Ikai
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Critic Reviews for Ikai
Ikai does a great job of incorporating Japanese folklore into a claustrophobic psychological horror, with some smart puzzles throughout.
Ikai is a first-person horror adventure that provides an interesting starting point to understand a little more about the figures we continually encounter in ancient Japanese culture.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Great sound design and solid atmosphere hampered by subpar English localization and some obtuse puzzles.
Ikai is a first-person psychological horror game that isn't so much scary as it is confounding. It wastes its effectively chilling setting by simply getting you lost in it. You'll be annoyed more often than frightened, confused more often than entertained.
Ikai is a wonderful entry into the psychological horror genre. The story is intriguing and beautiful in its own way. The spooky music kept me feeling on edge, giving away no hint of any looming dangers, adding that much more to my sense of unease. I just wish there had been more of it.
Ikai's interesting setting and unsettling atmosphere are let down by its clunky gameplay, mundane and repetitive structure, and several technical issues.
Ikai had a great first half with great pacing and providing enough mystery and heart-racing moments but fizzled out by the end.
Even about 3.5 hours in (admittedly, a pretty short length), the ending felt rushed, confusing, and underwhelming. Maybe others will be able to puzzle out some of the finer details in the plot, but there were far too many details left unspoken for and strange plot holes that left me somewhat upset and disappointed. I wanted to love Ikai, and there were some parts of it that I was really fond of, but by the end, I felt cheated. It’s not necessarily a bad game, but I wouldn’t put it up there with any of my top favorites in recent years.
