Detention (PC) Review

Detention is a 2D “ambient horror game” that puts you in the shoes of Ray, a Taiwanese student during the 1960’s Marshal Law period. The premise of the game starts mysteriously with a separate character who is important to the story before you do begin the main gameplay as Ray. Since this is a horror game I want to review the key elements that make a horror game successful. Although the game uses historical context, do not let that deter you as through most the game you are provided with enough information about the time period and Chinese lore.

PLOT/STORY:

Detention is a game that is chock full of historical events between the Chinese and Taiwanese - as the game progresses you find yourself discovering the main character’s struggle during the sensitive time period. Since the game is a HEAVY story based game, it is best to leave as much generalized for the viewer audience to be surprised. Story stays succulent and clear with lingering elements of “What could possibly happen next?” suspense that creates a small fear during the story as what is to come begins to unveil itself in the most horrifying of ways. The cultural importance of the game is aided by the lore and work together to present you a smooth and entertaining experience. Even though the theme may seem unfamiliar here, do not let that deter you from this gem as you may find the core story relatable to even yourself in some ways. Some of the themes that you explore as Ray are: depression, betrayal, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, grief, and death, as you are forced to confront these through the characters prospective.

GAMEPLAY:

Detention like other 2D side scrollers is strictly a “point and click” gameplay style that was not necessarily a charming aspect to the game. While you look around each room with Ray, you find yourself clicking through the entire process as opposed to controller or keyboard functionality. This was a personal aggravation for me as I play PC games from a couch mainly with a - controller.

Save points are scattered throughout the game and will force you similarly to a classic gaming style of reaching these points in order to keep progress. While death does not necessarily mean gameover, it puts you at the start of that chapter with any progress you made, a minor setbackbut nothing game breaking.

In segments during the game, you WILL be encountering enemies that the game cleverly uses the right click function for, to hold Ray’s breath. These are not as simple as just avoidance however as you will need to figure out each enemy pattern and make the right moves during each encounter. It’s during these moments that the game manages to add another layer of fear to keep you in suspense through the entirety.  

Your main purpose in the game is to discover clues and uncover the mystery of the unique story line that Detention deliberately feeds you wanting you to find out even more.  Each clue that you piece together is used in the world around you in some way or another to allow your progression, so puzzle elements do exist here similar to other horror titles.

ATMOSPHERE/FEEL:

Detention has a dark and brooding atmosphere that it maintains steadily throughout the game, hitting you with more intense and darker segments from time to time, similar to the Silent Hill franchise. If you have been a fan of the SH series and it’s disturbing yet subtle feeling, then Detention would be a perfect game for you. Detention does a good job at letting you feel the moments of fear, panic, or disturbia that the main character is going through, even in the most unsuspected moments, and perhaps that is what helps Detention shine the most regarding horror genre. From one moment you are feeling safe in a classroom, the very next you feel that there is definitely an uneasy feeling growing in your stomach.

SOUND/OST:

The OST is not particularly memorable as most of the game features an ambience and tone that is relevant during gameplay which is astounding, but it’s nothing that you would listen to outside of the game. Sound was excellent featuring noises of laughter from down the halls to the heavy breathing of the enemy that is up ahead a few feet from you. The game manages to maximize both categories here to really hit home, matching the style of the game perfectly.

GRAPHICS:

Detention has a unique collage feeling, with the characters often being made out what seems to be paper, and the backgrounds featuring almost realistic photos, or paintings. It is clear, that graphics for this game is what the development team wants you to feel  and not necessarily interpret. By doing this, I feel the graphic style was appropriate and successful while not being the most charming for today’s standards, Detention doesn’t feel like it needs the intense graphic quality that other horror games like to embrace.

OVERALL:

Detention is a horror game unlike any other - even though it shares other elements from games we know in the past, Detention manages to stand out from the rest. You won’t feel like there is any moment in this game that isn’t necessary as Detention forces you into it’s world, which is one of the most charming and critical parts of the game. The game can be a little short (roughly 7 hours?) and inclusion of more enemies would have been nice, but that’s exactly what I love about this game - it leaves you wanting more even after delivering such a satisfying experience. If you love horror games of any type, then Detention is a game you should definitely consider adding to your library (via Steam).

FINAL SCORE: 9/10

*special thanks to @LuckyArtist13 for helping me complete this game and contributing ideas throughout the horrifying experience.