Game Details
- Publisher: IMGN.PRO
- Developer: IMGN.PRO
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: First-Person-Adventure
- Pros: Fascinating story; great sound
- Cons: Performance issues; annoying navigation; why are there enemies?; load times
- MSRP: $20
Kholat is based on the real life tragedy of the 1959 Dyatlov
Pass Incident (see the Wiki)
where nine hikers were mysteriously killed in the Ural Mountains of Western
Russia. It is universally accepted that six of the victims died of hypothermia,
but the other three had unexplainable physical trauma. Was it a simple animal
attack? Avalanche? Military weapons tests? Or something paranormal or
supernatural? Kholat’s story follows the supernatural theory.
You play as a nameless person sent to investigate the
incident and unravel the story through notes left by the victims at campsites
and at landmarks scattered around the area. As you explore you’ll come across
the ghosts of the victims presented as sort of glowing humanoid entities.
You’ll also find some sort of “other” spectral creatures that leave behind
fiery footprints and instantly kill you if they catch you. I hate that this
game has enemies. They are unnecessary, uninteresting, and utterly ruin the
pacing by making you sit through a long loading screen just to start over again
back at the last (infrequently placed) checkpoint. The game is creepy and scary
enough with great sound design and the thrill of the unknown always lurking
just out of the reach of your weak flashlight. It didn’t need actual enemies to
make it frightening.
Kholat’s bigger problem is that navigating around the huge
mountain is pretty awful. The game goes for a realistic style of
navigation where it only gives you a map and a compass and expects you to find
your way around on your own. The problem is that it doesn’t tell you where you
actually are on the map so you just wander around lost. Eventually you’ll come
across a journal page or a campsite which, thankfully, is marked on the map and
from there you can actually make a plan and use the compass to generally go
where you want. There are coordinates written down with key points to visit, so
once you get your bearings they are your primary destinations. Even when you do
generally know where you are, however, the map itself isn’t fully accurate and
relying on it to get around is a pain. Everything takes too long. The enemies are
annoying and pointless. There are pitfalls you can fall through like the
invisible floors in Castlevania 2. Exploring in Kholat is just no fun at all.
Navigating with just a map and compass isn’t automatically a
bad thing, mind you. Firewatch does it and exploring in that game is awesome.
The main difference, of course, is that Firewatch marks on your map where you
are at all times to make it easier. Kholat wants to use its hardcore realistic
orienteering as a way to make the game more challenging and interesting, which
is admirable since so many walking simulators are so straightforward and easy,
but it just isn’t executed very well. Finding your way around always feels more
like a happy accident than anything particularly satisfying.
Kholat’s frustrating orienteering would be easier to swallow
if the game offered beautiful sights to see that made it all worthwhile, but it
doesn’t really ever wow you with the visuals. Don’t get me wrong, it does look
nice overall thanks to using Unreal Engine 4, but the maze of ice and rocks and
snow that dominates the game isn’t all that interesting to look at. The game
also has serious performance problems on Xbox One with frequent and noticeable
framerate drops and tearing any time you move the camera.
The sound, at least, is well done all around with great
voice acting (including narration from Sean “I die in every movie” Bean), good
sound effects, and wonderful music. The sound contributes greatly to giving
Kholat a very creepy atmosphere and setting the mood.
Kholat starts strong with a great real life story that grabs
your attention, but its many missteps make it hard to recommend for even the
biggest walking simulator fans. With frustrating navigation around a desolate
mountain full of annoying enemies it not only isn’t particularly fun or
rewarding to play, but it doesn’t pay off with especially pretty scenery or a
satisfying narrative. Kholat isn’t broken or terrible, just thoroughly mediocre
in a genre that requires spectacular execution in order to stand out. Skip it.
Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.
