BECROWNED Demo Preview | The Indie Horror Game That Feels Like a Modern PS2 Classic
This Demo Made Me Feel Like I Was Playing a PS2 Game. That's a Compliment.
EDITIORIALS
GP
7/1/20262 min read
BECROWNED is a surreal survival horror game that explores how your unfulfilled desire will manifest as your greatest torment. You explore the ruins of an ancient kingdom where you can be its savior or destroy it. This game surprised me and honestly immediately caught my attention.
An Atmosphere That Grabs You Immediately
From the moment the demo starts, the atmosphere is incredible. It really feels like a classic psychological survival horror game. The environments and visuals are creepy, and I felt like I was playing a modern PS2 game. The sound design was equally horrifying and chilled me to the bone.
The game really reminds me of old school survival horror titles without feeling like a direct copy of them. It understands what made those games memorable. Exploration feels tense, resources feel important, and the overall mood is dark and uncomfortable.
Controls That Give You Options
One thing I noticed right away is the control options. If you're playing on keyboard, the game uses classic tank controls, which some survival horror fans will probably appreciate, reminiscent of the original Resident Evil or Silent Hill days. Personally, when I switched to a controller, movement felt faster and a bit more modern. It's nice having both options available depending on how you prefer to play and might even lend itself to fun ways to replay the game.
Combat That Makes You Think Twice
The combat has great weight. Every encounter is dangerous, and there's a sense that you can't just run into every fight without thinking. It adds to the tension because you're constantly deciding whether to engage an enemy or avoid them entirely and run away. You're never safe and the combat really serves to highlight that fact.
Puzzles That Respect Your Intelligence
The puzzles were another highlight for me. They're very old school and reminded me of classic Silent Hill puzzles. You actually have to pay attention to your surroundings, read notes, and think about what the game is trying to tell you. It doesn't just hand you the answers, which I really appreciated. It's something that is largely gone from most AAA titles these days so it's fun to see a team trying to emulate that old school puzzle feel.
Disturbing Imagery Done Right
Visually, the game does a great job creating disturbing imagery without relying on cheap jump scares. The environments tell their own story, and there are plenty of moments that made me stop and look around just to take in how strange and unsettling everything felt.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the game includes difficulty options. If you're mainly interested in the story and atmosphere, you can lower the challenge and enjoy the experience at your own pace. Whether you're taking on the challenge of the horrifying world or drink in the terrors around you is up to you.
The Verdict
Overall, I came away from the demo genuinely impressed. The atmosphere is fantastic, the puzzles are enjoyable, the combat feels tense, and it captures that psychological survival horror vibe. It's an indie game with great potential, so definitely check it out if any of this sounded interesting to you.
