Who's afraid of Slenderman?
For me the first White Noise went under the raidar because I had reviewed similiar game called 'Damned'. Similiar in many ways White Noise was 4 vs. 1 game with four heroes and one monster. White Noise 2 aims to improve the concept.
Game information
Name: White Noise 2 Developer/Publisher: Milkstone Studios
Platform: PC Type: moninpeli, kauhu, early access, 4vs1
Age rating(s): n/a
Reviewer: Rami (36)
Pictures&Videos:
First impression
Four teenage heroes are searching for eight tapes from the playing area - preferably before monster catches all of them. One of the players is controlling the monster. The monster can drop Ektoplasmic totems that alert about the movements of the heroes so the monster is always lurking. Of course accordingly mechanics you shouldn't watch the monster - player character might loose a nerve accoridngly the bravery. Light is in the big part of the game, strong lights like flares actually slow the monster down and even flashlights can hurt it. Sometimes monster can eliminate the flashlights leaving players defenseless (and probably running away and getting lost).
What is it for experienced player?
The monster isn't impossible to beat. Mainly this is due possibility to fight back with light and even free player that it is grabbing. Lightsicks that heroes carry are actually good for slowing monster down so sicking up is good idea in this game. Additionally game isn't over if someone dies. The ghost can recon around and eliminate monster attracting totems. Seems like teamwork lasts even in death. Other small but important changes is possibility to actually see drawn to map where players and monster were walking and what happened. The eight pag... records make a sound so player can find them just with skill as well.
Possibilities
White Noise 2 is interesting versio from 'Damned'. The idea has been improved and now good team can fight back (accordingly developers they aim 60-80% victory to monster. The game improves retention by rewarding player with experience for just playing the game. Experience unlocks more costumes and better flashlights to heroes (monster unlocking should be possible at some point). However getting difficulty right is hard. Players should feel constant threat but at the same times players shouldn't feel too powerless against the monster. For example Damned generated some complaints about too overpowered monsters. At the closing sentence one can say that this kind of game is hard to design, although it is computer version of hide and seek.
The current version had nice effects but only thing that left me cold was rough textures. In the dark player bumps often to walls and fences and manages to see textures really close. However if player is ok with indie-like gaming White Noise 2 is something one could suggest. White Noise 2 is reasonably easy to play and doesn't really require experience from levels (horrible mazes) so I would think this would work well as LAN-party game.
Fear and horor effects are reasonably strong, there's few 'jumpscares' but after few games player gets familiar with system and notices what the rules of the play are. In comparision with finnish ratings we would be talking about something between 12-16.
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