When Google Stadia launched back in 2019, a little horror game called Gylt was notably the cloud gaming service’s only exclusive. The press wondered if Stadia could keep up with fast-paced games like Doom, and whether the potential to play games anywhere with only a controller and a Wi-Fi connection would outweigh the ridiculous a la carte business model which required users to buy each Cloud-based game individually. Now, Google Stadia and its terrible business model are dead, but Gylt remains.
The third-person stealth horror game has been unavailable since Stadia shut down earlier this year. But, as of this week, Gylt has come to PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. So, how does the game look when it isn't expected to be a system seller for Google's quickly abandoned folly? Pretty good. It was always strange for Gylt to be saddled with that responsibility and it's a relief to see it sneaking onto other platforms.
No, Gylt isn't a killer app, but it's a lot of fun for what it is. And what it is is essentially an Afterschool Special by way of Resident Evil. As the game begins, elementary school student Sally is putting up posters around town for her missing cousin, Emily. But, when bullies on bikes chase her into the woods, Sally ends up taking an eerie cable car into a place that looks a whole lot like her town, but has weirdly been abandoned by its residents and is now haunted by inky black monsters. Almost as soon as she arrives, Sally sees Emily inside the school they both attend and sets off to find her.
At first, all Sally can do is sneak around the monsters as she explores familiar, but changed, classrooms and hallways, searching for keys to open doors in hopes of getting to Emily. But, eventually, she gets a powerful flashlight, the beam of which she can focus to target pustule-like weak spots on the monsters. Each has three bubbly splotches and if she hits them all, they’ll disappear, giving her free reign over the zone they were patrolling. Later, stronger enemies are introduced, but Emily also gets a stronger weapon: a fire extinguisher she can use to freeze enemies in place. This is fine enough, but I found the exploration significantly more interesting than the stealth and combat.
And the exploration is a breath of fresh air. After reviewing Layers of Fear last month, I found Gylt incredibly refreshing. That series, though occasionally good, represents a lot of my frustrations with modern horror games. Its geography is ever changing, using the player’s inability to get a grip on where they even are as another vector for horror. I get it intellectually, but I much prefer Gylt’s approach. Each area is spatially coherent, with a map that starts black and fills in each room with color as you explore it. I’ve always found it immensely satisfying to get introduced to a space and then explore until it makes sense, finding keys, unlocking doors, and grabbing useful items, and Gylt is that kind of game.
It helps that the art style is just right for this kind of double-A game. Sally and Emily wouldn’t look out of place in a stop-motion animated film like James and the Giant Peach (though they most remind me of the kids from the Puffs Tissues commercials). Their world is dangerous, but in a kid-friendly way — at least, older kid-friendly — that feels more Halloween night than all-out horror. Taking in each new environment is a lot of fun, as objects like arcade cabinets and school lockers are rendered in a stylish way that’s akin to popular titles like Little Nightmares and Inside. Those games are actually scary though, and it feels less like Gylt is trying to spook you than to scare you straight, implicating even nice kids in the harm done if they don’t stick up for their friends who are being bullied. It’s a good message for kids and adults, but there are less scares for the latter.
Even if you don’t get scared, you’ll probably have a good time. Gylt offers a well-designed world and I enjoyed exploring it for the entirety of the six-to-eight hours it took to complete. It’s the kind of game I would like to see more teams tackle. It’s simple, short, but fun while it lasts. I’m glad to see it finally free from Stadia.
