InteractiveHorror.com

Back in 2004, Ben Leffler crafted a nasty little Flash browser game called Exmortis. Three years later, Exmortis 2 made its bloody debut. Both games are beautiful examples of what independent producers are capable of in the realms of interactive horror. Also, both games are free to play and certainly worthy of a closer look if you’re in the mood for some grisly horror.

The world of the Exmortis games is one of isolated horror, feelings of creeping dread, and nightmarish imagery. The fully realized backstory and mythology is worthy of a modern novel: Long, long before humankind walked the Earth, the Ancients made war on each other. Demonic beings of terrifying savagery and power, the Ancients battled until only the three most powerful were left. Through acts of treachery and bloodshed Lord Vlaew clawed his way to the top to rule the blasted wasteland that was Earth. Cutting to the chase, Vlaew’s physical form was eventually destroyed and he was banished to the netherworld with his demonic minions, the Exmortis. Now, it seems, he has plans of making a grand return to rule the world once again.

The first game in the series, Exmortis, puts the player in the role of a nameless protagonist waking in the woods with no memory of who they are. Nearby, a creepy house provides the only shelter from the freezing night. Naturally, once inside, grisly discoveries and sanity-shattering revelations are made as you discover a horrific ritual to bring the Exmortis and Lord Vlaew back.

The Lovecraftian elements of the game, such as ancient translated texts, madmen, and horrors beyond space and time ring through in the game. Leffler does an excellent job of creating a tense atmosphere through the imagery and sounds in the game.

Exmortis 2 grants us a view of the apocalypse after the Exmortis have returned. This time, the player takes on the role of one Mr. Hannay, a survivor of the monstrous hordes that have decimated the world. Early on, you are charged by a shadowy figure with banishing the Exmortis once again, an unlikely prospect in this devastated new world.

Improvements in Exmortis 2 include a basic inventory system, better graphics and animation, and an attention to detail that brings the world to life. In the basement of a seemingly abandoned house, you find a CB radio. Dialing through the channels you may come across a frenzied cry for help from a doomed survivor, or a channel of nothing but ominous demonic voices. In another room, a collection of newspaper clippings brings the end of the world home with disturbingly realistic reports. Additionally, the game is advertised as using actual EVP recordings in the soundtrack. Whether you believe in that kind of thing or not, it still adds an even creepier level to the game.

Neither game is for the squeamish. Grotesque scenes of dismembered bodies, blood, and decaying bodies fill almost every scene. You should steer clear if you are disturbed or offended by fictionalized violence against children. It’s a very tricky element of horror to pull off, but in this case Leffler has used it in a context that only serves to increase the sense of dread and hopelessness that lay at each game’s core.

If you’re looking to fill an evening with a couple of disturbing games that can be completed in a few hours, look no further that Exmortis and Exmortis 2. Both games can be found at http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/189227.

If you like the kind of horror that Ben Leffler is infecting you with, be aware that Exmortis 3 has recently been released. However, I plan to review that game on its own because it is the first of the series that players must pay for.

Game Breakdown:

Learning Curve: The puzzles are accessible with patience, but expect to die horribly at least once. Both games are fairly intuitive, with only a couple of real stumpers.

Graphics: Gritty and horrific, Leffler has managed to capture a snapshot of a nightmare with each scene presented in the game.

Controls: A simple point and click interface for both games allows you to focus on the beautifully grotesque imagery and story.

Sound/Voices/Music: Music is used sparingly, which works well here. It’s the sound effects that shine: disembodied whispers, the laughter of the dead, the wind blowing through desolate ruins.

Difficulty: Like I said above: be prepared to die at least once. Both games are relatively unforgiving if you do screw up and ,being browser games, really have no save options.

Horror Elements:

Plot: Disturbing enough that it may linger with you after the game is over. Just gritty, ugly end-of-the-world a’comin stuff. Like any good horror story, the meat of the plot is in how the people in the story interact with each other…usually in horrible ways.

Scares: There are plenty between the two games! They range from cheap shots like monsters jumping out at you, to ever-increasing feelings of an inescapable unnatural doom.

Writing: You can tell that Ben Leffland had a vision for both games. The writing is solid for what it is: two short, simple, and horrifying tales.

Special Effects: Most of the effects, except for the big shocks, are subtle and used well. Whether its blood slowly dripping from the ceiling, or the lonely spirit of a little girl watching you from the corner, each effect is a necessary and well thought out part of the game.

Interactive Horror Rating: A

Droog7 is a horror author and freelance writer/editor currently at large in the video game industry.

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