Exmortis

More horror, although this time on the ground, in Exmortis.

How many times have woken in a strange place, with a sore head and no idea of how you got where you are, wherever that is? Maybe once or twice? Well if you’re an avid point and clicker it probably happens to you more often than this.

So it is in Exmortis then that you find yourself amongst the trees with a thumping headache and nothing but woods in your peripheral vision. Woods and a big, ominous house. So you make your way to the house seeking refuge from the cold. Big mistake.

If you survive the opening credits of Exmortis without jumping and/or tipping the contents of whatever you have in your left-hand over yourself – note than playing one-handed with a cup of coffee in your non-playing hand is not advised unless you want 3rd degree burns – then you have nerves of steel. Congratulations, you’re going to need those.

Exmortis is first-person fare, with a click of the mouse button you interact, bringing up a line or two of text at the bottom of the screen by way of explanation. This simple system works perfectly well, and negotiating the various rooms and looking at objects is straight forward.

The story is told through various diaries and books that our protagonist comes across as he searches the abode, as he discovers that this is no ordinary haunted house. By reading these journals, he begins to get back some of the memory that he left in the woods, and it’s not adding up very pleasantly for him.

The game is quite short, and there’s no save facility, but in any case playing through in one sitting is a must as the terror and desperation builds to a crescendo. There aren't many puzzles to solve, and in fact the game is often more like an interactive story than a traditional point and click adventure.

The graphics are excellent throughout, photo-realistic, gloomy and intended to shock. The sepia-tinted photograph effect works well, as not only is our hero going into a house he is also going back in time, as the memories spring back into his addled brain.

The whispers of ghosts plague your every turn, always unnerving and the occasional scream does nothing for the shredded nerves. The voice acting is not great, and in the final scene this does spoil the effect slightly as a demonic voice rings out sounding like it’s reading off a page.

There are two possible endings, one with the obligatory little twist which works well. This game isn’t for kids or the easily shocked, but for everyone else it should be an unforgettable experience…