DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition

Distraint: Deluxe Edition is short and sweet. Unlike the story, which is gruesome and a bit psychotic. I liked the whole experience, but I would have loved a longer playthrough and some different outcomes for the ending.

As I said, Distraint is a short game, but well worth the time invested. The story kept me interested, and while the mechanics are simple, they work well enough.

If you like weird games that make you laugh even unintentionally, then you’ll probably really like this game, because the majority of its faults are the same you would find in a horror themed B movie. The kind of movies that are objectively are bad, but are still entertaining so you catch yourself watching them more than one time just because they’re fun to watch. Sometimes that’s all you need. If you’re looking for a more serious horror experience though, or a truly interesting story, then you might look elsewhere.

DISTRAINT certainly seems to understand that the things that go bump in the night are less scary than the deep-rooted horrors that you can inflict on yourselves. This surreal-meets-the-mundane short story about a man's descent to metaphorical - and maybe literal - hell will keep you invested in the two and a half hours that the journey will last. Just don't expect any decent gameplay.

DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition offers great story and perfectly crafted ambiance, regardless of it’s short run-time. Although it drags in the middle with questionable mechanics it is still a unique take on the point-and-click adventure genre.

It’ll only take you a couple of hours to see everything on offer here, although there are some amusing trophies for doing things like filling up your coffee maker with toilet water or trying to get a dog to sniff gasoline. That feels on the short side but it's just about sufficient. But it’s not the length or even the gameplay that you’ll be purchasing DISTRAINT for, it’s the thought-provoking narrative, and it’s a triumph on that level.