The Steam-Only Masterpiece that's still scarier than anything on PlayStation or Xbox

Horror is an interesting genre in all media, especially in gaming, and few pieces exemplify it better. Who is Leela?. Developed by Russian solo developer Garage Heathen, Who is Leela? 2022 is a point-and-click horror game that flew under the radar for many. This may be a result of its avant-garde mechanics and uncomfortable themes, but also the fact that it is a Steam-only game. You can't get this game on consoles, and as of this writing, there are no plans to bring it to any Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox consoles.

Like big budget, flagship horror IPs Resident Evil and silent hill Adopt the tropes and trends of cinema. More cerebral and thought-provoking titles, e.g dead space and Silent Hill 2Take advantage of the language of film: the camera follows the player, cutscenes play out like movie scenes, there are attempts at photorealism, etc. Who is Leela?Like other indie horror games signal and mouth washeschews these conventions in favor of the freedom afforded by interoperability. And like those examples, it's all the better — and more terrifying — for it.

What is the story of Leela?

Who is Leela? It's a murder mystery, but not what you think. Players assume the role of a young man named William, who lives alone while attending school. A lot has changed by the time the story begins, and various flashbacks, dreamscapes, and other surrealism make for an appropriately disturbing plot. Naturally, this is a plot that is almost impossible to discuss without major spoilers, but know this: Who is Leela? Its opaque, eccentric story becomes clearer over time, though at first very confusing.

Narrative is the nature of identity, experience, and reality, and its non-linear construction houses these broader thematic points. It's a beautifully paced story, putting the player in uncomfortable situation after uncomfortable situation, even making them do things they don't want to do. It is through this distraction, as well as the loss of control (always a valuable resource in video games), that Who is Leela? Really communicates its more terrifying messages.

put another way Who is Leela? The scary monsters or heart-pounding setpieces might not make you jump out of your seat, but its subtleties have a good chance of keeping you up at night. The more you think about the game's story, lore, and actions of the main characters, the more powerless you feel. It's not a sense of powerlessness that comes from running out of ammo or facing hordes of terrifying enemies, but a kind of existential, cosmic impotence, that sticks with you more than any monster design.

Who is Leela?suffers from many unfortunate localization problems; For example, its English translation has many spelling and grammar errors. It doesn't detract too much from the game's overall strength, but it's worth noting before jumping in.

Leela's game mechanics and controls steal the show

Who is Leela? Has an interesting story, but most first-time players will be put off by its mechanical novelty, which goes hand-in-hand with its overall presentation. Navigating through the in-game environments is done through traditional point-and-click mechanics, but you may notice that almost half the screen is taken up by a close-up depiction of William's face. Reserved for this compartment of display Who is Leela?The main mechanical feature, a kind of social simulator.

At certain points, players will get a preview of what William is going to say in conversation, with a certain amount of time to click and drag parts of his face to make the right expression. For example, if someone is greeting William happily and he is responding kindly, the player must pull up the corner of his mouth to make a smile. Doing otherwise, such as pulling his eyebrows down to create an angry face, can lead to unique character interactions, plot beats, and completely different endings.

It takes 2-4 hours to disappear Who is Leela?

This gameplay gimmick has an inherent uncanny valley aspect, however Who is Leela? Sometimes William kicks it up a notch by forcing him into certain expressions: when someone is crying he'll have a smile on his face, or he'll look on in pure terror at some innocent comment. Players must wrestle with these inappropriate expressions to avoid adverse consequences with NPCs. This gameplay heightens the aforementioned theme of control, as the player, as William, is losing control of their most valuable tool: their face.

Ko Ho Leela has a scary X-Factor

“Uncanny canyon” is the phrase used to describe it Who is Leela?But vast experience defies such a simple classification. It has an undeniable sense of showmanship, like a skilled magician leading you through illusion after illusion. The gameplay is regularly turned on its head or remixed in unexpected ways, and the nonlinear qualities of the story keep it constantly engaging, even when it doesn't make much sense. It also repurposes genre-independent mechanics like saving and loading, implementing them in unique ways.

Who is Leela? Another example of an indie game's potential for innovation and simplicity is; There really isn't anything else like it. It's a shame it hasn't made its way to consoles yet, even if its face manipulation mechanics work well with a mouse. It's not a very technically demanding game, nor is it expensive, so if you have a “decent” PC, it's an unmissable experience.