Operation Backlog Completion 2024
Nov 262014
 

I need to stop underestimating games. First Hatoful Boyfriend (which is coming out on the PS4 and PS Vita now, too), then Bayonetta, and now this.

Logo for Master Reboot

Master Reboot is a science fiction horror game that came out last October for Steam and this July for the Wii U. I saw a few things about it, read mixed reviews, and decided that it was a horror game, so it was worth a try. A lot of the reviews emphasized it as being atmospheric, and somehow I got the impression that it was horror based on a technicality… you know, like how Dear Esther has its creepy moments (except with gameplay).

The first few minutes of Master Reboot supported that idea. It was kinda weird, a little surreal…

And then I spotted a pink, glowing symbol. I walked over to it, pressed the action button… and a scream rang out while a monster appeared on the screen with a threatening message. The apparent presence of Lovecraftian horrors made me wonder where I’d gotten the impression this was only sort of horror.

Master Reboot is set in a future where people’s memories are uploaded to the “Soul Cloud,” so people live on after death. But something is wrong with the Soul Cloud, and you need to travel through memories to learn the truth. The beginning may give you the wrong impression of what gameplay is like. You’ll eventually reach a hub area, where the bulk of the game takes place. From that hub, you must visit memories from the past.

That element reminded me in a way of To the Moon, which was amazing. The atmosphere, however, made me re-evaluate my impressions after a while. Visiting memories may bring that game to mind, but its lonely creepiness reminded me more of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. And the haunting, atmospheric nature wasn’t the only thing that made me start comparing it to series like Silent Hill.

By the time a little girl with glowing eyes jumped out of a locker and killed me, I’d abandoned my assumptions that this wasn’t a real horror game.

Master Reboot is horror. It doesn’t play like a traditional survival horror game, but it actually fits all of my requirements.

Is Master Reboot survival horror?

Its spooky atmosphere, scares, and chases make it horror through and through. Combat only comes into play a couple of times. Recursive unlocking is very minor in Master Reboot, but still present–you have to complete all of the memories to unlock the path forward, and most of the memories require you to do things in various sections to unlock new areas.

How? Through puzzles, of course. You’ll solve a lot of puzzles–some frustrating, some clever–during Master Reboot, and you’ll also find a lot of “Apocalyptic Logs.” They come in the form of blue rubber ducks (it’s explained in the game) that show you memos, pictures, and more that all help you piece the story together.

The one bad thing about Master Reboot is that the ending includes a timed platforming section. Who thought that was a good idea??

That aside, it was a good game, with a great atmosphere, genuine scares, and a story that remains subtle without being pretentious. It only lasted a few hours, but I consider it to be time well spent. If you’re a horror fan with access to either a Wii U or Steam, you should check out Master Reboot.


Buy Master Reboot from Steam

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