- Maid of Sker is the new mobile version of Wales Interactive’s homegrown horror
- It’s set in an isolated 19th-century hotel on the titular island of Sker
- All is not as it seems as you arrive to investigate strange goings-on, however
As a tech-savvy Welshman hailing from the valleys, I’ve had my fair share of gaming experiences on various devices – ranging from state-of-the-art consoles to mobile phones that are, let’s say, a bit long in the tooth. Recently, I ventured into the eerie world of Maid of Sker, a game initially released for more powerful machines than my trusty Samsung S20.
As a gamer, I find myself on a chilling windswept island, where an eerie hotel filled with Lovecraftian terrors awaits me. A mysterious woman, possibly an innocent caught in the turmoil or someone with her own hidden agenda, adds to the enigma. It’s not just a weekend getaway gone awry, but the gripping start of a Welsh-born horror gem called Maid of Sker.
Located on the titled island, Maid of Sker is inspired by a Victorian novel with the same name and is set during the same period in the late 1800s. In this game, you assume the role of Thomas Evans, who journeys to the island and the Sker Hotel to unravel the mysteries hinted in a letter from his fiancée Elisabeth Williams, following the bizarre-fiction custom of subtly suggesting supernatural events within the hotel.
Does Elizabeth appear completely innocent, or is there more to her than meets the eye? What’s the link between these creatures and melodies? And most crucially, will you manage to survive this ordeal?
Wales Interactive’s past projects have primarily revolved around FMV (full-motion video) games, but Maid of Sker breaks new ground by centering on horror. Critics’ responses were mixed, hovering around the 50/50 mark, although it’s important to mention that its spiritual forebearer, Alien: Isolation, received mixed reviews upon release as well, despite eventually being recognized as a timeless classic.
However, I’d like to clarify that this discussion isn’t intended as a review of Maid of Sker overall. Rather, we’ll be diving deep into the mobile experience of the game. Is it a testament to engineering prowess? Or does it crumble under the weight of its portability like a structure held together by gum and twine? Let’s explore and uncover the truth!
Gameplay
If you’ve experienced games like Resident Evil or Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you’ll have a good idea of what awaits. For those who haven’t, let me explain. You explore the Sker Hotel, seeking out the brass cylinders, as per Elisabeth’s belief, these artifacts will (presumably) halt the mysterious supernatural occurrences.
As a gamer, I’d delve into every hidden corner, scavenging for keys to unlock secret passages, thereby revealing unexplored territories. Along the way, I’d dodge adversaries and piece together clues about the chilling events unfolding within this mysterious hotel.
If you enjoy fast-paced shoot ’em ups or intense action horror games, Maid of Sker might not suit your taste. However, if being confronted with monsters in games like Amnesia leaves you feeling uneasy, rest assured that the main danger lies in avoiding having your head torn off. Typically, moving cautiously and keeping a low profile is enough to avoid most adversaries.
To stay safe in the Sker Hotel, where sightless creatures dwell, it’s crucial to move slowly and cautiously, holding your breath when necessary, especially when enemies are nearby or in smoky areas that make you cough. This delicate balance between speed and silence keeps you constantly alert, as any noise could potentially lead to danger and even death.
The game provides mobility, but it falls under the category of walking simulators. Occasionally, you’ll find that jumping over even small obstacles like bricks or logs can be inconvenient, especially during outdoor scenes. However, these issues are generally manageable. Since there’s no real need to evade your pursuers, running is primarily used to reduce time spent in safer zones.
Graphics
If your device is capable, Maid of Sker can appear quite impressive, boasting stunning dynamic lighting and eerie ambiance. However, as I’ll discuss in the ‘Performance’ segment, this is also where the game encounters significant issues. On a smaller screen, the intricate details and decorative elements scattered across the environments may blur together, leading me to suggest that some of these aspects could be simplified to improve performance.
