The year is 1999, and to celebrate the new year, you decide to take a trip to Fairy Town–a town that is not only welcoming the new year, but also marking its end. Armed with your pager, you travel into the strange town at night, prepared to investigate the mysteries hidden within Fairy Town in Baishoi County.
JIAOHUN is an upcoming psychological horror game that is reminiscent of the Silent Hill franchise in their puzzles and the way they build atmosphere. The new trailer showcases the gameplay players have to look forward to upon its release next year.
The game is entirely in first person, creating a sense of immersion that will keep you on the edge of your seat at every slight sound or fallen object. The area shown would have been cozy given the right circumstances, with beautiful pictures on the wall of children and people who are smiling, all taken by the main protagonist who loves photography. However, with what is going on in Fairy Town, the smiles are rather eerie, and the walls being covered by them make it feel claustrophobic.
Walking about, you can come across multiple items that are available to inspect to give insight on what is going on; each item has a biography that will come up on the right side that gives an in depth explanation of what it is. These items are clues about the surroundings, but also about the protagonist and the dark secrets she has haunting her as well. Other items may not be able to be picked up, they are there to interact with to help you progress further, such as lamps that can light your way.
A classic puzzle-like mechanic is also used here, such as picking up parts to eventually place them together to create a working tool. For example, in the trailer, the protagonist picks up batteries, film, and a flash unit. Once she finds a camera, she is able to put it together part by part, the process is detailed and realistic. Each switch and latch is available to toggle and interact with while rotating it in your hand.
The camera was shown not just to show the impressive mechanic, but to showcase a major tool to be used during game play. As stated before, the protagonist has an interest in photography, and by looking through the camera she is able to relive memories of the town. You will be able to see just how much things have changed for the worse for yourself by playing in two times simultaneously.
The trailer ends with the protagonist digging up a grave to see the man she has been hearing in her mind and seeing through her camera once again, but not everything is as loving as it seems after this.