MCAlliance Reviews: The Orphanage
Horror Galore:
Reviewed by DaltronForce
Horror maps have become a dominating factor in the adventure map scene. And with recent updates, more map makers have stretched their creativity to make more of such maps. With elements of horror and thrill, it’s little wonder that the horror map genre is growing rapidly in popularity.
The Orphanage is one such example. It’s a monster of a horror map. It successfully combines elements from Silent Hill and Amnesia, probably two of the most horrific video games ever. It’s even more astounding that this horror map could still do all this while maintaining originality in its gameplay.
The plot is simple. Your character was on his way back home from work when his car breaks down. No other cars are passing by and the nearest gas station is hundreds of miles away. In desperate need for shelter for the night, your character decides to reside in an abandoned orphanage, only to discover its hidden horrors lurking in its corridors.
On the surface, the Orphanage mixes different elements of horror with an intricate back-story. Adding scares, stairs and more scares, I can promise you this map will keep you shivering to the bone.
I loved the Outlast video game series for its epic and horrifying jump scares. And to be able to recreate that element in a game ruled by blocks seemed almost impossible. But that’s where The Orphanage shows off its flare once again. The jump scare in the orphanage was the most terrifying jump scare I have ever seen in any horror map.
I had seen so many videos of people playing the Orphanage and I thought that I was prepared for the worst, but it still manages to jump on you when you least expect it. I nearly got a heart attack when I looked into those nightmarish eyes, even if it was for just half a second. I’ve never seen a jump scare in this game which was done so well, and it really sets the bar for all future horror maps following its trail. If you are a crazed thrill seeker, then this is the map for you.
However it’s after this amazing jump scare that things really start to go downhill. Everything from there on out made the entire game anticlimactic. I was hoping for more action, a couple of jump scares and maybe even some kind of fight or chase. But there was barely anything, and it was just roaming around the same rooms over and over again. This made the rest of the gameplay so boring and I really lost hope in The Orphanage building up another, larger climax.
Luckily, the story behind the Orphanage was at least able to keep me occupied, and I must say it was fairly well done. Exploring the entire building, you could witness the dark history behind the Orphanage slowly unfold as you discover diary entries left behind by people who used to roam the corridors. Every entry you found required deep thought and I always had to put two and two together to shape out the full story of the Orphanage.
What was disappointing though was that the plot itself was quite generic, featuring a lonely girl driven to the edge of madness. In the end it felt unsatisfying to find out that the puzzle I spent so much time to piece together revealed a story I already knew.
Presentation:
There’s only one word to describe the set pieces in this map: Scary as hell. Actually that’s three words. But that’s because the presentation in this map is absolutely indescribable. Right from the start, there was a ghastly aura lingering around the entire place. The flickering lights and the dark night setting spelled doom. The brilliant resource pack gave the place an eerie atmosphere. I immediately knew I was in for a hell of a ride. And if you thought that the exterior was good, then wait until you get inside.
The Orphanage did a great job making players regret their decision of entering the building. The creepy music and the spooky feel in the atmosphere made me dread every corner. A creepy girl’s voice and bloody footprints appearing out of nowhere are just the beginning of your nightmares.
It was so nerve wrecking when it came to opening doors. The fear of what was to lie on the other side was with me for the entire duration of the game. Of course, this was until I realized that there wasn’t going to be anything on the other side, ever. But I’ll leave this as a minor issue for now.
Then there is the texture pack, and by god have they done a fantastic job. It enhanced the eeriness so much, that the entire map seemed to mirror the brilliance of Amnesia, with its dark lingering feel in every room. Every room had its own specialty, with different decorative qualities. It was almost as though I, myself was exploring the orphanage and not my character.
However, what they could have done to make The Orphanage better was to make the map larger. Like I said before, after going through rooms I’ve already been in before, gameplay became monotonous and repetitive. The layout was so confusing that it was as if I was going in circles. Eventually, there was a feel of restriction and I didn’t explore as much as I thought I would.
The final major problem I had with the map was that there was not much of a challenge. Sure, you’ll get scared out of your wits, but after playing it for a long time, you’ll begin to realize that there isn’t any way you could possibly die. I never lost hope, but that hope slowly withered away, just like the reputation of this map. I struggled to see the point in looking around the place. I didn’t even complete the map in one sitting due to its inconsistent pace. The Orphanage felt like a walk in the park even though it started strong with its terrific scares.
The Verdict:
I must say it again and I will: The Orphanage is a monster of a map. And even if it becomes boring after a while, it still gave me one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had in the game. Amazing jump scares and other great elements spelled brilliance for The Orphanage. Its fantastic recreation of dread in its atmosphere is stunning, and it will continue to stun map makers of the next generation. And it’s the small problems in this map which is preventing the Orphanage from becoming great.
+Most horrific jumpscare EVER
+Eerie recreation of atmosphere
+Brilliant use of resource packs
+Plain Scary
- Not challenging
- Boring after a long while
- Restricted space
Do you agree with our verdict? What adventure map do you want us to review next? Be sure to post your suggestions in the comments below. For more on adventure maps, news and updates, click that subscribe button and join the MCAlliance.
Great
7.4
