Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: The Origin: Blind Maid
Developer: Waraní Studios
Publisher: Waraní Studios
Genre: Action, Horror
Price: $19.99
There's a lot to say about The Origin: Blind Maid, and, sadly, not everything is positive. It looks fantastic for an independently produced release, sporting some nice monster designs and environmental feel that can suck you right in. However, while its visuals are good and its ambition makes for a lofty goal, it doesn't manage to live up to the expectations it sets. What could've been an interesting if rough-around-the-edges game is mostly ruined by its lack of focus, and while it does have a good framework, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Creditably, The Origin: Blind Maid does quite a few things very well. Its opening premise is extremely engaging, with you knowing nothing except for the fact that you are being hunted. What story you do get comes in bits and pieces from notes and diaries scattered around in the environment, and when you read through them, they paint an interesting picture that will keep you moving forward in spite of the spooks and scares you may encounter. As you run through its different environments, the darkness and the lonely setting can really get to you. And if you play it at night, you may be even more immersed in its atmosphere. Should the game manage to suck you in, you’ll find it to be pretty entertaining, even if it does have rough edges here and there.
The trouble comes when you realize these concepts are akin to templates that The Origin: Blind Maid tries to follow ,and that their actual execution varies greatly from its intentions. Even when it tries its hardest, it often ends up feeling unpolished and tedious. Take the game's combat, for instance. In theory, it would be fast-paced and brutal, necessitating ammo management and a proper sense of risk-reward options. In practice, it appears to be only half-functional, with your weapons feeling weightless and lacking real impact. Enemies seem to vary from non-threatening and easy to take down to nigh invincible beasts you just have to avoid, and while it's fine if that's the case, the absence of any indication on which is which becomes damning. Bottom line, you are forced to guess, not quite the action the best titles in the genre aim to elicit from gamers. Exploration could've saved this concept, as the environments you traverse do look nice, but they also have their own quirks and flaws. The textures are detailed, but the level design lacks an attention to detail that should have made the gameplay flow well. Areas are either linear corridors or hallways to sprawling empty darkness where you move blindly from one level to another. The game lacks any cohesive sort of flow to it, as you're often stumbling around in the dark, unaware of where you are or where you even need to go. While it does keep in theme with the idea of being lost, the actual gameplay ramifications just make it feel lacking any fun. Even when locations are engaging and are more thought out, they're spaced between several minutes of frustrating meandering in the dark.
Rough as The Origin: Blind Maid is, if you can stomach the dead air, you do have at least some variety in what you can encounter. When you're not fighting or dodging regular enemies, you have to be careful around the various bosses that stalk the levels. There's some added variety in the puzzles you have to solve, and there are a few weapons to find and play with while you're doing some standard chase sequences. Inventory management is pretty standard, but at least there's a clear level of progression at work, with the game actually feeling like it's building up to something. What's more, the cutscenes hit pretty hard, as they're not just entertaining to watch; they're also rife with entertaining B-movie cheese and over-the-top voice acting.
Even then, The Origin: Blind Maid is hard to recommend because its few bright spots are spread so thin. There are also the various bugs and control issues to keep in mind. Save files sometimes have trouble loading, and while the controls work, there's a sense of sluggishness and non-responsiveness that doesn't feel right in contrast to far snappier, more responsive games. Enemies can look janky, environments can appear blurry, text can be unreadable in the dark, and the overall fidelity of the game just feels out of whack, especially when poorly developed models stand in stark contrast to the generally good visuals. While patches have been put out to address these bugs, not all have been solved, and it's this cavalcade of minor issues that really stops an already slow-to-start game hard in its tracks.
It's obvious that a lot of time, effort, and passion have gone into the making of The Origin: Blind Maid. That said, some games are just not fun to negotiate, and sadly, The Origin: Blind Maid is one such game. While it has its moments, they're fleeting at best, and what remains is a well-meaning survival horror title that tries its best, but never quite manages to become what it wants to be.
THE GOOD
- Nice visuals, especially during the few times it does actually get to show off its lighting
- Decent mix of concepts of crafting, combat, and exploration, survival-horror style
- Good narrative that keeps the game interesting and the player guessing
THE BAD
- Concepts are good in theory, but just not fun to play, with the gameplay feeling neither impactful nor weighty
- Environments are good textually, but they have a bad flow to them, often leaving you confused and lost
- Feels unpolished and unfinished
RATING: 6/10
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