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LONG BLOG

Slipping back to the shadows.

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And finally, at least for now, we have Prison, which can be summed up in one word in regards to both the level and its real-world namesake: brutal. The derelict correctional facility in which you're trapped is heinously homogeneous in its visual style and layout, and can easily have even the most diligent player stuck going in circles before long. This time around, the player is collecting photographs during their attempted prison break, which can be found just as often in corners on the floor as they can on raised surfaces such as beds and counters, and for the first time in a Slender Man's Shadow, the character's hand is visibly holding the flashlight in front of them. The new element that really kicks things up a notch, however, is that running now attracts Slender Man's attention in the sprawling, silent cell blocks, making the sprint key an absolutely last-ditch option this time around. Turning and walking away quietly seems completely counter-intuitive at first, and between that restriction and the delay in ground coverage provided by not running, the atmosphere upgrades from mere terror to sheer menace. One of my favorite new elements, however, goes beyond even that; the character's flashlight, at times, will completely and unexpectedly cut out, leaving you plunged in darkness for what feels like forever if you're not in one of the primary hallways. If you live long enough the first instance, you learn that it does switch back on eventually, but that first blackout is tantamount to the first time a Slender virgin encounters our pale, be-suited friend in The Eight Pages. It's a rough ride, Prison, but any substantial progress in it feels more satisfying than any of its other brethren, and the ambient fear is the finest of any Slender Man's Shadow map to date.

Still forthcoming is something marked as a "Secret Project" on the Slender Man's Shadow home page, for which they collected $1,000 in donations but have revealed little else. Current speculation estimates it'll be a compilation of sorts, with the previously announced Carnival map and possibly an SDK to open up creation directly to the community, among other things. However, something completely different is just as likely; a pyramid-themed level was originally slated to release early in the rotation, but was scrapped entirely and hasn't been mentioned since. Either way, the Slender Man's Shadow crew have worked wonders when it comes to perpetuating the surprise scares and ambient dread of Parsec's original Slender, while maintaining an air of homagery rather than seeming merely derivative. Here's to all their good work to date, and to the hope that another dose of apprehension will be delivered in time for Hallowe'en.
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About nekobunone of us since 5:17 PM on 06.29.2007

Hi, I'm Chris, though I've been going by nekobun and variants thereof for so long, I kind of answer to both anymore.

While I've kind of got my own thing going in the realm of indie coverage, at least in the form of playing through (and streaming) (and writing about) the huge backlog I'm developing of games gleaned from various indie bundles, I try to keep my more mainstream, game-related features here, as well as opinion pieces on the industry at large, out of mad love for the 'toid. When I'm not rambling here or trying to be clever in comments threads, you can catch me rambling on Facebook and my Twitter, and trying to be clever in the Dtoid.tv chat.

Now Playing:
360: Halo 4
PC: F.E.A.R.
SNES: Secret Of Mana

Promoted:
I suck at games: PEW PEW LASERS
Improving game communities: Collective consciousness
Nothing is sacred: These walls have torn my world apart
The wrong thing: Only cream and bastards catch them all.
Love/Hate: I love to hate -you-
Love/Hate: B(u)y the book
The Future: Is still what it used to be
My Expertise: Playing the race kart
Something about sex: Sex sells, but who's buying?
E3 Approaches: It's oh so quiet
Freedom: Together, we'll break the chains of HUDs
East vs West: We've got the empire
Handhelds: Graduating as 2000's Catchemaledictorian
Relaxation: Cheesy double Chief burrito
Online Passes: A spoonful of sugar
Peripherals: Many tentacles pimpin' on the keys
This is what MAGfest is all about
Beginnings: Put it on the pizza
Disappointment: Bad(vent) timing

Recap Topsauce:
It's Thinking: Could you quit playing with that radio, love?
Do the wrong thing: And do it right, for once.
Afraid to shoot strangers.
Not if you were the last junkie on Pandora
Is Jim Sterling servicing the video games industry?
Something About Sex: Unsafe at any speed.
Doing DLC right
Congress passes sweeping Elfcare reform bill
Bottom five healthcare systems in videogames.
Pushing my love over the quarter line.
When my life would depend on an eight point none.
Remember the heroes.
Every Journey begins with a single step.
It's all over now, bomber blue.
Being Social: We'll always have Rainbow Road
Labor Day: Of course you realize, this means wark.
Please, aim it higher.
There Would've Been Brawl: Show me 'round your eggplantcage.
Integration: A place for everything
Zelda Week: I guess this is growing up.
MAGfest: the (don't be an) idiot's guide
Promotions: The bees are alright
Now is the winter of on-disc content
This was supposed to be a dozen items about nekobun.
Without Slenderness, there's something missing.
Cheap tricks (and treats) don't come cheaper than free.
The legacy of the (unlikely) wizard.
Cheap Tricks II: Sugar rush boogaloo
Thank you, for bringing me here, for showing me Home.
Burnt flowers fallen: the tragic bitchotry of Lilly Caul
Red and blue, resolving into purple.
Xbox LIVE:nekobun
PSN ID:strictmachine
Steam ID:nekobun
Mii code:2610 8366 7890 1412


 

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