to match the game’s brilliant design.
Seeing through the minor flaws will unveil the stunning and breathtaking design of Silt. To that end, Silt is perfect for players who want to get a unique horror experience. At the same time, if you want to capitalize on isolation set in the vast abyss. Currently, Silt is available for $15 on Steam, Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, and the Nintendo eShop. And for more news and updates about this indie game, make sure to stay tuned here in PlayPC.
