Happy Halloween!
First, a brief review of a game I love, and then something fanmade (by someone else).
I don’t usually get into horror games. Most of the time they have too much blood and gore with no real purpose except to have blood and gore—my experience so far, anyway. That’s why I was surprised by how much I love the freeware game Ib.
Originally made by a guy in Japan named Kouri in RPG Maker 2000, it’s been translated into English (with permission) and can be found here. The game’s premise could be really awful in the wrong hands. A nine-year-old girl named Ib goes with her parents to an exhibit at an art gallery. While there, everyone except Ib disappears. Worse than that, strange things begin happening, and she soon finds herself in a shadow gallery, where the paintings and sculptures come to life.
The beauty of the game is how strong (emotionally) Ib is. Though she gets help along the way, she’s the clear heroine of the story, remaining human and inspiring, all at once.
Also, whatever violence appears serves the story only. In fact, some enthusiasts of the genre might end up getting bored because a lot of it is puzzles (some of them surprisingly tricky) and story. There’s no hack and slash or gory monsters. Just general creepiness. But it works.
And that’s my point. If you love stories, you’ll love Ib. Finding out more about what happened to her is what convinced me to try it out.*
But although I love its story most of all, I love its music very much as well. That’s why I was so thrilled to find this orchestral version of the theme music.
Enjoy. 🙂
Amy Keeley 