Sylvio (Console Edition) Reviews
Sylvio is a lesson in not judging a game by its screenshots. While it looks like a low budget throwaway, the game's best features mostly come in how it sounds. The memorable music and legitimately unsettling EVP recordings go far to prove its legitimacy as a tool for scaring. If you've never played a horror game, don't start here as the game requires a few too many concessions from the player. If you're a genre veteran looking for something atmospheric, retro-inspired, and adding its own unique gameplay mechanics, Sylvio is worth the trip. It's a candlelit ghost story that leaves you not breathless or horrified, but disquieted, which is perhaps the most effective horror of all.
A novel take on the first-person horror mould, Sylvio does, on occasion, bring some unsettling moments of paranormal investigation. Unfortunately Sylvio also brings dire, uninventive visuals, a dreary protagonist, and wholly unnecessary combat to nullify any promise it may have had.
Sylvio is an interesting survival horror that choose to focus in psychological fear instead of jump scares, although is fill with technical and gameplay problems, also it’s not very intuitive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I would totally play a game that is just the audio processing from this game. Everything else is a tedious glitchy mess.
Created by Nickolas Swanberg, Sylvio follows the investigation of Juliette Walters, an audio recordist who uses her audio skills to listen to the dead. She finds herself in Saginaw, a long since abandoned Family Park, hoping to uncover the mysteries of why this beloved park has been abandoned for so many years.
Sylvio is an interesting indie release that tries something different and succeeds. The graphics might not be the best out there, but they get the job done. There are many secrets to find during your search for the truth in this creepy, abandoned park, and I definitely had fun. If after checking the game's trailer and reading this review you feel the game isn't for you, then that's probably how you'll feel from playing it.
The game’s individual parts are rusty and don’t play as smoothly as I would have liked, but Sylvio manages to conjure some incredible moments with its humble mechanics – fans of Project Zero or Deadly Premonition will know what I mean.
Sylvio is an interesting PS4 release where sound plays a key part. The game is very creepy, and you need to be careful as you enter each new area so that you don’t end up dead. Exploring a location as you try to find clues to solve the puzzles is very rewarding. There’s some moments where you might feel lost not knowing what you need to do next, but if you keep track of what is added with every new recording you’ll always find your way. This is a PS4 game you definitely have to try!
Sylvio probably sounds like an interesting little game on paper but its execution is flawed in pretty much every way.
If there was a little more time spent with developing the overall story and much more time spent creating visually desirable environments, I would heartily recommend Sylvio. However as it stands, I’d steer clear. You’d have a better time recording your own ghostly sounds in your basement than playing Sylvio.
Sylvio puts an emphasis on atmosphere, creating horror more through storytelling and exploration than a true sense of danger. It is one of those titles that makes great use of sound and as such is best experienced in a dark room with an ideal audio situation (headset or surround sound). When the game is played this way, it is an interesting, creepy experience that horror fans should enjoy despite some of the game's limitations.
While it has a few issues with combat, Sylvio definitely has that special something. It's a unique take on psychological horror that manages to be frightening without resorting to cheap scares. The ghost recording concept works perfectly, weaving a harrowing tale that unfolds at just the right pace. Turn the lights down and listen....the dead are calling!