The Charnel House Trilogy
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Critic Reviews for The Charnel House Trilogy
'The Charnel House Trilogy' is a point and click genre game that will please fans of eerie atmosphere and casual gameplay, but will likely fall flat for others.
The horror of The Charnel House Trilogy makes a slight mark, but it's not a lasting one.
That's kind of the crux of the problem: everything in The Charnel House Trilogy is too obvious. You see most of the scares coming a mile away, it's super easy to see through the psychological tricks that it tries to employ and once you understand what's going on with the train it doesn't feel particularly ominous anymore, no matter what tone the graphics and music might otherwise set.
A superb piece narrative experience that never outstays its welcome, but does leave you wanting more.
The Charnel House Trilogy sets up an intriguing mystery but doesn't quite complete it. While some issues hold the game back somewhat, there is no question this was an enjoyable five to six hour diversion akin to reading a good story.
Exploring themes of horror, personal relationships, and personal agency, The Charnel House Trilogy weaves a fantastic tale that is well-written, and relatively well-acted. As more and more of the truth started to become clear nearing the game's conclusion, I found myself completely drawn in.
The Charnel House Trilogy is game that ebbs and flows. It's a game that sucks you in and then confuses you. It takes your hand and intentionally leads you into uncertainty and fear.
It is, perhaps, not a very good adventure game, but – and this is despite the first act – it's a compelling bit of interactive fiction. Uneven, but compelling. I want to know what the deal is with the train's destination, Augur Peak and… and that's about the only question I can repeat here because all the other ones that are rattling around my head like a bag of bones are great big bloody spoilers.
