P.T.was released in 2014, and the mysterious title was quickly revealed to be a “playable teaser” for the now-canceledSilent Hills. Fans of the survival horror franchise were disappointed that the promising game was never released, as its contributing team was set to feature a stellar lineup including Hideo Kojima, Guillermo Del Toro, Junji Ito, and Norman Reedus.
The enormous popularity and critical acclaim ofP.T.mean it continues to be hugely influential. In the years following its release, many horror games have been inspired by its atmosphere and setting, as well as by the gameplay innovation of having a recurring loop that forces players through the same area over and over again, subtly (or not so subtly) changing it each time to unsettle and frighten them. This showcases a major flaw in development practices when profound, genre-defining titles such asP.T.inspire the masses—lazy or poor execution.
RELATED:How Junji Ito’s Art Would’ve Made Silent Hills the Scariest Series Entry Yet
The Ingenious Mechanic That Made P.T. a Horror Masterpiece
Despite being only a teaser for an unreleased game,P.T.is still regarded by many fans and critics as the best horror game on the PS4. The fact that the game is no longer available for download has only added to its reputation and mystique, and there remains a clamor forP.T.to be republished.
Many aspects of the game received lavish praise, including the impressive visuals, layered and complex story, andterrifying sound design. However, particular praise was reserved forP.T.’s central conceit, which sees the player proceeding through the dark and eerie hallway of an abandoned house. They walk down a corridor, turn right, creep past the entrance to a bathroom and a locked front door, then proceed through another door that seems to lead down into a basement, only to emerge once again at the start of the same hallway.
Thehighly original structure ofP.T.allowed the mini-game to pull off some exceptional scares, ratcheting the dread slowly and inexorably. In the initial loop, the bathroom door is closed and locked. In the next loop, something can be heard banging on it from the other side, as though trying to escape. In a later loop, the door creaks open, inviting the player to peer inside.
AlthoughP.T.’s actual puzzles were considered somewhat arcane, the “hallway loop” mechanic enabled its narrative to unfurl with horrifying skill. By the game’s later circuits, the player is immersed in a surrealist horror nightmare that seems to have come straight out of aDavid Lynch movie. The use of a creepy radio to broadcast plot details, or just garbled and frightening noises, further elevated the game’s intolerably scary atmosphere and was also a nod to theSilent Hillseries’ roots.
The mechanic also helped to make the game’s single, terrifying jump scare as effective as possible. By playing into some of the tropes of the “walking simulator” genre, the game had many players convinced that its disturbing atmosphere and creepy visuals would ultimately have no payoff, especially asP.T.features no combat mechanics. After multiple loops, some hardened horror fans might even have become inured to the game’s oppressive, claustrophobic ambiance, preparing them perfectly for Lisa’s iconic jump scare. This set up one of the greatest moments in horror gaming history, as demonstrated by the countless scream-filled YouTube reaction videos that circulated at the time.
RELATED:5 Horror Games Inspired by PT
Horror Games That Utilize P.T.’s Looping Hallway Mechanic
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.P.T.’s success and critical acclaimunderstandably spawned a wave of copycats, and in some cases inspired great horror games. However, in other cases, players were frustrated by what seemed like little more than low-budget clones. The problem is that, even when the games themselves are solid experiences, there are simply so many indie horror titles that use the “repeated hallway loop” mechanic that it has become a tired cliche.
One developer that has been extensively inspired byP.T.isBloober Team. The Polish studio is known for its horror titles, having developed such hits asLayers Of FearandThe Medium, as well as critically acclaimed cyberpunk horror gameObserver, starring the late Rutger Hauer. BothLayers Of FearandObserverborrow heavily fromP.T., the latter even featuring a deliberate homage where the game’s protagonist must proceed through a repeated hallway loop. In this case, the inclusion feels like a clever subversion of the trope rather than a rip-off, as the player knows that their character is experiencing “mind hacks” as a result of their cybernetic augmentations, which strongly links to the game’s plot and themes.
There are, however, a slew of other titles that have borrowed extensively fromP.T.,includingEvil Inside,Visage,Those Who Remain, andThe Park,each of which features some combination of spooky houses and repeating hallways. However, these are excellent examples where the never-ending hallway trope or its obvious ties toP.T.weren’t able to carry the entire game, resulting in it performing poorly among many fans. At worst, they risk coming off as lazy.
Evil Inside,in particular, received negative reviews not only for its use of the never-ending hallway but because it looks like a carbon copy ofP.T. Critics considered the game to be too short, the puzzles to be dull and unimaginative, and the looping premise hackneyed and derivative. Its poor performance is surely evidence that horror creators must find new and innovative ways to implement mechanics rather than simplyreskinP.T.
Horror fans need not despair, however, as there are still many examples of innovative games out there.Mundaunmade use of a unique art style and a European feel to evoke movies likeMidsommarto spine-chilling effect, and the upcoming titleWronged Ushas one of the creepiest teaser trailers in recent memory. EvenAbandoned, briefly believed to be a fake game acting as a facade for a resurrectedSilent Hills, has intriguing potential.
Many horror games released in the last seven years undoubtedly owe a debt of gratitude toP.T., which became a major moment in horror gaming history. However, it’s also become a great example of how shameless clones will be seen as nothing more by the community, whereas affectionate homages that implement these inspired mechanics successfully have gone on to be great games as well.
