If you’re worried about spoilers, don’t be; this prototype was designed as a separate experience from the actual game, in order to showcase the game’s look and feel without spoiling any of the plot. If you want to avoid spoilers for the prototype, I suggest that you watch the video above before reading any further.
“Dad was such a drag.”
Right off the bat, it’s easy to spot the similarities between Allison Road’s gameplay prototype and the Silent Hills “Playable Teaser.” There’s the photorealistic visuals, the inexplicably locked doors, and even little P.T. easter eggs sprinkled throughout the TV room.
What’s more interesting, however, are the differences: a voiced protagonist, an inventory for items, and an environment that can be explored further as the game progresses. We may never learn just how similar to P.T. that Silent Hills was going to be, but through Allison Road, we may learn what P.T. would have looked like as a fully developed gameplay experience.
For example, unlike P.T. in which much of the game’s dangers are scripted encounters, Allison Road’s creeping ghoul appears to be a persistent entity within the environment. In P.T., once you’ve seen a door move by itself a couple of times, it becomes obvious that nothing is actually moving it.
In Allison Road, when the player investigates the knock on the bathroom door, he discovers something on the other side. In P.T., you’re never sure if Lisa is present or not. In Allison Road, there is something in the house.
“If it bleeds, we can kill it.”
This makes the butcher knife in the prototype gameplay video all the more significant. P.T.’s only collectible items were the torn photograph pieces (and maybe the flashlight if you want to be picky). In Allison Road, not only can you stow away items in your inventory, you can also equip certain items, like the bloodied butcher knife–but for what purpose?
In the video, the player spots the creeping ghoul in time to avoid it, hiding in his office until the threat subsides. This isn’t even an option in P.T., which makes me wonder: if Allison Road’s ghost can be avoided, can it be attacked? If not, why else give the player a weapon, other than to instill a sense of false hope?
Never mind, that’s actually an excellent reason.
“Are you sure the only you is you?”
Right now, I’d say that my only concern with the prototype gameplay is the voiced protagonist. While the narration does help to prod the player in the right direction, it also shatters any immersion that the game’s first-person perspective provides, and in a horror game, immersion is key. In P.T., you are lost in a house. In Allison Road, you’re controlling a guy talking to himself about being lost in a house.
Beyond that, Allison Road is looking absolutely dreadful, and I mean that as a compliment. Make sure to check out the game’s official Facebook page for more information, and keep an eye on GameSkinny for future updates.
