Blight Night Impressions
Blight Night is an open-world survival horror game with throwback aesthetics.
Blight Night. Famous Games
Blight Night is a survival horror game from developer Famous Games. Set in 1986, it channels the era with VHS-like graphical filters and a gritty atmosphere. The player is Sonny Barstow, one of the few survivors of a mysterious outbreak that has turned most people in town into mutant zombies.
The game is played top-down but rendered in 3D. Players explore the town of Golden Springs, its sewers, and more, fighting zombies along the way. Progress requires finding the right items and solving some puzzles. I did a lot of backtracking to pick up items I missed, as the game hides items off the path in its open world. Some require special items you won’t find until later, such as a crowbar that can open car trunks. Backtracking carries risks, thanks to respawning enemies. I often relied on melee combat, as ammo was too rare to use carelessly.
Blight Night. Famous Games
Movement and combat are clunky and unresponsive. They’re passable when facing a single enemy, but they become an issue if there are more. Some enemies move far too quickly, making the encounters frustrating. Sonny can equip a melee weapon and a gun and use them interchangeably. Landing effective shots on enemies requires holding the aim button until the reticle focuses.
Blight Night. Famous Games
Blight Night is interesting thanks to its use of 1980s horror aesthetics, but is lacking in its gameplay. It doesn’t stand out against other top-down survival horror games I’ve played recently, such as the excellent Dead of Darkness.
Blight Night is available now on Steam.
