The Blackout Club review: Is it really like Stranger Things?
By Devin Shea
With the comparison to Stranger Things, The Blackout Club left us with high expectations, but does it measure up to the hype?
The Blackout Club is a game released not too long ago that kept comparing itself to one of the hottest shows in the past few years, Stranger Things. The Blackout Club is a multiplayer horror game, unlike any game I have played before. Being compared to Stranger Things drew me in, but is it worth the comparison?
The Blackout Club was developed and published by Question. You play as a teenager attempting to discover the truth about the town with their friends. Every night, the adults become Sleepers, sleepwalking under the influence of an unknown entity that can only be seen with your eyes closed.
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The teens in the town begin to lose time. They wake up with scratches like they’ve been traveling through the woods at night. The teens start the hunt to find out what is taking over their town. They also investigate what took their friend, who had begun to figure out what was happening.
I loved the concept, but from the get, I was disappointed that to get the most out of this game, you need to play multiplayer. I am not a big fan of games that force multiplayer.
As anti-social as that sounds, I prefer to have my games offer a multiplayer, not require it. It’s one of the reasons I could never get behind The Division. Can it be played solo? Sure, but it just isn’t as charming without company.
That isn’t to say that The Blackout Club isn’t fun. When you are playing with a friend, it can be…to a certain point. The missions change but don’t change enough to keep from feeling repetitive. Aside from the tutorial, you play in the same neighborhood for every procedurally generated task.
I will say this: The Blackout Club looks fantastic. I love the design of this game. The dark and foggy look of the missions gives the game an eerie atmosphere. The concept of seeing the monster only when your eyes are closed is a great idea. Also, your mic can record your breathing and reactions to improve the gameplay, if you choose.
If you are too loud or are caught during your nighttime missions, you will be carried to the Red Door of Death, or you will be chased by the evil entity that is causing all of the problems. You will need to run, but you can only see his location once you close your eyes.
You can add up to four to your party and can use one of four different weapons or tools. With each mission, you will get more points to acquire skills that will help you in subsequent missions.
This game has the potential to be fun with a group of four, but two or less make the missions feel repetitive and just…okay. Visually this game is impressive, and the concept is excellent. I can see where the Stranger Things similarities come in, but in terms of longterm or solo gameplay, The Blackout Club falls a little short to me.
That isn’t to say that on a game lull I wouldn’t pick up The Blackout Club to kill a little time, but to me, the gameplay just lacked a bit for re-playability. It is beautiful and had a lot of potential, but only earns a 3/5 for me.
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Have you played The Blackout Club? If you have, what did you think of it? If not, do you plan on picking it up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
You can play The Blackout Club now on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. If you do play, I would recommend playing with at least two more people to get the most out of the experience.