Blair Witch series

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 20th, 2024, 11:07

I played the first one when it was added to CD-Action magazine in Poland, so probably around 2002-2004. I remember being positively surprised as it was one of the best horror games I've ever played. The forest was quite scary. I think I might have trouble remembering the story as my English back in my teenage years was quite inferior and I might not have understood it entirely. The dark forest was genuinely the most scary location I remember in games to this day, even more than Silent Hill's ones, though overall SH games were better in general. Mostly because it not only looked scary, but it changed paths to make you lose directions, which was quite an ingenuine idea that added a lot to the atmosphere. Other locations, like burned house or even the town were pretty good as well. That said, it was a long time ago, my memory is selective and as a young lad I might have been easier to impress.

I'm going to replay it. Seems like it's not on Steam nor GOG, but it's available on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/Blair_Witch ... n_Parr_USA

I've never tried Volume 2 or 3. Are they worth trying? I heard they were inferior, but how much?

Element · Post by **Element** » March 20th, 2024, 13:12

Tbf Silent Hill wasn't scary

wndrbr · Post by **wndrbr** » March 20th, 2024, 13:18

@Konjad add Nocturne to your list.

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 20th, 2024, 20:44

Downloaded the game from archive.org. Surprisingly, just runs with no fiddling needed, albeit max resolution is 640x480, looks a bit crap on 24" 16:10, but I'll look for solutions later.

Also, the archive.org has 'disk1' and 'disk2' but after I clicked to install from disk1 the game was installed. Unpacking disk2 appears to have the same content as the first one? Are these two different versions of the game? huh

wndrbr wrote: ↑ March 20th, 2024, 13:18
@Konjad add Nocturne to your list.

Well.. is it the same game? Another? Did they make a new game but forgot to even change file names?

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 20th, 2024, 21:04

Oh, there's a fix that runs the game in 1920x1080 (with black bars for 1920x1200), the game looks much better!

https://github.com/fkortsagin/The-Blair ... ows-10-Fix

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 22nd, 2024, 11:53

The game is broken on modern OS. It's impossible to complete the training, and also there are multiple issues there.

Whenever you pull a lever next to a door it does not open *these* door but rather a random door on the level. That is certainly not as it was intended. So you have to pull the lever enough times until the door you want opens.

But the cutscene that is supposed to happen at the end of training never triggers for me. I tried to repeat last steps multiple times but to no avail.

Looks like this is the second game that requires me to install on an old OS after Gorasul. I guess I will gather a few more games like that and I will transfer myself back to times of Windows 98 and complete a few games in a sequence.

gerey · Post by **gerey** » March 22nd, 2024, 12:05

@Konjad

Why not use the tweaked versions found on the Collection Chamber?

They've been made to run on modern OSes right out of the box.

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 22nd, 2024, 12:50

Oh, I might try them out then

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » March 22nd, 2024, 14:42

Their version works, @gerey , thanks

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » April 2nd, 2024, 18:34

Finished it (again) and it's a very good game, albeit quite short. The atmosphere is superb, the adventure part (finding whom to talk to what to collect etc.) is made in a smart non-annoying way, I never felt "what am I supposed to do now" like in many other adventure games, and the only criticism I do have is that combat is too easy. I did play on normal-normal though, maybe it's better on higher difficulties. It is quite scary at times (assuming you play with headphones and have a proper dark & lonely atmosphere for it, hence it took me to finish so long despite it being short, I just played late in the evening when waifu was asleep). One of the few horror games that ever actually made me feeling scared (all the other ones are a part of Silent Hill series). It was fun getting lost in the forest again with creatures hunting me down and an uneasy sounds in the background. It is also probably the only ghost story I didn't cringe or feel stupidified about. I certainly recommend it - for the atmosphere especially. The weakest part of the game was probably the beginning (the nightmare where you shoot townsfolk) and the day 3's backtracking (go back and forth between points), but the rest of the game was quality time. I wish it was longer!

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » April 2nd, 2024, 18:49

Just to be clear, it's way above the recent "Blair Witch" remake(?) game or the movies, which all are utter garbage.

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » April 3rd, 2024, 19:16

It's bewildering how often horror writers do not comprehend that:
1) scare jumps are not creating fear, it's the anticipation that builds the insecurity
2) unknown is more frightening and cringe lore dumps and tl;dr explanations are taking the mystery away

This game has few scare jumps and does not explain everything. Few games (and not just games) get it right like this game.

I really wish it was longer though, I completed it only in a few hours.

I guess I'll give Volume II a try soon.

maidenhaver · Post by **maidenhaver** » April 3rd, 2024, 23:26

Konjad wrote: ↑ April 3rd, 2024, 19:16
2) unknown is more frightening and cringe lore dumps and tl;dr explanations are taking the mystery away

Nobody understands worldbuilding.

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » April 10th, 2024, 19:44

Completed Volume II.

This one has few and uninteresting characters, the story overall is simple and cliche. There are in fact very few character interactions and no puzzles at all (not that the first one had many, but it had a few and they were fine). The engine is the same, and so are the controls but camera is worse, it is often so close you don't know where you're going, and the graphics seem worse for some reason, as if it was made 1-2 years before the Volume I? Anyway, the worst is that instead of having cool action-adventure horror game like Volume I, the second is more like movie-game hybrid where you watch cutscene for 1-2 minutes, walk and shoot for 1-2 minutes, watch cutscene... it's like a movie in which you shoot monsters yourself.

Overall, while Rustin Parr was great, Coffin Rock is trash. It's very short though, took me less than 3h to finish? Third of that time was me fighting the camera while in the woods. The first game was three times as long, but I'm glad sequel is so short, I don't think I would finish it otherwise. On a positive note, it's not story-wise related to the first game so you can ignore it without feeling you're missing anything.

gerey · Post by **gerey** » April 10th, 2024, 20:12

Konjad wrote: ↑ April 10th, 2024, 19:44
as if it was made 1-2 years before the Volume I?

IIRC the three games were made by three different developers almost at the same time. Only the first game was made by the devs of Nocturne/Bloodrayne.

Konjad · Post by **Konjad** » April 12th, 2024, 16:33

Completed Volume III.

Gameplay, alike in II, focuses on combat and there are no puzzles. Surprisingly enough, the story and dialogues are even dumber than in the second one (though at least there's one decent twist). It's once again running around and shooting then watching a cutscene (this time they are short, fortunately), then the game ends in 2-3h. Similarily, the graphics seem worse than in the first game, but this time camera is not so zoomed in and annoying, it's more akin to the first Volume. Oh, and also the forest isn't confusing anymore in this part, it's basically a few corridors. Overall, I'd say it's a fairly similar game to Volume II and vastly inferior to Volume I. Subpar and not worth recommendation.

Play Volume I and don't bother with II and III.