This game, in many ways, mirrors some of the accomplishments of F.E.A.R. (for obvious reasons); for instance, it forces players to choose and use a small selection of weapons at any one time, and the game has a sense of immediacy in its control scheme lending itself to direct action (I half expected to nail enemies with flying kicks). The otherwordly effect of a child's voice conjured experiences of Alma Wade, as does the duality found within the persona and actions of the antagonists' structures. With these similarities in mind, is Betrayer a good game?

Yes.

Betrayer is a good game, and stands on its own merits: a strong narrative, striking presentation, and effective use of audio. The dependence on audio cues is rewarding. Dialogue between the player character and non-player characters are accomplished through simple trees, whose options are unlocked when clues are discovered. Roaming the world of Betrayer harkened to Silent Hill, but was animated and alive in a way that allow a player to imagine themselves in the midst of a breathing, sighing forest, tinged and tainted with subtle blood-red cues. When action happens, the player's speakers tend to explode with a rushing, beating heart, and enemies are deadly.

The challenging enemies serve to emphasize the theme of the game, and its narrative. There is a lot of text in Betrayer, and it is well-written; the investigations often reveal cruelty or tragedy, and all tie into the eponymous conceit of the game. I'm not sure if spoken dialogue would have improved things, because voice acting on a budget can do more harm than good, and often precludes narratives from achieving the depth text otherwise provides.

While well written and compelling, the text of the game can sometimes be confusing. Players have to backtrack and search areas again, which made the later game feel systematic rather than fluid.

Stick with it and its rewards will yield themselves.

This game, in many ways, mirrors some of the accomplishments of F.E.A.R. (for obvious reasons); for instance, it forces players to choose and use a small selection of weapons at any one time, and the game has a sense of immediacy in its control scheme lending itself to direct action (I half expected to nail enemies with flying kicks). The otherwordly effect of a child's voice conjured experiences of Alma Wade, as does the duality found within the persona and actions of the antagonists' structures. With these similarities in mind, is Betrayer a good game? Yes. Betrayer is a good game, and stands on its own merits: a strong narrative, striking presentation, and effective use of audio. The dependence on audio cues is rewarding. Dialogue between the player character and non-player characters are accomplished through simple trees, whose options are unlocked when clues are discovered. Roaming the world of Betrayer harkened to Silent Hill, but was animated and alive in a way that allow a player to imagine themselves in the midst of a breathing, sighing forest, tinged and tainted with subtle blood-red cues. When action happens, the player's speakers tend to explode with a rushing, beating heart, and enemies are deadly. The challenging enemies serve to emphasize the theme of the game, and its narrative. There is a lot of text in Betrayer, and it is well-written; the investigations often reveal cruelty or tragedy, and all tie into the eponymous conceit of the game. I'm not sure if spoken dialogue would have improved things, because voice acting on a budget can do more harm than good, and often precludes narratives from achieving the depth text otherwise provides. While well written and compelling, the text of the game can sometimes be confusing. Players have to backtrack and search areas again, which made the later game feel systematic rather than fluid. Stick with it and its rewards will yield themselves.