A feature that irritated me was the lack of texture enhancement when inspecting items from your inventory, similar to many Resident Evil-style games. This resulted in images appearing blurry and difficult to distinguish, which isn’t usually a problem but can detract from the sense of immersion. Additionally, the cutscenes were pre-rendered rather than real-time, and they seemed to be compressed and not of high quality, even when I wasn’t sure if this could be adjusted with settings in my case.
Audio
In Maid of Sker, sound plays a crucial role, and it’s one of the game’s strongest aspects. The persistent squeaking and groaning of the hotel’s wooden floorboards, the hum of early electric lights, and eerie, distant noises that might be a monster, all work together to keep you on your toes, even in well-lit environments. I strongly suggest playing with headphones for an immersive experience, as they help you distinguish between different sounds better.
The acting may seem overly dramatic at times, yet it gets the job done effectively. Plus, the obligatory non-player characters emitting screams or whimpers as they’re mauled by monsters off-screen is certainly chilling enough to make your hair stand on end. As for the music, it plays a crucial role and soft melodies can easily heighten your tension without any extra loud noises or sudden surprises.
Using Bluetooth headphones, I encountered a slight delay in the audio which wasn’t severe enough to make the game unplayable, but it gave a somewhat unsettling feeling like my character’s actions were being echoed by something behind me. Despite this minor inconvenience, I found it surprisingly simple to identify enemies, collectibles, and other significant locations within the game.
Performance
Regrettably, Maid of Sker didn’t live up to expectations in terms of performance for me, and I believe this is due to the fact that my Samsung S20, unfortunately, is now on the lower-end side of devices. Although it didn’t crash, there were instances of stuttering even at the lowest settings, and my phone would occasionally heat up a bit too much, which was concerning. Later play sessions seemed smoother initially but then performance started to degrade slightly, hinting that overheating might have been the primary issue.
As a fan, I found myself pondering if the initial scene, where I traverse from the train station to the Sker Hotel, could be reconsidered for this adaptation. Instead, maybe we could start by placing me right outside the hotel itself, saving on resources that my phone might need due to all the lush surroundings. This change would also make sense since the journey doesn’t seem to contribute much to creating an eerie atmosphere, which is crucial in setting the tone for the story.
My main concern appears to be that there’s too much content that could potentially be removed, making it more accessible for devices with less power. I don’t believe this would have significantly impacted the overall experience if Wales Interactive had chosen to do so. In fact, most of the excess in the environments is not easily discernible on a smaller screen anyway.
What I liked
What I found most appealing about Maid of Sker was its atmosphere. Disregarding my personal connection to Wales, the Sker Hotel presents a more spacious and well-lit environment compared to games like Amnesia. It evokes the feeling of a less confined Alien: Isolation, where being careful can help avoid sudden surprises.
In addition, I find the narrative intriguing as well. The allusions to some eerie Lovecraftian terror and the recurring themes of melodies create a profoundly chilling atmosphere within the game. This is distinct from the explicit “horror” found in many other games, which often involves graphic gore.
What I didn’t like
The Maid of Sker game is a bit of everything, and due to the nature of porting, it’s challenging to give a definitive assessment since I believe a more powerful device than my phone was likely intended for this port, as the original release was in the same year as mine. However, considering its age, one would anticipate that the game should perform decently even on an older system like mine.
A personal gripe of mine is also the simple issues with controls. I’ve never liked playing games that are in first person which necessitates you using touchscreen controls as it tends to be a bit too finicky. The number of times I had to recenter my camera because the movement stick on the left hand of the screen leapt onto my thumb when tapping an interactable object also quickly became grating.
Conclusion
In summary, Maid of Sker is an acceptable game that experiences some drawbacks when moved to mobile platforms. If you’re seeking a top-notch survival horror title, Maid of Sker is definitely worth considering. Moreover, if you want to back a Welsh gaming company, this game is certainly a good choice to demonstrate your support. However, it’s important to note that the game has certain issues that somewhat diminish an already somewhat ambiguous experience.
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2024-09-12 19:18