Review key provided by GameMill Entertainment
If there is one thing that I love in life, it’s Goosebumps. Perhaps some of my earliest memories of horror aside from seeing The Ring at six years old, or that infamous “Secret Weapon” scene in An American Tail. Goosebumps was able to show me scares across various sub-genres of horror, as well as giving me a love for great campy media overall. And while Goosebumps doesn’t always translate over perfectly to the video game form of media, I’m always amused by what we’re given. But with the franchise’s brand-new title, Goosebumps: Terror of Little Creek, I’m thoroughly impressed.
Story and Gameplay
Terror in Little Creek’s story is one that, while it isn’t a major rollercoaster ride of emotions, is very entertaining. The cast of four kid characters is all very well written and had dialogue that actually engaged me throughout my playthrough. The premise of the game is that there’s been weird goings-on throughout the town, and the kids task themselves to find out what’s going on and who's responsible. Along the way, we find monsters, red herrings, and even a conspiracy theory or two.
Gameplay is probably one of my favorite aspects of Terror in Little Creek, as it felt a lot like a child-approved version of a new Resident Evil Remake title, in the best way. You make your way around town solving puzzles, gaining new weapons and abilities, and backtracking to areas as you can open up more of them. I really felt like Jill Valentine navigating Raccoon City. And that’s how Little Creek is laid out. It’s really it’s on Raccoon City with secret rooms and unlockables laid throughout.
Combat is simple yet effective, as you’re using a slingshot or spellbook to dispatch your enemies, scavenging for resources as you go. However, not all can be killed, as various enemies are similar to Nemesis or Mr. X, where you can’t kill them and just have to run for your life. What’s funny is that your character’s health bar is actually a lifeline just like in an RE title, so it’s very plain to see how some of the developers of this title like themselves some RE too.
Visuals and Sound
Though this title won’t win any awards for breakthrough visuals, it’s incredibly pretty to look at. Even the monsters are colorful and not scary enough that you’d want to avert your eyes, aside from the main alien-like monster, who’s actually pretty gross to look at. Lighting is pretty well done here, and it really evokes not only the books but the television series in a lot of ways.
As far as audio goes, it’s also another area where I was pleased. The ambient sounds and music are well done, yet nothing to write home about. What I really enjoyed, though, were the character performances by the voice actors. They did a great job and captured the emotion needed for the story beats. It never felt phoned in or like another take was needed.
Feedback and Conclusion
At the end of the day, Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek is an incredibly fun and addictive title. I picked it up and played it over the course of one day, which is something I rarely do anymore. Its gameplay loop is always evolving, the town is fun to explore as it grows for you, and the story is fun to uncover. Aside from some dead enemies floating in mid-air, I also had a sound time with it on a technical level, too. This is definitely something that not only an aspiring RE kiddo can enjoy, but the kid inside of all of us adults as well.
