Chasing Static Reviews
Chasing Static creates a strong sense of nostalgia as the appreciation of late 90's era horror games shines through. The game works well as a throwback, but it doesn't work as well as a horror game in its own right. More than that however it is ultimately let down by an abundance of overly familiar narrative choices. Minding that, fans of PlayStation 1 style horror should still find something to love.
Chasing Static is a psychological horror game in which you play a character who stumbles upon a failed research facility. These always mean trouble, this time caused by a surrounding energy field that can make a person slowly lose their mind. Recovering the equipment to fix the field and discovering what happened won't take the player more than a few hours, but it's a mostly fun, constantly creepy time while it lasts.
Chasing Static is let down some by overused narrative tropes and a short length, but strong world design and enjoyable pacing help make it worth a playthrough.
Spotty connection of certain design & narrative choices aside, Headware Games' retro-horror title will do just enough to keep fans from changing the channel.
The gimmick of using a PlayStation 1 presentation might attract an audience. But the game needs more than style to keep players engaged, even if only for the around three hours the story needs to reveal itself. Chasing Static has some good elements but it never manages to get the right mix for a truly engaging experience.
PS1 aesthetic fans will find a fun mood piece experience here, most others will likely feel underwhelmed by the shortcomings and averageness of what the game has to offer, compared to its peers.
Fully committing to a very retro look, this sort of horror adventure at least makes an impression in its somewhat brief runtime
A little rough around the edges, even for the lo-fi approach – Chasing Static is a decent time if you’re looking for a short sci-fi horror story. The PSX art style lends itself into being an aesthetically memorable experience that might please fans of that era of horror games. Despite the game’s title I wasn’t necessarily guided by the static, resulting in a missing trick. However, the decent albeit a little vague story made me want to stay in the game till the end.
If you enjoy classic horror games from yesteryear, this game is ready to give you an earful of scares.
Chasing Static is a boring, slog of a game.
Chasing Static is an engaging walking simulator with an engrossing story. However, it isn't much of a horror game.
To conclude, Chasing Static was a pleasant experience for anyone who’s interested in classic, suspenseful horror, graphics and all. Even though it runs short, with only 4 hours of gameplay, you’ll find that the controls run smoothly and you get a healthy dose of fear and anxiety to boot. I’m giving this game a 7.5 out of 10 for its nostalgic performance. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a poor sheep that needs my help.
It won’t be winning any Game of the Year awards but Chasing Static is a compact narrative thriller worth an evening of your time. Its story isn’t as engrossing as those of its peers and it can be a touch confusing at times, but a mix of crunchy, nostalgia fuelled visuals, high quality audio and a great script make for an interesting combination.
Chasing Static dials in a unique spin on the psychological horror genre with its lo-fi visuals and focus on sonic exploration. I only wish there was more substance to go along with its excellent sense of style. With more compelling puzzles to solve and a greater variety of locations to explore, it’d be a lot easier to recommend adding this one to your library. Even though the writing has its moments, the story ends so abruptly that it likely won’t stick with you long after the credits roll. If you’re a die-hard fan of horror games from the 32-bit era or are looking for a fresh twist on the genre, Chasing Static just might be worth tuning into. However, those in search of more substantial scares would probably be better off changing the station.